TWFR General Rules
TWFR Spring 2012 SEASON GENERAL RULES
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1. Joining & Registering
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12. Qualifying requirement |
Trans World Formula Racing (TWFR) are the central governing body within Legends League and set the General Rules and guidelines that apply to all current official races run by this league.
The TWFR General Rules set out below apply generically for all events held under the TWFR banner. Specifically, this includes all 3 Official Championship series namely: rFactor TWF1 and TWSC Spring 2012 Championships and covers all of our special events including off season races. These general Rules should be read in conjunction with the relevant specific championship series rules.
There are unavoidably quite a few rules just to cover, we hope, all possible incidents and problems that could arise and have been formulated based on over 16 years of sim racing experience. You should at least take a quick read of them as the rules are your friend being here to help and protect your interests and ensure fairness to all. One unwritten but the most important rule is to ensure that you fully enjoy all the racing here in Legends League :-)
(PLEASE NOTE - Items in red have changed since the previous season)
1. JOINING AND REGISTERING. All Drivers joining the Championship Races MUST be full members of the Legends League and fully registered for the relevant Championship series. For details of how to join Legends League please go here. Membership is free. To register for any of our Official Championship series you will need to meet specific licence requirements, but these are straightforward and full details are covered in the specific rules for each Championship series you wish to join.
2. DRIVER NAMES. ALL drivers must use their REAL NAMES (ie both your given and family names) when participating in all Legends TWFR official races. Legends Forum names must also be clearly based on each member's real name so as to ensure that their forum posts are recognisable as to whom they originated from.
2.a. Previous season championship winners (Individual and Team champions) are allowed to add the abbreviation 1 next to their player name in rFactor i.e A N Other 1 The previous Team Championship winners will be A.N. Other TC1 There are no other exceptions.
3. RACE GRID SIZE AND DRIVER REGISTRATION LIMITS. All Legends TWFR Championships allow a specified maximum grid size. Driver Registrations for any championship series will be accepted up to the series specified maximum grid size. If there are more drivers wishing to register for a championship series than the maximum grid limit then they will be listed as reserve drivers only, but HQ may at their discretion and where technically feasible increase the maximum grid size to accommodate, and/or run additional races where and when practical.
Registration for each Championship series will be on a "first come, first served" basis, but initially, and up to a specified deadline, full priority will be given to existing members who have raced in any of our previous seasons TWFR Championships.
4. GUEST DRIVERS. NO guest drivers, or drivers who have NOT registered for the respective championship series, will be allowed to take part in ANY Official Championship event. In the case of new drivers or existing members wishing to register in any Championship series HQ approval must be given PRIOR to registration. ALL drivers are expected to be completely aware of what is expected of them by ensuring they have completely read and understood the race announcement details, including all rules, and they MUST be familiar with both the track and the mod being used. Any driver who appears clearly to have not complied with this requirement may be booted from the server by the Race Director.
5. RACE SERVER AND PASSWORDS. The race servers will be listed as "Legends-League.com" and suffixed with the relevant championship identifier as appropriate and will be password protected. A global season wide Legends TWFR championship race password will be made available on the website accessible only to Legends members. It will be used for ALL Legends Championship league races and will be changed for each new season. The password will also be changed if seriously compromised. So please take care to not disclose this password outside of the Legends League.
6. RACE ANNOUNCEMENTS. Race announcements will be made on the Legends Website front page at least 5 days before each race and in the Forum in the Race Control section. Full details will be given as to which tracks and car types are required.
7. ADD-ONS AND MODIFICATIONS. No third party enhancements, modifications or add ons, other than those specified within these and the series specific rules, are allowed without the prior agreement of Legends TWFR Administration.
8. CAR SKINS. Custom skins for cars are at the discretion of each driver but are NOT mandatory.
9. PERSONAL SETTINGS. Graphics detail levels, and car and controller settings, are entirely at the choice of the driver, as long as they remain within the normal ranges of the official sim software and car mod being use.
10. TEXT CHAT. YOU MUST NOT use chat during qualifying and racing sessions. It is distracting to other drivers even to use "Sorry", "Thank You", "Pit In/Out" etc. So, unless otherwise stated in the race announcement, the rule is NO CHAT WHATSOEVER during these important sessions, only the Race Director and his official Race Admin assistant(s) will be permitted to do so where deemed essential. Drivers using chat during qualifying or the race will receive a 10 points penalty which will be deducted from championship points earned plus a 5 point addition to thier competition license. If said driver still persists with chat in qualifying or the race then the driver will be booted from the server or banned completely.
10.1. Attendance:
Any driver who has a “no show” without prior notice given and accepted by the RD will automatically be dropped down the list from the next race, dropped down to the bottom of the queue and be replaced by the next driver in line. A minimum of 48 hours notice to the RD is required by any driver to excuse himself/herself from any TWFR championship event, this will give the RD enough time to contact another driver and offer that driver a chance to participate in the event as a one off until the next event when the driver who has been excused returns to take his/her place on the entry list at the next race.
