Version 2 - September 21, 2004

These are the original rules published with the board game but extended to include Regularity Sections and accommodate Internet competitions. 
Rule modifications specifically for the purposes of Internet competitions are shown in red.

1. RALLY ROUND COMPONENTS

The Rally Round board game comprises the following items 

  The Rally Round game board
  36 Rally Kit Cards (Driver | Navigator | Equipment | Starting Speed | Acceleration | Deceleration)
  6 coloured cars 
  32 Hazard! Cards
  Red, Blue and Black markers
  Time Sheets
  Rule Book 

2. INTRODUCTION

Rally Round is a game for 1-6 (any number of Internet) players which simulates the rules and excitement of taking part in a Motor Rally. Motor Rallying is different to Motor Racing in since it is not necessarily the fastest competitor or the first to the finish who is the winner. A rally has a set route divided into sections and a rally crew must attempt to complete each section within a target time in order to minimise their penalties. 

Rally Round may be used to simulate the two main types of Motor Rally: a Stage Rally and a Road Rally.

Stage Rallies involve a series of timed sections (known as Special Stages) over private roads or normal roads closed to the public. Navigation is usually by following marker arrows pointing in the direction of the correct route. The cars are often highly tuned in terms of performance and road-holding. The timing points are more commonly termed Stage Starts and Stage Finishes, and an average speed of at least 60 mph must be maintained in order to beat the target time and avoid penalties. 

Road Rallies typically take place over a Saturday night/Sunday morning and are run on public roads using near standard cars. Instructions in the form of map references or map features are given to the navigator during the course of the event to enable them to plot the route on a 1:50000 scale Ordnance Survey map and relay directions to their driver. Each timed section of the route will be between Time Controls, and to verify that the correct route has been followed intermediate points called Passage Controls may need to be visited. Since the event takes place on public roads the time allowed for each section is based upon maintaining a maximum average speed of 30 mph and timing is to the nearest completed minute. These sections are termed Road Sections. Beating and exceeded the target time will incur penalties. Other considerations must be made on road rallies such as stopping at Give Way junctions and reducing speed through populated areas. 
Parts of road rallies through sparsely populated areas may be timed to the nearest second and are termed Selectives. There is no penalty for beating the target time on these sections.
Regularity sections are similar to road sections except that may be run during day or night, and the route has to be traversed at an exact average speed. Lower speeds are set typically between 20 mph and 30 mph. The Time Control at the start of a section is disclosed but often subsequent Controls are not, so crews are expected to travel continuously at the required speed to avoid early or late penalties.

The Rally Round game board represents a map containing a network of roads and features similar to those found on a 1:50000 Ordnance Survey map. 'A' roads are depicted as Red, 'B' roads as Brown/Orange, minor roads as Yellow and unsurfaced tracks as White. 

Each road square represents 1/6th mile (actual scale 1:10560) and in total there are 50 miles of roads evenly distributed across the different coloured roads. Some of the road squares contain features which influence the speed which may be used to pass over them or provide additional hazards to be overcome. The features are evenly distributed over the different types of roads. 

Playing Rally Round is divided into 4 distinct parts: 

2.1 Game Preparation. 

The players decide to take part in a Road or Stage Rally and what their starting order will be. 
(Internet competitions are combinations of a Stage and a Road Rallies, and often include Selective and Regularity sections)

2.2 Defining the Rally Route.

The route is defined by the players placing markers on the map. The markers are of three types. Red markers represent Time Controls (TCs), Blue markers (Passage Controls or PCs), and Black Spot markers to indicate roads which must not be used. 
(The Internet route is defined by the organiser using a Marked Map)

2.3 Selecting a Rally Kit. 

The relative success of a rally crew depends upon a combination of skillful driving and navigating, and a car equipped for the needs of the route to be covered. In Rally Round terms this means each player taking turns to select separate playing cards to represent a Driver, a Navigator and a car's Starting Speed, Acceleration, Deceleration and Equipment, each of which gives certain advantages over the standard rules of the game. A complete set of cards is known as a Rally Kit. 

2.4 The Rally. 

Movement is decided by the players subject to the standard rules and any overriding Rally Kit cards that they have. From a stationary position e.g. when starting a new timed section from a TC, each player must select a Starting Speed. Once started, a player may Accelerate, Decelerate or continue at the same speed. The standard rules allow a Starting Speed of 10 mph, and an increase (Acceleration) or decrease (Deceleration) in speed of also 10 mph. For every 10 mph of speed a player must move 1 square. After each player has taken a turn, one minute of rally time is deemed to have passed. 

Players must try to set their speeds to complete the distance between each TC within a target time. The target times are calculated depending upon the number of squares to be moved and type of section (Stage, Road, Selective or Regularity). 

As an example, suppose two TCs are separated by 21 squares on a Road Section. 21 squares is a distance of 3.5 miles, and at an average of 30 mph this would give a target time of 7 minutes or 7 turns. If there were no features or hazards on the route which would limit a player's progress and the player was restricted to the standard rules of movement, the section could be completed without penalty by choosing the following speeds 10, 20, 30, 40, 40, 40, 30 on consecutive turns. 

