Marshalling and officials: who does what at a race meeting.

Why drivers marshal

During a heat, marshals stand at posts around the track and recover cars that crash. In RC racing those marshals are mostly the competitors themselves, and the rules make it a duty, not a favour.

• IFMAR (electric off-road rules 2019, 1.11.1 to 1.11.3): marshalling is done by the competitors. After each heat, the drivers in that heat put their cars in impound and take marshal positions for the next heat. The organiser provides two fill-in marshals. Exceptions may be made for very young or physically disabled drivers after consulting the Race Director.
• EFRA electric (Handbook 2026, Appendix 3, A.5.2 to 5.8): after a heat the car goes to scrutineering, and the driver then marshals the following heat at the numbered position that matches their car number. Marshal posts are numbered by car number and spread evenly round the track (A.1.1.8).
• EFRA General Rules (2024, 8.15.1): only drivers taking part may, and must, marshal the heat after their own; marshals stay at their posts until replaced; nobody but officials may be on the track during a race.
• EFRA 1/8 off-road finals (Appendix 2, rule 2.5, as amended at the section meeting of 8 November 2025): either each driver in a final provides a marshal for their car-number position, and a driver without one may not race and must marshal that position, or drivers marshal the preceding final on their side of the ladder.
• BRCA: the 2026 South West 10th off-road regionals page says marshals must stay at their post until relieved. The BRCA's 2026 section rules were not read.

Penalties for not marshalling

EFRA's General Rules (2024, 8.15.2) set sporting penalties for failing to marshal: losing the best qualifying time or demotion, or being placed last in a final. Failure is defined as not being at the marshalling point 30 seconds before the start. The rule says a substitute marshal is allowed only for a physically disabled driver, although its penalty for fastest-time qualifying also refers to a competent substitute agreed with the Race Director. Designated marshals who repeatedly fail are excluded from the event.

What the rules ask of marshals

Marshals stand close to fast cars, and each body sets its own conditions:

• IFMAR (electric off-road 2019, 1.11.4): numbered marshal positions must not block drivers' view and may need protection from impacts; marshals must wear safety jackets and adequate footwear. IFMAR's 1/8 IC off-road rules (2024) require drivers coming down from the rostrum to hand their radio to their mechanic before going to their marshal post.
• EFRA (General Rules 2024, 8.15 and 8.15.7): marshal positions spread round the track without blocking drivers' view, with protection such as a wall, tyres or a gate at dangerous positions; each marshal position furnished with gloves or other protection and a safety jacket, which is compulsory to wear; safe footwear that will not come off, with sandals not acceptable. At IC (nitro) events a plastic or wooden baton is mandatory at each post as an aid to stopping a running engine. Large-scale racing has no marshals, with mechanics marshalling from the pit lane (8.15.6).
• BRCA: the drivers' briefing for Large Scale Off-Road Round 8 (October 2025) says marshals had to wear hi-vis vests and gloves and that nobody under 14 could marshal. That is one event briefing; whether it is a BRCA-wide rule was not confirmed.

These are the bodies' requirements, not a description of what protects anyone. Track and rostrum safety rules in full are on track and rostrum rules.

The officials

IFMAR World Championships

In IFMAR's electric off-road rules (2019, 3.1 to 3.7), the Race Director must be approved by IFMAR and the host bloc, and manages the meeting, including marshalling and protests. An International Jury, made up of official representatives of the blocs and chaired by the IFMAR Section Chairman, rules by simple majority on protests outside the Race Director's remit and on stopping racing for weather. IFMAR's 1/8 IC off-road rules (2024) also name Referees, who decide weather questions with the Race Director and can have the black flag shown to call a car in, and a Time-Keeper, who decides the result if the two timing systems differ (3.1, 3.9, 3.29).

EFRA

EFRA's electric rules say the race director may assign rostrum positions and "has absolute authority at the meeting" (Handbook 2026, Appendix 3, A.5.2 to 5.8). Under the General Rules (2024, 5.3.11), the referees and the Race Director decide with the EFRA representative whether to cancel or continue a meeting interrupted for more than an hour. The organiser may inspect any car, its parts and transmitter at any time (Appendix 3, A.4.5).

ROAR Nationals

ROAR's current rule book, which would define officials' duties at other levels, was not read. Its National Guidelines (revised 13 October 2026, 9.1 to 9.7) set the team for a National:

• The Race Management Team supplies a Race Director, a Technical Director, an Announcer and a Scorekeeper.
• The host supplies at least four staff for technical inspection, volunteer turn marshals, radio impound and results, plus at least two pit lane and driver's stand referees.
• All officials must be ROAR members, and Race Management Team officials may not compete.
• The Race Director and Technical Director can make immediate judgments or penalties, and the Race Director leads the official protest committee (10.1).

The race flyer for a National must include a statement that racers abide by the decisions of the Race Director or ROAR officials (4.5.11).

Conduct on the rostrum

EFRA's electric rules (Appendix 3, A.5.9 and 5.10) bar drivers from going onto the rostrum until race control declares the previous race over, and from leaving before their own race is declared over. At EFRA electric events no radio or other communication or coaching between driver and pit crew is allowed in heats or finals. EFRA's General Rules (2024, 5.3.10) bar the use of mobile phones on the rostrum, pit lane and track, and of other transmitting devices except those the organiser needs, the drivers' radio equipment and the equipment rule 8.6.2.b allows.

The bodies differ on talking to the pit crew. IFMAR's 1/10 IC track rules (2024) allow driver-to-mechanic radio on designated public service bands at no more than 500 mW, through a single earpiece and within local radio rules, with no 2.4 GHz equipment for the purpose. IFMAR's electric off-road rules (2019) and EFRA's electric rules ban driver-to-pit communication that gives an advantage during heats and finals. EFRA's General Rules (2024, 8.6.2.b) do allow driver-to-mechanic radio at certain classes, under conditions like IFMAR's 1/10 IC ones. Each rule applies only to its own class and events.