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Canadian Orienteering Federation Officials’ Training Program

Level 200

COF Credential Framework

Certification Qualification

Level 100 Organize and plan C events

Level 200 Organize and plan B events. Control C events

Level 300 Organize and plan regional level Canada Cup events such as Western Canadian Orienteering Championships (WCOC). Control B events

Level 400 Organize and plan all events including Canadian Orienteering Championships (COC), North American Orienteering Championships (NAOC), World Ranking Events (WRE), World Orienteering Championships (WOC), World Masters Orienteering Championships (WMOC) etc. Control Canada Cup events to Regional level

Level 500 Control all events. Act as a World Ranking Event Advisor

200 Level Requirements

To become a certified O200 Official, the candidate must complete the

following requirements:

• Attend all sessions of the O200 course

• Pass the O200 exam – 80% or better

• Plan five courses – beginner, easy intermediate, intermediate, short advanced, and long advanced– which comply to B event standards

• Program SI units and serve as timer at a B event

• Act as an event director or course planner for a B event under guidance of an experienced official qualified at O300 or above. Officials specializing in timing or map printing are exempt from this practicum

• Act as a controller for a C event under guidance of an experienced official qualified at O200 or above. Officials specializing in timing or map printing are exempt from this practicum

To be considered as a candidate for the O200 Officials’ course, the

candidate must meet the following pre-requisites:

• Acted as an official in at least one C event

• Participated in a B event and a Canada Cup in his/her age class

• Served as a volunteer at two Canada Cup or B events in any capacity

• Be qualified as an O100 official

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of the O200 Officials’ Training Program, candidates

will be expected to be familiar with the following concepts:

• Roles and responsibilities of the various officials – event director, course planner, and controller

• Specific procedures for organizing a B event as established by the local orienteering club, including registration, starts, timing, and safety

• Elements of leg design - tempo, terrain, and orienteering technique

• Guidelines for control location, route choice, and terrain for the five course levels

• Use of SportIdent for event timing

Long Term Athlete Development

Characteristics of Canadian Orienteering Events

In Canada, there are three levels of orienteering events:

• Canada Cup events

• B events

• C events

Canada Cup Events

• The highest level orienteering events in Canada

• Include, but are not limited to, national, regional, and provincial championships

• Often multi-day events composed of races from all three disciplines of orienteering (Sprint, Middle, and Long)

• Attract participants from outside the local club

• Generally include a banquet, accommodation for out-of-town orienteers, assigned start times, advance registration, and promotion to orienteering community and general public

• Involve several key officials (event director, course planner, controller, start chief, finish chief, registrar, etc.) and a large number of volunteers

• Requires ten courses for Long and Middle distance events and five courses for Sprint events

B Events

• Often single day, weekend events held on forest maps within an hour or two of the local club’s city

• Primarily attended by local club members

• Considerably less formal than Canada Cup events

• Five courses - beginner, easy intermediate, intermediate, short technical, and long technical

• May follow the standard point-to-point format or use an alternative format, such as score-O, THOMASS, or relay

• Most newcomers, both junior and senior, are introduced to forest orienteering at a B event

• Relaxed start, finish, and registration procedures

• Require fewer volunteers than Canada Cup events

Goals of B Events

• Offer all orienteers an opportunity for socializing and physical activity

• Provide all orienteers a forum to acquire and maintain orienteering skills by offering technically sound courses

• Provide all orienteers a forum for competition

• Recruit newcomers to forest orienteering

• Provide officials and volunteers with a rewarding experience

• Have FUN!

C Events

• Least formal of the three levels of Canadian orienteering events

• Require the least amount of organization

• Held over a couple of hours on a weekday evening or weekend morning

• Most often held in an urban park for members of the local orienteering club

• Offer one to three courses

• May use one of the standard point-to-point formats (Sprint, Middle, Long) or an alternative orienteering format, such as night-O, score-O, Memory-O, or Corridor-O

• Requires few volunteers

Rules of Orienteering

• The rules are an important resource for officials, and cover all aspects of the sport of orienteering general rules, classifications, competition procedures, responsibilities of organizers and participants, rules for special events.

