The following article from John came from his Controllers Corner Nov 2009

Let’s face it – we’ve all done it at some stage at some event somewhere. We’ve talked to someone when out orienteering – probably to ask for help or a location. And that it is against the rules!
Well – not quite. The rules don’t specifically forbid talking to others in the forest, but they forbid requesting and /or giving assistance. Let’s look at what they actually say:

26. Fair play
26.1 All persons taking part in an orienteering event shall behave with fairness and honesty. They shall have a sporting attitude and a spirit of friendship. Competitors shall show respect for each other, for officials, journalists, spectators and the inhabitants of the competition area. The competitors shall be as quiet as possible in the terrain. Competitors or spectators shall not interfere with control equipment.
26.2 Except in the case of an accident, obtaining assistance from other runners or providing assistance to other competitors during a competition is forbidden. It is the duty of all competitors to help injured runners.

Orienteering is an individual sport and (as with any sport) it relies on fairness and fair play to ensure that the best orienteer on the day is the winner. But unlike most sports where the game is played in front of referees and spectators, much of orienteering takes place in the forest away from officials and others.
The above rules emphasise the individuality of the sport and that we do it independently of others, and so should do so quietly without involving others in the terrain.
When it comes to actually asking others for assistance (providing it isn’t an injured athlete), then rule 26.3 is pretty clear: you are not to seek assistance from others. But also, if someone does approach you, you are not to provide assistance. It’s against the rules to ask; it’s against the rules to give assistance.
But rules are there to be bent – at least under some circumstances. Our sport is a social sport – we enjoy the collegiality of our fellow orienteers, and there are times we will interact when competing in the terrain – at least to exchange a greeting. But say if at a club (local) event a relative newcomer approaches you for help – then you are likely to respond and offer help, and in some ways we have a responsibility to help newcomers gain in skills and confidence. And haven’t we all joined a possibly noisy pack of ‘hunters’ searching the thick bracken for an illusive (and maybe suspect) control? I think we regard these as legitimate – depending on the nature of the competition.
But the more serious the competition, then the more we should abide by the rules. To distract another runner and seek help is unfair to that person. I believe that in state, national and international level competitions, the rules are no longer bendable. We must abide by them.
So what do we do if we are confused, haven’t the faintest idea where we are, and maybe even somewhat concerned and scared about our situation? We have to use our own resources, we have to develop the skills of relocation, and as a last resort we follow the safety bearing provided by the organisers. If we opt out and ask for help, then we are less likely to develop those important skills of relocation, less likely to become better orienteers.
And if someone stops and asks us for assistance? We should ignore them or tell them “no”. To provide assistance means that we, too, are breaking the rules.
Some of us have experienced (generally in international events) “map snatching” where instead of, or as well as asking for a location, the offender actually takes a map from another competitor. While this can be the basis for a formal complaint, it is unlikely to lead to an offender being dealt with under competition rules unless the offence takes place in view of an official (as happened when we hosted the World Masters here in Tasmania in 1992 and the offender was disqualified).
In the long run, there will always be competitors who will break the rules. But the majority are “fair’ players.

Helping children

Related to this is the issue of assisting young children when I think most of us will bend the rules if we encounter a distressed child in the terrain. But, more particularly there is the matter of ‘shadowing’.
Most event organisers permit an adult to shadow a young competitor (e.g. M/W 10), and some major competitions have offered a ‘shadowed’ class for your competitors. Shadowing is for safety – to ensure that the child does not go too far off course; it is not to assist the child other than for this safety purpose. The ‘shadower’ must leave the navigating to the child; should follow rather than walk or run with the child; and should intervene only when the child is observed to be making a major error.
It is useful for parents, I feel, to think in terms of orienteering with their child (i.e. running with them, navigating with them, discussing the course with them) on one hand, and ‘shadowing’ as the next step up.  When you shadow you are obliged to follow the fairness rules and not provide any assistance except where you feel the safety of your child is at risk. Your child is competing against other children – some of whom are also shadowed, while others go it alone. Being fair means fairness both to your child and to the other children.
A final word – provided by Robert Louis Stevenson:
I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me,
And what can be the use of him is more than I can see…
A shadower should try and be as useless as possible.