1. ©RC PUBLISHING Clyde Volz/Rob Johnson 1

2. RULEHIGH SCHOOL USATF Jewelry Not allowed except for Religious and medical Must be taped down Not addressed Shoes Required May be barefoot or wear one or two shoes False Start One = DQ1 st charged to the field, then DQ Running on or over inside lane on curve 3 or more consecutive strides = DQ One step = DQ Field event time limit warning Not addressed Yellow flag held up to indicate the final 15 sec. Painted LJ/TJ Board LegalNot allowed 2

3. RULEHIGH SCHOOL USATF Records in HJ/PVMeasured before attempt only Measure before and after if touched Tape on PV pole No more than 2 layers No restrictions Time limit for consecutive attempts Not addressed Left in Comp. HJ PV 3 min. for PV 2 min. for other FE HJ PV HJ/PV Time Limits 4+ 1 1.5 2-3 3 4 1 5 6 1 1 1.5 2 3 5 PV standards settings 15.5” (40cm)—31.5”(80cm) 0” to 31.5” (80 cm) Discus—hits cageFoul OK if it lands in sector Javelin lands flatLegal. Measure to cord grip (End nearest foul line) Illegal 3

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5. 1. Unsportsmanlike conduct such as being disrespectful to an official, using profanity directed at someone, taunting, etc. will result in disqualification from the remainder of the meet Unacceptable conduct such as not following the direction of an official, undirected profanity, or any action that could bring discredit to the individual or school such as throwing a baton will result in disqualification from that event. 2. An athlete may not look at a video tape or use wireless communication at a track meet until the competition is over. Instant disqualification. 3. Toes when in the starting block do not have to touch the ground RULES ATHLETES SHOULD KNOW -- TRACK #1 5

6. 4. It is permissible for the baton to be touching the track in front of the starting line for the first runner of a relay. 5. Athletes must compete in school issued uniforms. 6. Any clothing worn under the uniform must be a single, solid color (no colored trim) with no writing on it except for a manufacturer’s logo, school name, or school insignia limited to 2¼ square inches. Relay runners must have the same color for their respective undergarments. The length of the undergarments may vary. 7. No jewelry is permitted except for medic alert and religious medals. They must be taped to the body. Covering jewelry with tape is not legal. Sunglasses/watches can vary between states. Check with the state association. 8. Three consecutive strides on or inside a lane line around a curve will result in disqualification. 9. If a teammate supports a runner by running along side, the runner will be disqualified. Stay outside of restricted areas. RULES ATHLETES SHOULD KNOW -- TRACK # 2 6

7. 10. All times recorded in hundredths of a second must be rounded up to the next tenth unless fully automatic timing (FAT) is used. For example, 51.11 becomes 51.2. 11. Gloves are not allowed in relay events, pole vault, or throws. 12. Always report on time when an event is called. Listen to the PA. 13. When leaving an event, check out with the official in charge and then check back in ASAP. Games committee sets the time for reporting back. 14. Taking off your jersey while in a competitive area (field event area or anywhere on or around the track) even if you are done is cause for disqualification. There should be a warning first.. 7

8. 1. Any athlete using an illegal piece of equipment (shot, discus, pole, baton, etc.) shall be disqualified from the event. 2. Shot and discus with indentations are illegal. 3. In throwing events, the athlete must remain in the circle until the implement has landed and the official says “mark”. He must then exit from the rear half of the circle. He may enter the circle from any direction. 4. No taping of any part of the hands or fingers is permitted in the throwing events or pole vault unless there is an open wound that must be protected. 5. The time limit to compete in the pole vault is 1 ½ minutes after the athlete has been called. All other field events are 1 minute. 8

9. 6. In all field events, athletes may be allowed to take trials in succession. 7. A pole vaulter using a pole rated below his weight or using a training pole in warm-up or competition will be disqualified. 8. When breaking the plane in the high jump and pole vault, you must physically touch something beyond the plane to be a foul. 9. High jump/pole vault myth: Getting out of the pit before the bar falls is a legal clearance. Not true. 10. Warming up in field events is not permitted unless there is a coach or official present to supervise. At the conclusion of the event there shall be no further practice. 9

10. 11. Tie breaking procedure in the High Jump and Pole Vault: a. The fewest number of misses at the height at which the athletes tied b. If still tied, then you go to the fewest number of misses throughout the competition c. If still tied, and the tie is for first place, then there will be a jump-off. For any other place, the points will be split up equally. There should never be a tie for first place in the high jump and pole vault. 12. In the shot put, discus, triple jump, long jump, and discus, ties are broken by the second best effort, then third best, etc. 10

