Tournament Rules & Regulations

Rule 1 — Jhandi (Flag) Time Execution: The official setup window for the Jhandi is strictly capped at five minutes. If environmental factors are declared hazardous by the Loft Operator, the Jhandi may be delayed by up to two hours. Following that window, release is mandatory; failure to release cancels that day's entry. Flight duration data initiates precisely at the moment of release as recorded by the Loft Guard or, in its absence, by the Judge.

Rule 2 — Loft Opening Operational Window: Lofts must be fully deployed between the conclusion of the Jhandi and 1:00 PM local loft time. Between 10:00 AM and 3:00 PM, up to 10 to 15 pigeons may be released externally with exactly three wing feathers either cut or tied. This configuration requires physical inspection by the Judge before release. A bird roosting or sitting in the open air during this preparatory phase invalidates its flight duration. Landing and settling are unrestricted once the loft is completely opened.

Rule 3 — Non-Opening and Closed-Loft Penalties: Failure to open the structure by 1:00 PM incurs an automatic deduction equal to the exact flight duration of the first returning bird. Total failure to open across a competition day triggers the programmatic deduction of the flight times of the final three landing birds. Mandatory alerts must be sent to the Referee Committee in all such instances. Where the Judge is themselves affiliated with the violating loft, identical penalties mirror onto the Judge's home loft.

Rule 4 — Feeding and Watering Restrictions: The provision of nourishment or hydration inside coop cages is prohibited after 4:30 AM on competition mornings. Water may be provided in external trays only after the Judge has completed pre-flight inspection.

Rule 5 — Early Takeoff Violations: Releasing or flying birds prior to the official timestamp window triggers immediate race cancellation for that day and a mandatory fine of 20,000 PKR (or local equivalent at the daily reference rate published on the Platform).

Rule 6 — Colouring and Visual Markings: Pigeons must carry clear, distinct, high-contrast visual colouring applied to feathers for identification before flight. No alteration is permitted once the takeoff video is finalised and uploaded to the official Platform group.

Rule 7 — Disqualified Traits and Absolute Bans: The inclusion of birds bearing Patti-wala, yellow eyes, blind or partially blind eyes, double-eyed anomalies, Sufaid-Kabutar / Sufaid-Aankh, Momi-Noke, or Momi-Panja is strictly forbidden. Detection forces the immediate deletion of flight scores, blocks the introduction of alternative substitutes for the affected slot, and triggers full ejection from the tournament.

Rule 8 — Cluster Flying Bans (Musalsal Toli): Coordinated, persistent flock clustering directly in front of the loft structure is banned. A verified Referee report of this phenomenon authorises immediate administrative time deductions, the scale of which is published in the Penalty Schedule.

Rule 9 — Referee Challenge Scope: A Judge maintains the absolute right to object to any individual bird and to prevent its entry. If a Loft Operator formally disputes the objection on-site, the bird flies on a provisional basis, with final resolution determined by the Executive Management Committee under the flyer-pigeon criteria. The bird's results remain quarantined until resolution.

Rule 10 — Pyrotechnic and Ballistic Restrictions: Aerial gunfire, fireworks, or firecrackers in the vicinity of competing lofts are unlawful and a separate breach of public order legislation. Detection forces immediate cancellation of the active flight window and may trigger an investigation jointly with the local civil authority.

Rule 11 — Accidental Escape Contingencies: If multiple birds escape accidentally, a strict 30-minute grace period initiates. If birds are trapped back within 30 minutes, no penalty applies. After 30 minutes, the time of the first authentic landing bird is deleted. If zero birds return within the day, the time of the final landing bird is deleted and a compounding double-penalty applies across both affected entries.

Rule 12 — The 300-Foot Landing Radius: Return data is logged only if a bird settles within a 300-foot boundary of its home loft. Landings on foreign property within this boundary require direct physical Referee verification at the exact landing location; the bird must remain stationary there for one hour to secure validation.

Rule 13 — Missing Out-of-Bounds Birds: If a bird strikes an external loft and does not return by the absolute nightly cut-off, its flight time for that sequence is entirely void.

