• Participants are advised to be present at least 15 minutes before the start of the competition. Participants must be seated at their table no later than 5 minutes in advance.
• Only participants, judges and members of the organization are allowed to enter the competition area.
• A participant may only participate once per category.
• A participant must choose between the regular solo competition and the Friendly Race. Participation in both events is not allowed.
• The aisles must remain clear during the entire competition:
  • Puzzling in the aisle is not allowed.Personal belongings must be completely under one’s own table.
• It is not allowed to disturb others during the competition by singing or humming, for example.
• Outside help is not allowed (except for the last 15 minutes of the Friendly Race).
• The end time may only be noted by a judge.
• Participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult at the location.
• Only Dutch participants are eligible for the main prizes. Pairs and teams with participants of different nationalities are considered international.
  • We consider participants Dutch when they possess a Dutch passport or have lived in The Netherlands for more than 2 years.

Allowed are:

• Headphones, as long as they do not disturb other participants. It is up to each participant to make sure that they hear any announcements from the judges/speaker.
• Puzzle box supports (the so-called puzzle box holders or puzzle box stands), as long as they do not extend beyond the table.
• Sorting trays, as long as they do not extend beyond the table. It is recommended not to use sorting sheets larger than A3 size.
• Cameras or other recording equipment, as long as they (or their attachment) do not extend more than 10 cm beyond the edge of the table.

Not allowed are:

• Additional light sources.
• Printed or digital examples of the puzzle (unless they are already present in the puzzle box). Puzzling on the poster is not allowed.
• Risers or other objects to change the height of the table.

• The competition tables are 80 cm by 120 cm. Solo participants, pairs and teams have an entire table available to them.
• The puzzle may not be touched before the start of the competition.
• The plastic inner bag and puzzle box may not be placed in the aisles but must be placed under the table.
• If multiple puzzles need to be completed in one round, the order may be determined by the participants themselves. After completing the first puzzle, a jury member will record the time, and in case of a missing piece, the participant(s) must immediately serve the penalty time until they are allowed to continue. Only after the first puzzle is completely back in the box may the second puzzle box be opened.
• Participants close to finishing are advised to raise their hand if there is no jury member nearby to register the finishing time.
• The winner is the participant (or pair or team) who first puts all the pieces of the puzzle together.
• When a participant is finished, they are asked to leave the competition area so that the other participants are not disturbed.
• If a participant does not complete the puzzle within the set time, the remaining pieces are counted by a jury member. In this case, 3 or more pieces assembled are counted as puzzled. The participant is asked to make groups of 10 separate pieces in advance.
• If no one finishes the puzzle within the set time, the participant (or pair or team) who has put the most pieces assembled wins.

• If the stickers of a puzzle have not been cut, the participant must notify a jury member. The jury member will cut or remove them and note the new starting time.
• Pieces that are lying on the ground will not be picked up by a jury member. The jury member can place a colored note underneath them to make them more visible.
• If a participant is missing 1 or more pieces, they will receive a 5-second penalty per piece. The penalty will start as soon as the last available piece is placed. During this penalty it is allowed to look for the piece(s). The penalty will be dropped if the participants finds and places all the missing pieces within the penalty. In this case the placement of the last (missing) piece will be the final time. If the missing pieces are not found within the penalty time, the final time consists of the end time plus the penalty.
• If multiple pieces are missing (next to each other), it is up to the head judge to decide whether this is a manufacturing defect and whether a penalty time will be applied.
• If 10 or more pieces are missing and there is no manufacturing defect, the puzzle is considered unfinished.
• If a participant experiences a major disadvantage due to a manufacturing defect, the head judge may rectify this damage without violating the rights of other participants.

• All decisions made by members of the organization and/or jury members are final.
• If a participant has not arrived 5 minutes before the start of the competition, members of the organization may give this participant’s table to a person on the waiting list. In this case, the participant is not entitled to compensation.
• By participating in this competition, the participant agrees that their name and nationality will appear on for example screens, in the Puzzled app, on social media, on www.speedpuzzling.nl and on https://worldjigsawpuzzle.org/.
• By participating in this competition, the participant gives permission to appear recognizably in visual material. This material is for example for use on the organization’s social media or other publications about the competition and/or the organization. The material remains the property of the organization.
• The organization reserves the right to make changes to the schedule, the set up and/or the location.
• The organization reserves the right to exclude participants if they (intend to) disrupt the competition or display behavior that is not in accordance with the spirit of this competition.
• In the event of cancellation or postponement of the competition due to circumstances, the organization is not responsible for the indirect expenses of the participant, but only for the registration fee.
• In case of cancellation by the participant themselves, a refund of the registration fee is possible up to two weeks before the start of the competition.
• If a participant is disabled, members of the organization may adjust the rules for this participant by, for example, changing the table height or handing the participant pieces from the ground.

Solo competition

• There are 2 preliminary rounds with 110 participants.
• The best 55 participants per preliminary round will go through to the final.
• The organization reserves the right to award 5 extra tables to its own invitees.
• The organization reserves the right to change the number of preliminary rounds and/or the number of participants that will go through to the final up to 2 weeks before the start of the competition.

Friendly Race

• There is 1 round with 110 participants.
• After 1 hour, one person from the audience is allowed to help complete the puzzle.
• The organization reserves the right to award 5 extra tables to its own invitees.
• The organization reserves the right to change the number of preliminary rounds and/or the number of participants that will go through to the final up to 2 weeks before the start of the competition.

Pairs competition

• There are 2 preliminary rounds with 110 pairs.
• The best 55 pairs per preliminary round will go through to the final.
• The organization reserves the right to award 5 extra tables to its own invitees.
• The organization reserves the right to change the number of preliminary rounds and/or the number of pairs that will go through to the final up to 2 weeks before the start of the competition.

Team competitie

• There is 1 round with 55 teams, consisting of 3 or 4 participants.
• The organization reserves the right to award 5 extra tables to its own invitees.
• The organization reserves the right to change the number of preliminary rounds and/or the number of teams who will advance to the finals up to 2 weeks before the start of the competition.