To control the cutting register of a web in a web-fed rotary press and to control the tension in a web section, in a manner decoupled from each another, at least one partial cutting register error is controlled at least one web tension is controlled. The press has controlled driven clamping points 0 to n, wherein j+q manipulated variables are used to influence j partial cutting register errors and q web tensions. Circumferential speeds and/or angular positions of clamping points are used as manipulated variables and the partial register error and the web tension in each case are located in the same or in different web sections.