The Bye-laws are supplementary to the Statutes. The Letter of Agreement & Obligations for the hosting of a World titled event, the Drug Testing requirements, the Rules of Eligibility for World titled events, the Rules of Eligibility for the Hall of Fame, the Technical Rules of each Division and the IOC Rules of the Court of Arbitration for Sport are extensions but subsidiary to these Bye-laws.

The Bye-laws apply without restriction unless otherwise specified to all divisions of water skiing.

Where "Water Ski" is used it is held to include Barefoot Water skiing, Cable Water skiing, Tournament (Classic) Water skiing, Wakeboarding, Water skiing for the Disabled and Water Ski Racing.

Member Federations may extend this to include other forms of sport on water where a person is towed by a boat or a cable.

Where "competitor" is used it is held to include the driver and observer for racing events.

Where "he", "him" or "his" is used, it is held to refer to persons of either sex.

Where "Letter of Agreement" is used, it is held to refer to the "Letter of Agreement & Obligations for the hosting of a World titled event".

Where "PA Region" is used it is held to mean the Region of North America, Central America and South America (named Pan American Region).

Where "EAME Region" is used it is held to mean the Region of Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Where "AA Region" is used it is held to mean the Region of Australia, New Zealand, Asia and Oceania (named Asian-Australasian Region).

Where "Federation" is used it is held to mean National governing bodies of Water Skiing who are members of Region PA,, EAME or AA.

In accordance with art. 37 of the Statutes, Bye-laws are established by the Executive Board. They will be effective 30 days after posting to the Federations. Bye-laws and modifications thereto must be approved by the following Congress.

The amount of the annual subscription to be paid by the Regions shall be determined by the Executive Board.

The amount of the annual subscription to be paid by the Federations to their Region shall be determined by their Region Congress.

The title "Honorary Member" can be conferred by Congress on any individual or organisation who has rendered outstanding service to the IWSF or to the cause of water skiing.

Commercial organisations, firms, corporate bodies or natural persons wishing to support the IWSF by paying an annual contribution, may be nominated Patron members.

For contravention of any Statute or Bye-law the Executive Board may apply such sanctions as it deems appropriate including

A Federation contesting sanctions imposed under 2.4 may have recourse to the Appeals Committee (see art. 8).

Honorary members and Patron members may take part in the Congress without vote but can participate in a debate at the invitation of the IWSF President.

The provisional dates and venues for the meetings of the Executive Board and Councils up to the next congress shall be scheduled and announced during the Congress weekend.

The Congress may vote the necessary means enabling the Executive Board to maintain a permanent Secretariat to deal with the affairs of the IWSF in accordance with the Statutes and Bye-laws.

An Executive Director may be appointed by the Executive Board to perform such duties and at such Honorarium as shall be approved by the Executive Board and set out in writing.

Water skiing is separated into the following main divisions:

Other divisions may be established when proposed by the Executive Board and approved by the Congress.

Each Council shall be responsible for promoting the division and shall have the following duties:

On proposal of the Bureau the Executive Board will set up Committees charged with the study of precisely defined matters on which they shall report their findings with proposals for measures to be taken or with specific duties.

At present the following commissions are in charge:

The Chairman shall be appointed by the Executive Board. The commission shall include at least one person from each Region with a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 6 persons. The EB shall appoint one of their members to sit on the commission.

The Athletes Commission will consist of 8 athletes, 3 from the Tournament discipline (1 per Region), 1 each from the Barefoot, Cable Ski, Disabled, Racing and Wakeboard disciplines.

The Athletes Commission shall appoint from amongst its members 2 representatives from different disciplines to the

Executive Board.

The Athletes Commission shall appoint 1 representative for each Divisional Council. They shall be voting members.

The word "World" may not be used in the title of a competition without the authority of the Executive Board.

The organisers of all competitions containing the words "World" in their title are bound by the provisions in the Letter of Agreement which form an addendum to these Bye-laws.

No affiliated member Federation or Region may promote or support any event containing the word "World" in its title unless it has received approval from the Executive Board.

The rights to all competitions described in art. 6.1 containing the word "World" on its title belong to IWSF.

No other Water ski competition shall be allowed to take place on the same site in conjunction with, or on consecutive days, before or after a World Titled event without prior approval of the relevant council and the Executive Board.

A Calendar for World titled events for the next two years shall be finalised 14 days after a Congress whichever is later.

No event shall be approved for the Calendar unless the organiser has returned the signed Letter of Agreement to the President of the IWSF and has paid the required percentage of the sanction fee.

No competition shall be added to the Calendar after the publication of the Calendar, except under exceptional circumstances, and with the approval of the Executive Board.