• Because of the nature of orienteering, it is difficult for officials to monitor some rules. Therefore, officials must depend on participants to abide by a spirit of fair play

Technical Rules

• Participants shall not damage, hide, or remove any control markers during a meet

• Participants shall use only a compass and the map provided by organizers

• Participants must visit the controls in the specified order during a point-to-point orienteering event

• Participants shall not cross/enter areas marked on the map as uncrossable or out-of-bounds

• Participants shall not damage property (i.e. fences, equipment)

• Participants shall not cross through gardens, newly planted fields, or areas with growing crops

Ethical Rules

• Participants shall participate fairly

• Participants shall not follow other participants

• Participants shall not discuss the course with other participants while on the course

• Participants seeking help should be shown their location on the map and reported to the finish officials

• After completing course, participants shall not divulge information about the course, map, terrain, etc. to participants who have not yet started

• Participants shall respect the land and wilderness environment

Safety Rules

• Participants shall wear full body clothing (except for Sprint)

• Participants must carry a whistle

• Participants must know the international distress signal – 3 blasts on whistle

• Participants must report to the finish, whether or not the course is completed

• Participants must assist any injured person found during event

• Participants must observe traffic rules when crossing roads and railway lines

• Participants shall follow a safety bearing provided by organizers when necessary

B Event Officials

For a B event, there are typically three main officials:

• Event director

• Course planner

• Controller

• The event director and the course planner should be certified O200 officials

• The controller should have his/her O300 certification

Event Director, Roles and Responsibilities

• The B event director shall take responsibility for the event

• S/he shall appoint any necessary officials and see that these officials understand and fulfill their duties

• Perform administrative duties prior to, during, and following the meet

• These duties include permissions, volunteer coordination, promotions, budget and finance, equipment, site set-up, start, finish, timing, and safety

• Some tasks may be delegated, especially if a large number of participants are expected

Before the Event

Permissions Obtain permission

Volunteers Recruit volunteers

Promotion Create event flyer Email club email list Post event on club website

Budget Keep track of all event expenses

Equipment Collect all necessary event equipment Ensure that there are enough membership forms, waivers, etc. Create a float

At the Event

Set-Up Place direction signs Ensure all volunteers are aware of their responsibilities Set-up registration Set-up start Set-up finish

Trouble shoot Trouble shoot problems Deal with complaints Ensure all participants have returned Organize a search if necessary

After the Event

Equipment Ensure all equipment is collected, sorted, and returned Remove any event garbage from the site

Results Post results to club website

Budget Submit receipts Submit event monies to the treasurer

Permissions

• Permission must be obtained from landowners for access on both privately owned land and crown land

• Private landowners, who are approached only once every few years, need a more personal approach than a government employee, who may be granting permission for several requests in one season and acts as an agent of the crown

• For a government official, it is best if the club coordinates all requests for the season at one time

• Always be polite and professional in your dealings with all landowners.

• In most clubs, this task has been delegated to a particular member. If there is no designated permissions person, it is the event director’s responsibility

Permissions Procedure

Prior to the Event

• Phone the landowner as soon as possible to confirm access

• Make notes of all conversations with the landowner

• Send a follow-up letter on club stationary using a mutually agreed to channel (e.g., post or email) clearly outlining

– Date and location of event – be very specific in location

– Name and contact information of event director

– If/when the land will be accessed before and after the event

– Equipment used, including flagging and flags, and how long it will remain on the land

Permissions Procedure Continued

• If there are special considerations in using the land (e.g., environment or sensitive equipment/property), ensure that you indicate in the letter how these will be managed

• If requested, include the certificate of liability insurance

• Create a binder/folder of all correspondence with the landowner and bring this to the event

• After the Event

• Make note of any damage to the land or facilities and report this to the land owner

• Send a thank you letter

Volunteers

• The event director is responsible for recruiting and coordinating the necessary officials and volunteers

