1.0  Definition Of Rogaine

1.1  Rogaines are classified by USOF as group team events that use a score course format.

1.2  Rogaine events are conducted as long distance cross-country navigation for teams traveling on foot. The object is to score points by finding checkpoints located in the Rogaine area within a specified time. Checkpoints may be visited in any order

2.0  Entries

2.1  A team shall consist of two, three, four or five members.

2.2  A team that has a member less than fourteen years of age shall also have a member eighteen years of age or over.

2.3  Competition placing may be awarded in several categories based on the age and gender composition of teams. Each team shall be deemed to be entered for all categories of the competition for which it is eligible.

2.4  Single physical award to any team achieving awards in multiple categories. Team award category determined in order of Junior, Super Veteran, Veteran, and Open.

2.5  No member of a team shall have been involved with the organization of the Rogaine so as to have a prior familiarity with the Rogaine course, fieldwork or map.

2.6  Recreational entries will be open to people who are by virtue of one or more of these rules ineligible for placing in the competition.  The organizers must determine that violating the rule/s will not disqualify or interfere with the eligible competitors.  All other rules must be followed.

3.0  Respect for Land and Property

3.1  Competitors shall not cross newly sown ground, growing crops or any area deemed out-of-bounds by the organizers, without specific permission by the organizers.

3.2  Competitors shall keep a reasonable distance from dwellings and stock with young.

3.3  Competitors shall take due care when crossing fences, crossing at corner posts, solid posts or between wires wherever possible. Each team shall leave gates in the same state as they were found.

3.4  Competitors shall carry out or discard litter in appropriate containers.

3.5  Competitors shall not light fires on the course.  Fires may be lit in the administration areas in the designated fire rings.

3.6  Competitors shall not smoke on the course.

3.7  Competitors shall not unduly damage or disturb native flora or fauna.

3.8  Firearms and weapons of any kind are prohibited.

3.9  Pets are allowed in Custer State Park. All pets must be on a leash less than 10 feet long when in designated campgrounds and other public use areas. Outside of campgrounds and day use areas pets must be under immediate control and more than 200 feet from other park guests. Clean up after your pet in public areas.

3.10  There is much wildlife in Custer State Park and animals like buffalo may be unpredictable. Exercise extreme care when in the vicinity of wildlife by navigating around the animals.

4.1 Conduct of Competitors

4.1  Competitors are responsible for knowing information on the event website.

4.2  Competitors shall not enter the course, after obtaining map and checkpoint information, until the official start is signaled.

4.3  The only navigational aids that may be carried on the course are magnetic compasses, watches and copies of the competition map. The possession of other navigational aids, including pedometers, altimeters and GPS receivers on the course is prohibited. The use of relevant maps other than those expressly sanctioned by the organizers is prohibited.

4.4  Computers may not be used by competitors for planning their strategy.

4.5  Competitors shall travel only on foot unless otherwise specified by the organizers.

4.6  Members of a team shall remain within unaided verbal contact of one another at all times while on the course. A team shall demonstrate compliance with this requirement to any event official or other team on request.

4.7  A team shall surrender its scorecard to any event official, and shall advise their team number to any event official or other team, on request.

4.8  A team shall not accept assistance from, nor collaborate with, other people, nor deliberately follow another team.

4.9  No food or equipment shall be left on the course before the event for a team's use, and any food or equipment cached on the course by the team during the event must be brought back by the team with them to the finish.

4.10  Each competitor shall carry a whistle at all times on the course.

5.0  Checkpoints

5.1  All team members shall simultaneously approach to within 20 meters, and within sight, of each checkpoint for which points are claimed.

5.2  In order to gain points for a checkpoint teams must punch the scorecard provided by the organizers in the correct square with the punch at the checkpoint marker and fill in any intention sheet at the checkpoint with the time of arrival, the team number and the number of the checkpoint that they intend to visit next. If a team punches an incorrect square, they must notify the organizers of the details of this immediately upon returning to the administration area to be eligible to be credited with that checkpoint.

5.3  In the event of the scorecard being lost, a team may record punch marks on any single sheet. The organizers will accept this so long as the punch marks are discernible, and the team can identify to the organizers the checkpoint number for each of the punch marks.

5.4  Competitors shall not deliberately rest within one hundred meters of a checkpoint unless the checkpoint is also a water drop.

5.5  Competitors shall not adversely interfere with a checkpoint, water drop or any other facility

6.0  Administration Areas

6.1  Whenever a team visits an administration area, all team members are required to report together to the organizers and surrender their team's scorecard. The team shall only collect its scorecard immediately prior to leaving that administration area.

6.2  A team shall finish by all of the members reporting together to the designated finish administration area and surrendering their scorecard.

6.3  If a competitor wishes to withdraw from a team for any reason the entire team shall return to an administration area and notify the organizers. The original team shall be deemed to have finished the event. If a new team is formed it may be admitted to the competition at the discretion of the organizers but no points shall be credited for checkpoints already visited.

7.0  Penalties and Protests

7.1  The penalty for breaching these rules is disqualification except for rules 5.2 and 5.4.  Any team disqualified under this rule shall be recorded as disqualified (DSQ).

7.2  Points are deducted for being overtime.  The deduction scheme is 10 points per minute late.

7.3  A team that breached any rule for any reason may voluntarily withdraw by advising the organizers immediately upon finishing.  The team will be recorded as withdrawn (W/D).

7.4  Within forty-five minutes of finishing, a team may report in writing to the organizers about any team thought to have breached these rules, or may protest in writing to the organizers about any actions of the organizers that they consider made the competition unfair. Protests will be ruled on by the protest committee formed by the organizers.

7.5  A team that is not satisfied with any decision of the organizers protests committee may appeal in writing to the USOF grievance committee within seven days of the publication of the official results. This committee shall have the power to overrule the organizers and to amend the results accordingly. Appeal of the grievance committee's decision may be made to the USOF Board of Directors.

8.0  Scoring

8.1  The event shall end at precisely the set number of hours after the actual starting time, both times as defined by the organizers' clock. Teams finishing late will be penalized at the rate per minute or part thereof as specified above. Teams finishing more than thirty minutes late shall be deemed ineligible for a placing and their result shall be recorded as overtime (OVT).

8.2  A team score shall be the value of the checkpoints visited and correctly verified in accordance with these rules, less any penalties. The team with the greatest score or in the event of a tie the team that finished earlier shall be awarded the higher placing.

8.3  In the event of a checkpoint being damaged or deemed misplaced or missing by the organizers, teams shall be awarded the checkpoint score.

      - If the punch is missing or damaged but the team has a correct record on the intention sheet.

      - If the punch is missing and there is no intention sheet, but the team can satisfy the organizers that they visited the correct site.

      - If a checkpoint is missing or misplaced but the team can satisfy the organizers that they visited the correct site.

      - For a correctly recorded visit to a misplaced checkpoint.

9.0  Safety

9.1  In an emergency the distress signal is 3 short blasts of the whistle repeated at intervals. With cellular telephone, teams should call the organizers to initiate search and rescue operations.

9.2  In the event of an emergency, a team shall give any assistance when asked.  In such a case the assisting team shall not be penalized for any rules broken while giving assistance.

9.3  If a team wants to withdraw or has an injury preventing continuation while on course but does not require emergency assistance, the team will be provided numbers to call the organizers for assistance.

9.3  Custer State Park has much natural water sources, but due to the large amount of wildlife, any backcountry sources should be filtered or treated.