Rules The points are not the point! – Allan Wolf Rules Poetry Slam should be fun! Exaggerated ambition, jealousy and competitiveness have no business here at all. Only self-written texts can be recited. Texts by others and singing are only permitted as quotes and may constitute only a small part of the text. No aids such as disguises, objects, animals, etc. are allowed. The allotted time to recite a slam is generally 6 minutes. In those six minutes any number of pieces can be presented. Procedure About 8-12 poets participate in a slam. These are chosen by a drawing in the preliminary round groups. After each group, the audience decides by applause vote on the placement of the slammers. The Slammers who have received the loudest applause in their group move on to the final In the final, new texts must be recited.