The SNAIL OLR
This copy of the SNAIL OLR will not be updated effective 8/6/2015. The current version can be found here, in the SNAIL policy and guidelines thread.
This is, in many respects, identical to the GTP OLR. Some parts have changed, but the general tenets of race craft have not. Please be sure to familiarize yourself with the entirety of this document.
Read it. Learn it. Live it.
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01: SNAIL OLR General Rules:
A: These rules are subject to change as there are constant updates/changes coming out for GT6, it is your responsibility to update yourself on the changes. The Stewards will post in the thread when a change has been made and what the change entails.
B: All drivers are expected to make themselves familiar with the 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 SNAIL thread.
C: You are expected to compete in a fair and honest manner. Fair and honest means according to the SNAIL 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 behavior under all circumstances.
F: Try to maintain a generally affable nature with the rest of the group; both in the thread and on the game. Some friendly rib-jabbing is expected. This isn't church.
G: You are expected to behave like sporting gentlemen and women 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 for certain tracks if it is not generally obvious.
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 coming to a complete stop and turning on the emergency brake and wait for the race to end. If you do not come to a full stop and turn on the brake your car may drive on by itself. Do not, under any circumstances, use the start button except as noted in section O. of the OLR.
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. Familiarity with the car and track is expected. Do not go into a Sunday night without having practiced and expect to be able to late brake or make other aggressive maneuvers without incident.
M: If you are found guilty of any of these rules, the behavior will be evaluated and penalty assessed by the Race Stewards as per the penalty system..
N: When racing or entering a SNAIL Sunday night race, all racers are expected to use cars with a fresh oil change. All racers' cars should have the same horsepower, PP and tires.
O: You must not use any cheats or bugs in the game. The use of cheats or bugs affecting the cars performance is forbidden.
1. Use of the start button to ghost your car at any time for any reason is considered a cheat.
2. Drivers may use the start button once they have entered pit lane in order to safely retire from a race.
P: The use of external cheats is forbidden.
02: Event Participation:
A: If for any reason you know prior to a race you’ll be unable to attend, please advise by posting on the thread as soon as possible. An advanced notice of 24 hours is expected. Notices inside of 24 hours are still expected. If you fail to attend, your status may be changed to inactive.
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 Stewards.
03: Pit Etiquette:
A: As the S.N.A.I.L. Sunday night races do not require a pit stop under normal circumstances, any series running under the SNAIL umbrella may adopt their own rules regarding pit entry and exit.
04: 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.
D: Some contact through a corner or through a pass may not be avoidable and may be deemed "incidental" should it not appear to affect the likely outcome of the section in question.
05: 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, you must do your best to avoid making the loss of control into a bigger incident. Some contact may be unavoidable in these situations, but you are expected to minimize the impact of it to the best of your ability. If this means turning your car into a wall or off the track to avoid contact, that is what you are expected to do.
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. The ahead driver should not make a drastic or sudden change to their line through a corner.
06: Contact Concessions:
A: If there is contact between drivers that results in the guilty driver making up places on the innocent driver, the guilty driver should allow the innocent driver to pass freely to re-establish their position at the earliest safe place to do so. 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 will reduce, but not eliminate, any penalties that might otherwise apply as per the SNAIL penalty system.
C: 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 slower pace out of the racing line until the other driver passes you again. After completing the concession, return to the racing line when it is safe to do so. This means that your return to the racing line will not affect any other driver on the course.
07: 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. The ahead driver must not abruptly change their line through a corner for any reason.
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: The turn in point is the point at which the leading car begins their turn into the corner on their chosen line. It is not necessarily the first move toward the apex. It is the move that commits the lead driver to their chosen line. Example: A gradual move toward the apex followed by a sharper turn would mean that the sharper turn would be the turn in point. Example: Multiple turning movements approaching the turn would mean that the final turning movement would be the turn in point. This point may vary from the point at which
you turn into the corner.
E: 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 necessarily justify a passing move. The ahead driver getting a bit out of shape at times doesn’t give you an automatic right to force a pass. You still have to pass safely and without undue contact. The ahead driver must not make any sudden changes to their line in an attempt to defend their position in this situation.
F: Drivers are expected 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.
08: 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 continue racing cleanly picking up one spot at a time. 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. If you are behind a few cars in line, be prepared to brake extra early for a turn, as each car will be braking a bit farther back on the track than the one in front of it in order to avoid contact.
D: 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.
9: 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 are 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 are 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. This does not mean that the lead driver may change their line mid-corner in an attempt to block a fellow competitor.
C: Drivers that are about to get lapped have to make sure not to interfere with the lapping cars. The driver being lapped should stay on the racing line but slow down just enough to allow the lead driver an easy pass. Keep your racing line predictable and try to stay out of the way.
