Just about every activity has its own jargon, and orienteering is no different. Here are some terms you will hear in common use:
Many events offer “colour coded” courses. The colours refer to a roughly standardised range of course lengths and technical difficulty (there is always some variation because no two event areas are quite the same). The colours you’re most likely to see in the West Midlands are:
| Colour | Length (km) | Technical Difficulty (1-5) |
| White | 1-2 | 1: Very easy – suitable for children 8-10 |
| Yellow | 2-3 | 2: Easy – suitable for children 10-12 |
| Orange | 2.5-3.5 | 3: Medium – suitable for adult beginners or children progressing beyond the novice stage |
| Light Green | 3-4 | 4: Hard – suitable for improving orienteers |
| Green | 3.5-6 | 5: Very hard – aimed at experienced orienteers |
| Blue | 5.5-8 | 5: Very hard – aimed at experienced orienteers |
| Brown | 7.5-10 | 5: Very hard – aimed at experienced orienteers |
Note that the distances shown are “as the crow flies” and in reality you will always run (or walk) significantly further (allow at least 20%, sometimes more).
Orienteering events are classified in one of four “levels”: Local, Regional, National or Major, according to scale and importance. With bigger and more important events comes more formality. In general, you can expect the following from each event level:
- Local: an informal event, usually with 1-3 courses, usually possible to enter on the day (but not always, so please check!). Normally an ideal event for newcomers to the sport.
- Regional: usually a colour coded event (see above), often part of a regional league (such as the West Midlands League). There will usually be courses that are suitable for inexperienced orienteers or newcomers; however because of the larger number of competitors, volunteers may be more stretched and have less time to give advice for beginners than at a Local event – it is helpful to contact the organising club beforehand if this is what you need. It is sometimes possible to enter on the day (but not always, so please check!), and you may need to pre-select a start time (or range of times).
- National: a large event that is expected to attract competitors from all over the country. There will usually be courses that are suitable for inexperienced orienteers; however complete newcomers would not be encouraged to try these events. It is normal for advance entry to be required, and you will have to start at an allocated time. All but a few courses will be designated for specific age groups.
- Major: one of the biggest events in the country, for example a national championship. Aimed at experienced orienteers, entry in advance only, and allocated start times. All but a few courses will be designated for specific age groups.
An informal term for an SI timing card, which derives from its similarity in shape and usage to a gardener’s dibber (which is pushed into the ground to form a small hole).
EOD is short for “entry on the day”. For a variety of reasons EOD is much less used than it used to be – these days it is mostly used for small informal events (“Local” events – see Event level above). The event details will tell you whether you can enter on the day, or need to use one of the various on-line entry systems.
The newest type of SI card, which does not need to be “dibbed” like the original ones. Instead simply passing within a foot or so of the control box is enough to register the “punch”. Be aware that contactless punching is not enabled at all events (especially small ones), so always check beforehand (and make sure your dibber flashes to confirm the punch).
The place where you go to enter an event (unless you have previously entered on line). See “EOD” above. Usually you will see a table with someone sitting at a laptop. At small events the Registration and Download (see below) desks may be combined.
The electronic timing chips (see “Dibber” above) hold the time you reach each control along the route, plus the finish (and with a few exceptions at very big events, the start). After you finish your course, you must visit the Download desk to get this information from your dibber onto the computer – this not only gives us a safety check that you are back, but also allows us to produce event results (and if you hired your dibber this is where to return it).