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The Friendliest League on the Net! If you are a Rookie or a Seasoned Veteran there is a place for you here!
2009 Online Rules |
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Code of Conduct
As long as you are a SOAR Member you
are expected to conduct yourself in a manner that is not detrimental to
the league. You must display good sportsmanship and respect while using
the server, forums and emails to other members. *Please note! We welcome anyone from any other league provided that our rules are followed without deviation. We reserve the right to terminate your membership at anytime for rules infractions or problems that we determine to be detrimental to the league as a whole. We are “The Friendliest League on the Net” but we sometimes have to make decisions that we do not wish to make. No one in SOAR makes a living here so do not drive or act like you need this to put food on your table. We are a non-profit league and do this as a hobby. We are not affiliated with Sierra, Papyrus, Nascar, First, or rfactor. Donations are welcome to help keep this a ride for free league. If you wish to help out with server costs Admin will be more than happy to get you pointed in the right direction. We use Paypal or donations may be sent via snail mail.
Table of Contentsq 4.3 Blocking or Impeding Faster Cars o 4.7.1 Racing Back to the Yellow o 4.7.7 Coming Back to the Green o 4.8.4 Weaving or Scrubbing Tires q 4.9 Penalties During the Race q 6.2 Director Responsibilities
1.1.1 Basic - It is your responsibility to read and understand each of these rules. If you do not understand a rule then ask a Director or an Admin for an explanation. 1.1.2 Cheating - SOAR will not tolerate any form of cheating. This is why we now use RaceServers as our server Client. If you are connected to the server and get disconnected for an ACDM cheat message you are required to do the following: When you reconnect to the rsClient you should see a message that explains what you were ejected for. Hit your “Print Screen” button and open your paint program and paste the message to a new document. Save the file and send it to RaceServers and to at least one of the Admin in SOAR. This is required to keep Admin informed and also to help you get any problems fixed and to avoid future problems. 1.1.3 Forums – All members are required to signup on the forums. No one will be allowed to race unless they are members on the forum. See SOAR’s General Rules for Forum etiquette and rules. 1.2 Flaming – Flaming will not be tolerated in SOAR and is not taken lightly. Flaming is a form of chat that degrades another member. You may mean it as a joke but because of it being chat there is no voice deflection and others may not interpret it as a joke. So it is best to not say anything to other drivers in public or in private. If you wish to file a complaint please submit to the Admin and the Director of the division. 1.3 Representation – As a member of SOAR you are required to display integrity, respect, and consideration to other members at all times. Discrimination will not be tolerated in any form. This applies to all forms of communication between members on the forums, server, and/or emails. 1.4 Apologies – If you are involved in an incident you are asked to take a couple of seconds and apologize to other drivers even if you are not at fault. Apologies go along way and it helps to deter confrontations. There have been incidents where someone did not think it was their fault that after review by the driver realized that they played a part in the incident more than they realized. No one is perfect including Admin, Directors, connections, steering wheels, cats…. etc. 1.5 Participation – Anyone is allowed to run in as many divisions as their time permits. If you are not signed up to run in a division, do not show up on the server asking to run. It is not fair to those that have used the proper channels to race in any division. Please email the directors to get signed up in the division you wish to run in. 1.6 Driver’s Meetings – Driver’s meetings will be issued on the forums under the respective division. DM’s will not be emailed to drivers so it is important that you signup on the forum to get updates from race to race. 1.6.1 Information – Information in DM’s will include date, track, setups used, time, if not stated on the website. Director’s input or concerns about upcoming races will be listed here as well for your knowledge of what to expect under race conditions for your benefit as well as others. 1.6.2 Input from Drivers – Input from drivers is welcome to provide more information to help drivers that are not aware of certain situations on the track. Directors try to remember but are not perfect so please feel free to add information that will help the league and it’s drivers. 2.1 The Simulator – We use the NR2003 simulator because this by far is the best one out there. At this time SOAR does not use rFactor, 2005, EA Sports, etc. You may want to do a new install of the simulator. Read topics on Mods and Tracks for further explanation. 