Slalom Tiered Racing Structure – Frequently Asked Questions

(Updated 8 October 2026)

We know there are lots of questions about the new structure, how it will work and what it means for paddlers and organising clubs, so we have put together the following FAQs. We know there are quite a lot, so get a coffee and have a read! These are also available as a PDF (here) if you’d prefer to read it that way.

Please read these to see if we have answered the questions that you have.

Ask a Question: We know you may have additional questions – if there is something we haven’t covered, please submit your questions here. We’ll use your questions update the FAQs regularly, or we’ll point you to an existing answer if that explains it.

What is staying the same?

The fundamentals of racing are staying the same. You’ll still have 2 runs to try and do the course as fast and clean as possible, testing your skills against the difficulty of the course and water.

Do we still have Divisions?
Yes, feedback particularly from juniors, was that divisions should be retained to help paddlers measure their progress and provide motivation to continue developing and progressing.

What are the tiers?
There are five tiers of racing which set out the difficulty of the course and water at the race. These are: Diamond, Black, Red, Blue and Green, plus Slalom Taster.

What do the tiers mean?
Ranking Competitions are designated by Tiers that describe the standard of the course and water as follows:

Green – Sheltered/gently moving/flat water with relaxed entry requirements.
Blue – Moving water with small features.
Red – White water with larger features with the courses set to make light use of features.
Black – White water with significant features where the courses set to make heavy use of features.
Diamond – These similar to black or red water with challenging courses and a non-Classic format for the race.
Slalom Tasters are entry level events for non-ranked athletes. These may be freestanding or combined with other events (subject to the standard of the water).

As you can see the course and water difficulty increase as you progress up the tiers.

How hard will a race at each tier be? And how does it relate to divisional races in 2026?
This is a new structure rather than being directly equivalent, but to help everyone plan where they might want to race each tier of racing is aimed at particular divisions of paddlers.

Diamond races are aimed at Prem but will be attractive to higher Div 1 paddlers.
Black races are aimed at Prem and Div 1 paddlers.
Red races are aimed at Div 1 and Div 2 but may also be attractive to Prem paddlers.
Blue races are aimed at division 2 and 3 but may attract higher ranked paddlers.
Green races are aimed at Div 3 paddlers and are open to unranked paddlers but will attract some paddlers from other divisions, particularly those in the lower half of Div 2.

The prizes awarded at each tier of race also reflects the division(s) that tier is aimed at.

Remember tiers do not restrict which races you can enter, so you can race at different tiers if those races suit your experience and ability.

Can I race at any tier?
Yes, you can. That means you can score points at local races rather than travelling further afield. However, the difficulty at each tier means each tier is more suited to paddlers in certain divisions and the points available for the winner increases as you race at higher tiers.

Which tier should I race at?
You choose, but paddlers should be mindful of their own ability when entering higher tier races that are set on more challenging water. Paddlers and parents, guided by their coach or club, should chose the races that best suit their experience and ability.

Racing at higher tier races won’t necessarily translate to achieving better points. The course will be harder and competitors will be faster, so your time gap to the winner is likely to be bigger and earn you fewer points. However, as an example a division 2 paddler who trains regularly at a particular site may choose to enter a Red race at that site and do well but may opt to enter a Blue race at another site that they are not familiar with.

How are points awarded?
A new points calculation system is introduced. Points are now calculated based on the athlete’s time gap to the winner and the Tier Factor, eliminating dependence on the number of people in the race. A narrow time gap guarantees a high points score proportional to the Tier’s difficulty, regardless of whether 5 or 50 athletes were present. The maximum points available to the winner of the race will be set by the Tier of the competition and takes account of the proficiency of the paddlers entered in the event.
To fully understand the new points calculation, we suggest you look at the explainer documents published ahead of the 2025 ACM (see here)

If anyone can race at any event, is that fair on lower division paddlers?
While a higher ranked paddler can race at a lower tier race and is reasonably likely to win the event, there are safeguards to ensure that paddlers in the divisions that the competition is aimed at do not lose out.

