posted May 17th, 2016 - Another recent FAI/IPC rule change for the running competition season is related to indoor events.

FAI/IPC became involved with wind tunnel competition almost a decade after the first indoor meets took place, with the World Challenge as the leader of the most popular events. The rules were developed step by step by the hosts, coaches and experienced competitors together, and they were based on the rules for outdoor competition.

However, there are obviously major differences that had to be taken care of, and some of the hosts even communicated and coordinated their efforts to find the best ways how to conduct indoor meets. Eventually, the two wind tunnels with the biggest flying chambers (Bodyflight Bedford, Paraclete XP) synchronized their procedures for entry into the chamber, start of the working time and other specific indoor occasions.

One of the major differences between indoor and outdoor competition are the wall and the floor of the wind tunnel chambers, which are limiting horizontal and vertical space.

The first set of FAI/IPC rules, which were in place for the first FAI Indoor World Cup 2014 and the first FAI Indoor World Meet 2015, gave the limited space special attention. It was a paragraph that was only related to wind tunnel walls and floors at indoor competition:

"Chapter 4 - General Rules in 2015 (4.6.4): If a team member makes contact with the floor screen or the tunnel walls and the majority of the judging panel deem this contact to be intentional, one point will be deducted from the aggregate points scored in accordance with 4.6.1 for each such contact made."

The hosts of the earlier indoor meets did not have this or any similar rule, as the contact with either the wall or the floor is not beneficial for the actual performance. It is in fact counter-productive in most cases. The FAI/IPC officials and law-makers eventually came to the same conclusion:

"Experience has shown that contact with the wall/floor is disruptive to the team and in fact slows down the team

performance so there is no need for an additional point score penalty."

This year's FAI/IPC meeting confirmed the change, and the chapter (4.6.4) was also completely removed from the current rules for indoor competition. FAI/IPC hosts the 2nd Indoor World Cup at Flyspot in Poland this year in October.