Canadian Orienteering Federation Officials’ Training Program

1. Canadian Orienteering Federation Officials’ Training Program Level 200

2. COF Credential Framework

3. 200 Level Requirements To become a certified O200 Official, the candidate must complete the following requirements: • Attend all sessions of the O200 course • Pass the O200 exam – 80% or better • Plan five courses – beginner, easy intermediate, intermediate, short advanced, and long advanced– which comply to B event standards • Program SI units and serve as timer at a B event • Act as an event director or course planner for a B event under guidance of an experienced official qualified at O300 or above. Officials specializing in timing or map printing are exempt from this practicum • Act as a controller for a C event under guidance of an experienced official qualified at O200 or above. Officials specializing in timing or map printing are exempt from this practicum

4. To be considered as a candidate for the O200 Officials’ course, the candidate must meet the following pre-requisites: • Acted as an official in at least one C event • Participated in a B event and a Canada Cup in his/her age class • Served as a volunteer at two Canada Cup or B events in any capacity • Be qualified as an O100 official

5. Learning Objectives Upon completion of the O200 Officials’ Training Program, candidates will be expected to be familiar with the following concepts: • Roles and responsibilities of the various officials – event director, course planner, and controller • Specific procedures for organizing a B event as established by the local orienteering club, including registration, starts, timing, and safety • Elements of leg design - tempo, terrain, and orienteering technique • Guidelines for control location, route choice, and terrain for the five course levels • Use of SportIdent for event timing

6. Long Term Athlete Development

7. Characteristics of Canadian Orienteering Events In Canada, there are three levels of orienteering events: • Canada Cup events • B events • C events

8. Canada Cup Events • The highest level orienteering events in Canada • Include, but are not limited to, national, regional, and provincial championships • Often multi-day events composed of races from all three disciplines of orienteering (Sprint, Middle, and Long) • Attract participants from outside the local club • Generally include a banquet, accommodation for out-of-town orienteers, assigned start times, advance registration, and promotion to orienteering community and general public • Involve several key officials (event director, course planner, controller, start chief, finish chief, registrar, etc.) and a large number of volunteers • Requires ten courses for Long and Middle distance events and five courses for Sprint events

9. B Events • Often single day, weekend events held on forest maps within an hour or two of the local club’s city • Primarily attended by local club members • Considerably less formal than Canada Cup events • Five courses - beginner, easy intermediate, intermediate, short technical, and long technical • May follow the standard point-to-point format or use an alternative format, such as score-O, THOMASS, or relay • Most newcomers, both junior and senior, are introduced to forest orienteering at a B event • Relaxed start, finish, and registration procedures • Require fewer volunteers than Canada Cup events

10. Goals of B Events • Offer all orienteers an opportunity for socializing and physical activity • Provide all orienteers a forum to acquire and maintain orienteering skills by offering technically sound courses • Provide all orienteers a forum for competition • Recruit newcomers to forest orienteering • Provide officials and volunteers with a rewarding experience • Have FUN!

11. C Events • Least formal of the three levels of Canadian orienteering events • Require the least amount of organization • Held over a couple of hours on a weekday evening or weekend morning • Most often held in an urban park for members of the local orienteering club • Offer one to three courses • May use one of the standard point-to-point formats (Sprint, Middle, Long) or an alternative orienteering format, such as night-O, score-O, Memory-O, or Corridor-O • Requires few volunteers

12. Rules of Orienteering • The rules are an important resource for officials, and cover all aspects of the sport of orienteering general rules, classifications, competition procedures, responsibilities of organizers and participants, rules for special events. • Because of the nature of orienteering, it is difficult for officials to monitor some rules. Therefore, officials must depend on participants to abide by a spirit of fair play

13. Technical Rules • Participants shall not damage, hide, or remove any control markers during a meet  • Participants shall use only a compass and the map provided by organizers • Participants must visit the controls in the specified order during a point-to-point orienteering event • Participants shall not cross/enter areas marked on the map as uncrossable or out-of-bounds • Participants shall not damage property (i.e. fences, equipment) • Participants shall not cross through gardens, newly planted fields, or areas with growing crops

14. Ethical Rules • Participants shall participate fairly • Participants shall not follow other participants • Participants shall not discuss the course with other participants while on the course • Participants seeking help should be shown their location on the map and reported to the finish officials • After completing course, participants shall not divulge information about the course, map, terrain, etc. to participants who have not yet started • Participantsshall respect the land and wilderness environment

15. Safety Rules • Participantsshall wear full body clothing (except for Sprint) • Participantsmust carry a whistle • Participantsmust know the international distress signal – 3 blasts on whistle • Participantsmust reporttothe finish, whether or not the course is completed • Participantsmust assist any injured person found during event • Participantsmust observe traffic rules when crossing roads and railway lines • Participantsshall follow a safetybearing provided by organizers when necessary

16. B Event Officials For a B event, there are typically three main officials: • Event director • Course planner • Controller • The event director and the course planner should be certified O200 officials • The controller should have his/her O300 certification

