Barcaffè

1.     WHAT IS “THE LAGS BATTLE”?

The Latte Art Grading Battle is an event organized by the Latte Art Grading System, which takes place nationally (THE LAGS BATTLE) and worldwide (WLAGS BATTLE).

The event aims to promote latte art and Lags through the discipline of the latte art technique in a category competition that follows the basic setting of the system disciplinaries and specifications.

2.       PARTICIPATION AND ACCESS

In order to participate it is necessary to be (at the time of the competition) 18 years of age.

The competition is reserved exclusively for bartenders / competitors with green, red, black and gold Lags certification.

When registering, competitors must accept the rules in order to attend the Lags Battle or the WLags Battle.

The best of the national competitions (THE LAGS BATTLE) will be able to compete in the FINAL ARENA for the World Championship (WLAGS Battle).

The world competitor is the one who has won the national championship of his country / state in his category (green, red, black or gold) and for this reason he will have the right to participate in the World competition (World Lags Battle)

To participate in the World Lags Battle a nation can organize a national or regional competition (THE LAGS BATTLE), or select a competitor by category (green, red, black, gold).

The winner of the World competition, in the following world championship, will no longer be able to compete in the category won but must present himself for the top level. This applies with the exception of those in possession of the gold level, who therefore have the right to compete in the next world championship, for the same category

2.1     COMPETITION FEE

The participation fee for the national competitions “THE LAGS BATTLE” and for the world competitions “THE WLAGS BATTLE” is established by the Latte Art Grading System Headquarters, when directly organized by it, or by the Lags Certification Point / Chapter organizing the event.

3.     REGISTRATION FORM

Normally, contestants must send a completed WLAGS Battle Registration Form or LAGS Battle Registration Form, found at http://www.latteartgrading.com/ , to the system address ([email protected] ). In the case of the Slovenian LAGS battle, you must fill out the application form at PRIJAVI SE NA »SLOVENIA LAGS BATTLE 2023« – Horeca - Barcaffe

Failure to complete and send the form to the system will result in non-admission to the challenge.

In addition to this, it should be noted that if a competitor signs up for the Lags Battle twice and subsequently does not show up for the competition or decides not to participate, he will no longer be able to access the selection stages valid for the current year.

4.     ORGANIZATION AND COMPETITION AREA (ARENA)

The Lags Battle must be organized in an event / fair or special space defined with the name ARENA and the arena must have an EPIC name as well as the music that will characterize it during the event.

Example FINAL ARENA - WARRIOR ARENA - EXTREME ARENA- HELL ARENA or similar

A microphone is made available for the showman.

It is mandatory to have a video system with a screen for the projection of the challenge and a sound system.

Examples of background music: TWO STEPS FROM HELL - AGGRESSIVE WAR EPIC MUSIC - PIRATES OF CARRABEAN - GLADIATOR)

Two espresso machines and a central work table are needed where to place the finished products to be evaluated. A third machine with grinder-doser can be positioned in a different area for the competitors' tests.

Three identical cards representing the Lags Symmetry Wheel must be placed on the three competition benches.

Arena example

1.     EQUIPMENT SUPPLIED: MACHINERY, ACCESSORIES AND THEIR ARRANGEMENT

The organization (entity or requesting structure) must make the following equipment available. The 2 competition stations must be equipped with:

-  2 Espresso coffee machine;

-  1 work / preparation table;

-  Coffee;

-  2 coffee grinder;

-  2 tampers;

-  2 knock box;

-  Milk;

-  Official Lags jugs.

Any other additional equipment must be brought directly by the competitor, after communication to the System via email (system@latteartgrading.com) or rather, in the case of Slovenian LAGS, the conflict is not SLO.LAGS@atlanticgrupa.com

Other equipment that is not suitable or that may compromise the proper functioning of the competition must be removed from the competition area.

The competitor is responsible for his competition area during the execution of the competition, he will have to prepare and verify the setting up of his position before the start of the challenge. (The leaving during the challenge or the exit from the competition station can be assessed disqualification by the judges).

2.     PERFORMANCE

The competition will take place in sectors: greens against greens, reds against reds, blacks against blacks and gold against gold.

