Real-Time Scoring for Peer\Group Rides
Imagine watching a basketball game and not knowing the score until 20 minutes after the game is over - who would watch that? Yet that's where we are with trials. Electronic real-time scoring system for trials is certainly technically doable but cost prohibitive for all but the elite.
There are many small clubs around the country that use peer or group scoring where the riders are in a group of 3-5 riders and they judge and score each other throughout the event. Typically they follow the tried and (mostly) true process of using a hole-punch to mark a 0,1,2,3 or 5 for each section and at the end toss the card to someone to interpret their mess.
This web page presents a No-Tech approach to real-time scoring for peer scoring \ group rides. Each rider in the group will know their total score and how they are doing relative to the others in the group after every section - seems like a good thing right - kind of like watching a basketball game and knowing what the score is at all times.
So instead of using traditional punched cards and calculating the riders score back at scoring table when the riding is over this process involves writing down the score (0,1,2,3,5,10 (10 for missed sections) AND keeping a running total as the event progresses.
By-the-way, writing down the score is not unprecedented, CVOTC already uses a process of writing the score which at first I thought was a little weird but after a couple of sections I preferred it to punching. In this process, we are adding a small step by keeping the running total.
There are many small clubs around the country that use peer or group scoring where the riders are in a group of 3-5 riders and they judge and score each other throughout the event. Typically they follow the tried and (mostly) true process of using a hole-punch to mark a 0,1,2,3 or 5 for each section and at the end toss the card to someone to interpret their mess.
This web page presents a No-Tech approach to real-time scoring for peer scoring \ group rides. Each rider in the group will know their total score and how they are doing relative to the others in the group after every section - seems like a good thing right - kind of like watching a basketball game and knowing what the score is at all times.
So instead of using traditional punched cards and calculating the riders score back at scoring table when the riding is over this process involves writing down the score (0,1,2,3,5,10 (10 for missed sections) AND keeping a running total as the event progresses.
By-the-way, writing down the score is not unprecedented, CVOTC already uses a process of writing the score which at first I thought was a little weird but after a couple of sections I preferred it to punching. In this process, we are adding a small step by keeping the running total.
Here are the cards a couple riders used during a NEOTT event. Since neither rider was riding for year-end points it was a good low-risk approach to testing this out. The names have been removed for privacy. One rider was just having a 'bad day' (see mental angst below) but from a process standpoint the cards worked as expected and really didn't take any more time than punching.
Scoring Materials:
- Use a quality 7-mil thick waterproof paper (like they do at Nationals). The thickness makes for a sturdy writing surface and very difficult to bend, tear, spindle or mutilate this paper.
- Note that waterproof paper does require a laser jet printer but even those can be found for around $100 these days.
- For dry events, Sharpie Ultra-Fine tip pens work well. Use a bright colored pen so if you drop the cap or pen on the ground it is easy to spot.
- For wet events, use a Grease Pencil or Waterproof Pen - need to do more testing with these.
- You can hang a pen at the end of each section for scoring or each rider has at least one writing instrument - in either case there should be at least one backup writing instrument in the group or at the section. “Two is one and one is none” - be prepared for something to fail (I've had punches fail during an event too - always carry a backup)
- The scorecard layout was built in Excel using 3 scorecards per page. Here is a link to a PDF file of the template or create your own customized for your clubs needs.
| scoring-sample-8x3-template.pdf |
Pros:
- No more searching the scorecard for the right section \ score, aligning the punch just right and punching the score. Just write down the score and add to the total.
- Always know how many total points you (and your competitors in the group) have.
- More importantly, you know how you are doing compared to your peers in the group.
- Riders have the opportunity to ride strategically by adjusting their approach to each section based on the scores.
- Less chance of scoring errors since both the person writing down the score and the rider can check it at the point-of-entry.
- -- Example: Bob rides and scores a "2", Jim writes down a "2", does some 3rd grade math and announces the new total. If Bob agrees with the new total then they move on otherwise make the correction on the spot.
- No 'punchouts' (scorer meant to punch "1", instead punched "0" so punched "2", "3" and "5" to make the correction) which usually introduces scoring errors at the scoring table.
- When you're done the event you're done - no need to count cards at the end of the event but if you do need to double-check things (say the scores are very close) then it is easy enough check the math. Use that extra time for something productive like more riding.
- Easy to lay the cards out next to each other and compare total scores throughout the event. Take a picture and post them - boom results are complete and easy to analyze.
Cons:
- Cost is higher (quality paper, laserjet (if you don't already have one), at least one pen for every rider and some backups - remember to get them all back at the end of the event!
- You must ride the sections in order (you are supposed to anyway but some clubs are flexible in the event of bottlenecks etc)
- Some clubs allow a shotgun start for loop 1 (we always start everyone at section 1) - so how to handle when groups all start on different sections. Say the group starts on Section 4, perhaps the process is to manually cross out 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 under loop 1 and replace with 4,5,6,7,8,1,2,3. 2nd and 3rd loops everyone starts at Section 1.
- You do have to take care of your card and not have some wadded up mess that you toss to some poor schlep who got roped into adding up the scores.
- The cards are physically a little larger and they don't fold easily. Best to clip them on to the bike somewhere.
- Need an actual event with rainy conditions and writing scores in the rain to test that out. Has only been tested for 10 minutes in the front yard during a rain shower.
- Too early in this process to determine the actual mental impact on riders (see below) but yes there is extra noise going on mentally that needs to be managed.
Mental Angst - The toughest part of adopting this process is probably on the mental side:
Need more data points on this, but my operating theory is that riders will adapt mentally within 6 months and ultimately become better \ smarter and perhaps more consistent riders by working on the mental game as well as the physical game.
- For many riders a trials event is more of a social event and the scores are an after thought. Real-time scoring introduces an element of seriousness that wasn't there before.
- Risk of too-much-information. Knowing that you are ahead or behind by X-points can play mind games on riders.
- Those days when you are having a "bad day" you get reminded every section just how bad a day you are having. Work through it! It ain't over until its' over and lots of things can (and usually do) happen over the course of an event. Remind yourself that any day of riding and hanging with your buddies is better than most anything you do.
- At a tough event, riders just get tired and even 3rd grade math can be a challenge sometimes. Work through it!
- Mental pressure of knowing you are in the lead - no mistakes! overthinking!
- Mental knowledge of knowing you are too far behind to make a move up the scoring ladder. Ignore the score, work to close the gap, put some good rides together, finish strong and get them next time.
Need more data points on this, but my operating theory is that riders will adapt mentally within 6 months and ultimately become better \ smarter and perhaps more consistent riders by working on the mental game as well as the physical game.
