20 February 2021

IFSC ready to decide on two zones in Bouldering

After talking to route setters and IFSC officials this winter it seems they are now close to agreeing that there will be two zones in Bouldering starting from 2022. The advantages are that two zones will make it possible to separate better and also that it makes the comp fairer for the athletes. Furthermore, it increases the chances of getting a result. In the Youth B World Champion 2019, 28% of the girls had to tell their friends and relatives that they scored zero once.

Currently, four flashes/tops are presented 4T 4z by IFSC. 8a has since 2019 simplified it but presenting such scoring as 44 points, as in practice, you get ten points for a top and one point for a zone.

The question is whether IFSC will continue with the same scoring meaning the max scoring would be 4T 8z or 48 points. My suggestion with two zones is based on that you give 2 points for the first zone and then 4 points for the second zone. Furthermore, a flash gives one bonus point, i.e. four flashes would score 44 points just as it is today.
This means, for example, that a climber reaching the second zone on all four boulders would get 16 points, beating another climber topping one boulder but only reaching the first zone on two boulders, hence getting 14 points.

It should be mentioned that since 2002, 8a has published numerous articles explaining that two zones are the way forward. In 2017, I was invited to a meeting with IFSC and later I participated in an IFSC "Working Group" and presented a new scoring system based on two zones and points.
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