Battle: the combination of all the two competitions

Competition: set of challenges faced by two competitors of the same level (tot. Max 5)

Challenge: single challenge for each pattern

The challenge will take place as follows: on the basis of the registrations, the challengers will be drawn and they will battle out each other one by one.

The pairs will then be created by drawing or on the day of the Battle or in the Lags headquarters before the same.

The first two challengers are positioned each on the single position where an espresso machine and a grinder are installed; on the front bench must be positioned only the Symmetry Wheel.

The competitor has to bring his own milk jugs. (No etching, or other decoration methods are allowed, under penalty of losing the challenge point).

The cups will be of 3 types: espresso, cappuccino and big cappuccino and in any case the cups selected by the LAGS organization for the competition and in any case consistent with the mouth size of the Symmetry Wheel.

It will be possible to execute the patterns in the following way:

ESPRESSO: into the espresso cups can be carry out ONLY and EXCLUSIVELY the espresso LAGS patterns;

CAPPUCCINO: you can choose the CAPPUCCINO or BIG CAPPUCCINO cup on all levels (from green to black).

For the gold level, it is mandatory to use ONLY AND EXCLUSIVELY BIG CAPPUCCINO competition cups.

Each pattern / design can be proposed and launched for the challenge ONLY ONCE in the same cup, this means that it will be possible to repeat the same pattern / design but within a cup of different size (cap and big cap cups).

On the judges' table there must be at least 2 Symmetry Grading Wheels, the plasticized patterns of the competing level and rulers available to the judges in order to better evaluate the symmetry of the pattern in the cup.

On the competitors 'table, in addition to the equipment provided and listed above, there must be a Symmetry Grading Wheel, since if there is an overfill, the cup will not be moved to the judges' bench for evaluation but will remain on the competitor's table.

During the competition, the most identical of the two patterns will always win with respect to the one shown in the specifications/disciplinaries; in the case of an equal score (when therefore the judges are equal in number), the pattern presented in the shortest time will win, ie the one who first placed the cup on the Symmetry Wheel.

MOVING THE CUPS FROM THE COMPETITOR'S BENCH TO THE JUDGES: it is necessary, during the race, to always take photographs of the competitor's patterns (the organization will take care of the shots) so that if accidents occur (e.g. fall of the cup) remains the proof of the photograph;

IN CASE OF OVERFILL, the cup will not be moved from the competitor's desk but the judge will move to the competitor's table (where there must be a Symmetry Grading Wheel) for the evaluation of the pattern.

As for the gold level and only for LAGS competitions, the first level of evaluation of the judges must be measured on the identical and the second on the symmetry;

this means that if the pattern of one of the 2 competitors has an identical error and the other pattern has a symmetry error, the error on the identical is considered worse while the one on symmetry less severe.

If the patterns of the two competitors have either an error on the identical or an error on the symmetry, the judges will continue to evaluate the other elements of the design/pattern.

3.     DURATION

The duration of each single competition is dictated by the number of patterns to be performed, for a total of maximum 5 challenges.

The challenge starts when the time is started and the dice are previously rolled or the card is drawn (the challenger with the highest number throws the challenge). Once the dice have been rolled, the organization will have to move them from the competitors' desks and thus free the work area.

The dice or playing cards - for the definition of the beginning - must always be placed in a glass / container managed by the judge and kept out of the competitors' competition bench during the challenge.

The judge will say loudly: "Challenge".

The challenger launches the challenge by verbally declaring a pattern of its category (chosen on the green or red or black level) and the size of the cup (espresso, cappuccino or large cup) to be performed; immediately both challengers start producing it; once finished the cappuccino with the declared pattern it has to be placed on the Simmetry Wheels, on the bench in front of the competition judge who will assign the point to the best execution.

As soon as the challenged has completed the preparation of his cappuccino and placed the cup in place, he will re-launch the challenge to his antagonist by declaring another pattern that both will have to execute and place on the bench opposite the competition judge, once finished.