10: 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:
1. The risk of hitting other cars is minimal.
2. You overtake to avoid crashing into cars in front of you.
3. 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. This rule does not restrict bump drafting.
11: 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 Division Steward and the other racer/s via the S.N.A.I.L. incident report form ONLY. Do not flood the forum with he said, she said business or we will throw out your protest.
12: 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. This may be hard to tell if you use bumper cam, but do your utmost to determine your state. Naturally, if you are serving a penalty, assume you are ghosted.
C: If you are approaching one or more ghost cars on the track, you must 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 your car slows due to the penalty. Passing through a ghost car that is not entirely out of control in an effort to pass them will bring a penalty.
D: If your car becomes a ghost, you are not permitted to overtake other non-ghosted cars. If you happen to overtake a car while being a ghost, you must return to your original position safely.
E: If your car is a ghost you are not allowed to intentionally drive through other cars, just as they are not allowed to drive through you. In short, all cars on the track should be considered solid, no matter what state the game displays them.
F: In the event of an accident ahead of you in which cars have the potential to be ghosted, you should treat this incident as if the cars in front of you are going to be solid when you arrive. This means braking for an accident in front of you and not just trying to run through it at full speed.
G: Note about this section: With the penalties in game set to off, the only reason a car would ghost is if the start button were used. The use of the start button during a race is prohibited and is considered using a cheat in game. This section of the OLR is left here in the event that another SNAIL series wants to use the in game penalties and would need rules governing ghost cars.
13: 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 is not limited to -
1. Being spun out
2. Facing the wrong way,
3. Perpendicular to the track
4. Going abnormally slow for where you are on the track.
5. Getting penalized for any amount of time by the penalty system
If you are off the track, serving a penalty, or recovering from an incident in which you didn’t leave the track but are significantly slower than the race pace then the rules on "Re-entering to the track after running off" apply.
14: 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 but is not limited to:
1. Being stuck or pinned to a wall or railing.
2. More than two tires leaving the track at any one time
3. 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.
E: When re-entering the track, you must take all available measures to not affect any other driver on the track. The cr ow flies at
8:41. If this means you have to come to a complete stop on the side of the track and wait for the track to be clear, then that is what you must do.
15: Track Boundaries:
A: Colliding with or using walls, fences, cones, brake markers or any other obstacle that is outside the track surface is forbidden, whether time is gained or not.
B: Two wheels (except when airborne, where the vertical projection of the car onto the track counts) must be in contact with the track surface which is defined in this section.
C: Any kind of rumble strip made of concrete, stone etc. is part of the track unless otherwise stated herein or by the Stewards / Technical Director. These rumble strips are generally painted a striped pattern. When there is any potential for confusion, a clarification will be issued by the Stewards / Technical Director as to what is considered rumble strip and what is not.
D: All green painted areas are NOT part of the track unless otherwise stated by the Stewards / Technical Director prior to the race. If the painted area is a color other than green, it will be clarified by the Stewards / Technical Director prior to the track being used for an official SNAIL Sunday night event. A change in surface can also mark the edge of the track. If this is the case, it will be determined and announced by the Stewards / Technical Director prior to use for a Sunday night event.
E: 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.
F: The use of shortcuts which are based on bugs in the game is prohibited. The fact that the game will allow you to take shortcuts does not make it legal according to SNAIL.
G: Any other way of cheating we haven't thought of is forbidden.
Note: The section on Track Boundaries is a work in progress. Specific boundaries by track can be found here:
https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/threads/◆-snail-spec-racing-is-presented-by-buttkicker-feel-what-youve-been-missing-spots-open.235094/page-2431 and these descriptions will have priority over anything that may be printed in this section.
16: Qualifying:
A: Qualifying will be done using the “qualify alone” option within GT6. Qualifying will be 6 minutes in duration no matter the number of race laps. In the event that this option becomes unavailable for any reason, a contingency plan will be put into place by the stewards.
17: Incident Reports (formerly known as Complaints)
A: All racing incident reports must use this procedure, which is modeled and automated to follow the GTPOLR complaint process:
All incident reports must be submitted at
The S.N.A.I.L Incident Report (IR) Submission Form, by 11pm Eastern / 8pm Pacific on Monday night. This process is specific to SNAIL Sunday League night.
Other SNAIL series may use a different reporting procedure, contact the respective series organizer for those details.
Disclaimer:
Section 01 K and O updated to further clarify the use of the start button and retiring from a race.
This version of the SNAIL OLR was updated on Feb. 10, 2014 to include changes to ghost cars, clarify the use of the start button as a cheat, and to improve formatting.
This version of the SNAIL OLR was published on Jan. 23, 2014 and replaces any previously published version of the SNAIL OLR.
For the record at least.
). I think he was running mid-low 2:12s at Monza, 1:29s at Brands Hatch GP, and 1:40 flat at Monaco.
