Stamp Checkpoint (SC)
Control checkpoint where the crew receives a stamp on their time card to prove the correct route was followed.
The stamp checkpoint is a control point where the crew receives a stamp on their time card. Unlike the time control, it does not serve for timing but to prove that the crew followed the prescribed route correctly.
Stamp controls are often placed at notable points or at the organiser's partner businesses. A missing stamp can result in penalty points or, in extreme cases, disqualification of the section concerned. They are a simple, reliable means of route verification without electronics.
Functionally, the stamp control corresponds to the transit control (Durchfahrtskontrolle, DK) and the passage control: all three prove, via a stamp or code on the time card, that the prescribed route was followed. Depending on the organiser and regulations the terms are largely used synonymously; the name stamp control emphasises the stamp as the means of proof.
Glossary from A to Z
Related terms
Time card
Control card issued by the organiser on which arrival and passage times are recorded or stamped at the controls.
Passage control
Control point that only confirms passage – proof that the team drove the prescribed route. Related to the transit control.
Transit control
Control where only passage is confirmed by a stamp on the time card – proof of route adherence. Also called a stamp control.