N.B. FOR THE PATTERN REQUIRED IT IS POSSIBLE TO MAKE A SINGLE MILK WHIPPING / MILK JUG, with

which it is possible to make a maximum of 2 identical cappuccinos and select the one that you think is best. It is not possible to make more than one whipping.

The battle continues up to the end with a maximum of 5 challenges, on the best of three challenges.

At the end of the challenge, the head judge will have a maximum time of 1 minute and a half to close the evaluations and declare the winner of the challenge immediately.

The winner of the challenge will then be combined for a new battle in its category and so it will continue until the end where the champion of the relevant category will be decreed (green, red, black, gold). The competition is therefore a knockout.

Repechage: there is the possibility that the competitor will be fished out if the total number of competitors in that category is not suitable for making pairs.

A possible play-off may be decided by the judge, if there is an extreme equality (of pattern and time).

4.     REPECHAGES

The repechage must be carried out within the individual sections of the competition: the round of 16 with the round of 16 and the quarter-finals with the quarter-finals. The repechage will therefore not be carried out between different competition sections or between all the losers of all the competition sections.

It is obvious that in the quarter-finals the repechage will be automatic with the loser of the challenge just held.

5.     BEHAVIOR

During the competition, the competitor must behave in a manner suitable for the type of professional figure he represents: the barista.

The competing bartender will be able to interact with the judges only to understand any clarifications regarding the challenge or the requested pattern, but during the challenge the competitor will never be able to judge any assessments or choices of the judges (which are to be understood as unquestionable), under penalty of disqualification from the competition or - in a minor case - the loss of the point of the current challenge.

Once positioned in the competition area with their own equipment and the competition has started, the competitor will no longer be able to leave the competition area until the end of the competition and not even enter the judges' area for any reason.

It is possible to disqualify any modality both in tone, in form, and in contents, which damage the image of Lags, the judges and all the operators who are present for the functioning of the competition.

5.1    DEBRIEFING

The debriefing can be requested ONLY AND EXCLUSIVELY to the Head Judge by the competitor during the single challenge and not after.

The competitor may request, during the LAGS BATTLE, a maximum of 2 total debriefings per competition.

6.                            PEOPLE NOT ALLOWED ON STAGE

In the competition area the only people allowed are:

Judges - Competitors - showman - bus boy – the competitor’s interpreter but at a distance which doesn’t compromise the performance of the bartender during the challenge- Cameramen for video shooting.

In the judges area, no one other than the judges themselves will not be able to get close during the evaluation phase, under penalty of the possible cancellation of the single challenge.

Nor are any coaches or similar figures allowed.

7.              LAGS BATTLE APPLICATION

The Lags headquarters will take care of promoting the event and activating the competition selections by summoning the competitors.

Lags Battle can be organized upon request to the headquarters only by BLACK EXAMINER or by LAGS CERTIFICATION POINT.

National distributors will have the obligation, within the second year, to organize a National Lags BATTLE or in any case to send / select competitors for the WLAG under penalty of termination of any restrictions in international agreements.

The Lags Battle must be invoked to the LAGS Headquarters which will make it official communication; no more than 4 selections of Lags Battle can be organized per year and country and in any case with a national final.

8.          UNDERSTANDING RULES AND REGULATIONS

All competitors are responsible for the comprehensive knowledge of the current LAGS Battle rules. No exception or accommodations will be made for competitors who claim to not understand the LAGS Battle

Rules and Regulations. The official regulation can be downloaded from the website http://www.latteartgrading.com/ and for the Slovenian LAGS battle at https://www.barcaffe.si/horeca/slovenia-lags-battle

9.          JUDGES

The judges of the Lags will be selected by the Headquarters and before the competition they will have to be calibrated according to the Lags calibration rules.

The judges can be: examiners who have performed the calibration of the LAGS BATTLE. Judges don’t need to be at or above the LAGS level of the competitor they evaluate and judge.

The judges can’t evaluate the competitions of their students/baristas.

Preferably, the judges should never be even and never one. Ideally 3 or 5 judges, one of whom will be appointed Head Judge.

