Permitted xONEx backtracks - does it increase continent count?
 

Does anyone have experience with the allowed backtracks ex Africa on the xONEx fares?

Specifically, I am looking at Africa-Europe-N America-SWP-Africa. While this is a 4 continent fare (confirmed on the one world validator), if a stopover (or transit) is added via middle east (e.g. PER-DOH-JNB instead of SYD-JNB), the validator prices it as a 5 continent fare. Rule 4(e) 3.2.3 states that a backtrack is allowed (provided travel does not include any flown or surface sector between Europe and Middle East) for: Africa-Europe-RTW-Middle East-Africa (or Africa-Middle East-RTW-Europe-Africa). However, they seem to count each of the 2 visits and/or transits in Europe/middle east as continents hence increasing the continents from 4 to 5 (i.e Europe/middle east is counted twice).

Does this seem correct? - any experience with these rules (3.2.2 and 3.2.3) ex-Africa?

You're looking at the wrong rule. The relevant one is right on the first page of the rules (rule 0):

It's not that rule that I'm trying to clarify. The issue is the backtracks that are allowed in rules 3.2.2 and 3.2.3, namely that Europe/middle east can be visited twice on a xONEx. Does the second stop/transit increase the total continent count by 1?

Two visits to the same continent still count as one continent. Same is true for your starting / ending continent. It also does not count twice.

What is your entire routing for each scenario?

No, the continent count is being raised by one because you're overflying Asia in the process of going between Oz and the Middle East/Europe, not because you're entering Europe twice.

Thanks for clarifying - the additional continent is Asia, not the second visit to Europe/Middle East