[ARDF] Fun and Frustration

[Dale Hunt WB6BYU]

On 27 Sep 2009, at 10:38, Charles Scharlau wrote:

> ...
>
> Internationally, I think rules changes are in order to 1) prevent  
> rampant
> following, 2) bring more technical skills back into the sport, and 3)
> promote an even playing field for all competiting countries.
>


This has been a topic of discussion at the Region 1 IARU Working Group
meetings, which is in the process of updating their ARDF rules (and
by extension, the rules that World Championships are expected to  
follow.)

One of the changes is to split the competitors between 2 courses on each
day, with the younger ones running a longer course on one band and the
older ones a shorter course on the other band, but with the same start  
and
finish.  This was done in the Czech Republic in 2004, but unfortunately
the start and finish were so far apart that there couldn't be much  
difference
in distance.  This is the new standard to be used for future World  
Championships,
and it also means that the older categories can now find more  
transmitters
without overlapping with the younger ones.  It gives the course  
setters a
lot more flexibility to create suitable courses for all age categories.

With twice as many transmitters in service, the jurors will now be
"in the field", rather than stationed at a particular transmitter.   
Most likely
they will be assigned an area of the course, perhaps containing two
transmitters, and will be able to move around in that area and observe
the behavior of competitors between transmitters.

In addition, course lengths will now be adjusted for vertical climb  
"along
a reasonable route".  In the past there was a limit on the elevation
difference along the shortest direct route.  This means it is now  
possible
to put a 200m deep re-entrant between two transmitters to discourage
straight-line runners and encourage the use of the map to find a better
way to get there.  (In fact, the "reasonable route" may find the  
transmitters
in a different order than the shortest straight line method, as long  
as the
distance adjusted for vertical climb is within the limits for each  
category.)

Beyond that, a lot of the change in emphasis between athletics and  
technical
skills is up to the course setter.  Those organizations with strong  
runners
may very well emphasize that aspect of the course, but a good course  
should
demand that competitors make a lot of decisions and tradeoffs throughout
the course.  As we gain more experience with the new rules, we can
suggest other modifications.  The new rules (which include M70 and W60
categories) will be used in Croatia next year and in 2012 in Serbia  
(which
was just decided last week, though it is still considered tentative  
pending
approval of the other Regions.)

And at any time, if someone has a suggestion for changes in the ARDF
rules (either for the US, Region 2, or the World Championships) they
should feel free to forward that to the responsible body (which in
practice means Joe K0OV and/or me), and we can make sure it gets
considered.  There have been a lot of changes and clarifications to the
rules over the last 10 years or so, and even more discussion about
proposals that were never adopted.  (Like having 10 transmitters on
two different frequencies on the same band, of which competitors would
find various subsets.)


So even the ARDF representatives from some of the big European teams
are looking at the same issues about how to make the sport more  
technical
without making it more complex for the competitors.

	- Dale WB6BYU