• The event director, course planner, and controller usually need little additional help in setting out controls or managing a B event on the day

• As the number of participants increases, so does the need to delegate duties

• The event organization should be kept simple but should not be a one person show

• Remember that all officials and helpers are volunteers. They must be treated with respect and thanked for their efforts by the event director and the event participants

Position Number Required Qualifications Role

Controller 1 COF 300 Level Official

Ensure courses are fair, safe, and comply with B event standards

Course Planner

1 COF 200 Level Official

Plan courses, place flags, prepare maps

Registrar ~2 /60 participants expected

None Collect fees, record names of participants, oversee signature of waivers, assign rental SI cards

Start Chief 1 None Use start punch, records starting participants

Finish/Timing/Results Chief

1-Role can be filled by event director/course planner

Experienced with SI

Program units, enter competitors into computer, man download station, print results

Beginner Clinics

1 Experienced orienteer

Provide basic instruction in map reading and orienteering to beginners

Refreshments 1 None Provide post-race refreshments

Promotions

• Traditionally, B events have been promoted with a paper flyer. However, email, club websites, and social media are increasingly used to promote events.the following information should be included:

• Name of event• Location• Time and date• Directions, including locator map or GPS co-ordinants• Description of terrain and map• Format of event• List of courses with distance and level of difficulty• Cost of participation• Name and contact information of the event director• Special instructions about clothing, equipment, hazards, etc.• Availability of support facilities such as toilets, showers, and changing

rooms

Budget and Finance

• Orienteering clubs across Canada and their provincial/territorial orienteering associations (P/TOA) are registered as non-profit organizations and societies. They are accountable to the government and to their members for accurate budget keeping and prudent management of the club’s assets and resources

• Event directors should be aware of the budgetary procedures of their local club

• Often, the event director assumes responsibility for recording expenses, revenues, and profit in a spreadsheet

• Receipts for expenses, event monies, and necessary paperwork should be submitted to the club treasurer as soon after the event as possible

Common Event Expenses

• It is common practice for event officials to purchase necessary supplies using personal funds and saving any receipts

• Mileage

• Refreshments - water, sports drink, juice, hot chocolate, fruit, and cookies

• Course water

• Gas for the generator

• Copying and printing

• Site permit

• Misc. supplies, such as flagging tape, pens, etc.

B Event Equipment

• A list of equipment suggested for a B event is found under section 5.3.7

• The course planner is responsible for the flags, stands, and units to be placed on the course

Registration

• At B events, the use of online and email registration is increasing. Pre-registration can speed up the registration process at the event and give the course planner an estimate of the number of maps required. Since registration on the day is usually available, it is better to print more maps than are needed than to run out of maps.

• Registration volunteers should ensure that all participants have signed a waiver, are club members, and have paid the event fee

• Money collected at registration should be tallied and submitted to the event director or the club treasurer

Beginner Clinic

• An experienced orienteer should be available to give instruction to any newcomers

• The instructions should be no longer than 5-10 minutes and should focus on a few basic orienteering and safety concepts:

• Where is north on the map

• Essential map symbols

• How to orient the map to the terrain

• What the flags look like

• Start, punching, and finish procedures

• Basic safety procedures

• Reminder to check in at the finish and course closing time

Start

• The course planner should provide the start chief with a map showing the location of the start triangle and the direction of the pre-start. The start line should be at right angles to the direction of the beginner’s course

• The clear and check units should be at the pre-start. The start chief should ensure that all participants have cleared their SI cards

• Separate control descriptions should be available at the pre-start, as well as, on the map

• The start chief should explain that the start unit must be punched to record the participants’ start times

• Participants’ names and courses should be recorded at the start by the start chief

• The start chief should ensure that there is a sufficient gap (minimum 1-3 minutes) between participants on the same course

• A flag without a punch should be hung to indicate the middle of the start triangle

Finish

• The route from the last control to the finish punch should be flagged as a finish chute

• The route to the download area should be flagged if it is not adjacent to the finish punch

• If at all possible a downhill finish should be avoided

• Dangerous objects, such as broken glass or barbed wire, should be removed from the finish chute

• Hidden pits or gopher holes should be flagged

Timing

• All participants, whether they have completed the course or not, must report to the finish crew and download their SI cards

• The finish crew should collect all borrowed/rented SI cards and compasses

• The finish crew should keep track of the number of participants remaining on each course

• The timing operation should be run by one of the club’s experts, but the event director should handle any complaints

• Results may be printed during the event and should be made available after the event on the club website or email list

Activity

• What complaints might an event director have to deal with?

