The Rookie competitions comprise up to five disciplines, and only competitors from the athletic level of Rookie may participate in this format. To belong to this level, athletes must be under 25 and must not have competed in all six TIMBERSPORTS® disciplines with the corresponding Pro wood diameter.
The Rookie competitions comprise up to five disciplines, and only Rookie athletes may participate in this format. The competition provides an excellent pathway for young athletes to enter the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® Series and compete in high pressure events. To qualify as a Rookie, athletes must be under 25 and must not have competed in all six TIMBERSPORTS® disciplines in a Pro competition. Rookies of all genders can take part.
Rookie competitions are part of the sustainable talent programme for TIMBERSPORTS®, which provides a place for young athletes to gain experience and refine their skills. As part of this programme, rookies regularly get offered the chance to compete in national competitions in other countries, especially in Europe.
Rookies generally chop and saw on smaller wood block diametres than the Pros so that they can perfect their technique first before moving to the larger timber. The Stock Saw is the exception.
All Rookies compete in four disciplines in the following order: Stock Saw, Standing Block Chop,, Single Buck and Underhand Chop. Once all athletes have completed a discipline, points are awarded based on the times recorded.
The maximum points awarded for each discipline is determined from the number of participating athletes, e.g. in a field of 14 athletes, the first place in a discipline is awarded 14 points, with one point going to the 14th place athlete.
A disqualification results in zero points for the respective discipline. The athlete who achieves the most points across all four disciplines is the winner of the competition.
For the first time at the Rookie European Championship 2021 a round format for the Rookies was introduced. This format will be the future format for all Rookie World Championships, starting in 2022.
In the first round, all athletes compete in the Underhand Chop and Stock Saw, earning points depending on how fast they complete each discipline. The maximum points awarded for each discipline is 12 points, descending in one-point decrements per place. The athletes with the least points after the first round are eliminated.
The top eight then compete in the second round in the Standing Block Chop and Single Buck disciplines. The second round has a two-point increment between places, from 16 down to two. After the second round the two lowest ranking athletes are eliminated.
Only the six highest-scoring athletes from rounds one and two compete in the final discipline, the Springboard with one board. There are more points at stake again in the third round with a three-point gap between each place, so a great finish in this round can really make a difference. The athlete with the most points from all three rounds at the end of the competition wins the international Rookie championship.