Prizes are defined by the tier of the race. Organisers are required to present prizes to the best performances in the division(s) that the tier of the race is aimed at. The organiser has the discretion to award prizes to paddler from other divisions at the race.
Points – A new method of calculating the points available at a race takes into account the proficiency of the competitors as well as the Tier so that lower division paddlers are not penalised by the attendance of someone from a higher division.

Do I have to be ranked to race?
To race at Diamond, Black, Red and Blue tier races you need to be ranked and have applied for your bib. Unranked padders can race at Green tier races. Slalom Taster events are for unranked paddlers only, although these can run alongside higher tier races where there is as suitable course.

What about people new to slalom, where do they start?
Slalom Taster events are ideal for most newcomers to slalom allowing them to try the sport on easier water or course. Unranked paddlers and newcomers can also enter a Green tier event.

It may be more appropriate for some people to start racing at a higher tier, such as those with existing white-water experience. They would need to apply for ranking to be able to race at a Blue or higher tier competitions. They could also choose to paddle as an official at a higher tier race initially to help them identify which division they should be ranked in, and which tier of race is best for their level of experience.

When should new paddlers apply for ranking?
Anyone can apply for ranking when they are ready for the challenge of more difficult water and courses at higher tier races. Paddlers and their parents should be guided by their club or coach as to when that is right for them, but it will depend on their previous paddling experience and how quickly they develop their skills. Those that are completely new to slalom are recommended to race at Slalom Taster or Green Tier (as an unranked paddler) to gain experience before applying for ranking.

Can a paddler enter and apply to be ranked at a Green tier race?
You can race at a Green tier race as an unranked paddler. If you want to be ranked, you should apply in advance of the race. There is a form to apply for ranking on the website FAQ section.

If I race at a Green tier race and then apply for ranking do I get the points from a previous race?
No, only ranked paddlers get points from the race. As points are based on your time gap to the winner we can calculate points for unranked paddlers, however as you are not ranked there is no paddler record in the ranking database to stored them against.

Do paddlers who win three events at Slalom Taster competitions have to apply for ranking?
The rules as agreed at the 2025 ACM require this, which is comparable to the current rule for Division 4 races. However, unranked paddlers can race at Green tier competitions with no requirement to apply for ranking. Therefore, an amendment is being put to the 2026 ACM to change this to a paddler winning three times at a Slalom Taster ‘should’ apply for ranking rather than ‘must’ apply for ranking.

I’m looking to return to racing slalom, where do I start?
It would be great to see you back! If you have previously been ranked you should apply for re-ranking (see the website FAQ section for details and a form to do this). Then you can race at whichever tier of competition suits you best.
A challenge in the current structure is that paddlers need to stay in the relevant division to race at harder venues. Those that can’t commit to racing and training regularly enough to do this drop out from the sport. Under the tiered race structure your division does not determine where you can race, so you can stay ranked, and even if you are only able to paddle a few races a year you can still race that at the venues that provide the level of challenge they are seeking.

How do I get promoted?
Promotion through the divisions is based on your points total from your best five races in the year. When you reach the points threshold for your division you are promoted to the next division. Your position in the rankings will still be based on your points, so you will still move up and down the rankings during the season depending on your results (and other paddlers points). Your points do not roll over from season to season, so each year you start again at zero. What is different is that there is no longer promotion based on ‘three wins’. That’s because you are no longer just racing against your own division.

How many points do I need to get promoted?
This is set out in rule 6.7. Promotion is gained by attaining the following points from your five best results in the season:

Division 1 to Premier 12000
Division 2 to Division 1 10700
Division 3 to Division 2 9200

What happens to my points when I am promoted?
You retain your points on promotion for the rest of that season. You will need to improve your 5 best points scores to achieve a subsequent promotion to the next division. All points are reset for the start of each new season, so all paddlers will start the season on zero points.

