Time card
Control card issued by the organiser on which arrival and passage times are recorded or stamped at the controls.
The time card (also control card; German Bordkarte) is a document issued by the organiser that the crew carries throughout the rally. The times are recorded on it at the individual control points: at time controls and passage controls the marshals enter the arrival time or stamp the card. The time card thus provides seamless proof that the team drove the prescribed route in the correct order and at the correct times.
Often the prescribed target times are already noted on the time card, against which the times actually driven are measured. The penalty points result from the difference. At some events the co-driver also notes prescribed letters or numbers from signs at the roadside on the time card, which are used to check whether the correct route was driven.
The time card is therefore the central scoring document of the event. It must be kept carefully and presented at every control – a missing stamp can mean penalty points or exclusion from the scoring. Unauthorised changes to the recorded times usually lead to disqualification. The time card should not be confused with the roadbook, which contains the route and the tasks.
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Related terms
Time Control (TC)
Marked control point where a crew's arrival time is recorded against the target time (abbreviated TC).
Control point
Defined location on the route where a control takes place – such as a time, transit or passage control.
Passage control
Control point that only confirms passage – proof that the team drove the prescribed route. Related to the transit control.