WCA Regulations – January 2026

Dear WCA Community,

The WCA Regulations Committee would like to inform you about a new version of the WCA Regulations. This version will be in effect for competitions beginning on, or after, January 1st, 2026.

You can review all changes in this comparison on GitHub. You can click on “Files changed” to see the complete files of the Regulations, where all changes and additions are marked green and removals are marked red.

You can read a more detailed description of changes in this explainer document. Below is a summary of the changes in the new version of the Regulations.

Major Changes:

  • Introduce Head to Head format changes
  • Introduce Dual Rounds changes
  • Change 3×3 Blindfolded format to Best of 5 changes
  • Simplify Regulation 2i (electronics) changes
  • Introduce Approved Timer List changes
  • 5×5 & Megaminx misscramble requirements changes
  • Allow certain extras to be scrambled on an unsolved puzzle changes

Minor Changes:

  • Remove gender from 2c changes
  • Remove Board discretion in 2e changes
  • Remove stateless recognition changes
  • Restrict 2s++ accommodations changes
  • Remove 2t changes
  • Clarify 3d1b color blind accommodations changes
  • Add „reasonably“ to 3h2a changes
  • Clock puzzle legality changes
  • Forbid photographing scrambles changes
  • Clarify intentional puzzle defects changes
  • Clarify Square-1 scrambles changes
  • Clarify recording no results changes
  • Clarify record recognition changes
  • Clarify record timing changes
  • Clarify extra timing changes
  • 9l1++ consistency update changes
  • Clarify amending round format changes
  • Restrict adding rounds after final changes
  • Remove 10h changes
  • Remove 11e1+ changes
  • Clarify order of results changes
  • Note attempt order for combined cumulative rounds changes
  • Clarify one minute to start attempt changes
  • Clarify Square-1 moves in inspection changes
  • Clarify timer start hand position changes
  • Change A5b assistance changes
  • Change A6c default to +2 changes
  • Clarify A6e (touching the puzzle after the solve) changes
  • Clarify time format changes
  • Add discretion to A7c3 penalty changes
  • Clarify A7c8 attestation changes
  • Remove A7g+++ example changes
  • Clarify B3c exception changes
  • Add discretion to FMC penalties changes
  • Clarify penalty for revealing FMC scramble changes
  • Clarify Multi-Blind latecomers changes
  • Remove H1b1++ changes
  • Generalize H1e changes

Source:: worldcubeassociation