2.1.1 Mods – It is suggested that you uninstall any Mods you may have when first joining SOAR. The Mods that we use can be downloaded from Raceservers. This is done to help prevent any problems that are in place to avoid ejection from the server for a modified Mod. 2.1.2 Tracks – This applies to tracks as well for the same reason. 2.2 Exported Standings – The exported standings will not be altered unless Admin sees fit to warrant a change. Changes will be made only for penalties set by Admin. If changes are made an email will be sent to the concerning parties with an explanation of why the changes were made. 2.3 Tiebreakers – In the event of a tie in points at the end of a season, tiebreakers will be as follows: Total Points, Wins, Second place finishes…etc. 2.4 Protesting Points – If you see a point’s problem or miscalculation you should address the Director for an explanation. If you still need an explanation then address Admin so that they can look into it. Directors use the normal points system that Nascar uses. If there is a deviation it will be noted by the director on the website or the forum. Deviations include bonus points for qualifying on the pole, other series points systems such as IROC. 3.1 3.1 Once you have connected to the server you may disconnect to try and achieve a better connection. You may only try this during practice but do so as least amount of times as possible to help others from receiving spikes to their connections. 3.2 3.2 Restarts – Restarting the server will only occur if there are connection issues. (3/11/06) * See also rule 4.8.5. 3.3 3.3 Warping – Warping is a way of life when it comes to online racing. Just because someone does not have the capabilities to Broadband or DSL connections does not exclude them from competition. At the same time if you are warping you are to be considerate of others by letting them pass safely or pitting until your connection improves. If you get disconnected you are allowed to reconnect twice. After the third disconnect you are asked to take a hit and retire. You can monitor your connection by using the Ctrl+C keys. If you are showing in the red on the meter please use caution and consider your fellow drivers by getting to the bottom of the track as safely as possible. As stated in section 3.1, reconnecting affects everyone’s connection each time. 3.4 3.4 Rainouts – Sometimes due to weather or server issues there may come a time when connecting to the server is impossible. Please check the forums for updates to server conditions. These will usually be listed under the division header on the forum. Races will be rescheduled at the Director’s discretion and posted to the boards. 4.1 4.1 Over Aggressive Driving – Some divisions use open setups while others use fixed setups. In either case you are responsible for knowing what your car can and cannot do. Use the practice session to get acquainted with the handling of the car and other driver’s habits. Do not force passes that are not there. Use discretion when making a pass, especially early in the race when you have time to get adjusted to the setup and other drivers. Be patient and pass others like you would like to be passed if you were in their position. If an incident occurs while attempting a pass it could be determined as over aggressive driving and a penalty will be issued. It could also be determined as a racing incident but determination is up to the Director and/or Admin. If you are new to online racing it is good practice to just try and finish the race. First impressions go a long way and you earn respect by not trying too hard to win. Just finishing should be your main goal. Track time is essential to learning online racing so try and get as many laps as possible and learn. 4.2 4.2 Pit Fakes – On caution laps in real Nascar events pit fakes are common but here at SOAR it is not allowed due to incidents seen in the past. If you go down on the apron you are not to return to the track, you must exit through the pits. Pit fakes cause black flags or even contact that no one wants. It takes time for the Director to correct BF’s and takes away their concentration. 4.3 4.3 Blocking or Impeding Faster Cars –Blocking is defined as deliberately moving to stop the car behind you from making a pass. You will need to watch the chat for pit announcements to be aware of who has fresh tires and who is much faster than you. Do not impede faster cars that are on fresher tires. This causes unwanted cautions and you will be charged with causing a caution. If the car behind you is clearly faster you are asked to allow them to pass safely by going high and letting them know to pass low by using your auto chat message. Slower cars are to stay high and allow a safe pass. Blocking is allowed only with 10 laps left in the race at any track. At certain tracks like super speedways leaders like to block the bottom line. This is the reason we use BR tracks when available. These tracks allow for passing on the outside and exiting corners. What most need to remember at SS is there is a draft and you will suck up to the lead car thinking you are much faster but when you pull out to pass especially without help you lose the draft. So keep this in mind before you start complaining about someone blocking. Communicate with other drivers to make passes. This is where it is important to have gained respect from your fellow drivers. The only way this rule will be enforced is upon review by complaint to the Director or Admin. 