18. Event Director, Roles and Responsibilities • The B event director shall take responsibility for the event • S/he shall appoint any necessary officials and see that these officials understand and fulfill their duties • Perform administrative duties prior to, during, and following the meet • These duties include permissions, volunteer coordination, promotions, budget and finance, equipment, site set-up, start, finish, timing, and safety • Some tasks may be delegated, especially if a large number of participants are expected

19. Before the Event Permissions • Obtain permission Volunteers • Recruit volunteers Promotion • Create event flyer • Email club email list • Post event on club website Budget • Keep track of all event expenses Equipment • Collect all necessary event equipment • Ensure that there are enough membership forms, waivers, etc. • Create a float

20. At the Event Set-Up • Place direction signs • Ensure all volunteers are aware of their responsibilities • Set-up registration • Set-up start • Set-up finish Trouble shoot • Trouble shoot problems • Deal with complaints • Ensure all participants have returned • Organize a search if necessary

21. After the Event Equipment • Ensure all equipment is collected, sorted, and returned • Remove any event garbage from the site Results • Post results to club website Budget • Submit receipts • Submit event monies to the treasurer

22. Permissions • Permission must be obtained from landowners for access on both privately owned land and crown land • Private landowners, who are approached only once every few years, need a more personal approach than a government employee, who may be granting permission for several requests in one season and acts as an agent of the crown • For a government official, it is best if the club coordinates all requests for the season at one time • Always be polite and professional in your dealings with all landowners. • In most clubs, this task has been delegated to a particular member. If there is no designated permissions person, it is the event director’s responsibility

23. Permissions Procedure Prior to the Event • Phone the landowner as soon as possible to confirm access • Make notes of all conversations with the landowner • Send a follow-up letter on club stationary using a mutually agreed to channel (e.g., post or email) clearly outlining • Date and location of event – be very specific in location • Name and contact information of event director • If/when the land will be accessed before and after the event • Equipment used, including flagging and flags, and how long it will remain on the land 

24. Permissions Procedure Continued • If there are special considerations in using the land (e.g., environment or sensitive equipment/property), ensure that you indicate in the letter how these will be managed • If requested, include the certificate of liability insurance • Create a binder/folder of all correspondence with the landowner and bring this to the event • After the Event • Make note of any damage to the land or facilities and report this to the land owner • Send a thank you letter

25. Volunteers • The event director is responsible for recruiting and coordinating the necessary officials and volunteers • The event director, course planner, and controller usually need little additional help in setting out controls or managing a B event on the day • As the number of participants increases, so does the need to delegate duties • The event organization should be kept simple but should not be a one person show • Remember that all officials and helpers are volunteers. They must be treated with respect and thanked for their efforts by the event director and the event participants

27. Promotions • Traditionally, B events have been promoted with a paper flyer. However, email, club websites, and social media are increasingly used to promote events.the following information should be included: • Name of event • Location • Time and date • Directions, including locator map or GPS co-ordinants • Description of terrain and map • Format of event • List of courses with distance and level of difficulty • Cost of participation • Name and contact information of the event director • Special instructions about clothing, equipment, hazards, etc. • Availability of support facilities such as toilets, showers, and changing rooms

28. Budget and Finance • Orienteering clubs across Canada and their provincial/territorial orienteering associations (P/TOA) are registered as non-profit organizations and societies. They are accountable to the government and to their members for accurate budget keeping and prudent management of the club’s assets and resources • Event directors should be aware of the budgetary procedures of their local club • Often, the event director assumes responsibility for recording expenses, revenues, and profit in a spreadsheet • Receipts for expenses, event monies, and necessary paperwork should be submitted to the club treasurer as soon after the event as possible

29. Common Event Expenses • It is common practice for event officials to purchase necessary suppliesusing personal funds and saving any receipts • Mileage • Refreshments - water, sports drink, juice, hot chocolate, fruit, and cookies • Course water • Gas for the generator • Copying and printing • Site permit • Misc. supplies, such as flagging tape, pens, etc.

30. B Event Equipment • A list of equipment suggested for a B event is found under section 5.3.7 • The course planner is responsible for the flags, stands, and units to be placed on the course

31. Registration • At B events, the use of online and email registration is increasing. Pre-registration can speed up the registration process at the event and give the course planner an estimate of the number of maps required. Since registration on the day is usually available, it is better to print more maps than are needed than to run out of maps. • Registration volunteers should ensure that all participants have signed a waiver, are club members, and have paid the event fee • Money collected at registration should be tallied and submitted to the event director or the club treasurer

32. Beginner Clinic • An experienced orienteer should be available to give instruction to any newcomers • The instructions should be no longer than 5-10 minutes and should focus on a few basic orienteering and safety concepts: • Where is north on the map • Essential map symbols • How to orient the map to the terrain • What the flags look like • Start, punching, and finish procedures • Basic safety procedures • Reminder to check in at the finish and course closing time

