NavShield Event Rules

Note - Rule Change

Please note there has been a minor rule change from previous events. It allows one day teams to use base between 12:00 and 16:00 to avoid the penalty for failing to get to a radio check point. See Rule 4.1 for details.

Please read the rules and make sure the whole team understands and follows them. Breaches of the rules may result in a team being disqualified or demoted. If you are unclear about any rules please contact us before the start. All times in these rules are 24hr times.

Minimum Equipment

Safety of all competitors is a major concern. Minimum gear is mandatory. The areas we operate in can be extremely cold in winter and hypothermia is a real risk. More than the minimum may be carried. The minimum must be carried for the duration of the event. If you return to base overnight the same gear must be carried out next day.

Two Day Event

Each individual in the two day event must carry all the personal gear listed, and between the team members all the team gear must be carried. The equipment must be carried for the entire duration of the event.

One Day Event

Each individual in the one day event must carry all the personal gear listed, and between the team members all the team gear must be carried. The equipment must be carried for the entire duration of the event.

Competitors in the rogaine class (Class 3) are exempt from this rule, but must instead carry the minimum equipment specified by the Australian Rogaining Association.

General Event Rules

1. Checkpoints and Scoring
   1. Teams must record a visit to a checkpoint or radio checkpoint by punching their control card. Each checkpoint and radio checkpoint will have a points value. To score a checkpoint all members of that team must pass within 20 metres of the checkpoint.
   2. Competitors will be informed of the location of checkpoints by 6 figure grid references at registration. A master map will be available from shortly after the start of the event (09:00 Saturday) so competitors can check their maps. Competitors can only view the master map after the start of the event.
   3. (2 day teams only) A visit to base when used for Sunday's radio checkpoint (only available between 06:00 and 09:00 Sunday), must be recorded by punching their control card, but does not score any points. This is done at the administration tent.
   4. Teams can score normal checkpoints once only.
   5. (2 day teams only) Radio checkpoints can be scored twice if visited on both Saturday and Sunday.
   6. At registration the competitors will be given a "Route Intentions" sheet. The team is to fill out on the sheet the team's intended route. Any team returning a completed "Route Intentions" sheet before they leave base on Saturday morning will be rewarded with 10 points. There is no penalty for not completing a sheet.
   7. Points will be deducted for every 5 minutes or part thereof that a team is overdue from its finish time. The actual points penalty will be in the competitors information sent a week before the event, and announced during the course information on 08:30 Saturday.
   8. Any team more than 1 hour late for the finish of their event will be retired from the event and must immediately return to a radio check point or base.
   9. The winning team will be the one with the highest score. If multiple teams have the same score then the team that finished in the shortest time will be the winner.
2. Banned Actions and Safety Breaches
   1. All members of a team must stay together (within voice contact, about 100m) at all times during the event, or a penalty of up to 50% of the team's score will be imposed.
   2. The minimum personal and team gear must be with the team at all times. Leaving packs at a central point while looking for checkpoints is unacceptable. Not carrying the minimum personal and/or team gear at all times incurs a penalty of up to 50% of the team's score.
3. Injuries
   1. If any member of a team is unable to continue, the other team members must assist him/her if possible to the nearest radio control point or base. The event controller will then advise if the team is able to continue in its class.
   2. If any team finds an injured person they must assist if required. Points can be awarded in lieu of time lost helping an injured person from another team at the discretion of the organisers. This does not include assisting injured members from the same team.
4. Radio Checkpoints
   1. (For 1 day teams only) Each one day team is required to visit a radio checkpoint at least once. One day teams can use base as a radio check point between 12:00 and 16:00 on Saturday. It scores no points, but the team will avoid the penalty for not visiting a radio check point (see rule 4) if no other radio check point is visited on Saturday.
   2. (For 2 day teams only) Each two day team is required to visit a radio checkpoint at least once on Saturday and at least once on Sunday.
   3. (For 2 day teams only) Two day teams can use base as a radio checkpoint only between 06:00 and 09:00 Sunday. It scores no points, but the team will avoid the penalty for not visiting a radio check point (see next rule) if no other radio check point is visited on Sunday.
   4. Any team not reporting to a radio checkpoint when required (see previous 3 rules) incurs a penalty of 25% of the team's score.
5. General Rules
   1. All teams are to be covered by their own insurances.
   2. All team members are to meet the membership requirements of their organisation.
   3. Teams are required to follow minimum impact bushwalking principles.
   4. GPS, altimeters, pedometers, electronic compasses, non-official maps and other navigational aids are not permitted. The only navigational aids allowed are magnetic compasses, watches (with time functions only), and the official event map as supplied by the organisers.
   5. Radios (with communications functions only) are permissible.
   6. Mobile phones can be taken.
   7. Minimum equipment must be carried at all times. Competitors in the rogaine class (Class 4) are exempt from this rule, but must instead carry the minimum equipment specified by the Australian Rogaining Association.
   8. Once the event has commenced all support teams and their vehicles must remain at the base site until the event has finished. Permission to leave the base site must be given by the event controller, who will record all vehicle movements in a log. After the completion of the event, no support team vehicles are allowed on the event course except the route described in the competitor information pack.
   9. A disputes committee will hear all claims and their decision will be final.