# Setting Up a Course

Part of the Orienteering Merit Badge Digital Resource Guide: [Introduction & Overview](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/orienteering/guide/index.md)

*8. Course Design*

> **8.** Do ONE of the following:

This requirement asks you to shift from competitor to course designer. You choose one of two options:

- **Option A:** Set up a cross-country course at least 2,000 meters long with at least five control markers
- **Option B:** Set up a score orienteering course with at least 12 control points and a 60-minute time limit

Both options require a master map and a control description sheet. Read through both options below and choose the one that best fits your situation, your available terrain, and the resources you have.

## Option A — Cross-Country Course

> **8a.** Set up a cross-country course that is at least 2,000 meters long with at least five control markers. Prepare the master map and control description sheet.

A cross-country course visits controls in a fixed sequence. Competitors must find them in order. Designing one teaches you to think about leg difficulty, route choice, and how terrain creates navigation challenges.

### Planning the Course

1. **Choose your venue.** A park, camp property, or Scout reservation with varied terrain works best. You need features — hills, streams, trails, clearings, boulders — to place controls on. A flat, featureless field will not create an interesting course.

2. **Obtain a map.** Use a USGS topographic map, an existing orienteering map if one exists for the area, or create a simplified map. Draw magnetic north lines on it (your work from [Req 4d](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/orienteering/guide/req4d/) applies here).

3. **Select control locations.** For each control, pick a distinct, identifiable terrain feature — something you can describe unambiguously on the control description sheet. Place controls at features like:
   - Trail junctions or bends
   - Stream crossings or junctions
   - Hilltops, saddles, or re-entrants
   - Boulders, clearings, or vegetation boundaries
   - Buildings or ruins

4. **Plan the legs.** Arrange controls so that the total course distance is at least 2,000 meters (2 km). Vary the leg difficulty — some should be along obvious handrails, others should require compass bearings through trickier terrain. The course should flow logically and avoid dangerous areas.

5. **Assign control codes.** Give each control a unique number (e.g., 101–105) that does not match its sequence number.

> **Tip**
>
> Walk the entire course yourself before anyone else runs it. Verify that each control location is findable, the control descriptions are accurate, and the distances are reasonable. If *you* cannot find a control using your own description sheet, no one else will either.

### Setting Up in the Field

- **Hang control markers** (orange-and-white flags or homemade equivalents) at the exact location described on the sheet. Hang them at eye level and visible from at least a few meters away.
- **Mark the control code** clearly on each marker.
- **Verify with a buddy.** Have someone else use your map and descriptions to find each control. If they struggle, adjust.

## Option B — Score Course

> **8b.** Set up a score orienteering course with at least 12 control points and a time limit of at least 60 minutes. Set point values for each control. Prepare the master map and control description sheet.

A score course has no required order. Competitors choose which controls to visit within a time limit. Harder-to-find or more distant controls are worth more points. Designing one teaches you about risk-reward tradeoffs and terrain difficulty assessment.

### Designing the Point Values

Assign point values based on difficulty:

| Difficulty | Points | Typical Location |
|---|---|---|
| Easy | 10–20 | Near trails, obvious features, close to start |
| Moderate | 30–40 | Requires compass bearing, farther from trails |
| Hard | 50–60 | Off-trail, requires precise navigation, distant |

Make sure the total points available exceed what anyone could reasonably collect in 60 minutes. This forces strategic choices.

### Penalty for Overtime

Standard score orienteering deducts points for exceeding the time limit — typically 10 points per minute over. State this rule clearly in the event briefing.

![Topographic map excerpt showing a well-designed orienteering course with a start triangle, five numbered control circles on distinct terrain features, connecting lines showing the course sequence, and a finish double-circle](https://ik.imagekit.io/doulacoop/tr:w-800/mbu-assets/merit-badges/orienteering/guide/course-design-map?v=7caa055d)

## Preparing the Master Map and Control Description Sheet

Both options require these two documents:

### Master Map

The master map shows:
- **Start location** (marked with a triangle)
- **All control locations** (circles with numbers)
- **Connecting lines** between controls (for cross-country) or all controls scattered (for score)
- **Finish location** (double circle)

Draw this on a clean copy of your base map. Make copies for competitors.

### Control Description Sheet

Create a sheet following the IOF format you studied in [Req 6b](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/orienteering/guide/req6b/). Each row describes one control using the eight-column format. Every control needs at minimum:

- Column A: Sequence number (cross-country) or point value (score)
- Column B: Control code
- Column D: Feature symbol
- Column G: Position on feature

**Course Design Quality Check** — Verify before opening the course to competitors

- [ ] Total distance is at least 2,000m (Option A) or at least 12 controls exist (Option B): Meets the minimum requirement.
- [ ] Every control is on a distinct, identifiable feature: No ambiguous placements.
- [ ] Control descriptions match actual field placement: Walk and verify each one.
- [ ] Control codes do not match sequence numbers: Prevents guessing.
- [ ] Course avoids hazards: No cliff edges, deep water, private property, or road crossings.
- [ ] Map has magnetic north lines drawn: Competitors can navigate accurately.
- [ ] Master map is clean and legible: All symbols, circles, and lines are clear.

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- Next: [Acting as an Official](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/orienteering/guide/req9/index.md)