Rules of competition (2022/23)

CENTRE RULES

CONTROL OF THE MEETS

  • The competition may be changed, discontinued, postponed or cancelled, or these rules varied, at any time, at the sole discretion of the Centre Executive. For athletes facing suspension from events or programs, decisions will be made by the Arena Manager in consultation with the Centre Executive.
  • The start time is to be strictly adhered to. The first call to marshal will be 15 minutes prior to the commencement of the meeting. For example 7.45am for an 8.00am start.

ELIGIBILITY TO COMPETE

  • All athletes must be registered with Athletics West. Registrations must be completed and paid for online by 7.00 pm on Thursday night for an athlete to be eligible to compete on the Saturday. Cash payments MUST be received by Timing Solutions by 12pm Wednesday. New athletes are entitled to one competition prior to registering, up until 31st October 2022. No results will be available for these athletes for their trial day of competition. All formerly registered athletes must be registered prior to competing.
  • Athletes from other Centres, inter-state and other visitors, may seek permission to compete by applying to the Chairperson prior to competition day.
  • To be eligible to compete in Centre Championships the Athlete must:
    • Have been a registered and competitive member of the club/centre prior to the 1st of January in that competition year.
    • Have competed in the same event/s a minimum of THREE times during the season.
    • Athletes should have competed in at least one of either Program 1, 2 or 3 (NOT a special program) after Christmas (before centre championships) to be eligible for centre championships.
    • Parents/guardians MUST meet their club’s roster quota for the season for the athlete to be able to compete at centre championships, unless specified otherwise by the Centre Executive during the season. If Clubs do not meet their weekly roster requirements, their championship points may be withheld for that week, at the discretion of the Centre Executive.

EXEMPTION APPLICATIONS FOR CENTRE CHAMPIONSHIPS

ALL applications must be lodged by 21 January 2023. Applications after this date will not be accepted.

The application must be accompanied by a letter of support from the athlete’s Club Manager indicating the athlete’s compliance with the points above. Any applications that are not on the official eligibility form which is verified by the Club Manager will not be accepted.

The only matters that will be considered and should be included in the application are illness, injury or parental control (this does NOT include going away on holiday). Medical evidence will be required to support the application for injury and illness including date of injury/illness and when cleared to resume competition. If an athlete has attended competition and has chosen NOT to do a particular event, no exemption will be granted UNLESS the event was missed due to injury, in which case notification to the Centre Executive, via the Club Manager, needs to have been made ON THE DAY the event was missed (see HEALTH AND INJURY section in the programme book). Missing events due to other sporting commitments (including compulsory school sport) do not qualify athletes for an exemption.

If an athlete tests positive for COVID-19 during the season, evidence from WA Health will need to be included as part of the medical exemption i.e. text messages stating when the positive result was registered with WA Health and when the isolation period ended.

If ONE competition is cancelled due to COVID-19, this is NOT grounds for an exemption as athletes have many opportunities to fulfill their requirements to compete at centre championships. If more than one competition is cancelled due to COVID-19, the Centre Executive will have the final decision as to whether athletes are eligible, dependent on point 5 above.

The Executive Committee has the final decision in all cases.

 

AGE GROUPS

Little Athletics may be conducted in age groups below:

Birth Year

Age Group

2017

U6

2016

U7

2015

U8

2014

U9

2013

U10

2012

U11

2011

U12

2010

U13

2009

U14

2008

U15

2007

U16

2006

U17

 

  • An athlete may voluntarily compete in an older age group for that day only by applying to the Arena Manager through their Club Manager. No records will be accepted or points allocated when an athlete is voluntarily competing out of age group, however, for Championship purposes the athlete will be regarded as having competed.
  • Mixed age groups may be conducted at the discretion of the Arena Manager to expedite the program. In this situation any records broken by any athlete, regardless of their placing, will be recognized.

ATTIRE

  • All athletes must wear correct club uniform and it is the responsibility of the Club Manager to ensure their athletes are wearing the correct uniform prior to the start of competition. The registration number is to be securely fastened (at all four corners) to the front, with the age badge similarly fastened to the left of, and above, the registration number. In the event that an athlete is unable to wear correct uniform, an exemption may be granted by the Centre Executive, for that day only, on application by the Club Manager.
  • Pants are to have NO logos or motifs on them larger than a standard size matchbox. Athletes may wear leggings of any length except in Walking events. If worm they shall be black and conform to rule 143.4. For walking events, short length must finish at least 5cm about the knee
  • Shoes are compulsory for all age groups in all events run by the Association.
    • Spiked shoes may be worn by registered athletes in the under 11 and older age groups; children U6-U10 are not permitted to compete in shoes capable of carrying spikes.
      U11-U12 athletes may wear spike shoes in:
      • Track events run entirely in lanes,
      • long jump and triple jump, high jump and javelin.
      U13-17 athletes may weak spike shoes in:
      • All track events except walks.
      • Long jump, Triple jump, High jump and Javelin.
    • Maximum spike lengths are as follows:
      • Synthetic track - 7mm
      • Synthetic/ jump events (Long/Triple/High) and javelin – 9mm
      • Grass Track/Long/Triple/High/Javelin – 12mm
    • All spike shoes must be worn with all holes filled with a complete set of spikes, with no more than two blank/slugs installed.
    • Spike shoes must only be worn during an event and are not to be worn to and from an event. Spike shoes must be carried with the soles facing together to reduce the chances of accidental injury. Spiked shoes should be placed securely in a suitable bag when not in use.
    • Any number of spikes up to 11 may be accommodated on each shoe, but the number of spike positions shall not exceed 11.
    • Any athlete who does not exercise care when using spikes may be disqualified from the wearing of spiked shoes for the remainder of the meeting, or permanently, as well as having their performance ruled invalid.

CONDUCT OF THE MEETING

  • Only equipment provided by the Centre may be used during competition.
  • Athletes must report to the marshalling area when called to do so by the announcer. