Control Descriptions

[Barny of Blandford]

On Sunday I had a really enjoyable day orienteering.
However on arrival I went into the registration tent and picked up my control descriptions for course 4. I then looked at the maps correctly displayed on the table behind me and worked out the start, my first control, the bearing to my first control and the route to take. I also worked out which way we were going round the course (clockwise) and several possible control sites (got 2 correct) and the road crossing route and the control leading to it.
I then looked at my son's control description and saw that most of his first eight controls were mine and that his last four were mine. He started 2 minutes after me. Guess what - by control 6 he has caught me up.
I do really wonder if having control descriptions early is allowing us to play too many mind games.
My real question is why do we publish control descriptions on the web or give them out prior to the start. I could have just as easily collected them as I went into the start area on Sunday. Would this not be a fairer system?
I would not for a minute suggest that this happened for white and yellow standard courses - they have enough to cope with anyway.

[Rookie]

I think this has been discussed plenty of times probably

start lanes for events where it actually matters, at district/local/most regionals I don't really care - just don't look at other people's

[NeilC]

and that his last four were mine.

Are you sure about that?

[Simon]

and that his last four were mine.

Are you sure about that?

Barny is saying that the last four controls on course three were also visited in the same order on course four, not that they were the last four controls on course four. There was one extra control on course four, a short distance from the final control.

[andy]

start lanes

I'm a big fan of descriptions both on the map and available in the start lanes, can't go wrong really.

[marcus_weatherburn]

at the end of the day, you can only guess which controls you have. there could be that many variations that it is almost impossilbe to guess most of the the controls. and if everybody has acces to them before the race starts how can it be unfair? unfair means to favour a select few/group fo people but if evryone has access then it is actually fair.

[Barny of Blandford]

My reply to Rookie would be to remember that the event I am talking about is the Southern Championships which I consider to be a prestigious event and I thoroughly enjoyed the day.
Also I do not necessarily disagree with comments by Marcus but just feel that we should be treating district events and area championships as events that matter and running them in the same way as a major event so that newcomers to the sport are gaining experience at what good practice is about.
I think my comment 'good practice' would be the 'nub' of what I am trying to say about control descriptions and finish tapes. We do seem to have a lot of rather variable practice in many areas of our sport at present and consistency is not a feature.
Please. please do not take this as a complaint about Sunday's event - I really enjoyed it and thought the area was well used.
My comments are really about how we run our sport so that it becomes attractive to new people and encourages them to stay with us.

[DJM]

Marcus_weatherburn said

at the end of the day, you can only guess which controls you have. there could be that many variations that it is almost impossilbe to guess most of the the controls. and if everybody has acces to them before the race starts how can it be unfair? unfair means to favour a select few/group fo people but if evryone has access then it is actually fair.

An attractive argument - at least on the surface - but not one I subscribe to. Yes, there are those who can often work out their complete course before they start from a previous map and published CDs and there are those who annotate their CDs with other courses which visit their own control sites to help them navigate (follow?). But is this really orienteering?

There are others who do not have the inclination to obtain adavantage in this way and who prefer not to know anything about their course until the start line. This is the reason why it is unfair to let all see CDs beforehand - one group will take advantage whilst the remainder will disdain to do so.

Those in the latter group will be pleased to learn that loose CDs will only be available in the start lanes at next month's JK

[Barny of Blandford]

Excellent - I am looking forward to the JK

[marcus_weatherburn]

my argument was going on the basis of myself, i for one would never try to work out my course before hand as i think it makes the whole event pointless. if you know your course before your run (exactly) it takes the main aims out of the race. yes you might come close to 1st position but you are only cheating yourself. if you take the time to drive to an event you may aswell do some proper orienteering... maybe thats just me


i believe the control descriptions should be given at minus 2 (or thereabouts) just before your run. this way you have plenty of time to put them in your description holder and you will be ready for the race. this way it would truely be fair for all competitors and those wanted to 'cheat' do not have to opportunity. this is probably another topic that needed reviewing by bof.... but bof being bof probably wont change any ruling.

[SAL]

I think that in the start lane is too late - I'd rather get the control descriptions just before the start (like at last year's JK). That gives more time to get organised, especially if the control descriptions are unexpectedly long, or for people with kids who need assistance with control description holders. And what about new people who might appreciate the chance to ask others for some translation, if there are symbols they've not come across before?
Personally I like getting the control descriptions in advance - it's one less thing to worry about on the day. But I wouldn't dream of trying to work out my course, and I can see why most people seem to think they shouldn't be available in advance.

[NeilC]

I disagree that it's unfair to allow competitors to see CDs in advance. Unfairness implies that some competitors are given an advantage not available to others. Is putting blank maps in the start lane unfair because some competitors might make the effort to work out where the start is but others can't be bothered?

Allowing CDs in advance may lessen the true orienteering experience which is a good reason for having them in the start system at Championship events - but not at local events. At our local events we give the course maps out in advance, Marcus may be surprised to know that people still make mistakes, it doesn't take the main aims out of the race and the best orienteers still win whether they study their course in advance or not. Yes it may again lessen the experience a bit but newcomers and improvers love the opportunity to look at their course out of race time pressure.

If we were to write extensive guidelines on where to display CDs and what thickness of tape to use between the last control and the finish then the rules book would end up 100 pages long and nobody would read it. As is it the simple messages like don't hide a control in the bottom of a pit get ignored.

And finally Marcus why don't you come along to one of the BOF committees and find out just how pathetic your "bof being bof probably wont (sic) change any ruling" statement is.

[marcus_weatherburn]

ill be waiting for my invite.

[NeilC]

Excellent. The BOF AGM papers should be sent to you shortly - it will be good to have more input from our younger members.

[Axel]

I don't mind when Control Descriptions are made available, but please make them readable. In some cases recently when they haven't been made available until the day of the event they have been printed off in a far to small font so much so that they can't be read at a walking pace let alone running.