Final Draft of USOF Rules for Interscholastic Competition

Version 5 January 10, 2008

K.      Rules for Interscholastic competition

K.1.   Application of the rules

Except where specifically noted in this section, the rules covered by the United States Orienteering Federation (USOF) RULES FOR ORIENTEERING shall apply to all interscholastic orienteering events sanctioned by USOF.

K.2. Definition

The Interscholastics team competition is defined as a modified team competition.  Each member competes as an individual and some or all members contribute to a team score.  Teams are gender neutral.  Each team may consist of any combination of male and/or female from the eligible classes.  The Interscholastics individual competition is defined as individual combined score in each interscholastic class.

K.3. Competition

K.3.1   Team

The Interscholastics will have six team competitions.  The team with the lowest score over the day or days competition is the winning team.  Individual contribution to team score is determined by using the scoring methods in K7.

K.3.1.1 Varsity

Varsity teams consist of 3 to 5 students who are competing in the ISVM and/or ISVF classes.

K.3.1.2 Junior Varsity

Junior Varsity teams consist of 3 to 5 students who are competing in the ISJVM and/or ISJVF class.

K.3.1.3 Intermediate

Intermediate teams consist of 3 to 5 students who are competing in the ISIM and/or ISIF classes.

K.3.1.4 Club Varsity

Club Varsity teams consist of 3 to 5 students who are competing in the ISVM and/or ISVF classes.

K.3.1.5 Club Junior Varsity

Club Junior Varsity teams consist of 3 to 5 students who are competing in the ISJVM and/or ISJVF classes.

K.3.1.5 JROTC

JROTC teams consist of 3 to 5 students who are competing in the ISVM and/or ISVF classes and meet the requirements in 4.1.4. 

 

 

 

K.3.2   Individual

Individual competition will be held for each of the eight interscholastic classes.  Each individual starter shall receive a calculated elapsed time or an incomplete designation (DNF, MP, and OT).  The winning individuals are determined by lowest individual time over the day or days competition.

K.3.2.1 Interscholastic Varsity Male

K.3.2.2 Interscholastic Varsity Female

K.3.2.3 Interscholastic Junior Varsity Male

K.3.2.4 Interscholastic Junior Varsity Female

K.3.2.5 Interscholastic Intermediate Male

K.3.2.6 Interscholastic Intermediate Female

K.3.2.7 Interscholastic Primary Male

K.3.2.8 Interscholastic Primary Female

K.3.3 Championships

K.3, 3, 1 Interscholastics Team Championships

The Interscholastics Team Championships are awarded for each of the interscholastic team competitions. 

K.3.3.2 Interscholastic Individual Championships

The Interscholastic Individual Championships are awarded for each interscholastic class.

K.4. Eligibility

K.4.1 Team

K.4.1.1. School Teams

a. Members must be enrolled full-time at the same private or public school.

b. Members must each be able to show school ID for the same school or, if the school does not issue ID’s, a letter from the principal stating that the students are enrolled full-time at the school.

c. School teams compete for Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Intermediate team standings.

K.4.1.2. Home School Teams:

a. All team members must be from the same geographical area.  This area would consist of their county or city of residence or the public school district in which they reside, whichever area is geographically larger.

b. Individuals who are enrolled at a public or private school are not permitted to compete on a Home School Team but must compete with their school’s team or as individuals.

c. Home School teams compete for Varsity, Junior Varsity, and Intermediate team standings.

 

 

K.4.1.3. Club Teams

a. All team members must be primary USOF members of the same USOF sanctioned Orienteering Club.

b. All team members must meet the grade requirements for the class in which they are competing.

c. All team members must be enrolled in a public or private school or be home schooled.

d. All team members who attend a public or private school must be able to show a school ID or, if the school does not issue ID’s, a letter from the principal stating that the student is enrolled full-time at the school.  If home schooled, the student cannot be enrolled at a public or private school.

e. Teams may not include more than two members who are enrolled full-time in the same school, and who are otherwise eligible for Varsity or Junior Varsity Team competition.

f. Teams may not include any members who are enrolled full-time in a school for which a team is competing in the Varsity or Junior Varsity team competition.

g. The Coach of the Club Team must provide a letter stating that all members meet the eligibility requirements.

h. Club teams compete only for Club Varsity or Club Junior Varsity team standings.

K.4.1.4   JROTC Teams

 a. JROTC teams competing for the JROTC trophy must be made up of students who are enrolled in the same JROTC unit in accordance with the host military service requirements.   Members shall consist of 3 to 5 students who are registered in ISVM and/or ISVF classes.

b. JROTC teams may compete for the Varsity team competition if they meet the school team requirements in 4.1.1.

K.4.2. Individual

Individuals at USOF sanctioned competitions must be competing in one of the interscholastic classes.

K.4.3   Championship

Individuals at USOF sanctioned U. S. Individual Championships must be competing in one of the interscholastic classes and meet eligibility for U. S. Champion Rule A.5.2.

Every team member at USOF sanctioned U. S. Interscholastic Championship must meet the individual eligibility requirements.

                                     

K.5. Courses & Classes

K.5.1 Classes

The following eight classes will be added for Interscholastics competitions.  These classes will be used in individual and,, team competition.

 K.5.1.1 Interscholastic Varsity Males, (ISVM)

Interscholastic Varsity Males compete on the green course and are in any grade through twelve.