A Federation which, having been awarded the organisation of a competition entered on the Calendar, fails to hold it on the date or at the venue specified in the Calendar, shall be fined 5'000.-- Swiss Francs (force majeure accepted by the Bureau excepted).

An organising Federation cancelling or changing the date or venue of a Calendar competition less than 60 days before the original date on the Calendar, becomes responsible for reimbursing any expenses necessarily incurred by Officials appointed by the IWSF for the competition.

No entry fees shall be payable for events subject to the Letter of Agreement, unless specified at the time the bid is approved.

A titled event is one for which the Letter of Agreement forms a contract between the host Federation and IWSF.

Federations may bid for such events up to 4 years in advance of the date proposed for the

event. Bids must be in writing, submitted to the President with copies to the Secretary General and the Chairman of the Council concerned and should arrive at least 30 days before the annual Congress at which they are to be considered. The bid shall state the date and venue proposed. It shall state visa requirements if applicable.

Bids for events within 3 years shall be submitted in writing to the same persons with the same information's as above for approval by the Executive Board.

Once a bid has been accepted no exceptions to the obligations will be permitted unless approved by the Executive Board.

Any contract entered into by the organiser before the Letter of Agreement has been signed and returned shall be at the organisers own risk.

The order of precedence at events organised under the auspices of IWSF is:

A competitor who competes in a Water ski competition not sanctioned by national governing bodies of IWSF shall not be eligible for any IWSF sanctioned competitions for a period of 18 months, included one World Championships.

An Official who takes part in a Water ski competition not sanctioned by national governing bodies of IWSF shall have his official qualification suspended for a period of 12 months.

Unless otherwise specified in the Technical Rules of a division, the following will apply:

A late entry fee of 10.-- Swiss Francs per day per competitor shall be levied on each entry not received 10 days before the first official day of familiarisation or the first day of competition if there is no familiarisation.

Late entries will only be accepted with the consent of the Organiser and Chief Judge.

The distribution of the Official IWSF Medals at the World Championships

shall be determined by each Council but subject to approval by the

Executive Board.

The competitors in the first three positions shall mount the dais while the competitors' national flags are being hoisted and the national hymn of the winners country is played, according to the protocol confirmed in the Letter of Agreement.

The President of the IWSF shall select and appoint one of the three nominations.

In order to assure publication of these rules, each Technical Council shall add the parts of the above rules applying to their division, to their Technical Rulebook.

The participation of Water Skiing at World or any other Regional Sports Games shall take place under the authority of the IWSF or the Appropriate Region.

Federations shall ensure that a competition organiser wishing to invite a competitor of another Federation in their own Region sends a written invitation to the Federation of the competitor.

Federations shall ensure that a competition organiser wishing to invite a competitor of a Federation of or belonging to another Region of the IWSF sends a written invitation to the Federation of the competitor with a copy to the Secretary General of that Federation's Region.

Federations shall ensure that a competition organiser does not accept the entry of a competitor belonging to another Federation without that Federation's permission.

Competitors from a Federation partly situated in an Overseas territory of that country are exempted from this rule. With the consent of their Federation they may function as a subsidiary member within the Region they are close to.

The currency to be used for hotel and other expenses (by officials and competitors) should always be the local currency unless, when the bid for a competition was received, notice of other currency requirements were made and approved by the Executive Board.

Any expenses repayable by the organiser to Officials must be paid at the beginning of the competition and shall be in a currency which can be legally taken out of the country.

Members of the Executive Board or Divisional councils shall be given due recognition at Ceremonies, Presentations and Official receptions.

It is the responsibility of each Federation when entering competitors for a World titled event to ensure that its competitors are adequately insured for personal accident, permanent disabilities, death and medical expenses.

The IWSF shall insure the Executive Board and Council members, for competitions and meetings which they attend and all Officials whom it appoints to events covered by the Letter of Agreement. The insurance cover shall be:

Cover will be effective from the commencement of their travel to the competition or meeting and continue until the safe conclusion of their travel after the event or meeting to their home, place of work or next place of stay, whichever is reached first.

It is the responsibility of each member Federation of IWSF to have valid insurance cover for Public Liability for any and all accidents, physical or material, caused to third parties by the organisers, their helpers, assistants or other persons taking part in the event. This shall also apply to the material and installations used in the competition, during the training, competition and at any time during the event. This shall apply to all events, races or competitions.

Competitors may not participate in competitions without the prior written consent of their Federation.

Competitors selected by their Federation to compete in an international competition shall take part in that competition save only when a refusal follows immediately upon selection, this being in writing and giving valid reason to their Federation.

Competitors competing in competitions shall at all times comply with the Rules governing competitions.

In the case of an infraction sanctions varying from a written warning to temporary or permanent exclusion from IWSF activities may be applied by the appropriate authority (see art. 7.2). Appeals procedure shall be as art. 7.3.

