Sun, Mar 11th, 2012, @8:00am - 05:00PM Training Day (Nth Qld)
Scoring with Multiple Devices
Written by David Baldwin
The new ARA rules for electronic scoring allow for multiple team members to carry scoring devices.
Rule R18 states:
Where more than one electronic recording device is provided to a team, all devices must record a visit to a checkpoint to gain points for that checkpoint.
A strong motivation for this requirement was that it gives a way to eliminate the practice of team-splitting whereby a single team member visit a control while others rested. If every team member has to punch, then all have to visit each checkpoint scored.
During the drafting of the 2007 revision, a suggestion was made by Richard Robinson (Qld) that there be an additional requirement that team members punch within a limited time (for example 3 minutes), in addition to the requirement that all devices must record a punch for the checkpoint. While this appears to have some attraction, it was felt that the main impact would be to add needless complexity to the rules, since there can be no advantage gained by a team that did not comply. In addition, to implement the rule would result in significant software complexity once all the scenarios of multiple team members punching multiple times at the same control, and any other electronic punching malfunction possibilities are taken into account.