Will I get better points at a higher tier race?
Not necessarily. While you can race at any tier, each tier of race is targeted at specific divisions. If you attend a higher tier race you will be racing against better paddlers on a more difficult course. So, you would tend to be further behind the winner of the race with your points being determined by how far behind the winner you are on time. At a higher tier race there are more points available for the winner, but you might be much further behind them, so you may get fewer points than racing at an lower tier.

For example, a good Div 2 paddler attending a Blue tier race might be the fastest person and get the maximum points available at the event. The same Div 2 paddle at a Black tier race would be a lot slower than the fastest paddler (a Prem paddler) so the time gap would mean much fewer points than the winner. It will depend on the Div 2 paddler’s own performance. If they perform around their average level, they could get similar points to what they would expect at a Blue race. If they have an excellent run on the Black race their points could be higher than at a Blue race, but if they have poor runs their points could be lower.

To fully understand the new points calculation, we suggest you look at the explainer documents published ahead of the 2025 ACM (see here)

Will I get better points at a race with a shorter or easier course?
Not necessarily, it will depend on your performance. While tiers set out the difficulty of the water and course, variety in sites and river levels mean that within a tier there will always be shorter and longer course as well as easier and harder course. That is part of the sport and allows people to find an appropriate level of challenge for them. It is also true that paddler have always chosen races based on whether the venue and course will suit their experience and ability. Everyone is different and while some paddlers do perform better on shorter or easier courses, others do better at harder or longer courses.

Generally, on a shorter and/or easier course the time gaps and therefore the spread of points from first to last will be less, while it will be bigger on shorter and/or harder course. However, those seeking points that can earn then promotion will still need to be close to the winner’s time to get suitable points.

Additionally, more challenging races within the tier are likely to attract higher ranked paddler (with a better TSP) that would increase the maximum number of points available at a race. So, a paddler that does better at harder course could perform better and be closer in time to the winner and obtain more points than at an easier race that did not attract higher ranked paddlers.

Will races be multiple tiers?
No, there will only be one tier of racing each day of a competition but remember that you can race at any tier of event. However, there will be competitions that have a different tier races each day – e.g. Grandtully has a Diamond race on Saturday and a Black race on Sunday while Tees has a Black race on Saturday and a Red race on Sunday. Also, Slalom Taster races can run alongside other tier races – for example a club may run a Blue race and a Slalom Taster race on the same day.

One exception is possible – a venue that can change the difficultly of the water can run more than on tier in a day (e.g. Pinkston where a Blue race could run with 2 pumps, and a Green race could run with 1 pump – however a paddler cannot do both of these races on the same day).

How am I ranked?
The same way you are now. You earn points at each race and you your best five points scores in the season count for your ranking. Points are not lost on promotion to a higher division. Everyone starts the new season on zero points.

Points look complicated, can you explain it to me?
Yes, we know, the calculations do look complicated. Your points at a race are simply based on the time gap between you and the winner of your event with your points reducing by 10 points for every second you are behind the winner.

The ‘Winners Points’ is the maximum points that the winner of the event is awarded. This is calculated based on the tier of the competition and takes into account the ability of the competitors attending. So, more points are available at higher tier races, and there is an adjustment based on the best TSP of the paddlers entered.

To fully understand the new points calculation, we suggest you look at the explainer documents published ahead of the 2025 ACM (see here)

What does my TSP mean?

