Rules for the Orienteering event in - International Orienteering ...

3.5.3 The control flagThe control equipment must be in accordance with the rules for IOF events.As far as possible, a control flag should be placed in such a manner thatcompetitors first see it only when they have reached the described controlfeature. For fairness, the visibility of the control should be the same whetheror not there is a competitor at the control site. On no account should thecontrol flag be hidden: when competitors reach the control they should nothave to search for the flag.3.5.4 Fairness of control sitesIt is necessary to choose control sites with great care and notably to avoid the‘acute angle’ effect where incoming competitors can be led into the controlby outgoing runners.3.5.5 Proximity of controlsControls on different courses placed too close to one another can misleadrunners who have navigated correctly to the control site. According to Rule19.4, controls shall not be sited within 30 metres of each other (15 metres formap scales 1:5000 or 1:4000). Only when the control features are distinctlydifferent in the terrain as well as on the map, should controls be placed closerthan 60 metres (30 metres for map scales 1:5000 or 1:4000).3.5.6 The control descriptionThe position of the control with respect to the feature shown on the map isdefined by the control description.The exact control feature on the ground, and the point marked on the map,must be indisputable. Controls which cannot be clearly and easily defined bythe IOF control symbols are usually not suitable and should be avoided.3.6 The finishAt least the last part of the route to the finish line should be a compulsory markedroute.3.7 The elements of map-readingOn a good orienteering course, competitors are forced to concentrate on navigationthroughout the race. Sections requiring no map-reading or attention to navigationshould be avoided unless they result from particularly good route choices.3.8 Route choicesAlternative routes force competitors to use the map to assess the terrain and to drawconclusions from it. Route choices make competitors think independently and willsplit up the field, thus minimising ‘following’.3.9 The degree of difficultyFor any terrain and map, a course planner can plan courses with a wide range ofdifficulty. The degree of difficulty of the legs can be varied by making them followline features more or less closely.Competitors should be able to assess the degree of difficulty of the approach to acontrol from the information available on the map, and so choose the appropriatetechnique.Attention should be paid to the competitors’ expected skill, experience and ability toread or understand the fine detail of the map. It is particularly important to get thelevel of difficulty right when planning courses for novices and children.3.10 Competition typesCourse planning must account for specific requirements of the type of competitionPage 32 IOF Foot Orienteering Competition Rules 2013