Minigolf is played with balls and putters on a Minigolf course. The aim is to get the ball from the teeing-off area to the defined target in as few strokes as possible.
The Minigolf course has 18 clearly marked lanes, which are numbered and must be in accordance with the standard rules of their system.
The balls and putters used for formal competitions have been approved by CMPC.
Any materials used for the manufacturing of Minigolf balls can be qualified for formal competitions only if they are approved by CMPC
During official practice and competition, advertising is allowed on sports clothing (jerseys, shirts, track-suits, pullovers or similar items) and ball bags/cases under the following conditions:
- On the side of the sports clothing (front, back, arm), where the nation or the membership to a Minigolf club or association is to be seen, advertising is not permitted
- Tobacco, alcohol and any offensive advertising is forbidden under all circumstances.
Advertising is only allowed if a team wears the advertising uniformly. However, individual advertising is allowed with maximal advertising space of 60 cm² in one single place on the clothing. CMPC can’t be held responsible for possible conflicts with team sponsors.
Start number advertising is not affected by these rules. Players must wear start numbers including any advertising, if the promoter has agreed to this.
A player must finish each lane with the ball with which he/she was beginning the lane.
A ball which has become so badly damaged during play that in the opinion of a referee it can no longer be played, or that has been lost on a lane (and not found within 5 minutes), can be replaced by another ball. The next stroke has to be taken from the last resting position of the lost or damaged ball.
A ball in play can only be moved by a stroke of the putter. It can only be played from a position of rest and can only be touched by the putter in the moment of the stroke (Exception: placement of the ball in the teeing-off area).
Each stroke counts as a point. If the ball still has not been holed after 6 strokes, another point is added. The highest possible score at one lane is 7. Also the score is 7, if a player stops playing a lane before he/she has holed out.
The lanes have always to be played in the order 1 to 18. Where a shotgun start has been stipulated, players will not necessarily start at lane 1, but must still play the lanes in sequence. E.g., a player starting at lane 9 would play lanes 9-18, then lanes 1-8, in that order. For a shotgun start at two courses that means: lanes 9-18 of course A, 1-18 of course B and 1-8 of course A in that order.
A general interruption of the tournament can be ordered by the head referee and must be observed. Play may resume only when determined by the head referee.
The use or carrying of playing aids (e.g.: aiming devices, spirit levels and similar devices) is forbidden for all people on the tournament course during the tournament. Carried mobile phones and similar devices must be set in a mode, in which they send no acoustical signals. Using must not disturb other players or the progress of tournament. During a round it is strictly forbidden to make or receive phone calls.
Individual competitions can be announced for the following categories:
Female kids (Kf) Male kids (Km)
Female youth (Yf) Male youth (Ym)
General class women (W) General class men (M)
Female senior 1 (Sf1) Male senior 1 (Sm1)
Female senior 2 (Sf2) Male senior 2 (Sm2)
In the case of a less differentiated division of categories, the following classification takes effect:
Kf -> Yf -> W <- Sf1 <- Sf2
Km -> Ym -> M <- Sm1 <- Sm2
Team competitions can be announced for the following categories:
kids’ teams
youth teams
women’s teams
men’s teams
senior teams
club teams
During a tournament a player can only play for one team and a substitute can only be nominated for one team.
Only teams consisting of players from the same club are allowed in the national tournaments for club teams.
One substitute is allowed per team unless otherwise stated in regulations or invitations. He/she must be selected and named before the beginning of the tournament by the deadline defined in the invitation. If no special deadline is defined in the invitation, the nomination must take place latest 30 minutes before the scheduled beginning tournament. All changes in the team nominations after the deadline are considered as substitutions. Clubs or associations which nominate a substitute must at the same time nominate a person who is empowered to make the substitution. If clubs or associations have more than one team in the competition, the empowered persons can be different for the different teams. However, one team can never have more than one empowered person to make the substitution.
A refereeing committee consists at least of one head referee and two referees, preferably from three different provinces at national tournaments or three different Minigolf clubs at national tournaments. If there are several tournament groups, additional refereeing committees must be set up.
Every kind of doping is strictly forbidden. Further details are defined in the CMPC anti-doping regulations and the rules of the CHINADA, which is in force for all regional and national tournaments.
Infringements of the playing or general sporting rules and unsportsmanlike behavior are punished with admonitions, bookings and disqualifications.The classifications are as following：
a) admonition (A)
b) admonition and 1 penalty point (A+1)
c) booking and 2 penalty points (B+2)
d) disqualification and 5 penalty points (D+5)
Infringements of the playing or general sporting rules and unsportsmanlike behavior are punished with admonitions or banishing from the course. The classifications are as following：
a) admonition (step 1)
b) banishing the coach from the course for the rest of the day (step 2)
c) banishing the coach from the course for the rest of the tournament (step 3)
Protests against refereeing decisions have to be made in written form by an official of the participating federation or club concerned or the player concerned directly to chairman of the jury within 15 minutes. This minimum time can be prolonged by organizers by clear remarks in the official invitation concerned. The jury then decides on it as quickly as possible. If there is no jury installed the decision has to be taken by the refereeing committee