How to Watch a Track and Field Meet

                             

 

Order of Events

 

How to SCORE a Track & Field Meet

Running Events

1.      800 meter relay (Girls)

2.      110 hurdles (Boys)

3.      100 hurdles (Girls)

4.      100 meters (B – G)

5.      1600 meters (B – G)

6.      400 meter relay (B – G)

7.      400 meters (B – G)

8.      300 hurdles (B – G)

9.      800 meters (B – G)

10.  200 meters (B – G)

11.  3200 meters (B – G)

12.  1600 m. relay (B – G)

 

Field Events

Opening Session:

Boys Javelin

Boys Shot Put

Boys Long Jump

Girls Discus

Girls High Jump

Girls Triple Jump

Pole Vault (G then Boys)

Ending Session:

Boys Discus

Boys Triple Jump

Boys High Jump

Girls Shot Put

Girls Javelin & Long Jump

Dual Meet Scoring

Individual Events

First Place =         5 points

Second Place =    3 points

Third Place =       1 point

Relays

First Place =         5 points

Second Place =    0 points

 

The total number of points for a BOYS meet is 145. When a team accumulates 73 points they have won the meet.

A GIRLS meets has 150 points up for grabs, and 76 points means a team win!

Details

·         Athletes running in the second heat of a race can score no higher than 3rd place. (No matter what their time may be!)

·         Times are rounded up to the nearest tenth.

·         Throwing events give competitors three preliminary chances with three additional throws if they qualify for the finals.

·         Long and triple jumpers are given three preliminary jumps. If they make the finals, one additional jump is granted.

·         Athletes may be disqualified for wearing jewelry of any kind.

 

Running Events – Things to Look For

 

General Comments

Trunks and tank-tops must be worn over tights and plain tee-shirts (no logos or stripes are allowed). All team apparel must match identically. Runners must stay in their lanes in events 400 meters or less. When passing another in a distance race, runners must have a full stride of clearance before cutting in.

 

Sprints

Runners may choose to use blocks or not. Fingers must be behind the starting line at the beginning of a race, Lanes are predetermined by a draw. Competitors must hold steady until the gun is fired. A false start results in the elimination of the offender (or relay team) from that race.

 

Relays

The baton is the thing that is timed. All exchanges must happen within measured zones. A limited ‘fly zone’ (For the out-going runner) is allowed in front of the exchange area.

 

Distance

Watch for the strategy that runners employ: Do they go out hard and hang on or build to the finish? Do they surge in the middle of the race? Do they draft off someone or apply their own pace? Do teammates cooperate to tactically help each other and defeat the opposition?

Field Events – Things to Look For

General Comments
Field events usually begin before running events due to the length of the individual events. (ex. Pole vault is usually the last event to close at a track and field dual meet). Distances in the field events are rounded down as follows: Under one-hundred feet – to the nearest Ό inch. Over one-hundred feet – to the nearest inch.

Discus
The athlete must enter and leave the back half of the ring under complete control. Additionally, the thrower cannot touch the line or anything outside. The measurement is from the point of impact to the nearest inside edge of the circle. A throw outside of the sector counts as a foul and an attempt.

Shot Put
The shot is a 12 pound (boys) or 8 pound (girls) steel ball. The athlete must enter and leave the back half of the ring under complete control. Additionally, the thrower cannot touch the line or anything outside. The measurement is from the point of impact to the nearest inside edge of the toe board. A throw outside of the sector counts as a foul and an attempt. The ball must come off the neck and in front of the ear.

Javelin
The balance and weight for boys and girls javelins differs. Measurement is made from the nearest point inside the foul line to the impact location of the tip, tail, or back of the handle (the area that makes the contact first).

High Jump
The bar is moved in two inch increments until reaches 5’10” for boys and 4’10” for girls. After these points, the bar is raised in one inch increments for the remainder of the competition. Athletes must jump off one foot and can sail over the bar in any way they so choose (forward, backward, straddle). Each jumper is given three attempts at a given height and may pass to a higher height on any attempt. (Jumpers cannot, however, go down.) For jumpers who jump the same height, ties are broken by first by the number of attempts at the last height cleared, then by the total number of missed attempts.

Long Jump
The approach run ends at the toe board which offers a 6” wide takeoff point. The jumper is not allowed to contact past the front edge of the board to the nearest point of landing in the sand. Each jumper receives three prelim jumps and one final jump if they qualify for the finals (dual meets).

Triple Jump
The approach run ends at the toe board which is 6” wide. The jumper is not allowed to contact past the front end of the board for a legal jump. The three foot contacts are a hop, step, and a jump. The measurement is made perpendicular to the toe board to the nearest point of landing in the sand. Each jumper receives three prelim jumps and one final jump if they qualify for the finals (dual meets).

Pole Vault
The bar is moved in 6 inch increments from the opening height. Each vaulter receives three attempts at each height and may pass to a higher height on any attempt. Placing is determined in the same way as the high jump.

 

Thank you to Darren Nelson, head girls’ coach

At North Central High School , Spokane, for sharing this guide!