4.4 4.4 Passing in the Pits – You should stay high until you get to the point where you are ready to enter your pit stall. You are to maintain pit speed until you reach your pit. Incidents on pit road could receive a penalty. If someone is slow on pit road continually, address the Director and let him or her handle it. 4.5 4.5 Lapped Cars – Lapped cars are required to go through the pits with ten or less laps left in the race. Lapped cars are to stay high and allow leaders or faster cars to pass low. 4.6 4.6 Damaged Cars – Damaged cars are required to give way to faster cars without contesting them unless it is ten or less laps remaining in the race. You are allowed to race for position providing you do not hinder other cars racing for position. 4.7 4.7 Cautions 4.7.1 Racing Back to the Yellow Flag – Racing to the yellow flag is not permitted. All cars are required to let off of the accelerator and slow down. Auto chat is welcome here to inform others that you are slowing to prevent contact or incidents. Racing back to yellow is only allowed with ten or less laps remaining in the race. 4.7.2 Passing to the Yellow – If there are cars involved in a wreck ahead of you, you have the right to pass them when going back to the yellow flag. You must do so safely if possible. Remember if you try to pass going back to the yellow you could be damaged as well if you are caught up in the incident. 4.7.3 Coming to the Yellow – You are to let off of the accelerator and slow down to line up behind the pace car. Do not use your brakes and pay attention to the car in front and either go low or high to avoid hitting them. 4.7.4 Two Caution Rule – If you cause two cautions you are required to retire from the event. If you self spin and a caution comes out due to your spin then this incident will count as causing a caution whether or not another driver is involved or not. This only applies to cautions. 4.7.5 Causing a Caution – If you cause a caution you are required to report to the End of the Longest Line “EOLL.” If you have any doubts whether you are responsible or not for causing the caution you need to report EOLL. If you do not and are found to have caused the caution you could be penalized. EOLL means the end of THE LONGEST LINE. 4.7.6 While Under Caution – We have found that it is best to stagger yourself from the car in front while running caution laps. It is not required but if there is a problem with drivers making contact with others then the Director has the right to call for staggering. All cars are to keep spacing between .02 - .04 seconds from each other. The Director or Admin could issue penalties such as a black flag should you not keep up with the pace. 4.7.7 Coming to Green – When coming to the green you must be at pace speed. If you are going to pass on the start it must be on the outside or the sim will issue a black flag. Black flags for this offense will not be removed. If a driver is damaged or having problems getting up to speed you are asked to issue a warning to drivers behind you so that it clears the way for drivers to pass without incident. If you ask drivers to pass on the restart please stay low enough to allow them to do so safely. No brake checking allowed. The leader controls the start and restarts. 4.8.1 Pace Speed – Again you are required to maintain .05 seconds behind the car in front of you. Once you have started to accelerate do not slow down or be prepared to get punted from behind. Do not start accelerating until the car in front of you has started.
4.8.2
Chat
- Once the message comes across from your spotter that you are going green
no chat will be allowed until after the green flag. This permits everyone
time for their connection to give them the green flag start.
From this point on, if you are involved in an
incident where you do not think it was your fault, Admin is asking that
nothing be said on the server other than apologies.
One word comments or full blown sentences on how
you feel will not be acceptable. There is nothing that can be done at the
time of the incident and no one will make a decision on the track not even
if it happened right in front of them or you. 4.8.3 Passing – Unless stated in the DM or practice no passing will be allowed until after you cross the start/finish line. Directors can issue a no passing rule until the backstretch due to start problems. 4.8.4 Weaving or Scrubbing Your Tires – Weaving or scrubbing tires is not permitted to heat your tires. It does not affect your tire temperatures when doing this and can cause incidents.