Note that the Starting Speed was 10 mph, and at successive moves the speed was not increased or decreased by more than 10 mph. In the 7 turns exactly 21 squares were moved. 

This is of course a simple example, the moves could be complicated by map features limiting speeds or presenting additional hazards; there may be a need to stop at PCs or Give Way junctions, and interaction with other players; some or all of which could be avoided depending upon the Rally Kit cards held. 

3. GAME PREPARATION

The players decide whether to play a Stage Rally or Road Rally. Coloured cars are then selected depending upon the number of players. The sequence of the colours is Red (1), Blue (2), Yellow (3), White (4), Green (5) then Magenta (6). So for 3 players just the Red, Blue and Yellow cars would be selected. Each player then draws a car without looking, the colour representing their position in the start order. 
(All players in Internet Competitions run as a notional car number 0)

4. DEFINING THE RALLY ROUTE

(Section 4 does not apply since the organisers will have pre-defined the route)

4.1 The Start

Player number 1 selects which of the 4 chequered squares is to be used for the Start, writes TC1 on a red marker and places it on the chequered square. Note, for the purposes of movement, chequered squares count as red roads. 

4.2 The Finish

Player number 2 selects which different chequered square will be the Finish and places a blank red marker on it.

4.5 TC and PC Markers

The order in which the PC or TC markers are laid is the order in which they must be visited during the rally. When a PC or TC marker is laid, the control number written on it should be one higher than that of the previous PC or TC marker. Arrows must also be written on the marker to indicate the direction of approach into the control. The "Correct Route" between consecutive markers is the shortest which does not pass through a Black Spot or use a road square which is already on an earlier part of the route. The Correct Route should be agreed between the players. Where there are two or more possible routes of the same distance (measured by the number of squares), player(s) should place Black Spot markers in subsequent moves to eliminate all but one of the possible routes. PCs should be at least 3 squares (half a mile) from any other TC or PC, and the distance between successive TCs should be at least 12 squares (two miles).

A player placing a TC marker on a Road Rally may designate the route from the previous TC to be a Selective or Regularity section. 

To be a Selective, the route must use only yellow and white roads, and must not pass through a Quiet Zone. Write STC on the marker.

For a Regularity section the player should choose a required average speed from 20 mph to 30 mph and record this on the Time Sheet. Write RTC on the marker.

For a Special Stage section write SSF on the marker.

4.6 Incorrectly Placed Markers

If a player places a marker incorrectly the marker must be removed and play continues with the next player.

4.7 Completing the Route Definition

The laying of TC and PC markers continues until a player selects the designated Finish square for the next TC, and writes the next control number on the marker already placed. This may be done when the Finish is at least 12 squares on a possible route from the last TC or when this is the only move that can be made. Players may then continue to place Black Spot markers until all route ambiguities have been resolved. For all elements of the game to take effect, the route should be designed to have at least 5 TCs. 

4.8 Time Allowed for Placing a Marker

Since rallying is a sport involving split second timing, each player's turn in placing a marker should not last longer than about 30 seconds.

4.9 Completing the Time Sheets

Once the complete route has been defined, the list of controls (e.g. TC2, TC3, PC4, TC5 ...) and the number of squares between the TCs on the Correct Route must be written on each player's Time Sheet. Depending upon the number of squares and the type of rally being played, the target time to complete the distance between TCs should now be calculated. Sections 4.10 to 4.11 explain how this is done. Section 4.12 provides a convenient table of distances with target times already calculated. Examples of completed Time Sheets are shown in section 9. 

4.10 Road Rally Timing

To simulate an average speed of 30 mph or less, the time allowed in minutes/turns between successive TCs is calculated by counting the number of squares on the correct route from one TC to the next and dividing by 3. Any fractions are rounded up to the next whole minute. 

4.10.1 Selective Timing (Road Rallies only)

On a Road Rally, a section between two consecutive TCs which uses only yellow and white roads and does not pass through any Quiet Zones (squares containing QZ on the map) may be timed to the second and called a Selective. Therefore when dividing the number of squares by 3, the fractions are retained and converted to seconds. The target time should be written on the Time Sheet as minutes and seconds to distinguish it as a Selective section.

4.10.2 Regularity Timing (Road Rallies only)

On a Road Rally any section between two consecutive TCs may be designated a Regularity section. The target time depends on the chosen average speed (see 4.12).

4.11 Stage Rally Timing

To simulate an average speed of 60 mph the time allowed in minutes/turns between successive TCs is calculated by dividing the number of squares they are apart by 6. All stages are timed to the nearest second. 

4.12 Calculating Target Times

The target times for various distances on Road, Selective and Stage sections are shown below in minutes and seconds:

4.13 An Example Route

As an example of a challenging route, try the following rally which comprised 3 road sections, a selective, a regularity and a stage. The route has been defined by a Marked Map. 
The table below also shows the direction of approach (D) into the controls, the distances between the Time Controls in squares, and the target times appropriate for a Road, Selective, Regularity (at 24 mph) or Stage section in minutes and seconds.

	Black triangles represent Give Way signs which only apply to Road, Selective or Regularity sections. A player must stop on these squares before joining a major road. He may do this by adjusting his speed to finish a move on the Give Way square. At the next turn he must select a new Starting Speed to join the Red/Orange road. If a Give Way square is not visited correctly a player must record a penalty of 30 marks on his Time Sheet.
	Players should not pass through Black Spots unless they have a Rally Kit or Hazard! card allowing them to do so. Crossing a Black Spot without the necessary card leads to immediate disqualification.
	Red chains represent Hidden Tracks that may only be used by a player having the appropriate Rally Kit or Hazard! card. For the purposes of movement Hidden Tracks count as a single square on a White road. Illegal use of a Hidden Track results in immediate disqualification.
	Wavy lines where rivers cross roads are fords. Landing on these squares at the end of a move without an appropriate Hazard! card a Rally Kit "waterproofing" card, means that a player's car's electrics have been flooded and a number of turns, equal to the speed just chosen divided by 10, must be missed. A new Starting Speed must be selected when re-starting.
	Whenever a player's move finishes on a ! square the top card from the Hazard! pack must be drawn. If the card is unfavourable the instructions must be immediately followed. An advantageous card may be retained for use at a later turn. As soon as cards have been used they should be returned to the bottom of the pack. In Internet Competitions, the Hazard! cards are used in the order H1 to H32 by each competitor.
	Single and Double arrows represent different levels of Gradients. When finishing a move on these squares a player must move either 1 square (single gradient) or 2 squares (double gradient) in the direction of the arrow. The additional movement does not alter the player's chosen speed for the turn. Players must not land on an uphill gradient immediately after a TC or PC in order to go back into a control. If this is the case the TC or PC is deemed to have been missed, and the offending player must record 30 penalty marks on his Time Sheet.
	These squares are Quiet Zones and only apply to Road, Selective or Regularity sections. They represent populated sections of route where speed must be restricted in order to pass through quietly. The maximum speeds allowed over various coloured roads are: Red/Orange - 40 mph; Yellow - 30 mph; White - 20 mph. If a player exceeds the speed limit through a Quiet Zone the move may take place but 30 penalty marks must be recorded on his Time Sheet.
	These represent Humpbacked Bridges over rivers where a player's speed is restricted by the colour of the road: Red/Orange - 50 mph; Yellow - 40 mph; White - 30 mph.
	Dark Grey squares on White roads represent Rough Sections where a player's speed is restricted to 20 mph.
	Squares containing a speed restriction sign are Bends which must not be crossed in excess of the speed shown.

Whenever the speed limit over a humpbacked bridge or a bend is exceeded, a player must go "off" the road at the map feature square, and miss a number of turns equal to the excess speed divided by 10. 

The absolute maximum speed over all roads is 100 mph. 

Whenever the absolute maximum speed limit is exceeded, the offending player must go 'off' at the starting square and miss a number of turns equal to the excess speed divided by 10. 

After going 'off' the road or being forced to miss a number of turns a player must select a new Starting Speed and rejoin the rally route at the square following where the incident occurred. 

If the maximum speed for two consecutive map features is exceeded in a single move, the penalty applied should be for the first map feature encountered only. 

If a player wishes to turn round, a turn must be missed and a new Starting Speed selected at the next turn. 

Summary of Speed Restrictions

Planned overtaking of other players is an important strategy of the game since two or more players may only occupy the same square at a TC or PC. While a square containing a map feature is occupied by another player on the road, overtaking players may ignore the rules associated with the feature. 



In this Road Rally example, player number 1 had selected a speed of 40 mph at his last move in readiness to decelerate to 30 mph to stop on the Give Way at the next turn. Since then player 2 has overtaken him and finished his move on the Give Way. If required, player 1 may next move to square 7 by accelerating to 50 mph since he is now not constrained to finish his move on square 5. 



When a player's move would cause him to occupy the same square as another player (players "off" the road missing turns do not occupy the square) at the completion of his move, the moving player must either advance to the next unoccupied square or retreat to the previous unoccupied square. In either case the player's speed is not altered. In the example below, it is player number 3 to move. If he chooses a speed of 30 or 40 mph, he must to advance to square 6 or retreat to square 3, since squares 4 and 5 are already occupied. 

Overtaking is not permitted if a player attempting to be overtaken announces that he has a Rally Kit card prohibiting this happening. In this case the moving player's selected speed must be retained but movement is restricted to occupying the first available square behind the stationary player. Using the same example above, if players 1 or 2 could not be overtaken, then player 3 may only occupy square 3. 

6.7 Time Allowed for Taking a Turn

As with other parts of Rally Round each player's turn should not take longer than about 30 seconds. 

7. SUMMARY OF PENALTIES