11. VOICE CHAT. TeamSpeak and other voice chat programs are allowed with no restrictions during practice and warm-up sessions. However microphones MUST BE MUTED during all Qualifying and Race sessions if you are on an open channel. If you wish to discuss any team tactics, or other private issues with another driver during Qualifying or Race sessions then this MUST only be on a private TeamSpeak channel, or use another independent voice comms application such as Skype.
12. QUALIFYING REQUIREMENT. You should be on-line at some stage during qualification though you do not need to complete a single lap. Any drivers failing to attend qualifying will be allowed to join the race if there is room on the grid, but of course they will start at the very rear of the grid.
13. CORNER CUTTING. rFactor drivers must not cut chicanes or other corners. You must keep two tyres on the tarmac at all apexes. Kerbs do NOT count as tarmac! You may fully use the kerbs at the exit or corners but you must not use tarmac run off areas other than for their purpose of regaining control in the event of a mistake. If you should accidentally cut a chicane etc then give back any position(s) gained or defended as soon as it is safe to do so. Serious offenders are liable to a penalty imposed by TWFR HQ.
Examples of what is allowed and not allowed
14. REJOINING THE TRACK. Care must be taken when rejoining the track after an off and when exiting the pits. Whatever the reason for your leaving the track it is your responsibility to rejoin safely! Serious offenders are liable to an imposed penalty or even disqualification by TWFR HQ.
15. CRASH RECOVERY AND SAFETY. If you are involved in an incident and incur damage then it is your responsibility to remove your car from the track as quickly as possible to either retire or where possible reset your car depending on the sim being used, OR drive carefully back to the pits for any possible repairs ensuring that you do not in the process endanger other cars on track. NOTE: In all rFactor races lost wheels MAY NOT be replaced in the pits, as it is considered to be terminal damage. If a wheel is lost/detached from the car the driver must IMMEDIATELY remove their car from the track and esc to the garage.
15.a. UNREALISTIC DAMAGE REPAIR/CRASHES
Legends promotes realistic racing. However sometimes RFactor allows vehicles to continue in circumstances which would normally end a driver's race. Anyone who encounters severely unrealistic circumstances must consider themselves to be out of the race and retire accordingly. Failure to do so will result in disqualification as well as other possible penalties.
Drivers may of course repair damaged suspensions/wings/punctures/bodywork in the pits however as an example circumstances to retire would be
a) Losing a wheel
b) Flipping / somersaulting the car
c) Crashing through a barrier, and driving miles around the scenery to rejoin (short rejoins are okay)
In short - use your common sense. If it looks ridiculous it probably is!
16. FLAGS. In ALL Legends TWFR Racing we fully comply with all the normal Flag Rules. This means you must obey all flags shown to you whilst on-track and in particular the all important YELLOW and BLUE flags. Failure to comply with these flag rules will most likely result in an imposed penalty by TWFR HQ.
16(a): YELLOW FLAG/ACCIDENT ZONE - When the Yellow flag is displayed, or you are in/around an accident zone you MUST SLOW DOWN as appropriate and most importantly you MUST NOT INITIATE AN OVERTAKE as it is possible to gain an advantage under these conditions, PASSING IS PROHIBITED UNTIL ENTIRELY COMPLETING THE NEXT TURN. (i.e. a braking then acceleration zone). Follow-on incidents which occur through drivers not taking appropriate care are likely to be assessed a higher penalty by the stewards of the event.
16(b) BLUE FLAG - When displayed it means of course that you are about to be lapped. Although it is the lapping driver's responsibility to overtake cleanly and safely the lapped driver MUST NOT attempt to block or impede the overtaking move, but should act in a clear and concise manner to facilitate making the overtaking manoeuvre easy and safe. The lapped driver MUST FACILITATE an overtake at the earliest reasonable opportunity. On review-If the driver (who is being lapped) is deemed to have NOT facilitated the pass as decsribed above, the Race Stewards will impose penalties, which could include a race ban if the incident warrants it.
17. SOFTWARE BUGS AND GLITCHES. Any driver may make an appeal to HQ within 12 hours of the race finish should any software bug adversely affect them during a race and it will be carefully investigated by the race administration team by viewing the replay, logs etc. If the error is correctable and there is no element of doubt then the race results will be fairly amended accordingly. If it is a non-correctable error, such as a disconnect for example, it will be treated as a terminal racing incident comparable to an engine failure in real life racing. Obviously a catastrophic software/internet failure affecting all, or a significantly large number, of the drivers will most likely force a race restart where possible, or a postponement, for which the Race Director with Admin control of the server will make the sole and final decision.
18. PROTESTS AND PENALTIES.
An objective of Legends League is to race in a friendly and gentlemanly manner. In the case of any dispute we first of all encourage the drivers involved to discuss the incident together and settle amicably between them. However in the case of any disputes which cannot be so resolved, they can be referred to the Stewards' Office as described below.
