The Control Flag

The control flag marks the feature that is circled on the map. It is made of fabric hung on a triangular kite-like wire frame. Each of the three square cloth faces is made up of a white upper triangle and an orange or red lower triangle. The flag is usually hung from a branch or a cane near the control site, although at large competitions the flag is would be hung from a wooden framework (shown here) or metal stake stuck in the ground.

Attached to or near the control flag are one or more punches and a card with the "control code". Each flag is assigned a unique control code, usually a two-letter or three-digit combination. These codes are usually listed in the description sheets that define the controls for each course and allow the orienteer to determine if the control is in fact the correct one.

These pages were last modified Jul '99 by Conor Creedon.
Comments and suggestions to c.creedon@student.ucc.ie