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12. 1. When his team is disqualified, a coach protests that a yellow flag was not raised by an umpire for a 4 x 100 relay exchange zone infraction. The fact that a flag was not raised can not deter the ruling on an infraction. 2. Can a coach’s video camera be used as the basis of a protest on a disqualification? No. The only camera that can be used to review meet situations must be approved by the games committee prior to the meet. 3. What are some common reasons for the Referee to order a re-run in a 300 m. hurdle heat? Incorrect spacing between hurdles, hurdles set at the wrong height, interference by a competitor resulting in a disqualification, or interference by a non-participant. Major consideration must be given to recovery of the athletes for scheduling a re-run. 4. Can a member of the Appeals Jury report an infraction which occurs on the backstretch during a running event? No. Only an umpire or the Referee have that authority. 5. Can an athlete be disqualified for removing a jersey on the infield of the track? Yes. The athlete must have been issued a warning previously. Rulings #1 12

13. 6. What are the two levels of disqualification for profanity? Unacceptable Conduct: Involves profanity NOT directed toward anyone and would result in disqualification from the event. Unsporting Conduct: Involves profanity directed at someone and would result in disqualification from the event and the rest of the meet. 7. Can a protest be lodged when blocks slip causing an athlete to be disqualified for a false start? No. Judgments of a false start by the starter can not be protested as they are considered final. The starter in this case did not see the block slip or he could have ordered a restart. 8. Can the starter disqualify a competitor with a slow routine in getting ready before the set position? Yes. The starter has the option of calling up the runners and warning the slow athlete. If there is a repeat of the action, the competitor can be disqualified for unacceptable conduct. 9. When an athlete is in the starting blocks, can the baton touch the track in front of the starting line? Yes. Rulings #2 13

14. 10. Can a pistol be used to recall any race when FAT equipment fails to activate? Yes, but only if the Games Committee has approved this procedure to be used. Otherwise the FAT operator may not recall a race. 11. Can a competitor be charged with a false start if one foot is placed high on a starting block pad and not in contact with the ground? No. The placement of either foot high on the block pad is legal. 12. Is a tie called in a race when the judge picking 3 rd place and the judge picking 2 nd place select the same athlete for 2 nd ? No. The decision for the judge picking a higher place will override any judge picking a lower place. 13. Is it necessary to re-run a final in the 100 when the FAT fails and the judges pick 1 st, 2 nd, and 3 rd places but there is no time for 1 st place? No. Finish judge decisions are final. Races do not have to have times to be considered complete. 14. Can a competitor in the 3200 m. Run be disqualified for looking at a watch and/or listening to beeps from the watch? No. Watches are considered legal equipment by the National Federation. Rulings #3 14

15. 15. The finals of the 800 m. is conducted in two sections. In the first section, the first place runner and the second place runner are given the same time of 2:01.4. The winner of the second section also runs 2:01.4. How are these three runners placed? The winners of the two sections are tied for first and the second place runner from the first section is placed third. 16. In the 100 m. dash, a runner runs five steps in the next lane in the middle of the race but returns to his assigned lane for the finish. Is he disqualified for running out of his lane? No. There is no advantage gained when an athlete runs in another lane on a straightaway, but he must finish in his assigned lane. He must not have interfered with any other runner. 17. Can an athlete in a race be disqualified if a coach standing outside the track yells out splits on each lap? No, unless the coach is standing in an area that has been designated by the Games Committee as a restricted area. 18. If a baton is dropped in lane 4 inside the exchange zone in the 4 x 100 relay and it rolls into lane 2, can the runner retrieve the baton and return to the race? He may continue in the race as long as he returns directly to lane 4. Taking 3 or more strides in lanes 2 and 3 as he gets back into the race would be cause for disqualification. Rulings #4 15

16. 19. When the 4 x 400 relay is run from a 3-turn stagger and the third runner receives the baton from the second runner, must he clear the exchange zone before cutting to the pole? No. He may cut to the pole upon receiving the baton as long as he does not interfere with anyone. 20. Can an athlete place tape or insert a plastic space saver over/in a piercing for medical reasons? No. By rule, the athlete must remove any jewelry which includes pierced jewelry. Using tape for a medical reason does not overrule the non-jewelry rule. 21. Can an athlete wear a cap or hat during competition? Yes, unless the Meet Management has established that hats or caps can not be worn. This is a Games Committee or State Association decision. 22. Are members of a 4 x 100 relay team required to wear shorts over their body suits? No. Body suits are legal uniforms. If shorts are worn over a body suit, then the body suit becomes an undergarment and must comply with the undergarment rules. The top of the suit is considered as a jersey. 23. Is it legal for an athlete with a jersey that is too large tape the the straps together? Yes. To be legal the straps must be taped in a flat manner. Straps that are taped in a knot would be illegal. Rulings #5 16