This is your Two Season Percentile. It is calculated for every ranked paddler from the average of your best three results over the combined current and immediately preceding season. If you don’t have three results in this period it is calculated from the number your do have. There is also an adjustment for GB senior team members who may not have been able to attend 3 domestic races in this period. The best TSP of those entered is used to calculate the maximum Winners Points for each event.
We suggest that you look at rule 6.6.6 to see the full details of how TSP is calculated

How many points does each tier race score out of?
The Winners Points (WP) at each event is comprises the following essential components:
A reference value applicable to all events of 3000 points, which would not vary per division. This value is then modified by 3 factors determined by:

the difficulty of the race, Tier Factor, TF
the calibre of the entrants, Athlete Factor, AF
the size of each class, Event Factor, EF

As an illustration, since paddlers at TSP = 0 usually enter Diamond and Black tier races, the WP would be 2800 and 2700 respectively.
To fully understand the new points calculation, we suggest you look at the explainer documents published ahead of the 2025 ACM (see here)

How do we calculate points at the event?
The good news is the computer will do it. Once all the entries are in best TSP of those entered in the event is used to calculate the Winner Points, and once all the results are in the points are calculated using a simple formula:

Points = WP – (10 x Gap) where WP is the Winners Points, and Gap is the number of seconds behind the winner.

This is rounded down to the nearest whole number.

There is a minimum score of 10 points which you are awarded if your calculated points are less than the minimum.
To fully understand the new points calculation, we suggest you look at the explainer documents published ahead of the 2025 ACM (see here)

Will we be able to see our TSP and ranking during the season?
We envisage this being on the ranking list in a similar way to the current ranking list display your ranking percentile used to determine paddle up priority.

What happens to my TSP if I have no results in the current or previous season, and how does that effect points?
It will revert to 100%. The points calculation uses best TSP of those entered in the event to set the Winners Points for the event, so your TSP will not be used. Your points will still be calculated from your time gap behind the race winner.

How would the new points affect end of season rankings?
For the 2025 ACM, points and end of season rankings for 2025 were calculated to give an illustration. This can be seen here (see here)

How does a higher ranked paddler effect points at a lower tier race?
The best TSP of any higher ranker paddlers entering the race is used to calculate the Winners Points. This increases the maximum points that the winner of the race can achieve. The calculations have been calibrated so that there is little impact of a higher ranked padder on the points that lower division paddlers achieve at a lower tier race.
To fully understand the new points calculation, we suggest you look at the explainer documents published ahead of the 2025 ACM (see here)

Do I have to do the race tier best suited to me?
No, as we’ve said you can race at any tier, allowing you to race and score points at local races. However, racing above your tier does not necessarily mean you will get better points just because there are more points available for the winner of that race. It all depends on your performance as your points are based on the time gap between the you and the winner of the race. You should also be mindful of your own ability when entering higher tier races that are set on more challenging water.

If everyone can enter the race who will judge?
At many events judging is mainly done by parents and other volunteers which this is likely to continue. Races will still have an official’s category. This attractive to higher division paddler who are volunteering at lower tier events but would not benefit from points at the event. The rules still allow an organiser to require paddlers to judge if there are not enough volunteers to judge.

Why would I race at a lower tier race?
There are many reason:

A big driver of the change was to allow greater flexibility in where paddlers can race.
You can race and score points from races that are nearer to you, and with the rising cost of fuel, less travel makes it cheaper to go to races.
Paddlers from a club or family can all race at the same race rather than needing to go to different races because they are in different divisions.
Just to race – not everyone is chasing points and promotion. Some paddlers compete just for the challenge of completing the course and the love of racing.
Because you like that venue or race – you can keep going to your favourite race even though you have been promoted to a higher division.

What about Kayak Cross races?
The tiered racing structure has no impact on Kayak Cross which could be run alongside any level of race or as a standalone race. There is currently no ranking system for Kayak Cross in the UK.

What about team events?
There’s no change here, organisers can still run team events if they wish alongside tiered races.

How will the course difficulty match the tier description and be appropriate?
The difficult of the water and how the course makes use of water features are defined in the rules with harder course and water at higher tier races. However, with a broad range of race venues and differing water levels there will be some variability of races in each tier.

