Internet Table-Top Rallies
General Regulations
TTR Forum

Click here to download a PDF version of the General Regulations

Version 1 - November 9, 2008
(version to version changes will be marked in magenta)
 

1. Maps
The route for each Route Card must be plotted using the map supplied. Usually two map formats will be supplied: PDF (for printing) and GIF (for viewing). The PDF map will be considered the master map and its extent will define the plotting area.

2. Route Cards
Each event will contain 12 Route Cards. Each Route Card will be in two parts. Part 1 will use straightforward (road rally type) navigation. Part 2 (a continuation of the route in part 1) will use more thought-provoking navigation.
On Route Cards requiring Route Check answers, each part will contain 5 Route Check questions.
On Route Cards requiring a marked map solution, each part will contain 5 undisclosed Passage Checks to be visited.

3. Event Category
Events will be categorised as Open - all competitors will compete in a single class; or Experience - competitors will be subdivided into Masters, Experts and Novices classes. The class definitions will be specified for the particular event.

4. Open Category
All competitors should attempt to provide answers to Part 1 and Part 2 of the Route Cards.
Answers to the best 10 different Route Cards received will be counted towards a competitor's score.

5. Experience Category
Masters should attempt to provide answers to Part 1 and Part 2 of the Route Cards.
Experts and Novices should attempt to provide answers to Part 1 of the Route Cards.
Answers to the best 10 different Route Cards received will be counted towards a competitor's score in the Masters and Experts.
Answers to the best five different Route Cards received will be counted towards a competitor's score in the Novices.  

6. Answer Submission
Answers to Route Cards must be registered by completing an Answer Form or marking a map. Each form and map will be stored, and time and date stamped, in a private area on the Table-Top web server. Should access to Table Top web server be unavailable, then answers should be sent by e-mail. In this case, the time and date stamp of arrival at the Table-Top mail server will be used.
Answers may be submitted in any order.
Only one answer should be given for each Route Check. Multiple answers will be deemed incorrect. If you feel the question is ambiguous or has multiple answers, record the details as comments on the answer form.
The format for the answer must follow the exact requirements according to the Route Check legends (see section 24).
Alternative answers/marked maps to a previously answered Route Card will be ignored.
Answers will be accepted up to the published closing time and date for each event. Answers received after this time, or not received will score 0 points.

7. Point Scoring
One point will be scored for each correct Route Check answer or each correctly visited Passage Check. Zero points will be scored for no answer (blank entry) or an incorrect answer.

8. Classification
Overall or class positions will be classified in order of points scored. Ties will be decided in favour of the competitor with the least total time taken on the scoring Route Cards.

9. Passage Checks on Marked Maps
To correctly visit a Passage Check on a marked map solution it must passed through with the correct direction of approach and departure, and be visited in the correct order (e.g. if the correct order of PCs is PC1, PC2, PC3, PC4, PC5 but they are visited in the order PC1, PC2, PC4, PC3, PC5 only 3 points would be scored i.e. PC4 - not visited fourth - and PC3 - not visited third.

10. World Ranking Points
World ranking points will be allocated based upon an overall classification. On an Experience Category Event scores from the Masters class (100 points maximum), Experts class (50 points maximum) and Novices class (25 points maximum) will be combined to give an overall classification.

11. Route Card Plotting
Unless otherwise stated each Route Card should be plotted using only the given information and in the order given, implied or necessary to solve the Route Card. The shortest route consistent with this information should be plotted between each Route Card's Start and Finish, unless otherwise stated. If the abbreviation LWR (Long Way Round) is used as an instruction, the longest route should be taken between the previous instruction and the following instruction.
Where a particular map feature is used solely on the Route Card, e.g. spot heights, then all other similar features must be avoided. Features which are to be ignored will be enclosed in brackets (like this).
Route Cards are designed to be stand alone, i.e. you must plot any of them independently without needing to solve neighbouring ones first. 

