New 4-tier Event rules and guidlines

[AlanB]

And we have Scotland and Wales which are both Nations and Regions (in BOF terms).

That one gets me every time. When I think of national championships I think of the Scottish events but, of course, we're a region in BOF terms. Bloomin' big region, mind, being 60% the size of England as a whole!

[AlanB]

Do we have names for the four levels? Names were considered very important to the sport when we switched from "badge" to "regional" and "colour-coded" to "district" a few years ago.

The new website has updated garbage for the 4 tier era:

"Types of Events
There are four types of orienteering events from Level A to Level D. Level A are Major Events such as a British Championships, Level B are high quality competitions for people wishing to travel, Level C are events in your Region and Level D are local to your Club. There are also Night Events, Relays and Score Events. Young children can also take part in string courses where they have their own map and follow a line of string which takes them around a set of controls marked by fun characters. Clubs also club training, summer evening events, Saturday morning events or come-and-try-it events. These can be a little less frequent than district events depending on how active the club is. All different types of local events are ideal for newcomers."

FFS

For those wishing to travel...

Just a quick play with AA Route Map and it shows that to travel the length of the Scottish region (361 miles) takes 7hrs 33mins, compared with travelling from Land's End to Gretna (477 miles) which takes 8hrs 20mins.

Don't know if we've ever had regional events in north Caithness...

[HOCOLITE]

Mrs H. Do the references to the children relate to size or appetite or is there a positive correlation between the two

[madmike]

That one gets me every time. When I think of national championships I think of the Scottish events but, of course, we're a region in BOF terms. Bloomin' big region, mind, being 60% the size of England as a whole!

Bloomin' big region but with only 10% of the popuation of England even if 60% of the size - very difficult to avoid comparing apples with Tuesdays in these debates methinks!

Maybe you could count yourself lucky to have 2 national championships to compete for, whilst we poor englanders only have one and an area champs

[EddieH]

I thought I'd better familiarise myself with these, so I clicked onto the link from the BOF news item. It led me to the rules page where I was unable to see where to go (without reading through every damned page).

The new Masters Cup rules appear to only be lodged on the news page, and therefore will presumably be lost as they are replaced by newer items.

If rules are this hard to find it is little wonder that they are not adhered to.

[Clive Coles]

Try the overview

http://www.britishorienteering.org.uk/index.php?pg=111#guidelines

[RanaldMacdonald]

I've just been in contact with Mike Hamilton to ask for the Masters Cup rules to be available at either Events > Rules > Competition Rules or Events > Competitions > National Senior Competitions > UK Masters Cup

He assures me they will but the need to get 1600 membership cards out is a priority.

So, they'll be there soon

Ranald

[AlanB]

That one gets me every time. When I think of national championships I think of the Scottish events but, of course, we're a region in BOF terms. Bloomin' big region, mind, being 60% the size of England as a whole!

Bloomin' big region but with only 10% of the popuation of England even if 60% of the size - very difficult to avoid comparing apples with Tuesdays in these debates methinks!

Maybe you could count yourself lucky to have 2 national championships to compete for, whilst we poor englanders only have one and an area champs

Yes, we are very sparse. Much-travelled, but sparse.

TBH you do get used to the distances you have to travel compared to England (I have lived in both) but the congestion isn't as bad.

Shame about there being no English Championships, although I suppose they would largely be a duplication of the British. Perhaps you could incorporate them within the existing national championships, ie having the first English qualified finisher recognised as English champion.

[madmike]

TBH you do get used to the distances you have to travel compared to England (I have lived in both) but the congestion isn't as bad.

Shame about there being no English Championships, although I suppose they would largely be a duplication of the British. Perhaps you could incorporate them within the existing national championships, ie having the first English qualified finisher recognised as English champion.

Maybe but I personally don't see a demand for an English Champs, down here we have the SE Champs next weekend, with the Southern (SE, SC, SW) Champs and BOC in the Spring.

Driving up your way in a slow landrover from down here means I know how sparse it is up there!

[EddieH]

Looking at the results table on the BOF site I notice that there were 3 level B events in the South of England (yes the southern Midlands is the south) this weekend.

Are all these events truly what the 4 level lobby had in mind? Events that will appeal to people travelling some distance?

Loads of our Scottish level Cs are far more attractive IMO.

[Clive Coles]

Completely agree with you Eddie ~ and I was an advocate of the 4-tier system.

I think possibly there has been a carry over from 3-tiers when BOF were encouraging clubs to stage more level 2 Regional events. Planning for these events was well advanced before 4-tiers came in ~ the level 2 Regionals seemed to become new Level B pre-entry events.

I think a number of clubs should look at their level B pre-enty numbers and question if they were wise to upgrade their events to Level B. That was the clubs choice ~ when level 2 was converted to the new database by BOF they were initially set up as level C.

I am hoping however that when clubs start to plan their next programme they will only schedule level B events where the billing and event entry costs can be justified. Level B IMO should be reserved for the high quality events that are demed to be "worth travelling to".

I find an increasing number of members being reluctant to travel great distances for Sunday morning orienteering at inflated Level B prices. Low attendances are the consequential result.

We are currently suffering in our region by having a run of 5 weekends where all events are pre-entry. The participation numbers have taken a hit. We need a balance of level B and level C events in our programmes to cater for all opinions

[SeanC]

I find an increasing number of members being reluctant to travel great distances for Sunday morning orienteering at inflated Level B prices. Low attendances are the consequential result.

Doubtless this is true for some individuals, but I don't see that effect on our events. Our £5ish level C yesterday had about 200 competitors, our £8-£10 level B at the start of the year had 300. The level C event probably lost a few to the YBT and British Nights.

More relevant is the number of easy to organise, local, level D events. The South East has several each week. Those that want to save money save much more at these local events (mainly due to reduced travel costs), and they give more opportunities to recruit newcomers (due to their frequency and often because of their proximity to population centres). What level the big Sunday event is registered to then becomes less important.

[EddieH]

Precisely Sean, the difference between level B and C is in practice (as AWK insisted) irrelevent.

The one good thing that has come out of the new 4 tiers is quite incidental and that is that there is now good consistency across the UK which events people can get ranking points at.

[IanD]

Seems to me that, for long forest events (as opposed to urban terrain or shorter distances), what has happened in practise is that the old Level 2/Regional events have become Level B and the old Level 3/District events have become Level C.

Yes, I know that is not what the rules/guidelines say, this is just an observation resulting from recent events in southern England. (I make no comment on Scotland or northern England).

[NeilC]

Seems to me that, for long forest events (as opposed to urban terrain or shorter distances), what has happened in practise is that the old Level 2/Regional events have become Level B and the old Level 3/District events have become Level C
.

Not unreasonably since I suspect that that is what many of those who voted at the AGM believed that they were voting for.