News

By Posted on Posted in Announcement

We have 3 announcements today about OWYYC2021

1. Cloud Native Inc. will be the title sponsor for OWYYC2021!
They also supported WYYC2019! Please welcome Cloud Native as our top sponsor! Thank you for your generous support of our community!

2. IYYF music library is ready!
https://iyyf.org/music-library/
You can choose your music from this 120+ music collection.
You cannot edit or mix songs for the Prelim round at OWYYC2021, so please be careful (editing and mixing is permitted for the Semi Final and Final rounds only).

3. There are big prizes for the winners of OWYYC2021!
The five champions of 1A-5A will get a free flight to WYYC2022 in Japan.
Also, ONE highest ranking contestant in 1A-5A who has never attended any WYYC previously will also win a free flight.
*You can only get this prize if you compete at WYYC2022. This prize will not fall back to 2nd place even if the champion cannot attend and compete at WYYC2022.

Official web site and more details are coming soon.

 

By Posted on Posted in Announcement

Hello, yo-yo friends all over the world!

We hope you are doing well considering the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s been a difficult year and a half for many, and at this point we all could sure use something fun to lift our spirits and bring back a feeling of normalcy. Unfortunately, due to slow vaccine rollout around the world, we decided that the safest option this year was to cancel the in-person WYYC2021 event in Budapest. Of course, that means we’re sad that we can’t meet up face to face to compete, cheer each other on, and swap tricks.

But fear not! In place of the usual World Contest, we’re going to try something new this year that we hope will satisfy yo-yo competitors, spectators, and fans alike.

We’re calling it the Online World Yo-Yo Contest 2021. This IYYF officially sanctioned online contest will be open to all yo-yo players worldwide, so anyone can compete. This is your chance to take part, especially if you’ve never been to WYYC or entered a contest before, or don’t usually have the means to travel far to a physical contest. We hope to see entries from many new contestants from all over the globe!

Here is a summary of our contest plans:

  • Name: Online World Yo-Yo Contest 2021 (“Online Worlds”)
  • Hashtag: #OWYYC2021

Timeline:

  • In June: More contest details will be announced
  • July 15: Entry submission starts for Prelims
  • July 31: Submission Deadline for Prelims
  • August 15: Result Announcement for Prelims
  • August 31: Submission Deadline for Semi-Finals/Women/Over 40
  • September 15: Result Announcement for Semi-Finals
  • September 30: Submission Deadline for Finals/AP
  • October 15: Result Announcement for Finals

* The timeline is subject to change

Contest Divisions:

  • 1A Division
  • 2A Division
  • 3A Division
  • 4A Division
  • 5A Division
  • AP (Art & Performance)
  • Women’s Freestyle
  • Over 40 Freestyle

Eligible Contestants:

  • Everyone in the world is encouraged to join! We hope to welcome everyone from first timers to world champions.
  • Contestants can compete in multiple divisions.

Judges:

  • IYYF Official Judges just like the usual World Yo-Yo Contest (WYYC)

Awards:

  • Champion will be “Online World Contest Winner,” not “2021 World Champion”
  • Seeding to WYYC2022
    • 1A-5A Division Champions seed to the WYYC2022 Semi-Final Round
    • Top 10 finalists of 1A-5A Divisions seed to the WYYC2022 Prelim Round
  • More details to be announced soon.

Contest Format:

1A-5A Divisions:

  • Same rules as WYYC2019
  • Prelim: 1-minute freestyle
  • Semi-Final: 90-second freestyle
  • Final: 3-minute freestyle

AP:

  • Maximum video length: 5 minutes
  • Video editing, transitions, and sound/visual effects ARE allowed
  • Submission deadline is the same as 1A-5A Final round
  • An AP submission can include multiple players (please list all the participating contestant names when you submit your entry)

Women / Over 40:

  • Same rules as WYYC2019
  • Final only: 2-minute freestyle
  • Submission deadline is the same as 1A-5A Semi-Final round
  • You must be 40 or above on August 31, 2021 in order to compete in Over 40 Freestyle

Filming Rules:

  • Security and safety first
  • Each contestant uploads their freestyle(s) as a video, submitted directly to IYYF.
  • No editing, no cuts, no effects, no camera transitions (except for the AP Division)
  • Contestants can film as many times as they need to be satisfied with their freestyle quality.
  • Major Deductions will be judged. We suggest that contestants not have any yo-yo stops or change outs if they are seeking a better score.
  • IYYF will add sponsor banners at the beginning, during, and at the end of the video.
  • If the sound and video quality is not good enough, IYYF may adjust the quality or ask the player to resubmit.
  • More details to be announced soon.