33. Start • The course planner should provide the start chief with a map showing the location of the start triangle and the direction of the pre-start. The start line should be at right angles to the direction of the beginner’s course • The clear and check units should be at the pre-start. The start chief should ensure that all participants have cleared their SI cards • Separate control descriptions should be available at the pre-start, as well as, on the map • The start chief should explain that the start unit must be punched to record the participants’ start times • Participants’ names and courses should be recorded at the start by the start chief • The start chief should ensure that there is a sufficient gap (minimum 1-3 minutes) between participants on the same course • A flag without a punch should be hung to indicate the middle of the start triangle

34. Finish • The route from the last control to the finish punch should be flagged as a finish chute • The route to the download area should be flagged if it is not adjacent to the finish punch • If at all possible a downhill finish should be avoided • Dangerous objects, such as broken glass or barbed wire, should be removed from the finish chute • Hidden pits or gopher holes should be flagged

35. Timing • All participants, whether they have completed the course or not, must report to the finish crew and download their SI cards • The finish crew should collect all borrowed/rented SI cards and compasses • The finish crew should keep track of the number of participants remaining on each course • The timing operation should be run by one of the club’s experts, but the event director should handle any complaints • Results may be printed during the event and should be made available after the event on the club website or email list

36. Activity • What complaints might an event director have to deal with? • Role play some scenarios

37. Course Planner, Roles and Responsibilities • The course planner shall take responsibility for the theoretical planning of courses and the placement of controls in the terrain, preparation of master maps, preparation of control descriptions, and the programming of SI units • The course planner may also work with the event director in obtaining landowner permission, determining equipment and material requirements, and completing any necessary task • An experienced official may combine the roles of event director and course planner, but it is recommended that the positions be assumed by two people

38. Course Planning Checklist Good course planning is essential to the success of an orienteering meet. The course planner, controller, and course vetters all contribute to this process. • Plan courses • Review courses with controller • Check control sites and legs in the terrain • Prepare maps and control descriptions • Send the course names, categories, and control number sequences to the volunteer setting up the event in the computer • Check that this information has been entered correctly • Prepare control flags and SI units • Place flags in the terrain • Have a vetter check the sites to ensure flags are in the correct locations • Provide the start chief with a map of the location of the start and the direction of the pre-start

39. Course Planning Theory • “The aim of course planning is to offer orienteering suitably adapted for each age group, that is a fair competitive sport as well as being a form of exercise and recreation.” – Gawellin and Nordstrom • Course planning is not a competition between the course planner and the participants • The course planners role is to create courses that are challenging, enjoyable, safe, fair, and appropriate for all participants • Participants’ needs vary according to age, level of ability, fitness, and competitiveness • Competitive orienteers prefer a combination of running and decision making problems • Recreational orienteers prefer a combination of exercise and suitable challenge • The course planner should consider the objectives of the LTAD when planning courses

40. How to Start Planning • Choose a finish area that is accessible to parking and large enough for the finish chute, finish crew, refreshments, and spectators • Choose a start location that allows the planner to create suitable beginner and novice courses that follow major hand rails all the way to the finish • Plan the beginner and novice courses • Plan the long advanced course • Plan the remaining courses using many, but not necessarily only, the controls used in the beginner, novice, and long advanced courses

41. Activity

42. Elements of Course DesignTerrain • The characteristics of the terrain used in orienteering vary incredibly depending on the region and orienteering discipline • Terrain can be manicured park, grassland, open forest, or thick jungle • The course planner must analyze the particular challenges of the terrain and plan courses that take participants through the most interesting portions • Remember that the terrain suitable for beginner and advanced orienteers differs • Ideal terrain for beginner courses is flat with many distinct trails, fences, fields, and buildings • Ideal terrain for advanced courses is detailed and permits a variety of navigation, route choice, and technical problems

44. Activity

45. The Map • The quality of an orienteering map depends on its age, the mapper, and the quality of the base map • Many orienteering maps used for B and C events will have at least a few areas where the map and the terrain do not match exactly • Vegetation most likely to have changed • Rock features rarely change • Water levels in marshes and streams vary throughout the year • Visit the map to check the control locations and legs after the first draft of the course has been planned.

46. Utilize the strong elements of the map • Use areas that have been mapped accurately • Avoid control sites if there are mapping errors • Changes in areas since the map was made should be corrected by the course planner or one of the club’s mappers. If there is not time to do this, avoid the area • Use areas which are readable and legible particularly on the short technical course, which most of the older competitors are likely to run • Avoid areas of dense vegetation

47. Activity

48. Course Legs • An orienteering course is a series of legs rather than a series of control points • To create an interesting orienteering course, vary the length and direction of the legs • Maximize route choices on some legs of advanced courses • Use the best parts of the terrain and minimize the number of controls • Different route choices should include both rough and precision orienteering

49. Plan an easy or long first leg to avoid bunching at the start of the course • Change direction with each control. It is easy to miss a control when they are lined up along the same line • Avoid dog legs –Dog legs can be avoided by inclusion of short transportation legs that direct participants from the control in another direction • Avoid bingo controls • Think about how all of the legs work together. Eliminate legs that require the same choices and cover the same terrain as other legs on the course • Avoid out-of-bounds and dangerous areas i.e. deep pits, railways, high cliffs

50. Activity