• Role play some scenarios

Course Planner, Roles and Responsibilities

• The course planner shall take responsibility for the theoretical planning of courses and the placement of controls in the terrain, preparation of master maps, preparation of control descriptions, and the programming of SI units

• The course planner may also work with the event director in obtaining landowner permission, determining equipment and material requirements, and completing any necessary task

• An experienced official may combine the roles of event director and course planner, but it is recommended that the positions be assumed by two people

Course Planning Checklist

Good course planning is essential to the success of an orienteering

meet. The course planner, controller, and course vetters all contribute to

this process. Plan courses Review courses with controller Check control sites and legs in the terrain Prepare maps and control descriptions Send the course names, categories, and control number sequences to the

volunteer setting up the event in the computer Check that this information has been entered correctly Prepare control flags and SI units Place flags in the terrain Have a vetter check the sites to ensure flags are in the correct locations Provide the start chief with a map of the location of the start and the direction

of the pre-start

Course Planning Theory

• “The aim of course planning is to offer orienteering suitably adapted for each age group, that is a fair competitive sport as well as being a form of exercise and recreation.” – Gawellin and Nordstrom

• Course planning is not a competition between the course planner and the participants

• The course planners role is to create courses that are challenging, enjoyable, safe, fair, and appropriate for all participants

• Participants’ needs vary according to age, level of ability, fitness, and competitiveness

• Competitive orienteers prefer a combination of running and decision making problems

• Recreational orienteers prefer a combination of exercise and suitable challenge

• The course planner should consider the objectives of the LTAD when planning courses

How to Start Planning

• Choose a finish area that is accessible to parking and large enough for the finish chute, finish crew, refreshments, and spectators

• Choose a start location that allows the planner to create suitable beginner and novice courses that follow major hand rails all the way to the finish

• Plan the beginner and novice courses

• Plan the long advanced course

• Plan the remaining courses using many, but not necessarily only, the controls used in the beginner, novice, and long advanced courses

Activity

Elements of Course DesignTerrain

• The characteristics of the terrain used in orienteering vary incredibly depending on the region and orienteering discipline

• Terrain can be manicured park, grassland, open forest, or thick jungle

• The course planner must analyze the particular challenges of the terrain and plan courses that take participants through the most interesting portions

• Remember that the terrain suitable for beginner and advanced orienteers differs

• Ideal terrain for beginner courses is flat with many distinct trails, fences, fields, and buildings

• Ideal terrain for advanced courses is detailed and permits a variety of navigation, route choice, and technical problems

Desirable Terrain Undesirable Terrain

Detailed contour, vegetation, rock, and/or man-made features

Few features

Rich trail network No trails or large linear features for beginner courses

Forest or open land suitable for running

Thick/impassable vegetation

Variety of marsh and water features Flat, uniformly bland terrain

Some climb Extremely steep terrain

Dangerous features, such as large cliffs, fast rivers, and roads with heavy traffic

Activity

The Map

• The quality of an orienteering map depends on its age, the mapper, and the quality of the base map

• Many orienteering maps used for B and C events will have at least a few areas where the map and the terrain do not match exactly

• Vegetation most likely to have changed

• Rock features rarely change

• Water levels in marshes and streams vary throughout the year

• Visit the map to check the control locations and legs after the first draft of the course has been planned.

