Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago

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Full episode here: youtube.com/watch?v=6SDI7iUKao0

Clip from the 1/23/2026 episode of "The Millisecond"

Longer form personal statement on extras:

The concept of the “extra” has been wildly distorted with time. Over the years the extra has become commonplace, something that numerous competitors expect to receive whenever they claim to be distracted. This results in wildly unequal conditions, as the extra is naturally a significantly unfair event. Giving mulligans to competitors based on their mental state unfairly rewards those who have a poor competitive mindset. This needs to change.

It is the competitor’s responsibility to handle the competition environment. This includes distractions. Not letting distractions affect you is part of the skill of competing, and whether or not a solver was affected by a distraction should have no bearing on if an extra is warranted. Competitors should not be rewarded with the safety net of an extra because they do not possess the mental resilience required for successful competition performance.

Especially during a major championship final, excited reactions and cheers from the crowd are expected. Competitors must be able to maintain their composure in this environment if they want to succeed on the biggest stage.

While competitors are not entitled to a distraction free environment, they should not be impacted by incidents that are clearly not part of the standard competition experience. This will vary from competition to competition, but includes things like judging errors, significant lighting issues, fire alarms, physical disturbances, and reactions and cheering from adjacent competitors or the crowd that are excessive in the context of the competition. These incidents should continue to warrant extras.

A strict extras policy that is independent of the competitors reaction also allows delegates to be better arbiters of extra worthy events. They only need to assess the incident in the context of the competition, rather than evaluating how it affected the competitor. Furthermore, this policy maintains the integrity of the sport, making sure everyone competes on the same scrambles under similar conditions, while rewarding those who are skilled competitors.

If you are worried by this sentiment, I would recommend practicing in competition-like environments. Mental game is a skill, and it is a critical part of performing at a top level and being an accomplished speedcuber. If you spend less time worrying about if a distraction was extra worthy, and more time focused on competing well in competitive environments, you will see better results.