UNAA Comps Australia uses a point system for scoring. 50% or more obstacles are worth 1 point for full completion. More difficult obstacles, up to 50% of the course, can be worth 2 points and have a halfway point, which must be clearly marked with a tape mark or other marking. Completion of halfway is worth 1 point and is NOT considered a fail, but a 1-point completion.

 

Scoring

There is a maximum of 3 fails per course. After 3 fails, the athlete's run is over. They many finish the course (or keep going until a time limit is reached, if the course has a time limit), but will not receive a score for the remaining obstacles. Their time will end with last obstacle completed. 

 

Score is then determined by points gained, and time of full run. Points are the highest priority when determining final score with time being second priority. Most points, with fastest time wins. Finish or fail an obstacle and move on to the next.

 

Examples of halfway mark worth 1 point:

Salmon ladder- 3 rungs out of 6 rungs

Peg Board- Peg in the 10th hole out of 20 holes

20 ft Rope Climb- hand goes past 10ft mark

 

It is up to the discretion of the gym to determine 2-point obstacles, but we highly recommend trying to incorporate as many as possible, up to 50% of the course, to create boundaries of Fair Play and more opportunities to incorporate harder obstacles without worry of all athletes failing harder obstacles. If an athlete wishes to skip an obstacle, they must first go to the starting platform/line/etc. of the obstacle before continuing on. Skipping an obstacle results in a fail of that obstacle.

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If athlete times out before completing last obstacle, time is reverted to last obstacle completed 

ALL athletes must begin at the starting point of each obstacle (i.e. trampoline; box; platform; starting line) before moving on to next obstacle.

 

What is a Fail?

If it is a 1-point obstacle, and they do NOT complete the obstacle, it is a FAIL.

If it is a 2-point obstacle, and they do NOT get to the Halfway Mark, it is a FAIL. If they get to or surpass the halfway mark and fall before completing obstacle it is NOT a fail, it is awarded as a 1-point completion.   Complete the entire obstacle, and get 2 points.

 

In the Event of a TIE, all athletes in a qualifying position will move on and those that move into a qualifying position because of the TIE will also move on.

Gyms at their discretion may set their own maximum time for the entire course.

Participants may compete at any Local Qualifiers, even if they are in a different state, and as many Area Qualifiers as they qualify for.  Once qualified, they may still compete, but as they are already qualified, if they place top 3 or 50%, the next in line qualifies.  

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Competitors must be 6 years or older as of 1 January 2025 to compete in UNAA Comps Australia. Our age date coincides with UNAA's Season 10 age date to ensure athletes are able to compete in the same age class at the UNAA World Series Finals as they competed in during the UNAA Comps Australia season. All athletes shall compete in their appropriate class. Any athletes in the age classes may move up to the next age class if they so choose.  Once they have moved up to that class, they MUST remain in that class for the duration of the year. Each course is age appropriate and if an athlete chooses to compete up, no accommodations will be made for height adjustments.

 

Athletes must choose a class to compete in based on their age and/or skill level. Athletes can choose to move up to the next class, but once an athlete moves up, they must remain in the higher class for the duration of the season. Athletes 13+ may compete in amateur or pro class if they so choose but will HAVE to remain in the that class for duration of season.  As ANG and UNAA Comps Australia are both pathways to UNAA World Series Finals, athletes who also compete in ANG MUST compete in the same class in both UNAA Comps Australia and ANG. Competing in multiple classes in NOT allowed.

 

CLASS LIST

7 and Under Boys

7 and Under Girls

9 and Under Boys

9 and Under Girls

11 and Under Boys

11 and Under Girls

13 and Under Boys

13 and Under Girls

15 and Under Boys

15 and Under Girls

(16+ must go to adult classes. 13+ may go to adult classes if they choose)

Amateur Men

Amateur Women

Intermediate Men

Intermediate Women

Pro Men

Pro Women

Masters Men 40+ (limited to only competitors age 40 and over)

Masters Women 40+ (limited to only competitors age 40 and over)

Masters Men 50+ (limited to only competitors age 50 and over)

Masters Women 50+ (limited to only competitors age 50 and over)

 

Pro

Any Adult (13 or older) may compete in Pro class, Intermediate class or Amateur class but MUST compete in PRO if they placed 1st in male or female in Intermediate class at UNAA Comps Australia Regionals. 

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INTERMEDIATE

This class is for those who are more skilled than amateurs, but are less skilled than those competing in the PRO class. Any amateur that  placed TOP 10 in UNAA Finals must move up to the INTERMEDIATE Class OR to the PRO class immediately upon return from worlds.

