- You may enter as many patterns as you like, as long as you have discovered or engineered the pattern(s) yourself.
- You can vote for at most three patterns.
- You are not allowed to vote for your own entries.
- You cannot enter a pattern into more than one Pattern of the Year competition.
- Only Life patterns, i.e. those that operate in the semi-totalistic Moore-neighbourhood rule B3/S23, will be permitted.
- Preferably, the pattern should be discovered in the year specified, but I am willing to temporarily relax this rule for 2010.
The deadline for pattern entries is December 31, 2010, at which point I will begin a new thread for voting. The pattern with the most votes by January 25, 2011 will be declared the Pattern of the Year 2010.
Depending on the number of entries, I might also announce patterns from individual categories, such as Best Oscillator Award, in addition to the main award.