SITUATIONS

Jeff BauerUSATF Officials’ Clinic

Ohio Wesleyan UniversityJanuary 19, 2014

Overall, what are the two most important factors when officiating a Track & Field meet?

Overall, what are the two most important factors when conductin a Track & Field meet?

• Safety – for athletes, officials, spectators

Venue SafetyMake sure the area is securedAthletes and spectators located in safe areasMake sure ring and runway are safe for competitionHammer/weight and discus must be thrown from a cageCheck the cage– Netting: any gaps or holes; will it withstand

impact?– Correctly anchored– Gaps between poles and doors– Are doors in working order

Officials ResponsibilitiesWarm-up Safety

Do not allow warm-ups without supervisionKeep athletes behind cage during warm-upsOfficials and any volunteers should always maintain eye contact with the ring or runwayOnly allow officials and volunteers in impact areaMake sure retrievers are capable of working in the impact area

Officials ResponsibilitiesWarm-ups (continued)

Implements should be carried out of the impact area, not thrownDo not allow anyone to warm up outside the competition areaDo not get distracted or hold unnecessary conversations during warm-upsDo not allow warm-ups for finals to start until the final order is announced

Other ConsiderationsMedical

Location of medical and training staffLocation and availability of water

Inclement WeatherTowels, squeegees, broomsIncreases danger in the impact area, especially with the discus

Do not allow additional throws once event is over

Overall, what are the two most important factors when officiating a Track & Field meet?

• Safety – for athletes, officials, spectators

• Fairness - Ensure all the athletes have the same chance to compete by enforcing the rules evenly across the board

A parent or a coach is assisting with the event and offering advice to one or more athletes.

A parent or a coach is assisting with the event and offering advice to one or more athletes.

You must communicate to any volunteer help this is not allowed prior to the start of the competition. Need to use a combination of firmness and tact, especially in youth competitions. We don’t always have the luxury of an adequate number of officials at each venue, and jobs must be performed by volunteers -- coaches, older athletes, parents/siblings. USATF Rule 144-6, note 2 clarifies this assistance: “Information conveyed by an official to an athlete is not considered assistance provided they are made available to all athletes in the competition”.

A parent or a coach is assisting with the event and offering advice to one or more athletes.

Rule 144-3(d) allows assistance from coaches outside the competition area to athletes in the competition area

Our job is to provide a safe and fair competition. It is not fair to have one “coach” inside the competition area, and keep all of the other coaches outside the competition area.

A team is delayed in arriving at the meet; the athlete checks in as soon as possible and asks to begin participating.

A team is delayed in arriving at the meet; the athlete checks in as soon as possible and asks to begin participating.

USATF Rule 180.8 provides that if a jumper was previously entered, they can join the competition. Any missed attempts can be marked as a pass; any remaining attempts can be taken. No warm-ups are permitted. NCAA Rule 6.2.1 provides that athletes who report after the first competitive attempt has been made may not compete in the event. NFHS Rule 4.1.3 provides that jumpers who report after the judge starts the competition may not participate in that event.

The thrower does not pause prior to leaving the circle, after the implement has landed.

The thrower does not pause prior to leaving the circle, after the implement has landed.

In USATF/IAAF and NCAA competition, the only requirements for exiting the circle is that it be done after the implement lands and that the point of first contact upon exiting is from the back half of the circle or behind the extended lines of the toe line in the javelin (USATF Rule 187.1.e and 187.5 and NCAA Rule 6, Sections 8.3, 9.3, 10.4 and 11.3).

The athlete enters the circle or runway prior to his or her name being called as “Up”.

The athlete enters the circle or runway prior to his or her name being called as “Up”.

If at all possible, the athlete should be told to stop and wait for the “Up” call, acknowledging his/her time on the clock. Such a situation can be dangerous if the field officials are not ready to mark the attempt. In the javelin and vertical jumps, it is recommended to have the flight coordinator stand on the runway until the next athlete is called “Up”. It is also important to educate the athletes in the pre-event instructions as to how they will be called up in the competition, and encourage them to ask the flight coordinator if they are unsure.

The athlete fails to initiate an attempt within the time limit, but claims there was interference due to someone or something.

The athlete fails to initiate an attempt within the time limit, but claims there was interference due to someone or something.

In all cases, it is the athlete's responsibility to initiate an attempt within the prescribed time limit.  The flight coordinator and board/ring judge should also be watching the runway, pit area, and sector for any interference.  If the officials see real interference, they can notify the athlete and restart the clock.  The athlete can also raise a hand and alert the flight coordinator if there is interference.   

The athlete fails to initiate an attempt within the time limit, but claims there was interference due to someone or something.

However, if the athlete does not alert the flight coordinator, and the flight coordinator or other officials do not see any interference, then it must be ruled a foul.  We can only make the calls we see, and if we don't see any interference or none is brought to our attention in a timely manner, then we can't call interference/obstruction for the

athlete.

Working with two board judges, one judge rules a foul and the other judge rules a successful jump.

Working with two board judges, one judge rules a foul and the other judge rules a successful jump.

You must discuss this before the competition when assigning officials to various tasks. One official is designated to make foul calls; if another is available on the board, the second judge can help on close calls, and can also make sure that the proper call is made when the lead board judge misses the attempt for any reason (cough, sneeze, blink, yawn, momentary distraction, inattention at the end of a 12 hour competition day….).

Working with two board judges, one judge rules a foul and the other judge rules a successful jump.

The second official’s call should be subtle, and any discussion should be private. The lead official gives weight to how sure each official is in their call. A useful rule of thumb is if the foot placement is so close you have to discuss it, then give it to the athlete. Plasticine solves this issue with visible marks, but since this is often unavailable, USATF Rule 185.4g states that the foot merely has to break the plane of the takeoff line.

The pit is one meter short in length or width vs. the size specified in the rulebook.

The pit is one meter short in length or width vs. the size specified in the rulebook.

Overall, the pit does not meet minimum standards, and you should consider declining to conduct the competition for safety reasons. That said, if the pit is one meter short, you may be able to accommodate the competition. Most jumpers are not going to approach the maximum length specified. If it’s likely they will, you could put down a tape board farther back for those jumpers, or use an alternate take-off board if one is available. If the pit is too narrow by a meter, you have a definite safety problem, especially in the triple jump.