• Utilize the strong elements of the map

• Use areas that have been mapped accurately

• Avoid control sites if there are mapping errors

• Changes in areas since the map was made should be corrected by the course planner or one of the club’s mappers. If there is not time to do this, avoid the area

• Use areas which are readable and legible particularly on the short technical course, which most of the older competitors are likely to run

• Avoid areas of dense vegetation

Activity

Course Legs

• An orienteering course is a series of legs rather than a series of control points

• To create an interesting orienteering course, vary the length and direction of the legs

• Maximize route choices on some legs of advanced courses

• Use the best parts of the terrain and minimize the number of controls

• Different route choices should include both rough and precision orienteering

• Plan an easy or long first leg to avoid bunching at the start of the course

• Change direction with each control. It is easy to miss a control when they are lined up along the same line

• Avoid dog legs –Dog legs can be avoided by inclusion of short transportation legs that direct participants from the control in another direction

• Avoid bingo controls

• Think about how all of the legs work together. Eliminate legs that require the same choices and cover the same terrain as other legs on the course

• Avoid out-of-bounds and dangerous areas i.e. deep pits, railways, high cliffs

Activity

Control Features

• Select features that ensure a good orienteering leg. The objective of course planning is to create good legs. The controls are check-in points along the course

• Control sites should be clearly defined, represented correctly on the map, and distinguishable from similar features that may/may not be on the map

• A control must be recognizable on the map and in the terrain

• Controls used for more than one course should reflect the level of difficulty of the less technical course

• Advanced course controls are seldom suitable for less experienced participants

• Avoid bingo controls. Controls should reward skillful navigation over luck

• Do not select control sites that are out-of-bounds or dangerous

• Controls should be placed so they are visible to all participants when they reach the feature. Controls should not be screened by bushes or trees. Do not hide controls

• Place the control marker so the location is not given away by participants (i.e. bottom of pit)

• When checking locations, ensure that the proper location of the marker in relation to the feature is as described by the control description

• Water stops should be provided on all courses that exceed 30 minutes of running time of the fastest runner on the course. Water spots should be indicated in the control description.

• Water must be available at the finish area.

Activity

Tempo

• A well-planned course should mix-up the tempo or pace at which the competitors move through the forest

• Legs should vary in length, some should provide fast running, some slow running, and there should be the odd easy or transition leg

Beginner Course (Technical Difficulty 1)

Beginner Course Continued

• 2.0 - 3.0 km in length

• 8-12 control locations (every 200-300 m)

• Most participants should take 20-25 minutes

• Map scale 1:10,000 or larger (1:5000)

• A longer beginner course can be planned for fit adult newcomers

• Fun and success most important for beginners

• Keep in mind the goals of the LTAD. The beginner course is the first rung on the ladder of technical ability and fitness

• All orienteering officials should try to create experiences that will encourage participants to progress up the ladder and have fun while doing it


Participants

• Beginners, families, and children under 12 years of age

Terrain and Map

• Beginner courses must follow simple, linear features, such as roads, trails, fields, fences, and streams

• Flagging may be used to direct participants on some legs

• Detailed contours, dense forest and vegetation, and dangerous areas should be avoided

• Dangerous pits and ruined fence wire on the ground should be taped with bright flagging tape


Legs• The legs on a beginner course, including the start, should have no route

choice and a minimum of orienteering problems• The legs should utilize cart tracks, trails, small trails, edges of fields, and

fences• The legs should not be longer than 100-200m • A control should be placed at every decision point to prevent participants

from going past important turns

Controls• The controls should be placed on handrails or very visible from a clearly

defined handrail• Controls should be placed to lead participants from the control in the

direction of the next control• Avoid using the same control sites for both beginner and advanced orienteers


Skills Required

To successfully complete the beginner course, participants should

• understand the basic map colours and commonly used symbols

• orient the map (a compass may be used)

• make decisions at each control point

Novice (Technical Difficulty 2)

Novice Course Continued

• The novice course is the intermediary step between the beginner course and the intermediate course

• Many of the principles of course planning for a beginner course apply to the novice course especially the emphases on success and fun

• 2.5 – 3.5 km

• 8-15 controls (every 100-400m)

