Rules for Ward and Stake Athletics

Rules for Ward and Stake Athletics

Recommended by the Athletic Committee Y. M. M. I. A.

(CONTINUED FROM JUNE NUMBER)

Rule XIX. The Finish. The finish of the course shall be repre- sented by a line between two finishing posts, drawn across and at right angles to the sides of the track, and four feet above which line shall be placed a tape attached at either end to the finishing posts. A finish shall be counted when any part of the winner's body, except his hands or arms, shall reach the finish line. The order of finishing for second and third places, and so on, shall be decided in the same manner.

Rule XX. Hurdles. Different heights, distances and number of hurdles may be selected for hurdle races.

In the 120 yards hurdle race, ten hurdles shall be used; each hurdle to be three feet six inches high. They shall be placed ten yards apart, with the first hurdle fifteen yards distant from the starting point, and the last hurdle fifteen yards before the finishing line. In the 220 yards hurdle race ten hurdles shall be used, each hurdle to be two feet six inches high. They shall be placed twenty yards apart, with the first hurdle twenty yards distant from the starting mark, and the last hurdle twenty yards before the finishing line.

In hurdle races of vother distances, and with different numbers of hurdles, the hurdles shall be placed at equal intervals, with the same space between the first hurdle and the starting point, and the last hurdle and the finishing line as between each of the hurdles.

In making a record it shall be necessary for the competitor to jump over every hurdle in its proper position, and no record shall be allowed unless all the hurdles remain standing after the competitor clears them.

A competitor knocking down three or more hurdles or any portion of three or more hurdles in a race shall be disqualified. A competitor who trails his leg or foot alongside any hurdle shall be disqualified.

In all championship hurdle races of the Amateur Athletic Union, or any of its Associations, up to and including 300 yards, each com- petitor shall have separate hurdles and a separate course marked out and measured independently, whether races are run straightaway or with turns.

Rule XXI. Ties. In all contests whose results are determined by measurement of height or distance, ties shall be decided as follows:

In handicap contests the award shall be given to the competitor who received the least allowance. In case of a tie between two or more competitors who received the same allowance, the decision shall be made as in scratch contests.

In case of a tie in a scratch contest at high jumping, the tieing competitors shall have three additional trials at the height last tried, and if still undecided, the bar shall be lowered to the height next be- low, and three trials taken at that height. If no one clears it, the bar shall be lowered again and again until one of the competitors clears it. In case of a second tie, the award shall be given to the competitor who cleared the bar with the least number of trials.

In case of a tie in the pole vault the officials shall raise or lower

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the bar at their discretion, and those competitors who have tied shall be allowed one trial at each height.

In handicaps, where a tie occurs, the scratch man or man with the smallest allowance shall be given the place.

In case of a tie in a scratch contest at any game decided by dis- tance, each of the tieing competitors shall have three additional trials, and the award shall be made in accordance with the distances cleared in these additional trials. In case of a second tie three more trials shall be allowed, and so on, until a decision is reached. In case of a dead heat in any track events, the competitors shall not be allowed to divide the prize or points, or to toss for them, but must compete again at a time and place appointed by the Referee.

Order of Competition in Field Events. In all scratch events the competitors shall take their trials in the order of their names as printed in the program.

In all handicap events the competitor having the greatest allow- ance shall make the first trial, and so on, in regular order, up to the competitor at scratch or with least allowance, who shall have the last trial.

Rule XXII. Jumping. Section 1. A fair jump shall be one that is made without the assistance of weights, diving, somersaults or hand- springs of any kind.

Sec. 2. The Running High Jump. The Field Judges shall decide the height at which the jump shall commence, and shall regulate the succeeding elevations.

Each competitor shall be allowed three trial jumps at each height, and if on the third trial he shall fail, he shall be declared out of the competition.

At each successive height each competitor shall take one trial in his proper turn; then those failing, if any, shall have their second trial jump in a like order, after which those having failed twice shall make their third trial jump.

The jump shall be made over a bar resting on pins projecting not more than three inches from the uprights, and when this bar is re- moved'from its place it shall be counted as a trial jump.

Running under the bar in making an attempt to jump shall be counted as a "balk," and three successive "balks" shall be counted as a trial jump.

The distance of the run before the jump shall be unlimited. A competitor may decline to jump at any height in his turn, and by so doing, forfeits his right to again jump at the height declined.

Sec. 3. The Standing High Jump. The feet of the competitor may be placed in any position, but shall leave the ground only once in making an attempt to jump. When the feet are lifted from the ground twice, or two springs are made in making the attempt, it shall count as a trial jump without result. A competitor may rock forward and back, lifting heels and toes alternately from the ground, but may not lift either foot clear from the ground or slide it along the ground in any direction.

With this exception the rules governing the Running High Jump shall also govern the Standing High Jump*

Sec. 4. The Running Broad Jump. When jumped on earth a joist eight inches wide shall be sunk flush with it. The outer edge of this joist shall be called the scratch line, and the measurement of all jumps shall be made from it at right angles to the nearest break in the ground made by any part of the person of the competitor. In front of the scratch line the ground shall be flush. A foul jump shall be one where any part of the competitor's foot

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is over the scratch line in taking off, or where the competitor runs over the line without jumping, and shall count as a trial jump without result.

