Internet Table-Top Rallies
Regulations 2017-2018
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Rallies: Marking a Route | Q&A | The Nearest FarAway Place | Panglossian | Schoolfrenz | Thalamorph

Click here to download a PDF version of the Regulations

Version 5 - January 27, 2018

1. Maps
The route for each Route Card must be plotted on the supplied maps. These will usually be based upon Internet Ordnance Survey's 1:50000 scale or Street View maps. You will be able to download a PDF map of the the plotting area for printing on an A4 sheet of paper.
Note: The PDF map will only be at a scale of 1:50000 and shrunk to fit on A4 paper; it will not be of sufficient quality for very detailed plotting.
Other map sources such as paper maps or Google maps may be consulted but the solution for the Route Cards must be based upon those supplied.

2. Map Solutions
When you have plotted the route solution you will be required to mark this on a web browser version of the map - follow the procedures and guidance given in Marking a Route. You will be able to save your solution and revisit to make changes as many times as you wish.

When you are happy with the result you can submit your solution for marking. Your number of marking submisions will be limited. The marking will take place automatically and you will receive immediate notification of your penalties.

3. Route Cards
Each event will contain 12 Route Cards of varying difficulty. The easier Route Cards will use common road rally navigation - tulips, herringbones, spot heights, map references, grid squares etc - to define the required route. The harder Route Cards will use cryptic puzzles. Broadly there will be four "Novice Level" Route Cards; four "Expert Level" and four "Master Level".

Each Route Card will start at TC1 and finish at an End of Regularity (EOR), and along the route there will be undisclosed Passage Controls (PCs) and Time Controls (TCs) to be visited. Penalties will be applied for not visiting PCs or TCs correctly.
"Time" penalties may be applied for taking a shorter or longer route than necessary between TCs.

To correctly visit a control it must passed through with the correct direction of approach and departure, and be visited in the correct order.

Competitors should attempt all Route Cards. However, the two (rounds 1 and 2) or single (rounds 3 nd 4) highest total penalties for each Route Card will be discarded in calculating a competitor's overall penalties.

Route Cards are standalone i.e. the route on a Route Card will not necessarily link to the previous or next.

The Route Cards must be answered in numerical order (although certain Route Cards flagged as Redo may be revisited multiple times) and at any time between the opening and closing times of the competition.

4. Penalties

Not attempting a Route Card and the maximum penalty on a Route Card - 100 marks.

For each PC incorrectly visited (missed, incorrect approach or departure) - 5 marks

For each TC incorrectly visited (missed, incorrect approach or departure) - 10 marks

Taking a hint(s) on a Route Card - penalties vary up to a maximum for of 50 marks for each Route Card.

Sections between TCs are termed Regularities, "timed" to the second and you will be penalised for "early" or "late" arrival.

Time Penalties:

"Time penalties" will be applied at TCs by comparing the distance of your route from the previous TC with the distance of the ideal route. For every whole second you are "early/late" at TCs you will be penalised 1/60 mark.

Example:
It is assumed that you will abide by UK road rally rules and "drive" at an average speed of 30 mph. So, if the route on a Route Card (between TC1 and TC2) is, say, 10 miles, you shold "take" 20 minutes.

Suppose you made a mistake with your marked route solution (perhaps you went round an unnecessary loop) and the distance you travelled was 11.15 miles instead of 10 miles. At 30 mph your journey would take 22 minutes 18 seconds. Being timed to the second you would be 2 minutes 18 seconds late and would be penalised 2:18 marks (expressing the penalties conveniently as mins:secs).

Note Timed to the second, you are effectively allowed a tolerance of 0.0083 miles difference from the master route before being penalised. This allows your plotted route to be slightly different from the master route without penalty.

Note On a Redo route card, if you see you are more than a few seconds late, check your route closely to ensure you don't have any "off-routers" or "straight-liners".

Final event positions will be decided on decreasing overall penalties.

Ties on total penalties will be decided by the "furthest cleanest" principle and then by the least time taken.

5. Classes
Competitors will be divided into separate experience classes: Masters, Experts and Novices; and there will token class awards in each event and the overall Championship.

Masters:
Any competitor that has competed on previous Internet Table-Top Rallies as a Master.
Any competitor that has competed on previous Internet Table-Top Rallies as an Expert and has won their class on an event or has finished in the top three places of the Experts Championship.

Novices:
Any competitor who has never competed on a postal or Internet Table-Top Rally.

Experts:
All other competitors not covered by Masters or Novices above.

6. Route Card Plotting
Unless otherwise stated each Route Card should be plotted using only the given information and in the order given, implied or necessary to solve the Route Card. The shortest route (unless otherwise stated) consistent with this information should be plotted between each successive point (a point being a specific location on the route, with or without directional information) subject to any constraints imposed by the map boundary, earlier route, or the mapping software e.g. one-way streets or unmarkable roads. For example: "Go via A B C" means take the shortest route from A to B, then the shortest route from B to C; NOT the shortest route overall from A to C via B.

If the abbreviation LWR (Long Way Round) is used as an instruction, the longest valid route should be taken between the previous instruction and the following instruction.

Where a particular map feature is used solely on the Route Card, e.g. spot heights, then all other similar features must be avoided.

Features which are to be avoided will be enclosed in brackets (like this).

The following PDF files provide OS  legends, symbols and abbreviations which may be referenced on Route Cards.
1:50000 Legend | 1:25000 Legend | Abbreviations | Additional 1:25000 Symbols

7. Single Use of Roads
No junction (including crossroads) or section of road may be used more than once.

8. Permitted Roads
The route only uses Roads as defined on the map legend as . Paths, and roads under construction, are to be ignored unless otherwise stated. (aka PROW) are to be ignored unless otherwise stated.