• Most participants should take 20-25 minutes

• Handrails can now include rivers, streams, small fences, large ditches, and very distinct vegetation boundaries

• Participants may be required to navigate decision points without a control


Participants

• Adult beginners, families, experienced children 12 or older

Terrain and Map

• Same as for beginner course

Legs

• Slightly longer than the legs on a beginner course

• Simple route choice decisions on linear features

• Controls do not have to be placed at every decision point but there should be no more than two decision points per leg

Controls

• Placed on linear features or on point features clearly visible from a line feature


Skills Required

To successfully complete a novice course, participants should

• be able to follow a variety of line features

• make decisions at decision points that are not identified by a control

• Be able to leave and return to a line feature to visit a control on a point feature

Intermediate Course (Technical Difficulty 3)

Intermediate Course Continued

• The intermediate course should progress in difficulty from the novice course

• provide simple route choices, control locations away from but near to major handrails, and catching features

• introduce the idea of the attack point

• The length and expect times for the intermediate course will vary depending on the discipline of orienteering

Participants

• Experienced young teenagers, families, and recreational adults


Terrain and Map

• Provide opportunity to get comfortable leaving major handrails for short periods

• Catching features just past control sites to keep participants from over-shooting

• Navigation using large, distinct contour features may be introduced but areas with detailed contours should still be avoided

Legs

• simple route choices utilizing major handrails leading to distinct attack points

• Routes planned so that participants may attempt shorter overland routes or longer routes with many handrails

• Legs vary in length and may have multiple decision points


Controls• Located at or near major handrails• Control markers that are not on a line feature should have large catching

features behind them• Prominent point features or simple contour features can be used as

control locations

Skills Required

To successfully complete an intermediate course, participants should be

able to • use a compass bearing from an attack point to a control• use a compass to take short cuts between two line features• read prominent contour features• make simple route choice decisions

Activity

Short Advanced (Technical Difficulty 4)

Short Advanced Continued

• The short advanced course is a course of full technical difficulty designed for participants who want the challenge but not the distance of the long advanced course

• The course should provide complex problems in route choice and navigation and should reward participants who choose overland routes

• The length and expected times of the short advanced course will vary depending on the discipline of orienteering

Participants

• Teenagers and intermediate level adults honing their technical skills before making the physical leap to the long advanced course

• Veteran orienteers with many years of experience who need the technical challenges of the long advanced course without its extreme physical challenges


Terrain and Map

• Areas with map detail requiring participants to utilize map reading skills

• Excessively physical terrain and dense forest should be avoided

• Highly detailed areas may be difficult for some participants to read

• Map scales of 1:10000 and larger

Legs

• Legs should provide complexity in route choice by crossing linear features, rather than following them

• Should force participants to use a range of technical skills including rough orienteering, precision orienteering, and contour interpretation

• Long legs with attack points, short legs through detailed terrain, short legs following only contour features


• Controls that are at the very top or bottom of large contour features are technically easier than controls that require participants to manage both height and distance

• The fastest route should require the most technical orienteering problems• Participants executing good technical skills should be rewarded with a

faster time than those taking a longer and/or simpler route

Controls• Placed on point features that force the use of advanced technical skills• Control features should be clearly defined and distinguishable from

similar features nearby both on the map and in the terrain• The control description must provide specific information about the

control location when it is placed in an area with similar features


Skills Required

To successfully complete a short advanced course, participants should be

able to

• use rough and precision compass

• navigate using complex contours,

• simplify complex orienteering problems quickly

Long Advanced (Technical Difficulty 5)

Long Advanced Continued

• The long advanced course is a longer, more physical version of the short advanced course

• Designed to provide endurance, technical, and tactical challenges for participants

• Emphasis is placed on route choice problems, with utilization of point features in detailed areas of the map

• If possible a long leg should be included

Participants

• Experienced, physically fit orienteers

Terrain and Map

• Similar to the short advanced course

• For long distance events a map scale of 1:15000 can be used


Legs

• The legs should provide the maximum number of route choice problems

• Variety of legs forces the participants to change techniques and running speed

• Some climb is desirable, although the total amount of climb should not exceed 4% of the course length

• Avoid legs that go up a hill and then straight back down on the next one.

