GTPlanet OnLine Racing (OLR) Rules & Guidelines

01: OLR General Rules:


A:
These rules are subject to change as there are constant updates/changes coming out for GT5, it is your responsibility to update yourself on the changes.

B:
All drivers are expected to make themselves familiar with the GTP online racing rules before entering any race or competition. If you stumble across a rule that is unclear to you, make sure you fully understand that rule before you enter the race or competition. You can post your questions in the therefore dedicated race thread on the GTP forum.

C:
You are expected to compete in a fair and honest manner. With fair and honest is meant according to the GTP online racing rules, not according to your own interpretation of fair and honest.

D:
You are expected to drive responsibly in a way that’s not likely to ruin the racing enjoyment of your fellow drivers.

E:
You are expected not to submit to bad general behaviour under all circumstances.

F:
You are not allowed to use abusive or offensive language (including but not limited to swearing) in any of the chat or voice facilities.

G:
You are expected to behave like sporting gentlemen at all times.

H:
The position of other drivers must always be respected.

I:
Aggressive driving is strictly prohibited.

J:
Cutting the chicanes or "shorting" the track at any point is strictly prohibited on all parts of the track, including the asphalt-areas in behind out-of track-lines. Track specific boundaries will be clarified in the Race Specifics section of any given event.

K:
If a driver wants to retire from a race, the driver concerned must not exit the race. The driver must find a position on the track where the driver will not endanger other drivers, park their car by pressing "start" and wait for the race to end. Keep in mind that your car may start to move when the start button is pressed. Place your car on a position where this movement won't cause any problems for drivers who are still racing.

L:
No careless driving. Always show respect for your fellow racers. Be careful. Show some patience. Understand the limitations of your car and yourself and drive accordingly. Driving online in a racing sim is NOT exactly the same as real life racing in every respect.

M:
If you are found guilty of any of these rules, the behaviour will be evaluated and penalty assessed by the Race Steward.

N:
When racing or entering GTPlanet's social or competitive race meetings, all drivers are expected to meet the Performance Point criteria. This means setting your car to the maximum PP in social events (unless stated otherwise), or setting your car to a specific PP in competitive events (unless stated otherwise).


02: Driver’s Name Etiquette:


A:
Whether or not you are using your registered GT Planet (GTP_Tag) Online name you are expected to follow these rules accordingly.


03: Event Participation:


A:
If for any reason you know prior to a race you’ll be unable to attend, please advise your Race Steward as soon as possible. If you fail to advise of your intention to be absent in sufficient time before the start of any two consecutive events, you run the risk of being excluded from future events.

B:
As a general rule, if there isn’t a stated rule, then the rules as they are within a program will apply - both intentional and coincidental. I.e. the way a matter is handled by a racing program is the way that it will be interpreted by the Race Steward.

C:
All members of the GTP_Registry are required to use their GTP_Tag for all official GTP Organised events. Failure to do so could result in disqualification from an event. Persistent offenders of this rule will be removed from the GTP_Registry.




04: Pit Etiquette:


A:
When you enter the pit-lane, you're not allowed to cross the white pit-entry-line. PE-1b: When you exit the pit-lane, you're not allowed to cross the white pit-exit-line.

B:
Cars on the race track have right-of-way over cars entering the race track from the pits. You have to take care not to interfere with other drivers on the track. Swerving in front of upcoming cars to defend your position is not allowed. You have to stay on the same side of the track as the pit exit until the first corner.

C:
You're not allowed to overtake other drivers when entering the pitlane.

D:
Make sure you indicate in time that you plan on entering the pitlane to prevent any interference with other cars on the track.




05: Rules Governing Car Contact:


A:
Contacts and collisions must be avoided at all costs.

B:
Pushing other cars in turns or pushing them off the track is strictly prohibited.

C:
Leaning on other cars is strictly prohibited in any situation.



06: Running into the car ahead of you:


A:
The behind driver must take all necessary care and responsibility not to run into an ahead driver.