Course designers will need to ensure that the difficulty and level of challenge that the course provides is appropriate for the tier of race. The chief judge is responsible for approving the course at any race and should work with the course designer to amend the course where it is thought to be too hard or too easy for the tier of race.

Do we have to implement the new system, or can we make changes?
The new tiered racing structure was developed and accepted after considerable consultation so is being implemented. There will be some motions put to the 2026 ACM to make minor amendment to the rules for the new racing structure.

Will there be problems with the new structure?
Very few big changes are perfect from day one! If we look at our current system, it has been tinkered with and evolved over the decades. It’s likely that the new tiered structure will need some refinement as we get used to it, but we won’t know until we make the change. However, if we were to wait until we have a perfect new structure we’ll never make a change.

How do I enter a race in the new structure?
You will enter in the same way you do now. The entries website will be updated to handle race entries to tiered races. Organisers will still have the option to accept entries on the day at the race.

Can I still Paddle Up?
No, paddle up no longer exists. As your division no longer restricts which race you can race at, you can race at any tier of race anyway.

What is the difference between Black and Diamond races?
These tier races are held on the most challenging water. The difference is that Black races run in the classic format (best of 2 runs counts) where Diamond tier races will use one of the progressive race formats where athlete qualify from heats for a final/semi-final.

Will it be safe if anyone can enter the higher tier races?
Concerns have been raised about how to ensure paddlers are not put at risk when choosing to paddle at higher tier events. Safety relies on paddlers, parents and coaches making common-sense decisions about which competition and venues are suitable for the paddlers current experience and ability. The descriptions of the tiers to help inform these decisions, for example Red tier competitions involve “white water with larger features” and “courses set to make light use of the features”, as opposed to Black tier involving “white water with significant features” and “courses set to make heavy use of the features”. Clubs and coaches already guide their up-and-coming paddlers about where to race and how to progress their skills as they move up the divisions.

It should also be noted that in the current system there is nothing to prevent a division 3 paddler participating as an official at Div 1 or Prem races. We do see this, particularly where local paddlers are very familiar with the venue. Also, we don’t see this happening in huge numbers highlighting that broadly paddlers and parents do consider whether venues are appropriate for them.

Race organisers will need to consider whether additional safety provision is needed at their event if lower division paddlers are likely to enter, such as additional safety while lower divisions paddlers are racing. This is something that should be considered in the Event Safety Plan and Risk Assessment, as well as risk assessed dynamically based on the entries for the event.

Do I still have to travel long distance to get to a race in my division?
Races are no longer by division. You can race at any tier, so you can just race at your local events and score points from them. You can still choose to travel longer distances to races that are targeted at your current division.

What are the benefits to me?
The benefits from the core principles of the tiered racing structure are set out on the website summary of the changes (link). Briefly these are:

Freedom of choice over where to race, and being able to go to the same competition as friends and family regardless of their division
Retaining the divisions to support goal setting and motivation to progress while no longer using them to restrict race attendance
A fairer performance-based points system that is no longer dependant on the number of paddlers competing.

Do organisers have to give prizes for every division at every race?
No, the prizes that organisers have to award is set out in the rules for each tier of race (see rule 22.8). For example: at a Blue race, the organiser must award prizes for paddlers in Division 2, 3 and Veterans, including junior prizes. They have discretion to award prizes to paddlers from higher divisions who compete, such as the overall winner of the race.

How will entry fees be set?
Standard entry fees will be set for each tier of race. Organisers will still be able to set an enhanced entry fee for their race where they need to cover higher costs of running their race – as now they must apply for and justify their enhanced entry fee.

What is Slalom Taster and where can they run?
These are entry level events and only open to non-ranked athletes, primarily newcomers to slalom. These may be stand-alone competitions or run alongside other tier competitions, subject to the standard of the water. Like Div 4 races now, they can be run more simply with a reduced number of gates, simplified timing, and reduced membership requirements for participants. Clubs can also put these on at short notice.