Competitors participating in any titled event under the authority of IWSF or any other competition covered by these Bye-laws accept them without restriction

Officials, whether or not appointed to an event, shall act in a proper manner in keeping with their responsibilities and positions.

At all times they shall:

In the case of an infraction sanctions varying from a written warning to temporary or permanent exclusion from IWSF activities may be applied by the appropriate authority (see art. 7.2). Appeals procedure shall be as art. 7.3.

No competitor, Official, competitors family or representative shall transgress the generally accepted norms of ethical sporting behaviour.

Federations or Competitors may be held responsible for the actions of a competitors family or representative.

The appointed team officials are responsible for the behaviour on and off the water of their competitors from the time of arrival to the time of departure from the competition.

National Federations have full responsibility in case of non observation of these rules to apply sanctions where within their jurisdiction. They shall inform IWSF and all other Federations of the action taken. Other Federations so notified shall, where applicable, enforce the sanction.

Otherwise, failure to comply with these rules shall be subject to a disciplinary action varying from a written reprimand to temporary or permanent exclusion from IWSF activities.

The disciplinary action may be taken by

Action taken by the Chief Judge and/or Jury shall have effect only at the time and place of the competition at which the infraction occurs and shall be limited to actions at that competition.

A report of the complaint and the action taken shall be made to the Divisional Council and to the Federation of the person concerned within 14 days.

An infraction calling for action beyond that applicable to a competition shall be reported to the Bureau by the Chief Judge, the Organiser or the Divisional Chairman within 7 days of the occurrence, accompanied by depositions from Officials concerned and/or witness to the infraction. The Bureau shall afford the parties concerned an opportunity to state their case which may include depositions from witnesses and other evidence.

Action taken by the Bureau shall be notified to the offender, his Federation and the Divisional Council as soon as possible.

In the case of a more serious offence, the Bureau shall refer the matter to the Executive Board for action. The Executive Board shall investigate the matter and decide by postal/fax exchange or at a meeting, what action is to be taken.

The Executive Board shall notify the offender, his Region and Federation and the Divisional Council as soon as action is decided upon.

Action decided upon by the Bureau or the Executive Board shall be suspended if the Federation concerned takes action which, in the opinion of the Bureau or the Executive Board is appropriate and sufficient. Such action taken by a Federation must be notified to the Bureau within 30 days of the infraction, or when the action to be taken by the Bureau or the Executive Board is to come into effect, whichever is the sooner.

In case of a sanction taken other than at a competition the person concerned may have recourse to the Appeals Committee (see art. 8)

Appeals against decisions to be valid shall be sent to the President of IWSF, Secretary General, his Region and Federation and the Council chairman concerned within 15 days of the receipt of the decision being contested.

The Executive Board shall select an Appeals Committee of 5 persons for a 2 year term. They shall not be members of the Executive Board or a Divisional Council.

In case of any vacancy occurring the remaining members of the Appeals Committee will appoint a person to fill that vacancy until the next Congress.

A member of the Appeals Committee personally involved in a dispute shall be replaced for the duration of the hearing. The remaining members of the Appeals Committee will appoint a person to fill the temporary vacancy.

Decisions of the Appeals Committee are subject only to further appeal to the Court of Arbitration of the IOC.

The overall aim of these rules is to avoid unnecessary conflicts within our sport by means of an agreed procedure for unforeseen disputes in areas not covered by existing rules. The points below shall not overrule, overlap or interfere with Statutes, Bye-laws, competition rules, or disciplinary measures described elsewhere in documents adopted by the Congress.

The rules shall apply to, and settle, all issues or disputes extending across the boundaries between any and all of the parties mentioned in art. 9.2 including:

The rules shall not apply to:

Committed by the rules will be the IWSF, its Bureau, Executive Board, Councils, Commissions, Regions, member Federations, clubs, individual competitors and officials.

Also committed will be outside organisers of an international competition, whether commercial or not and it will be the responsibility of the relevant Federation to see that this requirement is observed.

If a claim or a dispute cannot be resolved by mutual agreement within 12 months of its origin, either party is entitled to demand a settlement by arbitration. The demand for arbitration shall be made by registered letter to the Secretary General of the IWSF, with a copy to the other party or parties.

Arbitration may be initiated upon expiration of the said 12 months by any of the parties or by the IWSF President with a copy to both parties involved.

In case of urgency, arbitration may be initiated prior to the expiry of 12 months, provided the IWSF President gives his motivated consent in writing.

Disputes which cannot be settled by agreement between the parties shall be referred to the Court of Arbitration for Sport of the IOC as a final authority. The judgement will have a definitive and executory nature.

These Bye-laws were approved by the Congress at Singapore on September 10, 1993 and some amendments were made by the Executive Board in 1999 and 2000.