B:
In case you brake too late for a corner or partially lose control of your car, but can prevent an accident by steering into the dirt, grass or a wall, you are expected to do so.

C:
The ahead driver must not do any malicious or inappropriate braking or slowing. Leading cars MUST NOT EVER 'brake check' the car(s) behind them because they are following too closely. The ahead driver IS entitled to be slower or use longer and earlier braking zones than others. They are also entitled to turn in earlier or later and/or apex earlier or later.




07: Contact Concessions:


A:
If there’s contact between drivers that results in the guilty driver making up places on the innocent driver, the guilty driver should immediately allow the innocent driver to pass freely to re-establish their position. This rule should be observed, even if it means the guilty driver has to allow drivers not involved in the incident to pass while waiting for the driver they contacted.

B:
If the appropriate contact concession is carried out by the guilty driver then they may avoid or reduce the severity of any penalties that might otherwise apply.

C:
If the appropriate contact concession is not carried out by the guilty party then the usual penalties would apply.

D:
If you have to slow down to let the other player through, move out of the racing line first before you slow down. Coming to a full stop is not allowed, just continue at a lower pace until the other driver passes you again.




08: Corner Rights:


A:
When approaching the turn/apex of turn, the car which "holds" the inner side of turn has entrance-advantage and other driver(s) must refrain from endangering him by his actions.

B:
You must establish substantial overlap with the car ahead before they reach the corner’s turn-in point to have the right to drive up their inside, or to expect them to leave inside room for you. At least the front of your car should be up to the driver’s position in the ahead car. The ahead driver has the right to be fully committed to the racing line of their choice without any interference if there was no substantial overlap before he turned in.

C:
If sufficient overlap is established before the turn-in point, then the behind driver has the right to sufficient side room. The ahead driver must also leave sufficient side room for the behind driver. This means that each driver has a right to their respective "line", or side of the track, right up to the exit point. Neither driver should squeeze the other toward the inside or outside of the corner during the apex or exit.

D:
If an ahead driver has clearly made an error to warrant a passing move, a behind driver may attack their position, with due caution and care, regardless of whether there was any pre-existing overlap. However, the overtaking driver must still avoid contact. Small errors by the ahead driver may not justify a passing move. The ahead driver getting a bit out of shape at times doesn’t give you an automatic right to pass. You still have to judge if their error allows for a safe pass to take place.

E:
Drivers who are using PS2/PS3 controller MUST make additional effort in driving due to the fact they can't use side-view, and their perception of the other cars is thereby limited - extreme caution while maneuvering is required. If you are using a controller, you are required to set buttons up for side views as "I didn't see you." is not an excuse if you collide with another driver when racing.




09: Standing Start Guidelines:


A:
Additional caution and care must be taken when beginning a race with a standing start. All of the above rules in regard to contact apply during the start and first corner of the race.

B:
Be Patient. Begin the race at a normal pace that will not cause you to run into cars in front of you. Don't begin by steering to one side and attempting to barge through the pack. Conversely, don't begin at a slow pace that will make you an obstruction or barrier to cars behind you.

C:
Your goal on turn 1 should not be to get to the front, but rather to convert a double wide start field to a single file running order. Look ahead more than one car. Due to field compression, a compact field will run slower through the first few turns than a spread out one. Leave some extra space, but not too much. Drivers behind you won't be expecting sudden braking.

D:
When approaching the first corner, keep in mind that on a public server, there will be times that you are punted off, especially when racing unknown or untrusted drivers. In a crowded field, pinball is quite possible. A racer who runs into you may have been punted. Don't automatically assume malicious intent.

E:
All of the rules in regard to contact concession apply if you knock a racer off track during the start of the race. If you cause a wreck, you are required to wait for all players who go off track as a result, regardless of whether you contacted them directly or not. If you are involved in a wreck which you did not cause, you are not required to wait




10: Defensive Driving:


A:
Leading cars have the right to choose their own line down a straight. They can change their racing line once while driving down a straight (Move from the outside line to the inside, or vice versa). As they approach the next corner, they can return to the racing line of their choice However, they're not allowed to change their line when the behind driver is directly behind and changes his line to try and make a pass. If your movement causes an accident, you're responsible.

