The WCA – The World Cube Association
The WCA is the world’s most competitive organization for mechanical puzzles that are operated by twisting groups of pieces. World Cube Association members compete in events for cubes, clocks, megaminxes, and other related problems.
Competitors must follow the WCA Regulations during a competition. The WCA Delegate checks that all competitors comply with these regulations before the competition begins and decides on any incidents during a competition.
Membership
Members of the WCA have access to a wide range of benefits. This includes member-to-member financial protection up to $100,000 and cross-network coverage. They also have access to a global network of last mile options.
Members may join as individuals or through EDUcation or MANufacturing member schools and companies. Once they have joined, they can apply to become a Certified Cuber or an Accredited Skill Evaluator. The WCA also has forums where cubers can post questions and criticism of events or rules.
All new applications for membership are carefully examined by senior network staff and must pass a rigorous code of conduct. This ensures that all WCAworld members are of high quality and experience. The network has over 701 qualified members in 108 countries worldwide.
Competitions
The WCA is in charge of organizing and overseeing competitions. They ensure that the competition meets fair conditions to give competitors around the world equal chances to compete. Additionally, they provide support to local organizers and ensure that all competitions follow the WCA rules. Local organizers must submit their competition to the WCA before it can be considered official. They also must make sure that all the WCA regulations are followed and that a WCA delegate attends the competition.
The WCA Communications Team responds to many requests each day from cubers and others about starting competitive speedcubing in new areas, how to improve your solves, etc. They also help people find WCA events near them and manage their profile pages. The WCA currently recognizes 17 events: 3x3x3 Cube, 2x2x2 Cube, 4x4x4 Cube, 5x5x5 Cube, 3x3x3 One-Handed, Clock, Megaminx, Pyraminx, Skewb, and Square-1.
Regulations
The WCA regulations are the full set of rules that apply to all official competitions sanctioned by the World Cube Association. They are supplemented by the WCA Guidelines. The development of the regulations is open on GitHub and discussion is public on the WCA Forum.
The competitor must sign (or initial) the score sheet to agree that the recorded result is correct and complete. If they dispute the result, the judge must resolve the dispute before the start of any subsequent rounds.
During a competition, competitors are required to wear clothing that does not reveal their private parts. They may also not have electronic devices, such as cell phones or headphones. However, medical/physical aids that are comfortable for the competitor to wear are permitted.
Rules
The WCA Regulations Committee (WRC) handles all issues related to the development, improvement, and application of the competition regulations. They are also responsible for investigating and deciding on unresolved incidents at competitions.
A competitor is not allowed to discuss scrambles with other competitors while they are waiting for their turn, even in the Competitor Waiting Area. The judge may disqualify a competitor if they are found to be doing so.
Customized puzzle inserts are permitted, as long as they do not give the competitor an unfair advantage (e.g. a logo on the clock faces). All alterations must be approved by the WCA Delegate. Additional equipment like earphones, headphones, and microphones is not allowed. The competition organizer must make these rules clear to the competitors in advance.
Events
The World Cube Association Board is responsible for the entire organization and oversees that competitions meet fair conditions to give competitors from all over the world equal chances. It also reviews and approves applications to hold WCA competitions, as well as announces them. It also manages the archiving of WCA records.
The organization team of a World Cube Association event is responsible for logistics before, during, and after the competition. This includes organizing judges, scramblers, and score takers, as well as ensuring that the venue meets competition requirements.
The WCA Communications Team (WCT) responds to multiple requests per day from Registered Speedcubers all over the world, such as questions about starting cubing competitions in new areas and general issues. They also manage WCA’s social media accounts. The WRT is responsible for uploading results to the website after a Delegate has double-checked them and verified that all person data is correct.