• As on the short advanced course, the route with the most orienteering challenge should be the fastest route for those who execute the required skills


Controls

• Same as for a short advanced course

Skills required

To successfully complete a long advanced course, participants should be

able to

• navigate over long distances using only contours

• precision orienteer using map reading or compass skills

• use the appropriate skills for the leg

• concentrate over long periods of time and while physically tired

Activity

Course Formats

• There are three principal course formats: sprint, middle, and long

• B event course planners can follow any of these formats for planning the intermediate, short advanced, and long advanced courses

Sprint (Short Distance)

• International Sprint Specification for Orienteering Maps (ISSOM)

• Scale of 1:5000 or 1:4000 and a contour interval of either 2.5m or 2m

• A standard orienteering map may be used provided that competitors are aware of the mapping format

• Winning time12-15 minutes

• Many short legs, a few middle length legs, and one or two long legs

• Each leg significantly changes the main direction of travel and even short legs may have route choices and multiple decision points

• In some complicated urban terrain, it may be possible to reward careful orienteers by planning legs to tempt participants into impassable areas, forcing them to backtrack

Middle Distance

• International Specification for Orienteering Maps (ISOM) standard

• Scale 1:10000

• Winning time 25-30 minutes

• Course planning emphasizes technical orienteering on legs of 200-300 m in length, which require the participant to maintain close contact with the map for the entire run

• May have some route choice but it is not the main focus

Long Distance

• ISOM maps

• Scale 1:15000 for elite, 1:10000 for other participants

• Winning time 45 -50 minutes for short advanced and 70-90 minutes for long advanced

• Course planning for long distance events emphasizes endurance, route choice, and legs of at least 400m

• A long leg of 1 km or more should be considered

Course Planning Software

At present, there are three software programs on offer:

Condes

• If the local club has a Condes licence, club members can download a copy at no extra cost. A comprehensive guide to the Condes course planning software can be found at www.condes.net

OCAD

• A course planning software package is included in the mapping softwareOCAD. The program is costly and only allows one user per license. However, a separate course planning software is available from the OCAD website (www.ocad.com) for a small fee

Purple Pen

• Purple Pen is free course planning software available from www.purplepen.golde.org

http://www.condes.net/

http://www.ocad.com/

http://www.purplepen.golde.org/

Controller – Roles and Responsibilities

The role of a controller is described below using the COF Competition

Rules.

The primary tasks and responsibilities of the controller shall be to

• Check the quality of the map and to recommend necessary revisions

• Check the start and finish areas and all control locations for correct position and suitability

• Check that the general standard of the course is in accordance with the current rules and standards of course planning

• Check that courses as planned are fair to all participants particularly with regard to the quality of map detail

• Check that the terrain and courses are safe for participants with respect to hazards and dangerous locations

.

Controlling for C Events

• C events are usually the first experience of orienteering for the majority of beginners and the course planner may be a novice

• A C event controller often acts as a mentor as well as a controller. It is important to support novice course planners throughout the course planning process

C Event Controller Checklist

Make sure that the course planner receives the map file for the event and a copy of the course planning software used by the club

Insist that the course planner visit the forest or park before submiting the courses for review

Review the courses and make suggestions If SPORTident is to be used, make sure that the course planner gets a

list of the club’s control numbers Make a joint visit with the course planner to the map to mark control sites. Discuss any further course changes that are necessary Review the final courses and okay for printing Each club has its own policy for C event map printing. Regardless of the

procedure, the controller should ensure that enough copies of the map are printed

Map Printing

• Some clubs do not provide pre-printed maps. They provide blank maps for participants to copy a course to from a master map. This can be a frustrating experience for participants, particularly for beginners who may not copy every control correctly. The controller should encourage course planners to develop the skills to provide pre-printed maps. The amount of extra work required to provide pre-printed maps is minimal.