Music Rules:

Due to the nature of video upload, we have new rules about music choice for this contest.

  • Prelim: Music provided by IYYF only
  • Semi-Final and Final: Music provided by IYYF or copyright/license free music
  • Entries with any other music will NOT be allowed.
  • The contestant will be held responsible if the music is cut/muted or the video is removed by YouTube, and the contestant may receive 0 points for the Music Use category if the music is removed/muted by YouTube. In this case, IYYF will apply other music and reupload the freestyle (we will also announce on the video itself that the music has been replaced).

Entry Fees:

  • US$30 for each division submission (1A-5A, AP, Women, & Over 40)
  • One AP submission can have multiple players in the video, and it will count as only one fee (US$30 total)

Those are the basics. We will announce more details soon, but take this as a sign that you can start practicing and working on your freestyles! We’re so excited to see what everyone brings to the table!

We’re looking forward to your participation in the Online World Yo-Yo Contest 2021!

By Posted on Posted in Announcement

We hope everyone is taking good care of themselves and their loved ones.
Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, World Yo-Yo Contest 2021 in Budapest has been officially cancelled.
Also, there are many national contests that have been cancelled or not scheduled around the world.

Therefore, we have re-adjusted our yearly World Yo-Yo Contest seeding rules as follows:

Seeding from National Contests (NC)

Originally, NCs which were held between WYYC2019 and WYYC2020 would have seeded to WYYC2020 Budapest and NCs which were held between WYYC2020 and WYYC2021 would have seeded to WYYC2021 Japan.

Now, all NCs will seed to WYYC 2022 Japan:
– NCs between WYYC 2019 and summer 2020 seed to WYYC 2022 Japan
– NCs between summer 2020 and (canceled) WYYC 2021 also seed to WYYC 2022 Japan
– NCs between (canceled) WYYC 2021 and WYYC 2022 seed to WYYC 2022 Japan as usual

Here are some clarifications about this rule adjustment:
We are aware that there were/are not many NCs held in 2020 & 2021. However, if the health and safety of participants can be guaranteed and if the situation allows, the IYYF would encourage NC organizers to run their contest. Also, having a seed to WYYC is a national champion’s privilege we respect. Therefore, we will grant all the national champions between WYYC2019 and WYYC2022 a seed to WYYC2022.
With this adjustment, some countries may possibly have 3 NCs that can seed to 2022 Japan (not 4 NCs).
NCs must be a different year number to seed to WYYC2022 Japan from the same country.
Even if the same player wins 2 or 3 NCs, the 2nd or 3rd NC seed will not transfer to the 2nd place winner(s).

For example:
– Country-A NC in Oct. 2019 seeds to WYYC2022 Japan
– Country-B NC in June 2021 seeds to WYYC2022 Japan
– Country-C NC in Oct. 2020 and June 2021 both seed to WYYC2022 Japan

<Seeding Rules>

All 1A-5A Division National Contest Champions will be seeded into the Semi-Final Round, and their Top 10 will be seeded into the Prelim Round.

 

Seeding from WYYC2019

Champions and finalists from WYYC2019 (the previous WYYC) will be seeded to WYYC2022 Japan as usual.

<Seeding Rules>

For 1A-5A Divisions:
1st place – Seed to Final
2nd & 3rd place – Seed to Semi-Final
Other Finalists – Seed to Prelim

The 2019 AP Division Grand-Prix Champion will be seeded to WYYC2022 Final.

 

Seeding from Multi-National Contests (MNC)

Same as National Contest seeding, all AP and EYYC will seed to WYYC2022 Japan. See rules below.

<Seeding Rules>

If a contestant from a country which does not have a National Contest places in the Top 10 at an MNC, the contestant will be seeded to the Prelim Round.

For more details about seeding rules, please check the latest seeding rules page.
https://iyyf.org/wyyc2019-rules/round-structure-seeding-rules-wyyc2019/

If you have any questions, please use this form to contact us.
https://iyyf.org/contact-us/

The IYYF and WYYC teams are hoping for the best that there will be a quick end to this pandemic, and that everyone is staying safe and healthy during this difficult time. Meanwhile, we are working hard to get ready to host WYYC in Japan in 2022. See you at the World Yo-Yo Contest!

By Posted on Posted in Announcement

Given the circumstances regarding the continued spread of the novel corona virus (COVID-19), the IYYF has decided to cancel the World Yo-Yo Contest 2021 in Budapest. The new WYYC planned schedule is as follows:

  • Summer 2021 in Budapest, Hungary -> Online Contest
  • Summer 2022 in Japan

Once we know the detailed dates for the future World Yo-Yo Contests and have made the necessary seeding rule adjustments, we will announce here.