B:
Leading cars have the right to take their line of choice through corners. I.e. they may drive a defensive line around the inside of a corner to protect their position, thereby forcing an attacking driver to try to pass around the outside. This is not blocking and is part of normal racing etiquette. In fact, apart from the restrictions of rule 10:A, a leading driver can drive any line which they feel is the most inconvenient for any following car to try to pass them.

C:
Drivers that are about to get lapped have to make sure not to interfere with the lapping cars. Slow down on the straights on either side of the track or maintain the outside line during cornering. If for whatever reason you happen to be on the inside line when being overtaken, stay on the inside line until all drivers that were about to lap you have passed. You are not allowed to deliberately block the lapping cars.




11: Group Battle:


A:
When approaching a battle with 2 or more cars, be extra careful since those cars can change driving lines quickly when trying to defend/overtake. The cars in front will already be driving close, so finding a good overtaking spot is much harder. The same rules apply as when overtaking a single car.

B:
If you cause a crash in a group battle wait for all the effected drivers who were in front or/and driving next to you and let them get past. This doesn't include affected drivers who were driving behind you.

C:
When a crash occurs in a group battle, it’s vital to minimize risks for additional crashes. Slow down if needed, and try to drive on the clear side of the track. Overtaking is still allowed, but only under 1 or more of these conditions:

• The risk of hitting other cars is minimal.
• You overtake to avoid crashing into cars in front of you.
• Slowing down would make you a mobile obstruction for other cars.

D:
When you get 'locked up' in a group battle on the straights, you are not allowed to bump the driver in front of you in order to free yourself out of that situation. Stay behind that driver or move sideways as soon as there's sufficient room to do so.




12: Initial Fault:


A:
If you make a significant driving error and another driver or drivers attempts to capitalize on it, they have the right to do so. Do not try to collide or retaliate because of your error.

For Example: If you go wide at a corner and a close behind car tries to take advantage of this by moving up the inside, you should leave room for them, whether or not they had overlap going into the corner. They must also leave you room. This rule doesn't apply to small errors that don't affect the speed, direction and outcome. This is a bit of a grey area and requires good judgment on both parts.

B:
You can always protest after the race if you think you’ve been wronged by notifying the Race Steward via Private Message ONLY. Do not flood the forum with he said, she said business.




13: Ghost Cars:


A:
A ghost car is any car that is transparent and/or flickering transparent.

B:
If your car is a ghost car, you take on the responsibilities of the following "Recovering from an incident" and "Re-entering to the track after running off" topics as you are at fault. You also give the correct driving line to the non ghosted cars (taking a turn wide so others can pass on the inside). Do not return to the driving line if possible until your car is back to the normal state.

C:
If you are approaching one or more ghost cars on the track, do your best to avoid any contact with them at all as they may return to a normal state immediately. Then the contact would be your fault and in turn you may become a ghost car and have to make room for others while you car slows due to the penalty.

D:
If your car becomes a ghost, you are not permitted to overtake other cars. If you happen to overtake a car while being a ghost, you must return to your original position safely.




14: Recovering from an incident:


A:
It is the responsibility of the driver recovering from any incident to take all necessary care to not interfere with any cars still on the track and not part of the incident. A relevant incident may include, but not limited to -

• Being spun out
• Facing the wrong way,
• Perpendicular to the track
• Going abnormally slow for where you are on the track.
• Getting penalized for any amount of time by the penalty system

If you are off the track then the rules on "Re-entering to the track after running off" apply.

B:
In the event that your car turns to a 'ghost car' you assume the responsibility of avoiding hazards at all costs, refer
to 13-B.




15: Re-entering to the track after running off:


A:
It is the responsibility of the car returning to the track to ensure there are no collisions so that no other drivers have to maneuver or brake suddenly to allow you to resume racing. If there's a chance of a collision, wait and be patient as other drivers have the right of way.