12. Single Use of Roads
No junction (including crossroads) or section of road may be used more than once.

13. Permitted Roads
The route only uses roads as defined on the map legend. Paths, and roads under construction, are to be ignored unless otherwise stated.

14. Coloured Roads
White coloured roads (defined as Other road, drive or track on the OS legend) including green sections through woods and those that follow the course of Public Rights of Way (PROW) may be used on any Route Card except where the section specifies Coloured Roads Only (CRO). Paths and PROWs may not be used unless specifically mentioned.
Coloured roads are defined as Blue (Motorway - M), Green (Primary Route - P), Red (A), Orange/Brown (B) or Yellow (C).

15. Dual Carriageways
A dual-carriageway as defined on the map legend, is to be regarded as two separate roads and cannot be used in the wrong direction (Note to foreign entrants: we drive on the left hand side of the road in the UK). Entry to, or exit from dual carriageways, where the line of the road is unbroken is not permitted. U-turns through gaps in the central reservation are permitted.

16. Roundabouts
Roundabouts are to be treated as you would normally (in the UK) i.e. travel clockwise. Roundabouts are defined as any circular or elliptical island in the centre of the road.

17. No Through Roads (NTR)
All roads leading off the edge of the map or defined plotting area are no through roads (NTR). They should be ignored in the navigation and when answering Route Checks unless specifically instructed to the contrary.
All roads passing through buildings shall be regarded as no through roads. All roads that are broken by lettering or bridges (but appearing the other side) should be treated as continuous. All gates, should be ignored, i.e. assumed to be open. If a Route Card implies that various points on the map are to be avoided, these don't "break" the road and make it a NTR.

18. Parallel Roads
Roads running parallel with no broken connecting line shall be deemed to not connect.

19. Spot Heights
Spot heights are defined as being part of the route only when the actual spot (or circle) is on the road. In particular note that some Cycle Network symbols on more recent maps will have hidden an original spot and these will not be referenced in the navigation. Those on the central reservation of dual-carriageways are classified as being off-road. Triangulation Pillars are only used when specifically stated.

20. Bridges/Fords
Where reference is made to bridges, they only count where at least one side of the bridge symbol is actually shown. Bear in mind that over a cutting or embankment, the bridge symbol often delimits the extent of the cutting or embankment. Footbridges count as bridges. A viaduct is defined as a bridge with two bridge symbols.
Where reference is made to fords, they only count where the word 'Ford' is present.

21. Compass Bearings
All compass bearings are based on grid North unless otherwise stated.

22. Tolerances
Tolerances for answers requiring measurements will be shown on the Route Cards.

23. Abbreviations
As well as the legend on the map these abbreviations (and others for you to discover) may be used on the Route Cards.

24. Route Check Legends
The following legend will be used to define Route Check questions:

Br, BrO, BrU Number of Bridges used in total, Bridges Over, Bridges Under.
A 'bridge under' means the rally route goes under the bridge; a 'bridge over' means the rally route goes over the bridge.
CB Number of times you cross a County Boundary. 
ChT Number of different churches with towers within 200 metres of the route. 
ChS Number of different churches with spires within 200 metres of the route.
Ch+ Number of different churches without spires or  towers within 200 metres of the route.
Ch Number of different churches with or without spires or towers within 200 metres of the route.
  Measurements for churches are from the edge of the road to the centre of the +.
DB Number of times you cross a District Boundary. 
ETL Number of Electricity Transmission Lines (not the cableways) crossed. 
GC Total number of Green Circles (Cycle Network symbols) on route which cover or break the edge line of the road.
GL Grid Line number.
GLxx Number of times you crossed Grid Line number xx.
GN* List the blue grid number digits in the order visited on route which cover or break the edge line of the road.
J-E
J-N
J-S
J-W
Enter the road colours (any order) of the most Easterly junction (J-E); the most Northerly junction (J-N); the most Southerly junction (J-S); the most Westerly junction (J-W). Ignore NTRs when quoting the junction.
Sample answers: RRW YYB BBB WWW YYYY
LETTERS* List the UPPERCASE letters in the order visited on route which cover or break the edge line of the road.
Letters* List all letters in the order visited on route which cover or break the edge line of the road.
letters* List the lowercase letters in the order visited on route which cover or break the edge line of the road.
MRnnnnnn
MRnnnnnnnn
Does the route pass through this Map Reference? Only Y/N answers permitted.
 
