IFSC

The IFSC rules are very clear that you are not allowed to use any electronic communication equipment in the iso and if you do so you will immediate get a red card and get disqualified. In practice this rule does not apply any longer as it is a well known fact that electronic communication equipment often are used and the judges have never taken any action. To watch movies on laptops or to check the watch on your mobile are common practice which also were done in the World Championship in Paris. Jorg Verhoeven confirms this on Facebook, "Judges have been turning a blind eye to electronics in iso since years, so the decision seems hard this time..." In the case of Jakob Schubert being disqualified for checking the time on his mobile, he should have a very strong case making an appeal if some more guys come forward confirming what Jorg says. The solution could be that Jakob was compensated by giving him the ranking based on the average of all his final results during the WC's 2012. This is what has happened according Jakob. " I looked at the clock on my, in flight mode, mobile some 15 minutes before I was going to climb. A volunteer sees this and informes the judges who 20 seconds before I was going to climb give me the red card without even confirming with me if it was true." The World Cup climbers are one big family who cooperate during observation and sportmanship is very high. Jakob do know he made a mistake but the propotion of the penalty seems way to exaggerated as other identical violations have not even been given a yellow card. Let us hope it was just an unlucky mistake by the judges that can be recalled and that it was not a statement from IFSC as 8a published some critical comments towards them, from Jakob, just one day before Puurs?