Cancellation Announcement

Based on the slow vaccine rollout around the world and therefore the fact that many people still won’t be able to travel and attend the World YoYo Contest in person this summer we are cancelling the Budapest event.⁣
⁣
For the 2021 season we are working on bringing the World YoYo Contest to everyone around the world as a virtual experience. This will make it possible for players and fans of yo-yo to participate from every corner of the world, especially for those who never attended Worlds before. This also opens us as organisers new range of possibilities for the contest.⁣
⁣
We kindly ask for patience from those who registered to the 2020-2021 Budapest contest. We are in the process of arranging refunds for all of the competitors.⁣
⁣
Thank you for your support and keep an eye out for more information regarding the 2021 WYYC Virtual Experience!⁣
⁣
#worldyoyocontest #wyyc2021

https://www.instagram.com/p/CN-Yei2BHYM/

By Posted on Posted in Announcement

We hope everyone is taking care during this time of great uncertainty.
As you may know, due to the COVID-19 worldwide pandemic, World Yo-Yo Contest 2020 in Budapest has been officially postponed to the summer of 2021. Also, there are many national contests that have been cancelled or rescheduled around the world.

Therefore, we have adjusted our yearly World Yo-Yo Contest seeding rules as follows:

Seeding from National Contests (NC)

Originally, NCs which were held between WYYC2019 and WYYC2020 would have seeded to WYYC2020 Budapest and NCs which were held between WYYC2020 and WYYC2021 would have seeded to WYYC2021 Tokyo.

Now, NCs will seed to the nearest WYYC like this:
– NCs between WYYC2019 and summer 2020 seed to WYYC2021 Budapest
– NCs between summer 2020 and WYYC2021 also seed to WYYC2021 Budapest
– NCs between WYYC2021 and WYYC2022 seed to WYYC2022 Tokyo

Here are some clarifications about this rule adjustment:
We expect that not many NCs will be held in 2020. However, if the health and safety of participants can be guaranteed and if the situation allows, the IYYF would encourage NC organizers to run their contest. Also, having a seed to WYYC is a national champion’s privilege we respect. Therefore, we will grant all the national champions between WYYC2019 and WYYC2021 a seed to WYYC2021.
With this adjustment, some countries may possibly have 2 NCs that can seed to 2021 Budapest (not 3 NCs).
NCs must be a different year number for both to seed to WYYC2021 Budapest from the same country.
Even if the same player wins 2 NCs, the 2nd NC seed will not transfer to the 2nd place winner.

For example:
– Country-A NC in Oct. 2019 seeds to WYYC2021 Budapest (Assuming no 2020)
– Country-B NC in June 2021 seeds to WYYC2021 Budapest (Assuming no 2020)
– Country-C NC in Oct. 2020 and June 2021 both seed to WYYC2021 (Assuming both 2020 & 2021 exist)

<Seeding Rules>

All 1A-5A Division National Contest Champions will be seeded into the Semi-Final Round, and their Top 10 will be seeded into the Prelim Round.

 

Seeding from WYYC2019

Champions and finalists from WYYC2019 (the previous WYYC) will be seeded to WYYC2021 Budapest as usual.

<Seeding Rules>

For 1A-5A Divisions:
1st place – Seed to Final
2nd & 3rd place – Seed to Semi-Final
Other Finalists – Seed to Prelim

The 2019 AP Division Grand-Prix Champion will be seeded to WYYC2021 Final.

 

Seeding from Multi-National Contests (MNC)

Same as National Contest seeding, all AP2020 (canceled), EYYC2020 (postponed), EYYC2021, and AP2021 will seed to WYYC2021 Budapest.

<Seeding Rules>

If a contestant from a country which does not have a National Contest places in the Top 10 at an MNC, the contestant will be seeded to the Prelim Round.

Fore more details about seeding rules, please check the latest seeding rules page.
https://iyyf.org/wyyc2019-rules/round-structure-seeding-rules-wyyc2019/

If you have any questions, please use this form to contact us.
https://iyyf.org/contact-us/

The IYYF and WYYC teams are hoping for the best that there will be a quick end to this pandemic, and that everyone is staying safe and healthy during this difficult time. Meanwhile, we are working hard to get ready to host WYYC in Budapest in 2021 and Tokyo in 2022. See you at the World Yo-Yo Contest!

