Guide ยท Competitions

How to start a competition

Plan a club competition in RCMap, set divisions and courses, open registration, and assign the helpers who keep event day moving.

8 min read

Overview

Use this guide when your club is ready to run a scored competition in RCMap. You will create the public event, define the scoring structure, open registration, and assign the helpers who need event-day tools.

Competitions live inside clubs. That keeps setup permissions, registrations, roles, and communication tied to the people organizing the event.

Before you start

  • You have an RCMap account and can sign in.
  • The hosting club already exists in RCMap.
  • You are the club owner, a club admin, or a moderator.
  • You know the event date, rough schedule, divisions or classes, course count, gate count, time limit, and scoring penalty defaults.
  • Any judges, scorekeepers, or tech inspectors already have RCMap accounts, or know which email they will use.
Recommended setup

Start with one course and the default Class 1, Class 2, and Class 3 divisions. Add complexity only when your event needs it.

01

Open the club that will host the competition

Start from the club page, not from the map. RCMap competitions belong to a club so entries, roles, and event communication stay scoped to the organizing group.

In the Club comps section, choose Schedule comp. If you only see View all, ask the club owner or an admin to make you a manager before you continue.

The RCMap club page with the Schedule comp button highlighted in the Club comps section.
Desktop web. Club managers see the competition tools on the club page.
The mobile RCMap club page with the Club comps card and Schedule comp button highlighted.
Mobile. The mobile layout keeps the same club-scoped Schedule comp entry point.
02

Fill in the competition basics

Give the event a clear Competition name, then set the Start and End times. Use the Description field for check-in time, parking notes, class notes, and anything drivers should bring.

Write the description for a driver who has not attended your events before. A useful description reduces questions later.

The Schedule a competition form with Competition name, Start, End, and Description highlighted.
Desktop web. The basics become the public event card drivers read before they enter.
The mobile Schedule a competition form with Competition name, Start, End, and Description highlighted.
Mobile. The basics fields stack for mobile organizers without changing the required setup.
03

Set the format: status, courses, divisions, and rules

Choose the Status, number of Courses, and one Division or class per line. RCMap starts with common crawler defaults: Class 1, Class 2, Class 3, one course, ten gates, a 300 second time limit, and a ten point gate penalty.

Use Draft if the event is not ready for drivers. Use Open when drivers can enter immediately. Courses and divisions can be adjusted later, but courses with scored runs and divisions with entries are kept for history.

The Competition format section showing Status, Courses, Divisions/classes, Gates per course, Time limit seconds, and Gate penalty fields.
Desktop web. The format fields create the scoring shell RCMap will use on event day.
The mobile Competition format section showing Status, Courses, Divisions/classes, Gates per course, Time limit seconds, and Gate penalty fields.
Mobile. The mobile format section keeps status, courses, divisions, and rule defaults together.
04

Save the competition and review the public page

Select Schedule comp. RCMap creates the competition, adds it to the club calendar, and opens the public competition page.

Review the status chip, title, time, description, divisions, courses, and entry state. If anything is wrong, choose Edit setup and correct it before drivers start entering.

A competition page with the Open status chip, registered driver count, Edit setup button, Driver entry area, and Run day tools highlighted.
Desktop web. After saving, check the public competition page before sharing it.
The mobile competition page with the Open status chip, registered driver count, Edit setup button, and event metadata highlighted.
Mobile. The mobile public page surfaces status, entries, timing, and setup controls first.
05

Open registration and monitor entries

When the event is ready, use Open registration from the Run day tools panel. Drivers can then select a Division and a Garage truck, or add a basic truck while entering.

Managers can adjust entry numbers, move drivers between divisions, check entries in, mark tech inspection, export standings CSV, and close registration by changing the status from Edit setup.

The competition page showing Open registration, Driver entry, and Registered drivers controls highlighted.
Desktop web. Open registration when drivers should be able to enter with their Garage trucks.
The mobile competition page showing Driver entry and Registered drivers controls highlighted.
Mobile. Mobile registration keeps the driver entry form and run order controls available in the same flow.
06

Assign organizers, judges, scorekeepers, and tech inspectors

In Judges and scorekeepers, enter the helper's email, choose a role, optionally scope it to a course, then select Assign.

Organizers and scorekeepers can manage the competition. Judges can run scoring. Tech inspectors can mark entries as tech passed or disqualified. Club owners, club admins, the competition creator, and moderators already have manager access.

The Judges and scorekeepers panel with email, role, course, and Assign controls highlighted.
Desktop web. Assign helpers before event day so they have the right tools when they arrive.
The mobile Judges and scorekeepers panel with email, role, course, assigned helpers, and Assign controls highlighted.
Mobile. The mobile helper panel still exposes email, role, course scope, and current assignments.

FAQ

Who can schedule a competition for a club?

Club owners, club admins, and site moderators can schedule club competitions. If you do not see Schedule comp on the club page, ask a club owner or admin to update your club role.

Can I keep a competition private while I finish setup?

Yes. Set the competition status to Draft while you prepare the details. Move it to Open when drivers should be able to enter.

Can drivers enter without a Garage truck?

Drivers can add a basic truck from the entry form. RCMap saves it to their Garage while signing them up.

What happens if I change divisions or courses after drivers enter?

RCMap renames existing divisions and courses in order. Divisions with entries and courses with scored runs are kept so registration and results history stay intact.

Which helper role should I use?

Use organizer or scorekeeper for people who need manager-level control, judge for scoring, and tech_inspector for tech inspection.

What's next