17. Rulings #6 17

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19. Throws F.E. Rulings #7 1. In the shot put/discus must you enter the circle from the back half of the circle? No. You may enter the ring from any direction. 2. Must you leave the circle from the back half of the circle? Yes. 3. When may you leave the circle? After the implement has landed and the official says “mark”. 4. Is the sector line in or out? Out. 5. How do you check that a sector is laid out to the 34.92 degrees specifications? Measure a distance from the center of the circle to a spot on each of the sector line (say, for example, 50 feet). Then measure the distance between those two spots. The distance must be equal to 60% of the original distance measured. In this example, the measurement between the spots on the sector lines must be 30 feet. This indicates a properly marked sector. 6. What action can a Referee take if he discovers a discus cage that has no netting on the back of the cage? The event will NOT be conducted and the points for the event will be divided equally among the visiting teams. 7. What do you watch for when determining if a throw is legally put? The shot put cannot drop below or behind the shoulder. 19

20. Throws F.E. Rulings #8 8. May an athlete leave the ring, after entering it, prior to his throw? Yes, as long as he completes his attempt within the allotted 1 minute time limit. 9. May an athlete place tape on his hand or fingers to support a sprain? No. Tape may only be used to cover an open wound. 10. Do you measure to the center of the toe board? No. The tape is dragged through the center point of the circle in order for the measurement to be along a radius of the circle. Horizontal Jumps 11. May a competitor place marks on the runway to mark his steps? No. Nothing can be placed on the runway by the athlete. He places his mark along side the runway. 12. May an athlete veer around the pit to avoid a foul when his steps are off? No. Breaking the plane of the board is a foul. 13. Is it legal for the trailing foot to hit the runway during the triple jump? Yes. 14. May an athlete place a mark in the pit as a sighting device? No. 20

21. Horizontal Jumps F.E. Rulings #9 15. May a long jumper do a somersault? No. 16. How do you break ties in the LJ/TJ/SP/Discus/Javelin? Compare the athlete’s second best effort. If still tied, then compare their third best, etc. Vertical Jumps 17. Does an athlete breaking the plane count as an attempt? Not necessarily. Only if he touches something behind the plane. 18. If a competitor gets out of the pit before the bar falls, is it a legal clearance? No. If the official judges that the bar fell because of the athlete touching it, then it does not matter where the athlete is located when it falls. 19. When may an athlete take a warm-up jump after the competition has started? Only after he has passed three consecutive heights. He may then take one warm-up without a bar in place. 20. Name three things that must be checked to declare a pole vault pole legal. Mark around the pole near the top to indicate top handhold limit, weight limit of the pole in ¾” numbers at the top of the pole, and the tape job on the pole may not have ridges or more than two layers of tape. 21. If the vaulters are being weighed, may they take their shoes off to weigh in? No. Full competitive uniform must be worn including shoes. 21

22. Vertical Jumps F.E. Rulings #10 22. What is the criteria for breaking ties in the pole vault and high jump? First criteria is the lowest number of misses at the height they tied at. The next criteria is the total number of misses throughout the competition. If everything is the same, then the athletes are declared tied except if the tie is for first place. When there is a tie for first place, there must be a jump-off to determine the winner. 23. How does the 5-alive procedure work for running off the event? Five athletes begin a flight. Any time an athletes clears the bar, passes the height, or is eliminated, the next competitor on the list is added to the flight. 24. Must you re-measure the bar after the clearance of a record attempt? No. In high school, measurement is only required prior to the attempt. 25. What is the time limit given an athlete for each of the field events? 1 ½ minutes for the pole vault, 1 minute for all the other field events. 26. What is the measurement precision used for each of the field events? Lower full inch in the discus and javelin. All other field events are measured to the nearest lesser ¼ inch. 22

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24. 24 Number of Teams Individual Scoring Relay Scoring 25-3-15 35-3-2-15-3 46-4-3-2-16-4-2 58-6-4-2-18-6-4-2 610-8-6-4-2-110-8-6-4-2 7 or more (Score 6) 10-8-6-4-2-1 7 or more (Score 7) 10-8-6-4-3-2-1 7 or more (Score 8) 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 The Games Committee can establish their own meet scoring table.

25. MEET SCORE SHEET When Not Using a Computer 25

26. 26 EVENT FIRST (5) SECOND (3) THIRD (2) FOURTH (1) TRIANGULAR TRACK & FIELD MEET RELAYS: 5—3—0 DIVISION______________DATE______________