SportIdent B-Event Checklist for Organizers

Before the Event Program SI units. The time of the computer that the units are

programmed on will be the official competition time Create event file using preferred SI event system (mass starts, relays,

and score events require a more sophisticated knowledge of the event software than point-to-point courses)

Enter courses and classes in event file (may be imported from course planning software)

Enter name, course, category, and SI number of preregistered participants (may be imported from some preregistration systems

At the Event Prepare control flags, SI units, and stands to be placed on the course Send start, clear, and check units to the start Place finish unit at finish Direct enter on-the-day registrations into the event file Set up download station and split printer Download finished participants and trouble shoot any problems Inform the event director of late runners at course closing time Print results

After the Event Collect and sort all units from the course Note any damaged or missing units before putting them away Upload results to club website Charge event computer

Safety Guidelines for Event Organizers

• Responsibility for the safety of event participants lies with both the participants and the organizers

• Participants should use good judgement in recognizing hazards and dangerous situations

• Organizers must enforce safety rules and guidelines

• Safety considerations are part of good course planning

Organizers can create a safe environment for participants by

• Establishing a time by which all participants must check in with event officials

• Verifying that participants have a whistle and know the international distress signal

• Providing a safety bearing

• Allowing participants to attempt more difficult courses only after successfully completing a less technical course

• Planning beginner courses with major catching features and handrails

• Planning courses to avoid major highways, high cliffs, dangerous water, etc.

• Advising participants of any potential hazards on course

• Providing water and refreshments at the finish area

• Having a first aid kit and a way to contact emergency services

Event Cancellation Guidelines

Orienteering events are held in all weather conditions. However, if conditions are extreme, the safety of participants must be considered.

• The event organizer should be prepared to cancel an event if there is a risk of hypothermia and exposure, hazardous terrain conditions exist, or there is evidence of dangerous animals in the event area.

When the decision is made to cancel an event, the event director shall

• Announce the cancellation on the club email list, website, etc.

• Be present at the event site to explain the situation to participants (if the event is cancelled on short notice)

• Be prepared to refund all or a portion of the event fees

Organizing and Conducting a Search

Step 1 - Determine if a Search is Necessary Identify who is missing Check SI system to determine if person reported to the finish/ confirm

there is no duplicate entry for the participant Canvas other participants to determine if the participant has returned

without reporting to event officials Determine if, where, and when the participant was last seen (this may

reduce the search area) Check the parking lot for the participant’s vehicle/travelling companions Discover if the participant had a late start, has a reputation for being

overtime, etc. Arrange for control pick-up. Inform the volunteers to keep an eye out for

the missing participant

Step 2 - Organizing the Search

If the missing participant has not returned to the finish or been sighted by

control pick-up volunteers, a search must be organized

The event director is in charge of organizing the search Consider the experience level of the missing person. An experienced

orienteer who is lost or injured will most likely take a safety bearing to a linear feature or wait by a control. A less experienced orienteer is likely to wander aimlessly and may be more difficult to locate

Designated a command centre from which to conduct the search, usually the finish. The event director must remain in command centre

Assign experienced orienteers concrete search areas and time limits Record the names and locations of all searchers If cellular coverage is available, ensure that all searchers can be

contacted by/can contact the command centre as needed Assess environmental conditions. Do not send searchers into an unsafe

situation

Step 3 - Conducting the Search Carry out the search in a logical and orderly manner Ensure that all searchers are experienced and unlikely to become lost

themselves Search the most likely locations first before expanding the search area• Follow course in reverse order• Follow course in correct order• Drive/run perimeter or major roads likely to be reached on a safety

bearing• Search areas where the participant may have strayed from the course If the participant is not found in the initial search, contact emergency

services. Inform them immediately if the participant is found or returns to the finish

Prepare a grid search When emergency services arrive they assume command of the

search

Night Searches

• A night search is not recommend unless the missing participant is presumed to be injured (experienced orienteer missing for several hours), has a known medical condition, or is in dangerous from extreme climate conditions.