Only roads and paths that are visible and navigable by AutoP(i)lot on the OS 1:50000 scale maps will be used in the navigation and on the route solution, unless otherwise specified. However, lower scale maps may be used to mark route refinements such as the course through indistinct junctions, to eliminate "off-routers" and to force AutoP(i)lot to use coloured roads on CRO sections.

When passing through junctions you will be expected to mark a point somewhere before and after the junction to guide AP where to go, not at the junction. If AP takes SWR or LWR at the junction, "triangled" or otherwise - let it, that's what was intended. If you force an unnecessary SWR or LWR you may incur unwanted time penalties.

9. White/Coloured Roads
White coloured roads (defined as Other road, drive or track on the OS legend) including green sections through woods and those that follow the course of Public Rights of Way (PROW) may be used on any Route Card except where the section specifies Coloured Roads Only (CRO). White roads, where it is not possible to mark their use with AutoP(i)lot, shall be deemed impassable.
Paths and PROWs may not be used unless specifically mentioned.
Coloured roads are defined as Blue (Motorway - M), Green (Primary Route - P), Red (A), Orange/Brown (O/B) or Yellow (C).

10. Dual Carriageways
A dual-carriageway as defined on the map legend, is to be regarded as two separate roads and cannot be used in the wrong direction (Note to foreign entrants: we drive on the left hand side of the road in the UK). Entry to, or exit from dual carriageways, where the line of the road is unbroken is not permitted. U-turns through gaps in the central reservation are permitted. All these manoeuvres are subject to those permitted by AutoP(i)lot.

11. Roundabouts
Roundabouts are to be treated as you would normally (in the UK) i.e. travel clockwise. Roundabouts are defined as any circular or elliptical island in the centre of the road.

12. No Through Roads (NTR)
All roads leading off the edge of the map or defined plotting area are no through roads (NTR). They should be ignored in the navigation unless specifically instructed to the contrary. However, Route Cards may start or finish on a NTR.
All roads passing through buildings shall be regarded as no through roads. All roads that are broken by lettering or bridges (but appearing the other side) should be treated as continuous. All gates, should be ignored, i.e. assumed to be open.
Roads that lead into permanently overprinted areas on maps (like the name of the event, Route Card or Ordnance Survey notices and logos - typically top left or bottom left) should also be treated as NTRs.
If a Route Card implies that various points on the map are to be avoided, these don't "break" the road and make it a NTR.

13. Parallel Roads
Roads running parallel with no broken connecting line shall be deemed to not connect.

14. Spot Heights
Spot heights are defined as being part of the route only when the actual spot (or circle) is visible on the road. In particular note that some Cycle Network symbols on more recent maps will have hidden an original spot and these will not be referenced in the navigation. Those on the central reservation of dual-carriageways are classified as being off-road. Triangulation Pillars are only used when specifically stated.

14A. Grid Lines
Grid Lines are deemed to have been crossed if both tramlines of the road cross the line.

15. Bridges/Railways/Fords
Where reference is made to bridges, they only count where at least one side of the bridge symbol is actually shown. Bear in mind that over a cutting or embankment, the bridge symbol often delimits the extent of the cutting or embankment. Footbridges count as bridges. A viaduct is defined as a bridge with two bridge symbols.

Clarification of Bridge and Railway Crossings

An obvious bridge with symbol. Travelling on the white road is a Bridge Over (BrO); travelling on the green road is a Bridge Under (BrU). Not so obvious. The bridge symbol actually delimits the embankment with the dual carriageway green road.
A clear example of a yellow road going Over a Railway (RO). A clear example of a white road going Under a Railway (RU).
A yellow road going Over a Railway (RO). Note the white space between the yellow road and the bridge symbol integrated with the embankment. An obvious level crossing. The yellow road is deemed to go Over the Railway. (RO)
No LC designation; no bridge symbol and no white space, but still assumed to be an unmarked  level crossing, so Over the Railway (RO).    

Where reference is made to fords, they only count where the word 'Ford' is present.

16. Map Segments
When the Route Card is presented as a set of map segments to be found and plotted between, you must use all roads shown on each map segment, unless a road shown is a NTR.

17. Crossroads
A junction is determined as a crossroads or staggered crossroads when a continuation of any road culminating at the crossroads would intersect with a road on the opposite side.

Clarification of Crossroads

Standard
Crossroads

         

No
Crossroads

       
Staggered
Crossroads
             

18. Compass Bearings
All compass bearings are based on grid North unless otherwise stated.

19. Abbreviations
As well as the legend on the map these abbreviations (and others for you to discover) may be used on the Route Cards.

20. World Ranking Points
World ranking points will be allocated based upon an overall classification.

21. Arbitration
The organisers reserve the right to appoint an arbiter should there be any dispute over a section. or cancel or amend any section should the need arise.

22. Queries
Specific queries concerning the routes/Route Cards cannot be answered, but general enquiries will be answered via the appropriate TTR Forum. Do not expect instant answers since the organisers have lives outside of running table-top rallies.

23. Rule Changes
Any material changes to these rules will be annotated here, and shown in a Bulletin, Forum or Notice Board.

24. Individual Effort
The competition is open to individuals and their individual effort. Group or joint entries will not be accepted. Enlisting the assistance of another person or competitor to help solve the Route Cards is not permitted and may lead to a competitor's exclusion from the results.