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Team Play

Team Play is a play mode where multiple people cooperate and compete by score. In standard play, each participant competes with their own result. In Team Play, scores earned by members of the same team are combined.

Difference from standard play​

ItemStandard playTeam Play
RankingIndividualTeam
ScoreOnly your own points countScores earned by team members are combined
How to joinChoose a category and startEnter an Entry Number (Team Number) and join the same team
What you see during playMainly your own statusYou can also check team members' locations and status

:::note This is different from using the same Entry Number in standard play Even in standard play, when multiple participants enter the same Entry Number they are treated as one team, but scores are not combined and only the highest-ranked record within the team is reflected in the leaderboard. Team Play is the mode where scores are combined. :::

Main features of Team Play​

  • When one member visits a checkpoint (shown as a "spot" in the app), the score is added to the team
  • If multiple members of the same team visit the same checkpoint, the score is counted only once
  • Team members can split up and move separately
  • You can divide roles while checking each member's location
  • Team members can exchange messages with each other

Which categories support it​

Team Play can be used only in categories where the organizer enabled Team Play. In standard categories, the team functions do not appear.

Depending on the organizer's settings, the same event may contain both standard categories and Team Play categories.

What to know before joining​

  • To join the same team, all members must enter the same Team Number
  • There is a maximum number of people who can join a team (the organizer sets it per category). You cannot join a team that has reached its capacity
  • A number used by a team that has already finished competing cannot be reused. If you want to reuse the same number for practice, use a different number
  • A member who has finished once cannot restart on the same team
  • Joining a team (registering the Team Number at the start) requires a connection
  • Whether the team must start together depends on the rules of each event
  • How results are finalized may differ from standard play

Joining flow​

  1. On the event details screen, choose a Team Play category.
  2. Tap Start course.
  3. Confirm your display name and any required information.
  4. Enter your Team Number.
  5. When members who entered the same number appear as one team, you are ready to start.

What is a Team Number?​

The Team Number is used to link members of the same team. In the app, it uses the same input field as the Entry Number (labeled "Entry Number / Team Number"), and participants who enter the same number become one team. In Team Play categories, the Entry Number is the Team Number.

  • The number may be assigned by the organizer in advance
  • It may also be decided by each team on the event day

The exact rule differs by event, so follow the organizer's guidance when there is one.

Things to check before the start​

  • Your display name and Team Number cannot be changed after you proceed to the play screen, so be sure to check for input mistakes
  • All team members selected the same category
  • Everyone can communicate online if needed
  • If the organizer uses a mass start, your team understands how to wait and start

How scoring works​

  • When any member visits a checkpoint, that score is added to the team
  • If multiple members visit the same checkpoint, the score is counted only once
  • When you are online and try to punch a checkpoint that another member has already visited, "Could not record the visit because another team member has already visited" is shown and it is not recorded
  • If a duplicate was recorded because of a dropped connection or similar, the score of the record visited first is used
  • Even if duplicated points appear temporarily, the final team score does not include duplicates

:::note Bonus points in team competitions Combo Bonus is also valid in team competitions and is reflected in the team's total score and ranking. Bonus QR, on the other hand, cannot be used in team competitions (if you scan one, "Bonus QR codes are not available in team events yet." appears, and the team result does not show a "Bonus Points" row either). For details on bonus points, see Bonus points (QR & combo). :::

Start and finish times​

  • The team start time is based on the first member of the team to start
  • The team finish time is based on the last member of the team to finish
  • The time limit and penalties are calculated from the elapsed time between this team start time and finish time. Note that if members start at different times, the team's elapsed time becomes longer accordingly
  • Whether everyone must start together, and how all finishes are treated, depends on the rules of each event

If one member retires​

In the app, this is handled as follows.

  • If at least one member finishes, the team is treated as having finished
  • Points that a retired member earned before retiring are included in the team's score
  • If all members who started retire, the team is also treated as retired (DNF)

The rule the event adopts (for example, requiring everyone to finish) may differ from this, so the organizer's guidance ultimately takes priority.

Connectivity and location sharing​

  • Joining a team (registering the Team Number) requires a connection. Always start while you can communicate
  • Even if the connection drops temporarily during play, visit records may still remain on the device
  • However, location sharing and real-time team score updates may be delayed
  • They will sync again when the connection returns

Team messages​

In Team Play, members of the same team can exchange messages. This is useful for sharing plans and current locations.

Viewing results​

  • Rankings are shown by team. Finished teams are listed in order of highest score (and, if tied, shortest time), and teams that retired (DNF) partway are listed at the end
  • Teams with the same score and same time share the same rank
  • You can search by team name or Team Number to quickly find your own team
  • On the team detail screen, you can also check each member's visit records
  • The timing of result publication depends on the organizer's visibility settings

Naming a team​

In addition to a number, a team can have an optional team name. From the menu on the team detail screen, choose Update team name, and it appears in results and rankings in the format "Team [number] [team name]".