1. USATF Rules of Competition 2018 Highlighted Changes
Track & Field
Long Distance Running
Race Walking

2. Rule 124
ANNOUNCER ROLE (Outdoor (Rule 10) and Indoor (Rule 11) Championships)
Old Rule 134 Moved to Event Presentation Manager (Rule 124)
Rule Lists information Announcer should communicate
Rule Announcers shall be approved by USATF

3. CALL ROOM VIDEO REFEREES Referee – Updated Guidelines – Rule 125
Rule Video Referees “shall operate from a video control room and shall be in communications with “and should consult with” other appropriate referees.
Rule After personal observation, a Referee may overrule a decision of a judge.
Rule In disciplinary matters, the clerking area Referee has authority from the Warm-up Area up to the Competition Area….
CALL ROOM
VIDEO
REFEREES

4. JUDGES - Rule 126
Rule – Judges may reconsider any original decision made by them if the decision was made in error, provided the new decision is still applicable.
Rule – The Judge may reconsider a decision if he/she believes an incorrect flag was raised. (Field)

5. Assistance To Athletes – Rule 144
Rule (f) – Receiving physical support from another (other than helping to recover to a standing position) that assists in making forward progress in the race is assistance. The picture above is not assistance.
Rule (a) Note – Coaches in compliance with rules and guidelines may communicate with their athletes.
Rule (d) – Under the examples given for personal safeguards, wrist cooler and breathing aid were added.
Rule (h) – Hats, gloves shoes and other items of clothing provided to competitors at official stations shall not be considered assistance.
Rule – Updates allowable and not allowable competitor refreshment procedures

6. THE START – RULE 162
Rule Topic : An IAAF Approved Starting Information System
Evidence from this system may be used by relevant officials to make a decision.
Rule Topic: Competitor Charged with a False Start
Now included for situations when lane markers are being used, a corresponding indication should be placed on the respective lane marker(s).
Similar to this Rule:
Rule (c) Combined Events
Similar to Rule , now included for situations when lane markers are being used, a corresponding indication should be placed on the respective lane marker(s).
Rule (d) Youth Athletics
Now included for Youth Divisions: 8 and under, 9-10, 11-12, and for situations when lane markers are being used, a corresponding indication should be placed on the respective lane marker(s).
Rule (c) Masters

7. New 30 Meter Takeover Zone
RELAY RACES – RULE 170
New 30 Meter Takeover Zone
Old Exchange Zone
Rule In the 4x100m, the 4x200m, the first and second exchanges in the ‘Swedish Medley and the outdoor Sprint Medley relays, each takeover zone shall be 30m long of which the scratch line is 20m from the start of the zone.
Rule In all relay exchanges, runners are not permitted to begin running outside their exchange zones, and shall start within their exchange zone……..
* The exchange or passing zone, including the acceleration zone have merged as the 30mTakeover Zone.

8. RELAYS
When there is an acceleration zone and it is permitted, competitors who are the outgoing runners must start and receive the baton within the 30M Takeover Zone (old limits of the acceleration and exchange zone.)
Rule – Defines when a relay team is officially declared

9. Rule 180.11 Topic: Field Event Time Limits, Determining unreasonable delays
*Many issues in have simply moved into different sections of
(e) The “Time in Minutes for Initiating a Field Event Trial” chart remains the same EXCEPT the time to initiate a trial when there are more than three competitors or when the competitor is taking the very first trial. That time will be .5 minutes (30 seconds). Pole Vault remains at 1 minute. This change does not apply to Youth Athletics.
(f) The time limit for consecutive trials shall be applied “whenever” a competitor has two or more consecutive trials. If another situation allowing more time is applicable, the greater time limit is to be used.
Also in (f) when one competitor remains in the HJ or PV and is attempting a World Record or record relevant to the competition, the normal time limit increases by one minute.
Rule (c) Topic: Application of the “consecutive” trials rule in HJ and PV
This rule applies to consecutive trials within or between a bar height.

10. THROWING EVENTS (GENERAL RULES) Rule 187
Rule Topic: Failure in the Throws
(b) Changes touches to “touches with any part of the body and adds the area, “the surface outside the circle.”
NOTE: This says if a touch occurs without providing any propulsion during any first rotation and is completely behind the line running theoretically through the center of the circle it shall not be considered a foul.
(c) In the Shot Put, it shall be a foul if any part of the body touches any part of the stopboard other than the inner side. The top inside edge is considered to be part of the top.
Rule Topic: Leaving the circle when a trial is interrupted
In throwing events, in situations when a trial is interrupted and the athlete leaves the circle, he or she does not have to leave from the rear half.

11. Rule 200.12 Topic: Scoring in Combined Events
It shall be a tie when two or more competitors score the same total number of points. This applies to any place, including first place
Rule (j) Topic: Use of the Pit Lane in Race Walking
The applicable length of time an athlete must remain in the Pit Lane based on the length of a race has been amended.
Up to 5k, 30 seconds / Up to 10k, 1 minute / Up to 20k, 2 minutes / Up to 30k,
3 minutes / Up to 40k, 4 minutes / Up to 50k, 5 minutes
Rule (d) and (g) Topic: Refreshments, Water and Sponges for Race Walk, LDR and Road Events
This NOTE appears under both rules.
NOTE: A competitor may receive from or pass to another competitor refreshment, water or sponges provided it was carried from the start or collected or received at an official station. However any continuous support from a competitor to one or more others in such a way may be regarded as unfair assistance and warning and/or disqualifications as outlined in the rule may be applied.

12. SUMMARY OF A “FEW” OTHER 2018 RULE CHANGES
Rule Race organizers should outline elite vs mass participation divisions and rules
Rule Passing in a field event is legal and does not constitute failure to participate
Rule Update on legal shoes Rule – Bibs for Jumping Events
Rule – Method to protest false start and mechanism to deal with it
Rule – Introduces Universal competitions, mixed relays
Rule 148 – Inclusion of Surveying with Weights and Measures (Surveyor Rule 135 was deleted)
Rule – Clarification for temporary facilities
Rule 161 – Reorganizing Starting Block paragraphs
Rule – Jostling rule
Rule – Setting up heats, lane assignments
Rule – Modifications to hurdling requirements and violations
Rule 180 – Several changes under this rule including trials/qualification for field events
Rule – Describe exchange zone for Cross Country relays
Rule 253 – Update language for Mountain Running
Rule (c) – Update requirement for national Records

13. THANK YOU