Why is the new structure so complicated?
Firstly, if you are not familiar with our current system, you’d probably say it was complicated. It is going to take everyone time to get used to the tier racing structure. However, the fundamentals are paddlers are still ranked in divisions and can earn promotion, course and water difficult increase as you go to higher tier races, ranked paddlers can enter races at any tier rather than being restricted to a race for their division, your points are based on your performance against the winner of the race. Above all you’ll be racing down the course, giving it your best to go as fast and clean as you can.

When will the tiered race calendar be available?
The provisional calendar of tiered races for 2027 will be published in late September/early October. Note: this is still a draft and subject to final approval at the Slalom ACM on 28^th November. There may be a few changes so please don’t start booking accommodation until the final version is approved.

Can a site host different tiers of racing?
Yes, this applies in two ways. A site may host a different tier race each day of a competition with the course difficulty each day being tailored to the tier of the race. A site may also host different tiers of race at different times of the year when the water level makes it more suitable for one tier over another – again the course will be suited to the tier of racing.

What are the Membership requirements for each tier of racing?
These are largely the same as they currently are. To complete at Diamond, Black, Red and Blue tier races you must be an ‘on the water’ member of Paddle UK or your Home Nation.

Green Tier and Slalom Taster races are introductory level competitions so paddlers can either be an ‘on the water’ member of Paddle UK or a Home Nation, a club associate member of an affiliated club, or purchase a Single Event Membership/Day membership for that competition from Paddle UK or their home nation.

It is important to note that while paddlers can compete at Green tier or Slalom Taster races without ‘on the water’ membership. To be ranked in any division you must have ‘on the water’ membership.

Paddlers participating in Open or Kayak Cross events at Diamond, Black, Red or Blue tier competitions can do so with ‘on the water’ membership or a Single Event Membership for that competition. This is to encourage wider participation.

There are a lot of changes – when will the 2027 rules be available to look at?
The 2027 rules (as agreed at the 2025 Slalom ACM) are available here (2027 Rules). There are number of motions going to the 2026 Slalom ACM to clarify and refine the rules due to questions that have arisen during the year as we’ve worked towards implementing the tiered structure. An updated 2027 rulebook reflecting changes at the ACM will be published in December 2026.

What about inquorate races?
A benefit of the new performance-based points calculation is that we no longer have inquorate races. Everyone will get points based on their time gap of the winner of the race in their event

What happens if I’m the only person in my event?
Your TSP will be the one used to set the maximum points available to the winner of the race.

How will I know what position I need to get the points I need for promotion?
The new points calculation is quite different. Currently your points depend on your position and how many people are racing. You can miss out on the points you need by not getting the position you need sometimes by a very small margin. You can also not get the point you need because there weren’t enough people racing to make second or third place points enough for promotion, particularly in smaller events.

An advantage of the new points calculation is that it is based on your performance rather than your position. Your points are determined by how far behind the winner you are on time, better reflecting your own performance. In a close race several people can gain very similar points that help them achieve promotion where currently points reduce according to position.

Which events will have the timing team and transmission judges?
These volunteers will support Red, Black and Diamond tier races. This is broadly equivalent to their support for Prem and Div 1 races currently where races are timed to 100^th of a second and we have 2 judges viewing each gate.

What happens to points at a diamond race if someone does worse in a semi-final or final than in their qualifying run?
The rules cover this (see rule 6.6.7) where an adjusted points calculation is used which ensure that those qualifying for a later phase of the competition will always score more points than those that do not qualify for the that phase of the competition.

What if I get promoted and no longer want to attend a lower tier race?
Currently a promotion means you can’t race in that division so you can cancel your entry fee and get a refund, or race in the higher division if it is a multi-division competition. In 2027 your division no longer restricts where you can race, so you can still race and score points at the lower tier race. You could cancel your entry, but the rules are clear that entry fees are non-refundable unless a race is cancelled. As with current practice an organiser may choose to refund your entry fee if you withdraw from a race, but it is up to each organiser.