B:
An off track incident includes:

• Being stuck or pinned to a wall or railing.
• More than two tires leaving the track at any one time
• Any situation where the car may lose control and create cross traffic

C:
Do not reverse back onto the track unless it is necessary. If you are backing up away from a wall first look around you to avoid a collision and as the collision would be your fault.

D:
Re-enter the track parallel to the road, slowly and gently, and always with great care. This gives you the best opportunity to see what’s coming up the track behind you, and it also gives drivers coming up on you the best chance to orientate themselves to your situation.




16: Offline Racing:

Offline racing is defined as all racing that is done Offline. This includes all Arcade Time Trials that are linked to the Online leaderboard and all Time Trials that are offered in the Online section of the game.


A:
Colliding with or using walls, fences or other obstacle is forbidden, whether time is gained or not. All times submitted must be 100% wall free unless otherwise stated in the Race Specifics section of any given event (multiple lap races where allowances are made for errors).

B:
Two wheels (except when airborne, where the vertical projection of the car onto the track counts) must be in contact with the track/circuit which includes the rumble strips and footpaths, but not grassed areas.

C:
On city courses the track border is the limit of the usable track.

D:
All green areas are not part of the track unless otherwise stated in the Race Specifics section of any given event.

E:
Curbs, sidewalks/pavements are not part of the track unless otherwise stated in the Race Specifics section of any given event.

F:
Tarmac/Asphalt or any other kind of surface mentioned above that are situated beyond the normal limits of the track, Run-off areas for example, are not part of the track unless otherwise stated in the Race Specifics section of any given event.

G:
Any kind of rumble strip made of concrete, stone etc are part of the track unless otherwise stated in the Race Specifics section of any given event.

H:
Tarmac/Asphalt partially covered with dirt or sand are part of the track unless otherwise stated in the Race Specifics section of any given event.




I:
Rally tracks are limited only by visible and invisible limits of the track.
Anything not touching these hard limits of the track is allowed.
An invisible limit is defined here as an obstacle with which the car can collide but which can not be seen.("invisible wall")

J:
You must not use any cheats or bugs in the game. The use of cheats or bugs affecting the cars performance is forbidden.

K:
The use of external cheats, i.e. Game Sharks, Action Replays etc. is forbidden.

L:
The use of shortcuts (e.g. in license tests, lessons or events) which are based on bugs in the game is prohibited.

The fact that the game will allow you to take shortcuts does not account for a valid run.

M:
If there are computer-controlled car(s) (opponents, pace car etc. - called AI from here on in) appearing in driving tests (licenses, lessons, missions, time attacks, events etc.), any touching of the AI cars is prohibited unless otherwise stated in the Race Specifics section of any given event.

The fact that the game will let you pass the test despite the AI touch does not account for a valid run.

N:
Any other way of cheating we haven't thought of is forbidden.




17: Complaints:


All complaints relating to a racing incident must follow this procedure:

1. Contact the driver concerned privately (GTP_PM or PSN_PM)
2. Discuss in a manner that is normally acceptable here at GTP (AUP)
3. If a complaint cannot be resolved privately then as a last resort contact a GTP_Race Admin
4. Name PM subject title 'Racing Complaint'
5. Supply Members PSN_Tag
6. Supply Date & time of incident
7. Supply Event type
8. Supply Car driven by driver
9. Supply Details and any other relevant information relating to the incident

In case the procedure regarding race incidents is not followed and the driver decides to discuss the racing incident in public here on the GTP forum, the driver may be given a warning or an infraction (in case of repetition or blunt accusations) by one of the OLR racing admins.

All complaints relating to official GTP events should follow the same procedure as above, but the complaint must be sent to the designated Race Steward for any given GTP event.



The OLR Admin Team

Sphinx
DustDriver
EDK
Hugo Boss
Jack
Sjaak
The Grim Reaper
Vaxen
Jump_Ace