Background

The SWOA galoppen league was introduced in the early 1970's. Over the years, a variety of different scoring methods have been adopted. Click here to jump direct to details of the current scoring approach. Alternatively, for a complete history, read on...

The first scoring system awarded 20 points for the each course winner, 19 for 2nd position, 18 for 3rd, through to 1 point for 20th place. Initially, competitors were few and most earned at least 1 point. However, as the league grew in popularity, this simple scoring method began to show its limitations.

A different approach to scoring, based around competitors' time behind the winner, was introduced. The winner scored 100 points and each other competitor were awarded a score based on deducting from 100, a point for every 30 seconds behind the winning time. This method of scoring continued until the 1992/3 season.

1992/1993 Season

At this point, the league began to model its scoring on an approach often used in multi-day events (e.g. the Scottish 6-Day competition). This method involved expressing each finisher's time as a proportion of the winning time. As a simple illustration, if a competitor you took twice as long as the winner to complete the course (i.e. ran at half the pace of the winner), he/she received half the winners score. The winner would always be awarded 1000 points.

2000/2001 Season

In the 2000/2001 season a further modification was made. Rather than calculating times as a proportion of the winners time, scores were based on the time of the 'average competitor'. This was considered a fairer approach in situations where a particular course tended to be dominated by one very fast orienteer who would often win by a large time margin. On the old basis points awarded could vary dramatically depending on whether the dominant orienteer chose to attend the event, whereas the 'average competitor' approach provided more consistency.

2002/2003 Season

Changes were made in 2002/2003 in an effort to allow orienteers to compete on a more equal basis. It had similarities to the scoring approach modelled on multi-day events. Once more, winners receive 1000 points and other finishers scores are based on their time as a proportion of the winning time. However, the new feature is that the score is then adjusted based on age and gender related 'speed ratios'. British Orienteering approved ratios were used for this purpose. Put simply, an elderly person completing an orienteering course in, lets say, 45 minutes, would be far more impressive than a fit young man completing the same course in the same time. Therefore that elderly person's score would be adjusted upwards to reflect the magnitude of their achievement!

Another important change occurred at the same time. The need to register each year as a league competitor, was felt to deter some orienteers from participating in the league. Therefore, all SWOA club members were automatically entered into the league from the moment they first competed at a galoppen event.

BOF Speed Ratios

Speed ratios have been discussed and used in orienteering from at least 1984, when an article by Nigel Thompson appeared in the Compass Sport magazine. A set of ratios are devised by analysing the 'minutes per kilometre' performances of orienteers of all ages and both genders across a number of orienteering events. Typically, the speed ratios are reviewed every 5 years to ensure they remain appropriate to current standards of orienteering.

The BOF speed ratios of the time are shown in the table below. The SWOA galoppen league adopted these speed ratios but with one alteration. The M/W10 was been changed to .55.

A Worked Example

In this example, we imagine 4 people competing with the fastest orienteer completing the course in 70 minutes.

First of all, each competitors time is multiplied by their respective age/gender speed ratio to arrive at an 'adjusted time'. Next, the person with the lowest adjusted time receives 1000 points. The remaining competitors are awarded a point score equivalent to 1000 multiplied by the lowest adjusted time, then divided by their own adjusted time.

The table below shows the outcome of this imaginary event and each competitors score. Notice that although A Boyd, a 60+ year old man took over 20 minutes longer to complete the course than the much younger competitor T Chesterfield, he was nonetheless awarded just 2.5 points less. The similarity of scores reflect the fact that both performances were equally impressive, given the 40+ year age gap between them both.

2003/2004 Season

Most comments received at the time regarding the scoring system were favourable, so the same general principles were retained.

However, it was reported that some of the steps from one BOF speed ratio to the next can affect individuals ability to score points considerably. In particular, the move from age groups 12 to 14, and from age groups 20 to 21. To combat this, individual speed ratios for every age were introduced.

The following speed ratios for ages up to age 40 were adopted for the season.

For ages over 40, speed ratios were calculated using the following formulae:

Female speed ratio = 0.670 - ((Age - 40) x 0.00925)

Male speed ratio = 0.907 - ((Age - 40) x 0.01255)

Current Season - 2006/2007