Sheaf Pitchfork - # of tines?

Personally, I find it easier to throw with a 3-tine fork because of hand placement between the tines, I feel like I have more control and power. Since you said your 1st games was @ Triad, you are going to be competing mostly in the southeast I would assume. With that being said, I don't know of anyone who throws aith a 2 tine fork so I don't know if they don't allow it or just that nobody uses one.

Good luck and don't listen to them saying it a stupid event, its an awesome event!

greynolds177 wrote: agm_ wrote: NASGA rules are not binding on anybody, since NASGA doesn't run any games. They are a widely used set of rules, but there are others - SAAA, RMSA, etc. I need help! How many organisations over there? How many are writing rules? How many are authorising non-Scottish events? How many are authorising non-Scottish techniques? How many realise that the use of the word "Scottish" carries with it a responsibility to look at what is being done in Scotland with regard to the Heavy events?

How many organisations over there?
8 or 9 groups plus lots of independent games

ASAA = Alberta Scottish Athletic Association
http://www.heavyevents.ab.ca/rules.htm

MASA = Mid Atlantic Scottish Athletic Association.  Rules similar to NASGA
http://www.highlandgames.net/masa/rules/index.php

NASGA = North American Scottish Games Athletics
http://www.nasgaweb.com/rules.asp

RMSA = Rocky Mountain Scottish Athletics.  Rules Similar to NASGA
http://www.rmsa.org/

SAAA = Scottish American Athletic Association (Rules written by Carlos Borges)
http://www.saaa-net.org/rules/rules_2003.PDF

SHA = Scottish Heavy Athletics written by Carlos Borges are the same as SAAA except for one line about rounding measurement to lowest whole inch. There may be other differences.
http://www.scottish-heavies.com/sha_info.htm

SSAAA = Southeastern Scottish Armature Athletic Association
http://www.thessaaa.org/rules.htm  - no real rules posted

USAD = United Scottish Athletic Directors  - Mid-continent group
No website yet.

How many are writing rules?
A few but mostly based on either Carlos Borges rules or NASGA rules or a Combination

How many are authorising non-Scottish events?
Depends on what you mean by Scottish and non-Scottish events - Keg tosses, farmers walk, Irish throws, ....  Lots of games do the keg tosses and farmer walks and other challenge type events. 

Irish Throws is mostly Richard Jackson of Wisconsin Games.

How many are authorising non-Scottish techniques?
DO you mean spinning -- I am not even going to go there -- period.

How many realise that the use of the word "Scottish" carries with it a responsibility to look at what is being done in Scotland with regard to the Heavy events?

We may look, but it does not mean we follow --

We use stones, Scottish games uses medal balls.

We do not use the throwing vectors or what every they are called - Scottish Games do

We do Sheaf and some even spin with it - Scottish Games ?

I look at it as our traditions of the Scottish games -- Some have tried using "What is being done in Scotland" as a reason to ban or allow things over here -- that reason does not usually fair well in debates.

Why not ask the Scottish Games Association if it could be adopted? 

We don't even have our own national organization, why would we ask another nation's organization if it could adopt something? 

In defense to what may seem to be a chaotic system, many involved in the games over here are students of the games, they know the history.  Also, despite having many different sets of rules, the rules used here are very similar to each other.     

If anybody so cares, the attached link will lead to a website with a couple of PDF files that compare NASGA rules to most others and Carlos Borges rules to most others.

Rules are Rules

If no one else will answer this, I guess I will field this question. 

I rather not answer this as if I am USAD spokesperson because certain position I have taken may taint this organization whose efforts I believe are good.

The reason that few have heard of USAD is because of their goals and structure is not designed to promote the organization or sanction games or gain any sort of power in the highland games world. 

It is a loose federation of independent games' Athletics Directors that got together to help each others games. 

The structure or lack of one (no hierarchical structure) and the lack of self promotion makes it look like USAD is a secret society.  That is not the intention of this group.  The structure is designed to give everyone equal voice and so it is not threatening to other organizations and sanctioning bodies.  

The following is from their rules book:

UNITED SCOTTISH ATHLETICS DIRECTORS ORGANIZATION

2006-2007

The United Scottish Athletics Directors (USAD) is an organization of Scottish Highland Game’s Athletics Directors. The primary goal of the USAD is to provide a heavy events rule book that all members agree to abide by. A secondary but equally important goal is to help build each individual Highland Game through mutual support including cross promoting, advertising, and sharing of ideas on the many varied challenges facing athletic directors (recruiting throwers, soliciting sponsors, equipment needs, dealing with committees).

There is no hierarchical structure of USAD, each member shares in the discussion and decision making.

We have found that through this cooperative effort, new ideas and visions of the games are born.

All members of the USAD must be Athletic Directors of major Scottish Highland Games.  Major Scottish Highland Games are defined as games operated by a Game’s board which may or may not be a not for profit group which contains elected officials; a Saint Andrews Society, etc.  Athletic Only events are welcome to use the USAD rules and judges.  They will then use an AD of a Major Game to be their spokesperson for the annual meeting.

The rules contained in this book will remain intact until February of each year at which time an annual meeting will take place where the Athletic Directors who chose to involve their Highland Game in this organization and adopt these rules will converge for a weekend to discuss, change and add rules that have been discovered to be needed through the year by the Athletes, Judges and Athletic Directors.  If any Athlete, Judge or Athletic Director sees a change is needed and would like it addressed at the next year’s meeting they need to communicate their findings to the current members of the USAD.

Current Members of USAD are:

----

From my point of view, the rules writing is a pain in the ass. I get more out of this organization social interaction.  Being able to get input on how to solve particular problems with committees, insight on how to land individual sponsors or how to form a partnership with other games to broaden the sponsorship appeal to a larger geographical area, ....

In other words, it is like getting together with other AD's and having a athletics directors problem solving sessions.

One last point, USAD was restricted to "major" games because of the unique set of problems we face when dealing with our games committees/boards.  Unique in that they are different from athletics only events where the AD gets to do basically what they would like and rein fairs throwing events which have a whole separate set of problems dealing with profit motive promoters.   

Any AD organisation with Kevin and Lori Henderson in it gets a big thumbs up  from the AD in Inverness.

Not so sure about meeting in Vegas mind.

They are having a 2 for 1 sale at the pie shop in Drumnadrochit this week..... .... and the spare part for the bus from Inverness is expected in any day now.

Good heavens.  All this due to the stuupud sheaf toss and the stuupud forks?

By the by, I did toss the sheaf 21 feet, ONCE.  And it was with the old burlalp bag stuffed with straw.  Bring back the straw bag and I'll take back  everything I ever said about the stuupud sheaf toss.  (Like that will ever happen.)