rule chage proposal

[lonestar]

From an email I received from USTFCCCA:

"Item 18 – Add Rule 4-3.9 as follows:

Competition Area Access

Governing access to the any area of competition is a function and responsibility of the games committee. An area within the normal area of competition shall not be set aside for coaches in any championship competition. An area outside the competition area, as close as feasible to the competition, shall be reserved for coaches.

Rationale: The original implementation for a ‘coaches box’ was allegedly for safety, but that seems to have been conveniently forgotten and replaced by actual coaching practices. No evidence has surfaced to indicate that safety has been enhanced by having a coaches box in the area of competition. "

Any thoughts?

Also:

"Item 27 – Amend Rule 5-9b as follows:

... (e.g. gloves, tape or adhesive substance);

Rationale: Provides better guidance in applying the rule. "

AND...

"Item 30 – Amend Rule 6-1.6b as follows:

In the vertical jumps, the head judge of the event may allow the competitor to take attempts out of official order, which may or may not be in succession. The competition must continue in the excused competitor's absence and the competitor shall compete at the existing height upon their return, with the remaining number of attempts at that height when excused. If a competitor is not present for a trial before the bar is raised, it shall be deemed that the competitor is passing, once the allowable time period for the trial has elapsed.

Rationale: A clarification to insure excused competitors retain their unused attempts if the bar has not been raised.


Item 31 – Amend Rule 6-1.9b as follows:

A foot pattern may be used by officials to indicate the takeoff mark ((in the jumping events)) in any runway event during warm-up periods only.

Rationale: Eliminates the question of assistance during the competition. Officials at all meets do not provide the same assistance. Focus of official is not distracted during the competition. "

"Item 33 – Amend Rule 6-1.11 as follows:

... In vertical jumps, a competitor who has not taken ((a)) an initial trial in at least one hour from the first attempt of the competition may, with the permission of the event official, use the runway and landing area without the crossbar ((at a height change)) at the change of the bar to the height they enter the competition ((with the permission of the event official)). ...

Rationale: The additional warm-up was intended for those who delay entering the competition through passing lower heights, not to force the official to maintain a record of the time of each attempt in order to possibly accommodate passing many heights after entering a competition with an attempt at a low height. Continuing flights of a set number is authorized to minimize the time between "

"Item 34 – Amend Rule 6-1.16c as follows:

Performances shall be announced, displayed and reported in imperial ((and metric)) measure. ((The display shall be imperial measure and, when possible, metric.))

Rationale: Rationale provided in previous year’s submission. "

"Item 36 – Amend Rule 6-4.1 as follows:

((It is recommended that competitors)) Competitors shall be arranged in flights not larger than ((12)) 16 and not smaller than five.

((Assignment to flights may be random or based on entry performances.)) The games committee shall determine whether flight assignment is random or based on entry performance, and the order in which flights are contested.

If weather or facility conditions render this method unfair to some competitors, the referee may require that all trials be taken one at a time in the order drawn.

Rationale: Gives specific requirement instead of a guideline. Allows for current practice and desire in meets with large fields in an event, such as regions or where a qualifying round is used.


Item 37 – Amend Rule 6-4.3 as follows:

... When there are large fields in the high jump or pole vault, ((as determined by the games committee)) greater than 15, it is advisable for the games committee to establish ((continuing flights of five competitors)) a rotating flight of between four and seven competitors (five-alive method). ...

Rationale: Gives specific guidance in determining a ‘large field’. Maintains games committee control."

"


Item 41 – Amend Rule 7-1.6c as follows:

... If it concerns first place, the competitors tying shall have one more jump at each height, starting at the ((lowest height attempted by any of the tied competitors)) next height in the original progression above the tying height and, if a decision is not reached, the bar shall be ...

Rationale: USATF and IAAF conformance. Consistency in rules promotes fewer errors by officials. This actually eliminates any aspect of gamesmanship in the determination of the starting height of the jump-off."

[lonestar]

"Pole Vault Landing Pit


While the pole vault landing pit has been addressed repeatedly, problems remain. For example, in an effort to keep the pads clean, schools will request a concrete pavement where the pads are placed. If the pads do not completely cover the concrete pavement or if they slip, it is possible for a jumper to rebound off the pad onto concrete. Also, given the flexibility and energy restitution of modern poles, a jumper may rebound sideways or in any direction. Additional safety padding should be considered.


Sand pits, pole vaults, etc. often are built quite close to the running track. A running track surface is not a safety surface."

[Vaultref]

You can find all the proposed changes for 2009 at this link: http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/res ... OD=AJPERES
It will come up as a word document.

There is one change proposal missing (it got there late). It is not really a rule change in my opinion, but it had to be formally submitted.
The change proposal adds a timing table to 6-1 identical in format to the the
one you will find on or about pg 93 in the USATF rule book. It will eliminate
"reading" problems when it comes to how much time does an athlete have to
commence a trial.

[Robert schmitt]

From an email I received from USTFCCCA:

"Item 18 – Add Rule 4-3.9 as follows:

Competition Area Access

Governing access to the any area of competition is a function and responsibility of the games committee. An area within the normal area of competition shall not be set aside for coaches in any championship competition. An area outside the competition area, as close as feasible to the competition, shall be reserved for coaches.

Rationale: The original implementation for a ‘coaches box’ was allegedly for safety, but that seems to have been conveniently forgotten and replaced by actual coaching practices. No evidence has surfaced to indicate that safety has been enhanced by having a coaches box in the area of competition. "

Any thoughts?

Especially at the HS level I think saftey is enhanced. At state meets I have seen my vaulters start with the wrong foot, grab the wrong pole hold at the wrong place, completely miss there mid marks. In all cases I have been able to SEE and comunicate to the vaulter before they made an attempt. For example this year I have a boy that scares the crap out of me b/c he will take off and swing no matter how off or crappy he runs. He just cann't tell when he runs good or bad. This year we got a lot better at running somewhat consistantly and he has three run way check marks but I still have to call off his attempts as he is running down the runway. I did this three times during the state meet last weekend.

Now the other issue is 90% of what I tell vaulters during meets is really safety-grip hieght, pole selection, and run adjustment, and proper take off tech. I can see how this can be thought of as "actual coaching practices" But they are really safe vaulting practices that most young vaulters can not be expected to make rational decisions about during the heat of a comp.

I'm afraid that any rule changes will trickle down to the HS level eventually like the leaving the ground in an attempt rule. Besides I think my last points still hold true even at the college level. I now I always was looking to hold higher or move to a longer pole before I was ready for it in college.