This year there has been a growing number of enquiries and requests for clarification of our rules relating to “Team Composition” and “Eligibility”. The theme through the vast majority of these enquiries been to do with teams who have been unable to meet the Gender Requirements as specified in the School’s Handbook in section ‘2.3 Team Composition’. This rule requires that in most categories teams have equal participation of males and females.

Since 1991 one of the aims of the Energy Breakthrough has been to “Provide an opportunity for women and girls to participate in what has traditionally been a ‘male’ dominated area of the curriculum”. We also organise the event to provide an opportunity for as many young people as possible to participate.

Balancing these two commitments and being fair to all is challenging. Therefore, the way we will do this is as follows:

Teams that enter but cannot meet their categories’ gender requirements by the commencement of the event in November are allowed to PARTICIPATE but are INELIGIBLE for any Awards.

All Teams MUST complete all assessment sections of Display & Presentation, Design & Construction and the Trial(s). Points are allocated for each section, but the Energy Breakthrough results pages will list ‘ineligible’ teams at the bottom of the tables.

Category by category clarification:

  • Ineligible teams in the secondary HPV and EEV categories who are unable are given a 50 Lap penalty and are ineligible for any Awards.
  • Ineligible teams in the Tryathlon category are given a 15 Lap penalty and are ineligible for any Awards.
  • Ineligible teams in Pushcarts, Innovations In Technology and primary HPV categories will not receive a penalty, however, they will remain ineligible for any Awards.
  • Please note that teams entered in HPV Open, Tryathlon Open or EEV Open classes are not impacted by this rule as they are not required to meet the gender requirements.

At the time of completing the online entry process, Team Managers MUST be confident they can compile an eligible team. Energy Breakthrough organisers reserve the right to not allow an ‘ineligible’ team to participate when there are ‘eligible’ teams on the Waiting List.

We understand that the Energy Breakthrough’s ‘Gender requirement’ rule challenges schools when making up their teams. However, our commitment to this aim is as strong today as it was in 1991.

John Stafford
Event Director