How a score event is scored
The score is the points of the controls punched, each counted once, minus the late penalty. A team’s finish time is its last member’s (IRF B22). A rising penalty costs more each minute: with 10 points for the first minute and 10 more for each after, 3 minutes late costs 10 + 20 + 30 = 60.
Events that run past midnight
A championship rogaine runs 24 hours, noon to noon (IRF C1). Type finish times as the clock showed them. When a time could be either day, such as 14:00 after a 12:00 start (2 hours or 26 hours), the card shows both times taken and waits for you to choose. Typing the time taken avoids the question, like 24:05.
Example
A 60-minute score event, controls worth their code rounded down to tens, 10 points per minute or part. The Contour Crawlers punch 9 controls worth 390 points and finish in 1:02:10. They are 2 minutes 10 seconds late, which counts as 3 minutes: 30 points off, so they score 360. Lena Fischer and Harriet Okonkwo-Fitzgerald both score 330, and Lena’s 55:00 beats Harriet’s 58:41, so Lena is second. Open this example.
Rule sources
- IRF Rules of Rogaining, as at 1 January 2024: B22 finish time, B28 late penalty and LATE, B29 score and ties, C1 duration, C9 control values.
- British Orienteering Rules of Foot Orienteering, effective 1 January 2026, Appendix B: B12.5.1 time limit, B12.5.2 late penalty, B12.7.2 control values.
- Orienteering USA Rules for Sanctioned Events, January 2025, section B Rogaining: B.18.2 to B.18.5.
Your event’s own instructions decide the rate and cut-off, so match the settings to what you announced.
Questions organisers ask
How do you score a score orienteering event?
Add up the values of the controls each person or team punched, counting each control once. Take off the late penalty for any time over the limit. The highest score wins. On equal scores the rogaine rules give the higher place to the team that finished earlier.
What does “per minute or part thereof” mean?
Any started minute counts as a full minute. At 10 points a minute, 4 minutes 1 second late costs 50 points, not 40. If your rules only charge whole minutes, set “Part of a minute” to “is not charged”.
What happens if a team is more than 30 minutes late?
Under IRF rule B28 and Orienteering USA rule B.18.3 they get no place and are listed as LATE (OVT in the USA rules). Their points are still shown. Some club events score them 0 instead; choose that under “After the cut-off”.
How are control values set?
IRF rule C9 prefers the first digit of the code to show the value, so 34 is worth 30. British Orienteering rule B12.7.2 allows the value to equal the code, or blocks such as 30 to 39 worth 30. You can also give every control the same points, or each its own.
Can a score go below zero?
The IRF, British Orienteering and Orienteering USA rules do not say. Tick “No score below zero” if your event stops at zero, or leave it unticked to keep negative totals in the results.
What if a card shows a control twice, or one that is not on the list?
A control counts once, so the desk asks you to type it once. A code that is not on the control list is refused with a note, so you can check the card or add the missing control to the list.
Can juniors have a shorter time limit?
Yes. British Orienteering rule B12.5.1 says younger or older classes can have shorter time limits. Add classes under “Classes, mass start, must-visit controls, bonus” and give each its own limit.
Is my work saved?
Every change, including a half-typed card, is kept in this browser on this device and comes back after a reload. Print the results or download the spreadsheet for a copy anywhere else.