4.8.5
Race Restarts
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There will be no more restarts as we
have done in the past. There are some exceptions and they are as follows:
4.9 Penalties During the Race – Penalties can be issued by Admin or Directors anytime they see fit to get their point across or to get a situation under control. Penalties include black flags to ejections. If you feel you were treated unfairly by a penalty issued during the race you can protest to Admin only. 4.10 Chatting – During qualifying no chat is allowed. During the race chatting should be limited to race chat only to keep drivers informed of your intentions. During yellow flag laps please refrain from talking about what caused an incident. Apologies are the only exception. Idle talk is acceptable but must stop when the spotter says going green next time by. See rule 4.8.2. 5.1 5.1 Saving Results – Everyone is required to save their results in case there is a problem with other results in the points program. To get the results saved you should wait until all cars have crossed the s/f line. All cars are required to cross the s/f line to insure that results are complete. Only the top three finishers should email results to the Director. All results will be zipped or they will not be accepted. 5.2 5.2 Saving Replays – Everyone should save their replay. Your replay may show something that ours doesn’t when reviewing replays for penalties. This is not required but a suggested to protect your interest where points are concerned. 5.3 5.3 Reviewing Replays – Admin and Directors review replays for penalties and scoring issues. If you are asked to submit a replay you need to clip the replay so that it is a small file but still shows Admin what is needed to make a decision on penalties. You should clip it about ½ of a lap before the incident and stop it about ½ a lap after the incident to be reviewed. Try to get as much of the replay so that a proper decision can be made. When emailing replays please make sure they are zipped. 5.4 5.4 Penalties – Penalties will vary from warnings to expulsion from the league. They will include in order depending on severity of the incident a warning, points deduction, suspension, and expulsion. Everyone will have the chance to present his or her side of the story before a decision is made. Directors can issue warnings only. Admin will handle all other penalties. If penalties are issued Admin will send emails to the interested parties. No penalties will be issued via the forums. The CPS system will not be enforced or used in 2006. The only way you could possibly miss a race for penalties is for repetitive issues. 5.5 5.5 Submitting a Protest – If you need to submit a protest you should submit your argument to the Director of the division first. If you still think that you were slighted you can then issue an argument to Admin for review. What you should submit should be a short synopsis of what you saw or experienced and/or a replay clip. No replays will be accepted for review for another driver’s defense. They must present their own replay to prove or show that a different situation existed. 6.1 6.1 Admin Responsibilities – Admin’s main objective is to insure that we maintain a friendly environment for our members. Admin decides penalties, rules amendments, membership requirements, and website maintenance. Admin has the right to issue warnings, black flags, yellow flags, and take or give laps to help maintain order on the server. 6.2 6.2 Director Responsibilities – Directors main objective is to insure that we maintain a friendly environment for our members. Directors will issue warnings during races to maintain order. Directors can also issue black flags to drivers that are not following rules. They may also issue yellow flags to maintain severe problems where things are getting out of hand. Directors can take away or give laps. Directors also maintain their WebPages for results and scheduling information. Directors are responsible for assisting new drivers to online racing. Directors cannot amend rules during a race unless Admin are present to authorize a change to maintain order. Directors will inform Admin of drivers that continually cause problems on the track so they can be addressed of the problems to insure they are fixing the problem. 6.3 6.3 Driver’s Responsibility – The Driver’s main objective is to insure that we maintain a friendly environment for other members. Drivers are responsible for understanding the rules and assisting newer drivers to online racing. Remember you were new to this at one time so show consideration to our newer members and help them to understand what we expect from our members. Drivers should report problems to the Director first and Admin second. Please follow the chain of command when addressing problems. Drivers are required to come prepared and make sure their steering wheel and pedals are operable. 6.4 6.4 Rules and Amendments – Admin has the right to make amendments to the rules to insure we maintain our objective to keep this a friendly league. Suggestions are welcome and to be presented to Admin for review. All input is welcome from any members for this reason. This pertains to rules or league issues as well.
7.0 The Main Rule – The rule that we want to stress to our members the most is to HAVE FUN! Remember this is just a hobby and merely for enjoyment and to make new friends. To keep new friends we must follow these rules and always be considerate. It goes a long way and earns respect in the process. We hope you enjoy your experience with SOAR. All veteran members are here to assist you if you are new to online racing. If you need help please feel free to ask anyone.
Adopted by SOAR Admin January 13, 2006 Posted January 26, 2006
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