By Posted on Posted in Announcement

Given the current circumstances regarding the spread of the novel corona virus (COVID-19), the IYYF has decided to postpone the World Yo-Yo Contest 2020 in Budapest to the summer of 2021. The new WYYC planned schedule is as follows:

  • Summer 2020 (Postponed to 2021)
  • Summer 2021 in Budapest, Hungary
  • Summer 2022 in Japan

Once we know the detailed dates for the future World Yo-Yo Contest and have made the necessary seeding rule adjustments, we will announce here.

Announcement

Our favourite time of the year is in August when we get together with hundreds of passionate yo-yo players for the World YoYo Contest. After a lot of discussion, in the present circumstances and based on the information of medical professionals around the world we have to postpone the Budapest contest to summer 2021 due to widespread concerns about COVID-19.

We couldn’t ask competitors, audience, judges and our staff to make summer travel plans in this time of uncertainty.

For players who have already registered to compete: we will transfer your registration to the new date of the Budapest World YoYo Contest.

We will continue to work through this situation and will keep you updated as further arrangements are made.

See you soon in Budapest and stay safe!

http://wyyc2020.com/

By Posted on Posted in Announcement

In the interest of continuing to guarantee fairness for all National Contests that are recognized by the IYYF as officially seeding to the World Yo-Yo Contest, we have some new rules that we are putting in place. These rules are effective immediately, and should pose no issues for contest organizers while also helping to maintain a clearer standard of excellence for all existing events.

1. All National Yo-Yo Contests recognized by the IYYF and seeding players to Multi-National or World events must adhere to whatever IYYF rules and guidelines are in-place at the time of the event. To accommodate events of different sizes, contest organizers may request a variance to specific rules by contacting the IYYF Board of Directors for approval.

2. National Yo-Yo Contest results may not be combined with any other event results to determine what players are seeded and eligible to compete at the World Yo-Yo Contest. Countries may combine results from multiple events for their internal titles and prizes, but only the stand-alone results from the single, recognized National Contest, run to IYYF standards, may be used to determine seeding eligibility.

3. If evidence is presented to the IYYF to indicate any issues with the accuracy of scores, either intentional or by accident, it will trigger an audit whereby an IYYF representative must oversee scoring at the event in question in order to maintain recognized seeding status. If the audit is refused, the contest will no longer be recognized as an official National event, and winners will no longer be seeded to Multi-National or World contests until the National event in question has been brought back into compliance.

We hope these new policies will help allay any fears that players might have about the validity of event results, and welcome any feedback from contest organizers to continue making sure that their events are held to IYYF standards.

By Posted on Posted in Announcement

WYYC2020 will be held in Budapest, Hungary.
WYYC2021 will be in Japan.

IYYF is proud to introduce the host countries of the 2020 & 2021 World Yo-Yo Contests. WYYC2020 will be held in Budapest, Hungary, and WYYC2021 will be held in Japan.
Further details will be announced when they have been confirmed. Keep your eye on www.iyyf.org for news.

WYYC Proposal Process Change

We have had many discussions among the IYYF board on how to decide the location and team for running WYYC. Each year there are many exciting location options, yet at the same time there are many challenges and difficulties that come with running the contest in a different place every time.
Learning from our experiences over the course of the past five years organizing WYYC, we decided to reevaluate our situation and have, as a result, revised our decision plan.

Here are some changes about how the WYYC location will be chosen in the future.

1. We will no longer be bound to the three-year cycle of Americas, Europe and Asia.
2. We are no longer accepting proposal documents for new locations in the same way that we have in the past.
3. If you are interested in running WYYC in your country, please contact us so we can discuss the possibilities; we will also ask serious applicants to join the current WYYC organizing team as a core member.

This way, the IYYF team can better share its knowledge, resources, and get to know new members through working together with them. New members will be able to learn more from current organizers and work alongside them to help run WYYC. Essentially, instead of asking other people to struggle and come up with ideas by themselves, we have decided to welcome more people so we can diversify our team and work closely together for future contests. In the long run, we hope to better ensure stability, consistency, and increase the quality of the event year to year.

Thank you, as always, for your participation in the World Yo-Yo Contest. None of this would be possible without your involvement and support. We look forward to being able to bring WYYC to even more places around the globe, and we hope you’ll join us on that journey!

By Posted on Posted in Announcement

IYYF had its third General Meeting in Shanghai, China, on August 11, 2018.
We elected the next Executive Board and its Audit Committee, to serve a two-year term from September 1, 2018, until August 31, 2020.

Executive Board Members:

  • Ondra Sedivy (Czech Republic)
  • Hironori Mii (Japan)
  • Steve Brown (USA)

Audit Committee:

  • Simon Blount (UK)
  • Nathan Crissey (USA)
  • Stuart Brown (Australia)