International Sporting Code

Did You Know?

• The ISC was first implemented in 1926, making it nearly a century old.
• The 2014 edition reduced the code from 212 articles and 24 pages to just 20 articles and 76 pages.

Summary

The ISC comprises 20 articles. Article 1 establishes the FIA as the sole international sporting authority entitled to create and enforce regulations for automobile competitions, and states that the ISC is intended to encourage and facilitate international motor sport. Each national sporting authority (ASN) affiliated with the FIA may draw up its own rules, and the ISC will not be enforced as long as competition remains safe and fair. Regarding records, the ISC distinguishes between international records and local records; local records set on permanent or temporary tracks fall under the national federation of that country, while Appendix D governs international records. Article 20 defines common motorsport terms, including circuit race (a competition on a closed circuit between two or more vehicles running simultaneously on the same course, where speed or distance covered in a given time determines the result), drag race (an acceleration contest between two vehicles from a standing start over a straight measured course, with the first to cross the finish line without penalty achieving the better performance), drifting (a competition where drivers aim to accurately follow a predetermined course, scored by judges on line, angle, style, and speed), hill climb (an event where each vehicle starts individually to cover a course ending at a higher altitude than the start, with time determining classification), rally (a road event with an imposed average speed run wholly or partly on roads open to normal traffic, consisting of either a single itinerary or several itineraries converging on a rallying point), cross-country rally (a competition with total distance between 1200 km and 3000 km, each selective section no more than 500 km), and Baja cross-country rally.

History

On October 15, 2013, the FIA published a new International Sporting Code, effective from January 1, 2014. This revision aimed to restructure the ISC and clarify definitions of concepts such as Championship, Cup, Series, Challenge, and Event, as well as to improve the distribution of responsibilities between the FIA and National Sporting Authorities (ASNs). The new code contained only 20 articles and 76 pages, whereas the previous edition, adopted on November 11, 2005, had 17 chapters, 212 articles, and 24 pages.

Notable appendices

Appendix D of the ISC regulates land speed record attempts, defining four categories: Category A (special automobiles built for record attempts), Category B (series production automobiles, e.g., Bugatti Veyron), Category C (special vehicles with any engine and aerodynamic aids allowed, e.g., ThrustSSC), and Category D (cars complying with FIA drag racing regulations). These categories are subdivided into fifteen groups and further classes based on fuel source, engine type, cylinder capacity, or vehicle weight. Examples include Category A Group VII solar powered UNSW Sunswift and Group XI Hybrid powered Buckeye Bullet. The appendix also covers officiating, measurements, safety procedures, and record types such as acceleration and distance records from flying or standing starts. Appendix J, introduced in 1954 for Touring Cars and GT Cars, regulates eligible cars by vehicle type, sporting class, and specifications. It currently features three categories: Category I (series production cars, including Groups N, A, R/Groups Rally 2–5, E-I, and T2), Category II (competition cars, including Groups RGT, Rally1, GT3, CN, E-II, T1, T3, and T4), and Category III (trucks, including Groups F and T5).