9.1                          AWARD OF THE CHALLENGE POINT AND EVALUATION TIMES

Once the cup has been positioned on the Symmetry Wheel of both competitors, the judges will have 1 minute and a half to write on their own sheet the name of the bartender to whom they gave the point. This (secret) form must then be given to the Head Judge who will decide who wins the point.

For the gold level, the judges will have 2 minutes to evaluate each individual pattern.

The head judge must also assign his own point, which will be added to that of the other judges.

The head judge will have to give his preference vote before the other judges give him their evaluation sheets.

If the head judge scores, after viewing the other judges' evaluation sheets, he will be subject to disqualification.

The judges present in the competition will never be able to confront each other during the evaluation minute, except and only for exceptional reasons, but not for the evaluation of the pattern.

In the most difficult cases, the Head Judge may ask for an EXTRA TIME (1 minute) for the evaluation.

If the judges were equal in number and in the case of value or parity score of the competitors, the competitor who arrange the cup on the Symmetry Wheel first will win the point.

THE JUDGES HAVE THE COMMITMENT/OBLIGATION TO WEAR THE OFFICIAL APRON OF THE LAGS JUDGE.

10.    JUDGES CALIBRATION

The calibration of the judges must take place during a calibration course specifically created to generate the Lags Judges and in any case, before the competition, an additional calibration briefing must be held to align the judges.

In the judges calibration it is essential that they know:

-           the rules

-           the evaluation method

-           the patterns

11.       AWARD

The winners of the Lags Battle or of the WLAGS BATTLE are the first 3 classified, one for each category; there are no second and third classified, for which however a relative award can be foreseen.

The second / third classified - in case of absence for any reason of the competitor and first classified of the competition - may participate in the competition.

In case that to a LAGS BATTLE (regional, national or world) should be present only one competitor for that level (green, red, black or gold), the title of champion of that LAGS BATTLE will be awarded upon demonstration of that level of in front of the judges (this means the competitor has to present all the patterns of that specific level respecting the terms of the disciplinary).

12.       SPONSORSHIP OF THE ARENA/EVENT

Sponsorships are managed and reserved for the applicant of the event; however, the Lags Headquarters remains free to insert their Main Partners (without obligation or restriction) avoiding that they conflict with those of the organizer.

In any case, the sponsors of the Lags will have the right to be present exclusively at the event with their promotional / advertising material.

For the event, communication must respect the type of competition in content and form whose main characters are: latte art-epic-challenge.

13.       USE OF THE LAGS BRAND

Competitors will not be able to wear uniforms with brands or company names / logos - except for event partners or LAGS sponsors and have the obligation to wear the Lags apron during the competition.

Those wishing to organize National Lags Battle must communicate the date and place to the headquarters promptly.

The use of the Lags brand and of The Lags Battle must be respected both in colors and in shape while maintaining proportions.

Changes to the regulation are not allowed unless authorized by the Lags headquarter.

The present competition could be modified in its regulation.

The organizers reserve the right to make changes to this regulation that may be necessary, for various reasons, until its cancellation in the event of force majeure. The organizers reserve the right to publish the entire event and the competitors together with their entries. During the competition, the competitors will be interviewed, with discretion by the presenters. In the event that the organization supplies clothing, such as aprons, jackets, hats or other items, these must be worn.

"The LAGS (Italy Headquarters) assumes no responsibility for direct or indirect damages which may arise to the participants in" The lags Battle "as a result of the cancellation, for any cause or reason, of competitions or events organized and linked to the Distributor / Chapter / Lags Certification Point which in turn organizes the competition or selection in its own country (national or world). Each Distributor / Chapter / Lags Certification Point is directly and solely responsible for the events organized and for any damage which may arise to the participants as a result of such events, with LAGS (Italian Headquarters) exemption from liability.

Should events occur such as to damage the image of LAGS (Italian Headquarters) caused by the Distributor / Lags Battle Organizer / Examiner / Judge, immediate

exclusion will be envisaged of these from the system, with the relative claim for damages. "

THE CONTENTS OF THIS EVENT ARE LAGS’ RESERVED MATERIAL. ITS USE AND DUPLICATION WITHOUT

AUTHORIZATION IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN

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