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That would not be allowed
3.f

Para. 3.f, second sentence prohibits anything from being added to the rocket within 5cm of the level of the bottle's opening.

What would be expected max times under the current rules?

Ehh...whatever the max time is for a backslider (seeing as that is probably going to be the main design this year), so like, 30 seconds?

I have seen backsliders get more than 30 seconds. Not very often, but it can happen.

honest question: what is a backslider, and how does it work?

A backslider is a type of rocket where you balance the weight of the top and bottom so that it will be launched go up and "slide" back down on its side
Youtube search
Decent Video

quizbowl13 wrote:what is a backslider, and how does it work?

See Robert Youen's bottle rocket page. He's not updating it anymore and some of the links are broken, but it still has some good info.

For my school, this is our first year of bottle rockets and I get confused easily. I know I should do my research, but is there a basic summary of the event? I would be grateful for help.

Read the wiki. It is great help for beginners