What is happening about bibs?
Ranked paddlers will still need to apply for their bib before racing as they do now. We are considering using the change of racing structure to make some changes to the colours of bibs used for each division/event these will be communicated before the bib application system opens for 2027.

How will start lists work with multiple divisions?
At a competition each event (K1W, C1M etc) will run in division and bib order for those racing. This will go from Vets, then Div 3 through to Prem, and as now from the highest bib in each division through to the lowest.

How will results work with multiple divisions?
Race results will show each paddlers results, their division and points. Organisers will be able to use these to award prizes for the relevant division at that tier or race. Race results will be fed into the ranking database to update the ranking and TSP of and each paddler.

What will be the Impact on Selection / Getting onto programmes?
In the 2027 racing structure paddlers are still ranked by division and therefore minimal impact. Eligibility for selection is likely to continue to be determined by divisional ranking (i.e. Prem/Div 1) – a draft 2027 Selection Policy will be released for consultation shortly. Eligibility for programme inclusion could still be based on divisional ranking – but programmes will set their specific criteria. Contact your home association programme lead for more information.

Pages on the Slalom website still refer to the current structure, when will this be updated?
We can’t update the FAQ and other section of the website until after the end of the current season. There will be a lot to update, but we aim to have these pages updated by mid-January. Changes to the ranking database embedded in the website are being work on and will be in place before the start of the 2027 season.

Not found an answer your Question? Please ask!

We know you may have additional questions – if there is something we haven’t covered, please submit your questions here. We’ll use your questions update the FAQs regularly, or we’ll point you to an existing answer if that explains it.

Additional FAQs (8 October 2026)

I couldn’t see details of the proposed entry fees and levies; please can this be provided?
Entry fees and levies will be by tier, in the same way that they are currently set for each division. They will be set such that Slalom Committee income from levies and Club income remains neutral. For example, entry fees for a former div 2/3 becoming a Blue Tier will be set somewhere between Div 2 entry fees and Div 3 entry fees, in the same way levies would be applied to all Blue Tier entries and so levies per paddler would be less than those for the current Div 2. As there will be just one entry fee for the everyone rather than different fees for different divisions, this will simplify the calculations and process. We are currently working out the final figures, and these will be presented at the 2026 ACM in the Treasurer’s report.
Where venue costs are higher, organisers can still apply to have an enhanced entry fee for their event to ensure that it is financially viable.

At recent Graveyard Slalom a significant number of paddlers could not get an entry (most applied in good time). This seemed very harsh for Prem paddlers (races 8 & 9 in season) compared to Div 1 (races 20 & 21, plus paddle up opportunities). Will there be any prioritisation of entries in the new system?
There is already provision (rule 1.3.5) for restricting the entries to a competition in exceptional circumstances or when a ranking race is combined with significant non-ranking races such as selection or a World Ranking race.
A motion is going to this year’s ACM to insert an additional rule on Priority Entries to address the concern that races could be oversubscribed. If agreed, this would allow an organiser to apply to prioritise entries for their competition based on athlete ranking. When applying, the organiser would need to include:

the ranking range to be prioritised
the date at which priority entry will end (after which entries open to those outside the priority range)
the justification for prioritising entries

Where prioritised entries are agreed only athletes in the agreed ranking range can enter on or before the priority end date. To keep this as simple as possible, there will be no pre-registration on a waiting list for those outside the priority range.
Prioritisation could be applied at any level of race but is more likely at higher tier races. For example, a black race at the Graveyard could request priority entry for Prems and say the top 20 paddlers in Div 1, justifying this due to the limited water time available. The date at which the priority period ends will depend on the circumstances.
Of course, all paddlers can race and score points at all events, so Prem paddlers have additional race opportunities under the tiered racing structure.