7 - PENALTY  PROCEDURES

During the Race, the Rules Committee will sit in session to evaluate in hand complaints, warnings, and violations.  Penalties will be posted neat the Finish Line.  It is the responsibility of the Team Captain to monitor that posting.

Items of concern will be the written notices of warnings, violations, and infractions.  In addition, the committee will check the Runner Sign In Rosters, and the Official Time Sheets.  Items of specific concern will be violations of the sign in rules, improper number placement, no number, and unauthorized substitutions.

WRITTEN VIOLATIONS

1. (**)  All violations must be in writing and must be submitted to the Rules Committee prior to the closing of the finish line at 1600 hours.

2.   Violations, Warning Notices, Volunteer Rosters, and Runner Rosters will be picked up and forwarded to the Command Post by a Committee appointee.  All notices of violations on the sign in roster and Official Time Sheets must be marked with a hi‑lite pen.

3.   Any team that becomes aware of any infraction or violation of the rules, should have their captain fill out a Protest Form.  If possible, try to prevent a violation from occurring by informing the offending Team that they are committing a rule violation.  If the violation cannot be resolved, notify the Stage Director at the next stage location, in writing, of the violation.  The Stage Director will forward the report to the Race Committee.

RULES COMMITTEE ACTION

4.   Minor infractions will be evaluated and noted.  If they are of a minor nature, the Rule Committee will issue a letter of warning to the offending team.

5.   Violations of a more serious nature will cause the team to be given a time penalty.  All time penalties will be in increments of 5 minutes.

6.   Warnings will be evaluated to see if the offending Team (et al) has repeated the infraction at other stages.  Evidence of repeated offenses will be cause for a Team penalty.

7.   The Rules Committee may ask for a representative of the Team to appear to explain and justify the actions of their Team.  Depending upon the severity of the violation, the number of repetitions, and other factors, the Team could be penalized (time), (UO), (DQ), or (DQI). Serious rules violations will require the appearance of the Team Captain.

OFFICIAL  RESULTS

1.   Final times, including violations and penalties, will be posted at the awards area by 1700 hours on Sunday.  Any Team Captain wishing to challenge the validity of the results must make their challenge to the Rules Committee as soon as it is posted and before 1800 hours.  After 1800 hours, all posted results will be considered official.