A trial is comprised of a number of laps (usually 2, 3 or 4) divided into sections (usually 10-12 per lap although some events may have more). Each section is controlled by an observer who is responsible for scoring each rider as they attempt the section. Each section must be ridden (in order) while incurring the minimum of penalty points. Penalties are incurred for putting your foot down (sometimes called footing or dabbing), moving backwards, riding outside the flags or falling off.
The fundamentals of trials scoring are:
| Action | Penalty |
|---|---|
| Footing once: | 1 |
| Footing twice: | 2 |
| Footing 3 or more times: | 3 |
| Moving backwards, stalling (with feet down), moving outside the flags or falling off: | 5 |
The winner is the person with the least number of penalty points when all laps have been completed. A "perfect" score would be 0.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
The sport is called Observed Trials for a reason: The section observer is as much a part of the sport as the rider and is analogous to a referee in football with the notable exception that in trials, the observer's decision IS final! Politely enquiring about your mark on a section is fine, arguing with the observer and/or unnecessarily agressive behaviour is not. Every event has a Clerk of the Course (CoC) who is responsible for the event as a whole and any complaints should be directed to this person, not the observer. Conversely, the observer will report any rider exhibiting unsportsmanlike behaviour to the CoC and that rider may be banned from all future events run by the club.
The course between the sections is shown with wooden direction markers. There will be one marker immediately after the "Section Ends" board of each section showing the direction to the next section and at appropriate intervals thereafter. The direction markers are labelled SO (go straight ahead), LH (go left) or RH (go right). If you get lost or aren't sure where to go next, just follow another rider or ride towards the sound of engines and ask!
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