The proposal that revolutionizes the Castells Competition

The Castells Competition is one of the showcases, if not the main one, for human towers in the world. And at the same time, it is a source of recurring debate. Now, a study conducted by Carles Esteve, Enric Güell, and Pau Ricomà thanks to a grant from CEPAC (Center for Prospective and Analysis of Human Towers) and the URV proposes substantial changes to aspects such as the human tower scoring table, the rounds, and the distribution of tickets. However, the final decision rests with the Competition's organizers and advisory committee, which must decide before August 31st whether to implement these changes for the 2026 edition or postpone it for a later date.

Grouping human towers

The big stumbling block of the proposal is the scoring table. The big new feature here is the grouping of human towers of the same degree of difficulty into a unified score. Thus, for example, the 5 of 7 and the 7 of 7 would have the same score, as well as the 3 and 4 of 9 with lining or the 10 and unlined castells. "Empirically, it cannot be demonstrated that one is more difficult than the other, but rather they are part of the same family and, therefore, can be scored in the same way," argues Carles Esteve, one of the authors.

This circumstance could lead to a final tie in the classification. Therefore, the study establishes that, if this were the case, a possible solution would be that the group that made the castle that was less common to make, apparently more difficult, would come first.

For the organization, although has been circling for some time now to make an important turn, this doesn't seem like the most appropriate solution. "What we can't forget is that the Concurs is a competition," says its human tower director, Ester Roca, who believes there should be clear tiebreakers.

Another notable aspect of the proposal is that it requires each group to finish with at least one castle unloaded.

One less round

The excessive length of the competition, especially on Sunday, is a source of debate. Last year, it lasted more than 7 hours. "A round means trying fewer castells, and that can lead to fewer castells falling," explains Esteve. He also acknowledges that this circumstance can force groups to avoid taking risks, although he states that "the competition is about who wins that day, not who gives the best performance of the year."

Other ideas than performing solo. "This comes into conflict with safety," he considers.

Ticket Distribution

In the last edition, the website again experienced problems purchasing tickets for Sunday's edition, as had occurred in previous years. Thus, the proposal proposes a lottery system based on prior registration. The competition's human tower director admits that some changes are needed and that the proposed option is not considered unreasonable.

The study proposes other changes to the competition, such as reforming the advisory committee and the jury, establishing new prizes based on different criteria, or declaring it a Traditional Festival of National Interest.

The proposal is on the table for the organizers, who explain that some new features will be announced soon. It remains to be seen which ones make it. For now, the advisory committee that must decide on many of these changes has not yet met.