MS Total number of Milestones (MS) passed on route.
GS-E
GS-N
GS-S
GS-W
Enter the 4-digit number of the Grid Square of the most Eastern, Northern, Southern or Western part of the route as four consecutive digits e.g. nnnn.
R Total number of different Roundabouts visited.
RD Total number of different Red Diamonds (National Trail symbols) on route which cover or break the edge line of the road.
RO, RU Number of times Over Railway (RO), Under Railway (RU) - irrespective of a bridge symbol. Unless specified otherwise, disused railways are to be excluded. A railway crossing, where the line of the railway covers the road e.g. at a level crossing - whether or not marked as LC - will count as Over Railway. Crossing over Railway Tunnels counts as Over Railway.
SH* List Spot Heights in the order visited on route.
SHn Enter the value of the nth Spot Height on route.
SH-E
SH-N
SH-S
SH-W
Enter the value of the most Easterly spot height on route (SH-E); most Northerly spot height on route (SH-N); most Southerly spot height on route (SH-S); most Westerly spot height on route (SH-W).
T Number of different telephones within 200 metres of the route (position determined by the end of the black line).
X Number of crossroads (four way junctions excluding NTRs) used.
"xxxx" Did the edge of any road on route pass within 200 metres of any part of the whole and exact overprinting of "xxxx" on the map? Only Y/N answers permitted.
?>? For example:
O>W asks how many times does the route change from an Orange road to a White road.
R>B a Red road to a Blue road
etc. for W=White, Y=Yellow, O=Orange, R=Red, G=Green, B=Blue.
This includes crossings over a
different class road e.g. at crossroads.
??? For example:
WWW asks how many White road/White road/White road junctions on route.
OWY for Orange road/White road/Yellow road junctions on route.
etc. for W=White, Y=Yellow, O=Orange, R=Red, G=Green, B=Blue.
There is no significance in the order of colours. Does
NOT include NTRs.
<<
<
>>
>
Number of gradients of different types passed over (direction reading from left to right).
<?
>?
Total uphill gradient arrows passed over.
Total downhill gradient arrows passed over.
^ Total gradient arrows passed over (count all the arrows).
 
(n) If any of the above notations are appended with a number in brackets, your answer should refer to the Grid Square (GS) in which the nth occurrence of the feature appears. For example: DB(2) requires you to record the GS where you cross a District Boundary for the second time; ChT(1) - the GS where the first church with a tower within 200 metres of the route is encountered; WWW(3) - the GS of the third WWW on route etc.
Enter the 4-digit number of the Grid Square as four consecutive digits e.g. nnnn.

An exception is GL(n) which requires an answer of the nth grid line crossed.

When counting or listing features always ignore those used to define the location of the
start or finish of any Route Card part.

For answers noted with * - enter your answer with just commas delimiting your list. For example, enter a list of spot heights like this: 23,124,68,222

25. Arbitration
The organisers reserve the right to appoint an arbiter should there be any dispute over a section. or cancel or amend any section should the need arise. 

26. Queries
Specific queries concerning the routes/Route Cards cannot be answered, but general enquiries will be answered via the appropriate TTR Forum.

27. Rule Changes
Any material changes to these rules after first publication, will be annotated here and reported in the TTR Forum.

28. Individual Effort
The competition is open to individuals and their individual effort. Group or joint entries will not be accepted. Enlisting the assistance of another person or competitor to help solve the Route Cards is not permitted and may lead to a competitor's exclusion from the results.