The M & M Trials Scoring System.

That great trials thinker Mike Komer has come up with a scoring system which takes the best of both the standard trials system, and Gate scoring. It still gives the rider the option to choose the line he thinks best for his bike and ability, and keeps the points per section to a closely competitive limit, but now it gives him a further incentive to try more difficult gates. The system is as follows:

            Each section has 7 gates for a total of 10 points.A gate can only be ridden once and to get the points you must ride it in the direction with the markers facing you.

            Each section has 5 gates worth 1 point (including the FINISH), 1 gate worth 2 points, and 1 gate worth 3 points.

            The rider is allowed to dab during the section, but each dab deducts 1 point from the Gate score for that section.

            Zero is the minimum score for a section (there are no negative scores).

            As an example of the thinking behind this system imagine a rider who chooses his line but keeps looking at a difficult gate that he would like to try. In the original system if he tried it and dabbed his ride was over, zero points for the section, so he decides not to try. In our old variation if he tried it and failed he would have some points, but there would be no point trying for any more. In the new system if he tried and dabbed he would lose 1 point, but he would be able to keep going and try more gates. Mike felt that this was more like the standard system where you keep going, possibly losing points as you dab, trying to ride the whole of your designated line. After all, in a normal trial you don't get a 5 the first time you dab.