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Set your rule change idea up for success.
a. Provide strong justification. Ideas that do well: “Cheaper”, “more reliable”, “more durable”, “more fair”, “reduces hassle”. Idea that doesn’t do well: “Faster”. The justification has to be really good because change is hard on folks. Mildly good ideas don’t have a prayer. Any rule change idea that will impact performance gets particularly harsh scrutiny.
b. Generate support for your idea. Talk it up in social media. Convince others.
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Submit the rule change request to your regional SpecE30 director. Your request should include the current Regs paragraph, if any, that addresses your issue, and recommended new text. Include in the request your compelling justification and cite the evidence that your idea enjoys significant community support.
Construct your recommended text very carefully. Consider how your wording might be misunderstood. Consider how your wording might create ambiguity that others might exploit. Remember the idea of “ambiguity” in the mind of the writer who know exactly what they mean, is very different then the idea of ambiguity to the person who is determined to find it.
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Each Fall the class directors submit the rule change ideas from their region and all the ideas get debated. Those ideas that survive the debate get sent to NASA HQ for approval. Most ideas do not survive the debates because the justification is weak. Getting rule changes approved by NASA used to be problematic but now that Shawn is the NASA technical director, it’s easier for us.
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If you feel that your idea is important enough that it needs immediate attention, make that clear to your director and he/she will bring it to Shawn and the directors for immed discussion. It’s a rare issue that is so important that a change is approved mid-season tho.
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Rule clarifications prior to national champ events. Each year it seems that ambiguity on a rule or two starts causing some exploitation of gray areas. It’s common for clarifications to be issued a couple months prior to national champ events in order to reduce the likelihood of protest drama. Recent examples are removing windshield wipers, and replacing headlights with circular blanks. These clarifications usually become formal rule changes the following season.