Rule 14 — Physical Injury Substitutions: Birds injured during events may be substituted only following physical Referee verification and Executive Management approval. The substitute bird must have been pre-registered with a valid IHFP Pigeon ID at the time of tournament entry.

Rule 15 — Series Allowances and Pattli Locks: In a series of three, five, or seven flights, a maximum of two substitutions is permitted. An elite eleven-flight series allows up to five substitutions for dead, diseased, or missing birds, contingent on video verification. Violations incur a 20,000 PKR fine and flight cancellation. Feather tying and cutting require direct Referee presence. No bird may be swapped after receiving the official Pattli marking; doing so is classified as fraud and is governed by Part II, Section 9.

Rule 16 — Night Lighting Controls: Operators hold the structural right to dynamically scale night lighting infrastructure to guide or land returning birds, provided that such lighting does not interfere with neighbouring lofts.

Rule 17 — Predator Management: Birds lost to birds of prey may be substituted or re-entered at the discretion of the owner if recovered, subject to Referee verification of the bird's condition.

Rule 18 — Severe Weather and Force Majeure: Severe rain, windstorms, or dense fog authorise cross-location landing timestamp validation. Standard overcast skies or mild rain do not qualify as force majeure unless a formal management directive is broadcast through the system dashboard. The Executive Management Committee's declaration is final for the purposes of these rules.

Rule 19 — Extended Flight Outliers: During long flights under favourable conditions, the Judge will log an administrative time-out, which resets to zero after one hour and is then reapplied as needed.

Rule 20 — Referee Protection Mandate: Physical or verbal abuse directed at an official causes immediate event disqualification of the offending party and triggers the disciplinary framework in Part II, Section 9.

Rule 21 — Referee Tardiness Protocol: If a Judge is tardy by more than 30 minutes, the Loft Operator must notify administration through the Platform. The Loft Operator is insulated from penalties caused by this delay. Where intentional lateness is proven, the Executive Management Committee may deduct matching flight times from the Judge's personal competition loft.

Rule 22 — Mandatory Pre-Flight Verification Stamps (Mohar): Referees must apply a physical verification stamp before every flight. Unstamped releases constitute a structural breach, risking complete flight invalidation and joint administrative penalties for both the Loft Operator and the Judge.

Rule 23 — Phone Number Stamp Ban: The stamping of telephone numbers on any part of a bird is forbidden. Joint violations trigger a 5,500 PKR fine and cross-loft penalties.

Rule 24 — Identification Rings Ban: Custom name bands, phone numbers, or unmapped identifiers are barred. Violations prompt immediate flight cancellation, a time penalty for the Referee's home loft, and a 5,000 PKR fine.

Rule 25 — Strict 10-Minute Reporting Window: App-based reporting of a bird landing must occur within 10 minutes. Failure triggers a 5,000 PKR fine per pigeon, discards the timestamp, and cancels the day's record for that bird.

Rule 26 — Cheating and False Accusations: Governed by Part II, Section 9 (Critical Sanction Framework) and resulting in an absolute three-year global ban.

Rule 27 — Mandatory Digital Verification Channels: Morning takeoff and evening landing require HD video capture uploaded directly to the official Platform group in the presence of the Referee. First offence: 20,000 PKR fine. Second offence: total flight record cancellation.

Rule 28 — Definitive Nightly Cut-Off: The absolute nightly cut-off time for all flight data accumulation across the 2026 racing season is fixed precisely at 8:30 PM local loft time.

Rule 29 — Young Bird (Baby Pigeon) Structural Rules: Young birds are limited to a maximum of seven flight lanes. Referees hold full inspection rights regarding feather metrics and physical health. Underwing feathers must be completely natural; forced plucking or pulling is strictly prohibited.

Rule 30 — Jhandi Sabotage Provisions: Deploying flags, cloths, or visual deterrents to scare or alter the paths of birds after the Jhandi is a severe offence, authorising full-day flight score deductions and referral under Part II, Section 9.

Rule 31 — Unwritten Interpretive Rights: Unprecedented edge cases or omissions are resolved exclusively through the binding interpretive authority of the IHFP Executive Management Committee, whose decision is final.