ORIENTEERING ABBREVIATIONS

OH	Onkaparinga Hills Orienteering Club	Ll	Lincoln Orienteers (Port Lincoln)	TE	Top End Orienteers (Darwin)
TT	Tintookies Orienteers	SB	Saltbush Orienteers (Whyalla)
Tj	Tjuringa Orienteers	SE	South East Orienteers (Mt Gambier/Naracoorte)
WA	Wallaringa Orienteers
YA	Yallanga Orienteers

Age class:
Age brackets of male and female competitors who compete against each other at OY events, Badge events, State Championships, and National Easter and Championship events. Age brackets are as follows:
10, 12,14,16,18, 21 ‑ 35, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80 and older. Someone who turns the age of a particular class can run in that class at any event during the year.

Attack points:
Features which have been mapped and which can be used as the nearest clearly identifiable point on the map from which to navigate to the next control.

Bearing or aiming off:
Rather than navigate along the straight line to a control on an indefinite part of a line feature (defined later), such as a creek or fence, an Orienteer can 'aim off' to reach the line feature at a point where the direction to turn (left or right) to reach the control is certain.

Controls:
Points marked on a map which Orienteers must visit, usually in order, during the course of an event. The control will usually be a metal stand and flag, and will include a punch with a unique dot pattern by which competitors will prove that they have visited the control.

Controllers:
People appointed by OASA or OFA to oversee all technical aspects, such as mapping, course setting, control placement, etc, for a small number of specified events throughout each year. One Controller is allocated for each event.

Control card:
A card carried by many Orienteers and punched at controls rather than the boxes on the map. All Badge events, State Championships, and National events require competitors to use control cards rather than punch on the map. Using a control card leads to faster orienteering times as competitors don't have to keep unfolding and refolding their maps at every control in order to punch in the boxes on the map.

Control circle:
The circle drawn around the control feature on a map.

Control description and code:
The English text or International Orienteering symbols given to describe the control feature, placement of the control in relation to the feature, and the identifying code on the control stand.

DNF:
Did Not Finish ‑ used to describe someone who failed to complete an orienteering event. Injury, exhaustion, or utter disgust at getting lost are the normal reasons. Punching the wrong control also qualifies as a DNF.

DNS:
Did Not Start ‑ used in results booklets for Badge events, State Championships, and National events where someone has paid the entry fee but did not make the event.

Elite:
A special class of entrant at National events comprising the best M and W 21‑35s in the country. They have qualified for this class by gaining a gold badge standard (described later in this booklet) at specified State or National events in the previous year. Elite competitors have their own courses. The Australian Orienteering Team which competes in the World Orienteering Championships each year is selected from the best competitors in this class.

Line features or handrails:
Roads, tracks, creeks, fences, or similar linear features on a map which can be easily followed by Orienteers.

OY:
Orienteer of the Year:
An annual award scheme established by OASA for the fastest male and female in each age class as asessed over eight OY events throughout the year.

Relocating:
When you become lost, the best way to relocate yourself on the map is to climb the nearest hill or go back to the last place where you knew where you were.

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IOF		International Orienteering Federation
OA		Orienteering Australia
OASA		Orienteering Association of South Australia