 

Any athlete who competed as an amateur (or amateur equivalent) in WNL finals, WNL Premier League finals, FINA finals, or the Ninja World Cup and placed 1st in their gender must compete as an INTERMEDIATE or PRO immediately upon return from worlds.

 

Any athlete who placed top 10 in their age class at the UNAA World Series and is moving up to an adult class (due to aging out, or for those 13+, deciding to move up) MUST compete as an Intermediate or Pro (they CAN'T move into amateur). Any athlete who places 1st in 15U male or female at UNAA Comps Australia Regionals, ANG Nationals, or NCL equivalent, MUST compete as an Intermediate or Pro at the start of the next UNAA CA season.

 

Any athlete 13+ who places 1st in their division at UNAA Comps Australia Regionals, ANG Nationals, or NCL Finals WHO CHOOSES to move into the adult classes MUST compete as Intermediate or Pro.

 

Any amateur who places top 10 in UNAA Finals in July 2024 must immediately move up to INTERMEDIATE or PRO upon return from worlds. Any athlete who competes as an amateur (or amateur equivalent) in WNL finals, WNL Premier League finals, FINA finals, or the International open this year and places 1st in their gender must immediately move up to INTERMEDIATE or PRO upon return from worlds. Any athlete who competes in Top Flight at the FINA Round our Champions this July and places 1st in their gender must immediately move up to Intermediate or PRO upon return from worlds. Those who must move up after worlds do not need to re-qualify in their new class if they have already qualified for an Area Qualifier, they can compete at their Area Qualifier in their new class. 

 

Athletes who competed in PRO in UNAA Comps Australia Local Qualifiers this year (2024) may move down to INTERMEDIATE if they choose, but this move must be done prior to Regionals and athletes must qualify in their new class at their state's Area Qualifier if they wish to compete in INTERMEDIATE at Regionals. Please note, the PRO bonus prizes will remain only for the top PRO female and male at each competition.

 

Once an athlete chooses to compete in PRO, they must stay in PRO for the duration of the season. Those who are in PRO CLASS and have not qualified for a UNAA World Finals in the previous years or placed in the lower 20% at UNAA World Final Prelims, may move down to INTERMEDIATE CLASS if they choose. In these circumstances, athletes may move down immediately following worlds. If an athlete in the bottom 20% at worlds competes as Pro at a competition after worlds, they are choosing to compete as Pro and must remain in the Pro class for the duration of the season.

 

If any qualified PRO or INTERMEDIATE athlete violates these rules and is “competing down” in the amateur classes, they will be disqualified from the competition and required to forfeit all prizes.

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Moving from 15U to amateur, intermediate or pro

When it is time to move from 15U to an adult class, you can choose to compete in Amateur, Intermediate, or Pro unless you placed 1st in your class at UNAA Comps Australia's Regional Qualifier, ANG Nationals, or NCL Finals. If you placed first at any of those, you must move up to Intermediate or Pro. In the USA, most youth 13 and over who can keep up with the pros move up to pro between the ages of 13 and 15, prior to aging out of the age classes.  

 

Amateur class

The Amateur class exists to give new ninjas, and ninjas who have a much lower skill level than those in the Intermediate and Pro classes, a chance to compete against others of a similar skill level. It is quite disheartening for amateurs when they compete against someone who should be competing as an Intermediate or Pro, and can make them feel like they are not good enough to be a ninja and/or to compete. This even leads to ninjas dropping out of the sport altogether. 

 

If you are a skilled ninja, capable of completing many technically challenging manoeuvres such as coffin laches, flow lines, cane laches (bar to bar, ring to ring, etc.), 1cm cliff hangers, flyaways, and/or other challenging skills, you should compete as a Pro. If you are a skilled ninja, capable of doing the salmon ladder, laches over 2m, and other skills that are between the amateur and pro skill level, you should be competing as an Intermediate. Amateurs do not have such skills.

 

Coaches, we encourage you to chat with your ninjas about their skill level and which class they should be competing in. We don't want to see athletes competing down just to win against less skilled competitors. 

 

If you are unsure if you should be in Amateur, Intermediate or Pro, please contact us and we can advise you which class you should be competing in based on your skill level.

 

Gym Personnel

Gym personnel(owners, and employees) can compete in UNAA Comps Australia Local, Area, and Regional qualifiers at their own gym. Any gym personnel competing in their own Local, Area, or Regional qualifier MUST run FIRST in their class AND must not test design their class's course.

