Data validation is a way of ensuring that the data that you have collected on your registration form is correct and properly formatted. This is especially useful for CCC and FIS license numbers as invalid numbers will cause problems when points from your race need to be submitted. Data validation is also useful for standardizing Club/ Team names and is essential for assigning the correct CPL/ FIS points so that seeding is done correctly.
Note that data validation done in your registration form not in Zone4 timing. As such it is essential that it is done before creating a race. Validation can occur while your registration is still open or after it closes.
How do I Validate Registration Data?
Under the Reports section of your registration form, find the Validation tool. This will only appear if your registration form has the preset CCC Licence field on it.
Validation Setup
The first step is to make sure that the fields on your registration form are correctly associated with standardized fields within the CPL system. This dialog will popup automatically the first time you visit the validator. After that, this is accessible via the Configure Fields under the menu in the top right.
This will open the Configure Validation pictured below.
Currently, only the Canadian cross country CPL (Canada Points List) data is available for validation. In the future, other data sets will be integrated such as Cycling UCI, Biathlon Canada, USSA, Triathlon.)
On the left are the fields in your registration form and on the right are standardized CPL fields. The system will try to match them up automatically, but it is always a good idea to go through them to make sure that they have been matched correctly. Once you have reviewed fields select the Use these field maps option pictured below.
All fields in the CPL system must be present on your registration form if you are using validation. If a required field is not present on your form, leave the “no match” option selected and it will be created as a hidden admin-only field automatically,
Validate Licence Field
The most important field to validate first is the Licence field (for skiing, start with the CCC Licence field.) If licences aren’t correct, the Club, Team, Points, and other data won’t validate correctly. So start by clicking the Validate CCC Licences button.
This will list all the missing or potentially incorrect data for that field. You will need to go through that list and correct issues. For each person in the list, click the Check button beside their name to open a window showing their registration data and the data that the Validation system thinks should be used for the person. This will ask you if the person has been correctly matched by the validation system, and apply the suggested change to their licence if they have been matched correctly.
Note that you can look up any CCC licence number on the cross-country Canada website. There is a quick link built in to the Zone4 system for doing this. Simply select the overflow menu for an identified racer and choose the Look up On Website option as is pictured below. This will automatically look up that athletes CCC licence on Cross-Country Canada’s website. If no corresponding athlete is found, then either they have not renewed their licence, or they’ve entered the wrong number. The same system exists for looking up FIS licence numbers.
There is also an option to make notes on registrants in the overflow menu (as is pictured below). These notes will then be displayed in that individuals cart.
You can also apply all changes to a field at once. Do this by using the Apply These Changes button at the bottom of the page as is pictured below. Just be sure to review changes before selecting this option.
Validating Data Fields
Once your licences are correct, validating the other fields will work very smoothly. First select the field you wish to validate in the drop down menu. Although there are many fields in your registration form it is certainly not essential to look through each one for incorrect data, but there are a few where a look through is recommended. These are Team names, Club Names, DOB, Gender and Bib Pickup (for xc ski races.) Just like the licence validation, you can apply changes one by one, or in bulk using the Apply These Changes button at the bottom of the page. Just be sure to review changes before selecting this option.
Note that for team and club names the goal is to standardize various club and team names. For example Nakkertok Ski Club may be entered as; Nakkertok Nordique, Nakkertok Nordic or simply Nakkertok. Standardizing these names will make sorting through your data much easier for tasks such as bib handout and assigning Club points.
Assigning FIS and CPL Points
Once you have validated the data for licences and other club and team data you will need to assign points to each racer. This is essential for seeding and creating a Start List. To do this navigate to one of the CPL or FIS points lists fields in the drop down menu as is pictured below.
Unless you have asked registrants to enter their CPL/FIS points themselves in your registration (this is very rare) all registrants will have that field shown as empty, yet if they have a valid licence there should be a recommended points score in the recommended change window. This is pictured below.
It is recommended to review these points before assigning all, yet it is usually the athletes/ coaches responsibility to make sure that seeding is done correctly when seeding/ start lists are released the day before the race.
Once you’re satisfied with the points allocation select the Apply These Changes button pictured below.
Then repeat this process for all points lists (FIS and CPL distance and sprint).
Note that these data changes and points are available in all your registration reports so can be included in shared reports and public confirmation lists for review by coaches and athletes. If your race weekend includes both a Sprint and Distance event, you would want to include both points on your confirmation lists.