Track and Field Rules - General Rules about Track and Field

Track and field, also referred to as athletics, is a combination of sporting events involving competitions pertaining to running, throwing and jumping. Some of the prominent events in track and field are sprint, long distance running, hurdles, relay, javelin throw, shot put, discus throw, high jump, long jump, pole vault etc. Track and field competitions also include multiple event competitions such as Pentathlon, Heptathlon and Decathlon.

Track and Field Rules and Regulations
Track and field rules followed at the international level are devised by the International Association of Athletic Federation, the premier governing body for athletics. Not only the contestants, but the officials are equally committed to follow the rules with proper discipline. According to the guidelines set by IAAF track and field, competitions should be held on facilities with synthetic surface, passing the specifications stated the IAAF Track Facilities Testing Protocols. As far as the age is concerned, 31st of December of every particular year, in which the competitions are held, is assumed to be the benchmark for athlete's age calculation. The athlete should not wear any objectionable clothes. Clothes which are transparent, or which would become transparent if they get wet in rain, should not be worn. In most of the competitions, the bibs provided to the athletes, should be worn on the chest as well as back. In javelin throw and pole vault though, only one bib can be worn either on the chest or back. Shoes worn in the competition must pass the IAAF guidelines. The shoes used by the participating athlete should not give him any unfair advantage over the other athletes. The number of spikes in the sole of the shoes should not exceed 11. The size of spikes used in running events should not exceed 9mm, while in javelin throw and high jump, the same should not exceed 12 mm.

General Rules about Track and Field Events
In running events, the athlete is warned for the first foul start, repeating the same error will call for a disqualification. Lane discipline is of utmost importance in track and field, changing lanes will be deemed as obstructing fellow athlete, which will call for immediate disqualification. In relay, the baton must be passed within the 20m exchange zone, trying to pass on the baton after crossing this distance is viewed as a foul. In hurdles, the athlete has to clear all the hurdles with clear crossover. Knocking down any hurdle in effort of crossing over, or as a deliberate attempt, can lead to disqualification according to track and field rules. In high jump and pole vault each athlete is given three chances to clear the hurdle. Failure to clear the hurdle is viewed as a foul, and three such fouls automatically lead to disqualification. In long jump and triple jump, overstepping on the take-off board is regarded as a foul. As in the case of a high jump, three fouls in long jump or triple jumps lead to automatic disqualification. The same process is adopted in various throwing competitions like discuss throw, javelin throw, shot put and hammer throw, wherein overstepping the demarcated area is considered to be a foul.

Disqualification and Protest Rules
According to the track and field rules, winning time or the intermediate time is either announced by the officials, or displayed on the official electronic display board. Conveying the time to athletes by any individual in person is strictly prohibited. Medical assistance will be only provided by medical staff, appointed by the organizing committee, any medical assistance in the competition area by the athletes' trainer or support team will be deemed as disturbance to the competition. An athlete can be immediately disqualified for infringement of technical rules or any unsporting behavior on the field. The technical delegates appointed by the organizing committee will be in charge of entertaining protests, if any. Protests about illegalities in participation of any athlete should be done before the commencement of the particular sporting event. Protests regarding the results of a particular sporting event, should be made within 30 minutes of the end of the event.

A mistake can land you out of the competition, and can even lead to severe penalization. Therefore, it's wise to understand the general rules about track and field, and more importantly practice them in your training sessions. After all competitions are about opportunities, once lost you may never get another again, so be prepared.