At least three appointed race stewards will make a ruling following a review of the race replay data. Their decision will be final. No Race Stewards who were directly involved in a disputed incident will take part in this process. All disputes MUST be raised ONLY by e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or to the Chief Steward privately at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it A cooling off period of 48 hours after the race is allowed BEFORE filing a protest. Protests to be filed on the Tuesday, no earlier, no later of the relevant race meeting finishing. Any publicly aired complaints will be ignored and it could mean that no action will then be taken.
18a. Drivers making a protest will be allowed ONE free protest per season, if the stewards uphold that protest the driver who protested will still be allowed the use of the free protest during the season but, if the stewards do not uphold the protest, for every subsequent protest filed the driver will be charged 15 championship points. If the protest is not upheld, the 15 championship points will be deducted from the championship standings points table. It is strongly advised that if available you download and watch the server replay of the incident concerned before officially making any protest to ensure that it still appears to be a valid case.
18b. If a driver is found to be the subject of a properly filed protest which is subsequently upheld by the Stewards, or for any other valid reason considered appropriate by the Stewards, then he/she will receive a penalty as outlined in the championship series specific rules. However, at the Chief Steward's discretion a driver may receive a lesser or more severe penalty depending on the circumstances.
18c. In all matters relating to protests or awarding penalties, the Chief Steward's and/or HQ's decision will be final and NO DISCUSSION WILL BE ENTERED INTO.
19. DRIVER RACE CONDUCT.
19.1 Yield Rule.
If ANY position is gained illegally, by means of contact (i.e. Nudging a driver from behind and taking the place, cutting a corner and the like) the driver who GAINED the position MUST yield the place back as soon as possible-failing to do so WILL result in a post race penalty which could even be a DQ. Circumstances could arise whereby the position cannot be given back which will be taken into account but rest assured the appropriate penalty under the rules will be applied.
Additional Note:This type of driving is not only unsporting but is frowned upon here and, on review by the Race Stewards if the verdict is so-the said driver will be severely dealt with-do not expect just a slap on the wrist when the penalty comes your way.
19.2 Blocking. Drivers may conduct one [1] tactical manoeuvre to dictate the line of the opposing driver while defending a position. This manoeuvre must be conducted with sufficient time and distance so as not to:
a. Initiate any contact with the opposing driver
b. Force the opposing driver to take evasive action to avoid contact
c. Impede the immediate forward progress of the opposing driver [force him/her to brake or lift throttle]
d. Take place within established and/or recognized braking zones
Failure to meet any of these conditions will be deemed as blocking and subject to penalty.
19.3 Avoidable Contact. In the opinion of the Race Stewards, any driver who initiates avoidable contact which results in the interruption of another competitor's lap time or track position will be subject to a penalty. Should the contact result in damage to or immediate retirement of the other competitor, further penalties may be assessed.
19.4 Unjustifiable Risk. In the opinion of the Race Stewards, any action that represents an unsafe act, an unjustifiable risk or reckless endangerment, will result in the assessment of penalties.
19.5 Judgemental decisions by the Race Stewards in this regard are not subject to protest or appeal.
20.AUTOMATIC DISQUALIFICATION. If the server disqualifies you for any racing infringement then this is an automatic decision that will be almost impossible to correct later, but the Rule 17 appeal system above will still apply. Care should be taken not to break pit lane speed limits and to always observe the blue and black flags as failure to do so could also cause an automatic disqualification or severe penalty.
21. WINGS - UNFAIR ADVANTAGE If your car is capable in the setup menu of having no front wing it is legal. However, if it is not a legal set up option, then any qualifying lap driven without a front wing will be illegal whether deliberately or accidentally completed. Under race conditions it will be illegal if the front wing is deliberately knocked off by the driver, however if it occurs in a genuine accident there will be no requirement to pit. All cars will start the race at the green light with both wings if fitted undamaged. However, driving in a race with a damaged car may be the cause of a serious accident, so it is the driver's full responsibility to ensure that his car is safe to drive at all times. Any incident deemed to have been caused, directly or indirectly, by driving a dangerously damaged car may well result in penalties being applied to the driver concerned.
22. RACE RESTARTS A race will only normally be restarted due to connection/server issues where technically possible and only if a large number of drivers are disconnected involuntarily. All race restarts will be totally at the discretion of the Race Director and his decision will be final.
23. RULE AMENDMENTS. Legends HQ Administration reserve the right to change any or all of these rules where felt appropriate. Any such changes will be promptly and clearly announced in the Race Control section of our forum.
It is hoped that we can keep these rules to an absolute minimum to make for good fun, friendly and yet still competitive racing. However if any problems arise then further rules may need to be added later and/or rules may need modifying. If you feel there are any omissions, ambiguities or errors in these rules and settings then please let us know as soon as possible by private e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
TWFR HQ Administration
Last Updated (Thursday, 24 January 2013 17:40)