These are awarded in meetings where two riders from one team race against two riders from another team in the same heat (e.g. league matches, pairs competitions). A rider scores a bonus point if they finish in second place behind their partner (in a 5-1 or 5-0 score), or in third place with their partner in second place (in a 3-3 score).
This rule is intended to stop team-mates from racing each other. Bonus points count towards a rider's score (and hence their average), but DO NOT count towards their team's score.
A rider scoring a paid maximum has not been beaten by an opponent, but has finished one or more heats in second place behind a team-mate. For example, his/her results might be 3 2* 3 2*, which represents a 10+2 paid maximum (the same as a 12 point maximum).
In some league competitions, a team can collect an additional league point for an aggregate win over home and away matches against another team. For example:
Ipswich and Reading both gain two league points for their victories, but Ipswich gain the bonus point because the aggregate scores are Ipswich 100, Reading 92.
In the event that the aggregate scores are level, each team nominates a rider for a runoff. The team winning the runoff takes the extra point.
This is a rule used mainly in the British, Danish, Polish and Swedish leagues that is intended to prevent runaway wins. It applies after a pre-defined heat (usually after every rider has taken one ride) when a team is a pre-determined number of points (usually six) in arrears. The team concerned may substitute a rider in the next heat with any other rider in the team. Each rider however, may only be used as a tactical substitute once and there are usually certain heats where tactical substitutions are not permitted (e.g. a top scorers' heat).
More specific information can be found in the British, Danish, Polish and Swedish sections of this FAQ.
The official FIM scheme for marking scorecharts is as follows:
0-3 | Points scored (4 rider races) |
0-5 | Points scored (6 rider races) |
+ | Bonus point |
R | Retired or mechanical failure |
F | Fell |
FN | Fell and non-starter in re-run of race |
N2 | Exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance |
E | Exclusion for starting infringement |
FX | Fell and excluded from re-run of race |
X | Other exclusion |
N | Replaced by a reserve, or non-starter |
- | No ride |
The Speedway Star magazine has a different scheme that is also widely used:
0-3 | Points scored (4 rider races) |
0-5 | Points scored (6 rider races) |
* | Bonus point |
R | Retired |
E | Engine failure |
F | Fell |
M | Exclusion for exceeding two minute time allowance |
T | Exclusion for touching the tapes |
X | Other exclusion |
- | No ride |
This is an event usually held before a longtrack meeting. Riders take turns to ride a flying lap and the competitor with the fastest time is the winner. An initial untimed lap is permitted to gain speed.