K.5.1.2 Interscholastic Varsity Females, (ISVF)

Interscholastic Varsity Females compete on the brown course and are in any grade through twelve.

K.5.1.3 Interscholastic Junior Varsity Males, (ISJVM)

Interscholastic Junior Varsity Males compete on the orange course and are in any grade through twelve.

K.5.1.4 Interscholastic Junior Varsity Females, (ISJVF)

Interscholastic Junior Varsity Females compete on the orange course and are in any grade through twelve.

K.5.1.5 Interscholastic Intermediate Males, (ISIM)

Interscholastic Intermediate Males compete on the yellow course and are in any grade through nine.

K.5.1.6 Interscholastic Intermediate Females, (ISIF)

Interscholastic Intermediate Females compete on the yellow course and are in any grade through nine.

K.5.1.7 Interscholastic Primary Males, (ISPM)

Interscholastic Primary Males compete on the white course and are in any grade through six.

K.5.1.8 Interscholastic Primary Females, (ISPF)

Interscholastic Primary Females are on the white course and are in any grade through six.

K.5.2 Courses

The following courses are used in interscholastic competition.  It is recommended that separate courses for the interscholastic class should be prepared.   See START K 8.1

K.5.2.1 Green

K.5.2.2 Brown

K.5.2.3 Orange

K.5.2.4 Yellow

K.5.2.5 White

K.6. Awards

K.6.1 Team

At regular USOF sanctioned competitions, team awards will be given to the top three teams in each team competition and/or each member will be given an individual award.

At the USOF sanctioned U. S. Interscholastic Championship competition each member of the first eligible team will receive an individual championship medal,

At the USOF sanctioned U. S. Interscholastic Championship competition, traveling Brunton Cups will be awarded to the first eligible Varsity, Intermediate, JROTC teams, and the traveling USOF cup will be awarded to the first eligible Junior Varsity team,

K.6.2 Individual

For regular USOF sanctioned competitions, the top three finishers from each interscholastic class will receive an award.

For the U. S. Interscholastic Championship competition the first three eligible finishers will receive a championship award.

K.7. Scoring

K.7.1 Individual

For regular USOF sanctioned competitions and for sanctioned U.S. Interscholastic Championship competition, scoring for individuals in each of the eight interscholastic classes will be by two-day total time.

K.7.2 Team

Scoring for team awards in each of the six US Championship Interscholastic Team Categories (School Varsity, Club Varsity, JROTC, School Junior Varsity, Club Junior Varsity, and School Intermediate) will be done as follows:

.                                 For each interscholastic class, define AWT (the average winning time) as the average of the times of the top three competitors in that class who are competing in a team category.

.                                 For each competitor in each class with a valid result, their score is computed as 60*(competitor’s time)/ (AWT for the class).

.                                 For competitors with an OT, MP, DNF or DSQ result, their score will be the larger of 10+60*(course time limit)/ (AWT for the male class) and 10+60*(course time limit)/ (AWT for the female class) for that team category.

.                                 The best three scores each day for each team are combined for a team score.

.                                 Lowest overall team score wins.

.                       

K.7.3 Calculation & Display of Scores

For calculation purposes the decimal should be carried as far as the used system will allow.

For display purposes the decimal should be carried one or two places, or as far as necessary to indicate an order or tie.  We recommend two decimals be the standard.  This would accommodate 10,000 unique individual scores.

K.7.4 Tie Breaking

Initially - if two or more scores are exactly the same, break the tie by: considering the total times.

If that fails: – consider the positions of the teams Fourth members.

 If that fails: – consider the time of the fourth positions.

If that fails: – consider the same as above for the fifth positions.

If that fails: – accept the tie.  It must be valid.

K.8. Start

K 8.1 Intervals

Start intervals shall be 2 minutes. (Rule A.13.6)  Special care needs to be taken when assigning start times for interscholastic classes. Students from the same school on the same course shall be started a minimum of 6 minutes apart. All students from the same school should be started as close together as possible to assist their chaperones with logistics.  In the event an Interscholastic competitors fill up the maximum start window on a course, (Rule A.3..3.1), make a separate course for the interscholastic competitors.  In the event the start window fills up even with a separate course, a one minute start interval or a qualifier/final may be used.

K.9. Qualifier/Final

K.9.1 Qualification Races

Qualification races for interscholastic events may be used if offering separate courses because the start window fills does not solve the problem.  First day will be a qualifier and second day a final

K.9.2 Courses

Two separate courses, A & B, are needed each day if qualifier/final races are used.  Special care needs to be taken when vetting the two courses to insure that the winning times for each are as equal as possible.

K.9.3 Start intervals

Start intervals for the qualifier and final will be as explained in I.7.1.

 

K.9.4 Team scoring

K.9.4.1 Qualifier

Team scoring for the qualifier will be based upon the top three finishers from the team.   Members of the same team will be evenly distributed between the two courses of the qualifier.  In the event one of the qualifier races is thrown, out the times from the remaining course will be used.  If a team does not have three members on the course, the average of the members on the remaining course will be used to bring the number of finishers up to three as needed.

K.9.4.2 Finals

For the finals, teams will be divided into A and B finalists.   The highest scoring teams from the qualifier will be put on the A final course until the start window fills.  All other teams will be put on the B final course.  All members from a team will be on the same course with the winning team being determined by adding the lowest three times from among the eligible team members.  The winners from the A final will be the winners of the competition.