 

Transgender Policy

Transgender athletes are welcome in UNAA Comps Australia.  Any transgender athlete competing in UNAA Competitions must compete in their gender assigned at birth and follow The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act:  461

 

The Act requires that athletic teams or sports be expressly designated as for males, men or boys; females, women or girls, or co-ed or mixed. It also requires that teams or sports designated for females must not be open to “students of the male sex.”

 

Judges

All UNAA gyms will have at least 2 judges on hand for each athlete’s run. One Judge (Head Judge) will have a reliable timer and focus on the athlete’s full completion of each obstacle. The other Judge will be responsible for keeping time and score using Ninja Master. Head Judges can pause runs for emergencies, course malfunctions, or equipment malfunctions only.

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UNAA Comps Australia gyms will have obstacles marked clearly with a marking device to determine the start and finish of each obstacle and halfway mark (on two point obstacles), to ensure competitors full knowledge of the course. Gyms will also provide a walk-through of each course. Athletes will need to CLEAR the end-marker - this decision resides with the Head Judge at each qualifier. UNAA gyms will be responsible for having enough staff on hand to judge if one of the judges is competing.

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UNAA World Series Finals

World Finals (held in the USA) will be judged by designated personnel of the UNAA.

Note for UNAA Head Judges: A head judge's purpose is primarily two tasks - ensuring athletes complete the obstacle in a fair manner and to determine if an athlete “clears” the end marker. A head judge may make a call at any time utilizing the “ask it or risk it" rule. The “ask it or risk it” rule means the responsibility of asking if something is legal is on the athlete or the athlete risks being called for it. Judges also do not have to allow a loophole once it is found. Judges reserve the right to make any call they deem necessary in order to complete the obstacle as it was intended.

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Competition structure

UNAA Comps Australia has three levels of competition - Local Qualifiers, Area Qualifiers, and Regionals.

 

Local Qualifiers are held in most states and have no prerequisites to attend. The top 3 or 50% in each class, whichever is greater, rounded UP, qualify for that state's Area Qualifier. If an athlete is unable to attend an Area Qualifier, their spot will roll down to the next in line.

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Area Qualifiers (state championships) are held in most states and usually require qualification from a Local Qualifier. However, states with only one ninja gym skip Local Qualifiers and only hold an Area Qualifier. In these states, there is no pre-requisite to attend the Area Qualifier and anyone from any state may attend if they choose. States which have multiple ninja gyms hold an Area Qualifier which those who qualified via Local Qualifiers attend. If an athlete qualifies for an Area Qualifier in one state, they can't change their qualification to a different state. An athlete may qualify for as many Area Qualifiers as they like and attend as many as they are qualified for (if possible due to timing). Once an athlete is qualified for Regionals, they may still compete at other Area Qualifiers they are qualified for, but if they place in the top 5 or top 50%, their qualifying spot will roll down to the next in line at subsequent events. At Area Qualifiers, the top 5 or top 50% in each class, rounded UP, will qualify for Regionals. If an athlete is unable to attend Regionals, their spot will roll down to the next in line.

 

One Regionals (nationals) will be held somewhere in Australia. Only those who qualify via an Area Qualifier and those granted compassionate or wildcard entry may compete at Regionals. The top 10 or top 30% in each class, whichever is greater, rounded DOWN, will qualify for the UNAA World Series Finals (UNAA WSF). If an athlete is unable to attend the UNAA WSF, spots DO NOT roll down to the next in line.

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Compassionate entry to Regionals

UNAA Comps Australia may grant compassionate entry to Regionals on a case by case basis when a competitor who qualified for an Area Qualifier is unable to compete due to an extreme unforeseen circumstance such as a death within the family or an injury in which a doctor has rendered the competitor unable to ninja for a time period including Area Qualifiers. We value the health and safety of our ninjas and do not want them to attempt competing at an Area Qualifier with such injuries because they want to qualify for Regionals. The Compassionate Clause enables our ninjas to rest and recover rather than competing against the advice of doctors.

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Wildcard entry to Regionals

Wildcard entry may be accepted for Regionals for reasons not already stated on a case by case basis, such as if a ninja resides in a location within Australia that is not within a commutable distance to an Area Qualifier. For example (but not limited to) a ninja that resides in NT, or TAS or an International Ninja may receive wildcard as there are no affiliate Ninja gyms within a proximity of 500km or more.