Each competitor shall have three trial jumps, and the best three shall each have three more trial jumps.

The competition shall be decided by the best of all the trial jumps of the competitors.

The distance of the run before the scratch line shall be unlimited.

Sec. 5. The Pole Vault.* The height of the bar at starting and at each successive elevation shall be determined by the officials.

Three trials allowed at each height. Each competitor shall make an attempt in the order in which his name appears on the program, then those who have failed shall have a second trial in regular order, and those failing on this trial shall take their final trial.

Displacing the bar counts as a try.

A line shall be drawn fifteen feet in front of the bar and parallel with it; crossing this line in an attempt shall be a balk. Two balks constitute a try.

Leaving the ground in an attempt shall constitute a try.

A competitor may omit his trials at any height, but if he fail it the next height he shall not be allowed to go back and try the height he omitted.

The poles shall have no assisting devices, except that they may be wound or wrapped with any substance for the purpose of affording a firmer grasp, and may have one spike at the lower end. No com- petitor shall, during his vault, raise the hand which was uppermost when he left the ground to a higher point on the pole, nor shall he raise the hand which was undermost when he left the ground to any point on the pole above the other hand.

Poles shall be furnished by the club giving the games, but con- testants may use their private poles if they so desire, and no contestant shall be allowed to use any of these private poles except by the consent of their owners. The poles shall be unlimited as to size and weight.

Any competitor shall be allowed to dig a hole not more than one foot in diameter at the take-off in which to plant his pole.

In case of a tie the officials shall raise or lower the bar at their discretion, and those competitors who have tied shall be allowed one trial at each height.

In handicaps where a tie occurs, the scratch man or man with the smallest allowance shall be given the place.

The rule governing the Running Broad Jump shall also govern the Pole Vault for distance, except that when the man leaves th? ground in an attempt, it shall be counted a trial.

*At the annual meeting of the A. A. U., held Nov. 19, 1902, in New York City, the following was offered for guidance in the pole vault and high jump event's:

"That the rules of competition require the Field Judges to make accurate measurements. The Committee have discussed the question of giving the right to move the apparatus in the high jump and in the pole vault, and we would like to call the attention of all those who are interested in athletics to the fact that if the apparatus is moved, the Field Judges should make a re-measurement, because if there is any inequality in the ground at all, changing the apparatus may make a differenece varying from one inch to a quarter of an inch, and the competitor should not be allowed to have the apparatus moved and thereby get an advantage in that way."

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Sec. 6 The Standing Broad Jump. The feet of the competitor maye be placed in any position, but shall leave the ground only once in making an ttempt to jump. When the feet are lifted from the ground twice, or two springs are made in making an attempt, it shall count as a trial jump without result. A competitor may rock forward and back, lifting heels and toes alternately from the ground, but may not lift either foot clear of the ground, or slide it along the ground in an\ direction.

In all other respects the rule goverining the Running Broad Tump shall also govern the Standing Broad Jump.

Sec. 7. The Three Standing Broad Jumps. The feet of the com- petitor shall leave the ground only once in making an attempt for each of the three jumps, and no stoppage between jumps shall be allowed. In all other respects the rules governing the Standing Broad Jump shall also govern the Three Standing Broad Jumps.

Sec. 8. Running Hop, Step and Jump. The competitor shall first land upon the same foot with which he shall have taken off. The reverse foot shall be used for the second landing, and both feet shall be used for the third landing.

In all other respects the rules governing the Running Broad Jump shall also govern the Running, Hop, Step and Jump.

Rule XXIII. The Shot. The shot shall be a metal sphere with a covering of any material, and the combined weight for championship contests shall be 16 pounds. It is optional with the Athletic Com- mittee of handicap meetings to offer competitions of shots weighing from 12 pounds upwards.

The shot shall be "put" with one hand, and in making the attempt it shall be above and not behind the shoulder.

All puts shall be made from a circle seven feet in diameter. The circle to be a metal or wooden ring, painted or white-washed, and sunk almost flush with the ground, and it shall be divided into two halves by a line drawn through the center. In the middle of the cir- cumference of the front half shall be placed a stop-board four feet long, four inches high, and firmly fastened to the ground. In making his puts, the feet of the competitor may rest against, but not on top ' of this board.

A fair put shall be one in which no part of the person of the com- petitor touches the top of the stop-board, the circle, or the ground outside the circle, and the competitor leaves the circle by its rear half, which shall be the half directly opposite the stop-board. A put shall be foul if any part of the person of the competitor touch the ground outside the front half of the circle before the put is measured.

The measurement of each put shall be taken at the circle from the nearest mark made by the fall of the shot to the circumference of the circle on a line from the mark made by the shot to the center of the circle.

Foul puts and letting go the shot in making an attempt shall be counted as trial puts without result.

A board similar to the one in front may be used at the back of the circle.

The order of competing and number of trials shall be the same as for the Running Broad Jump. Shots shall be furnished by the Athletic Committee. Any contestant may use his private shot, if correct in weight and shape; in which case the other contestants must also be allowed to use it if they wish.

(to be continued.)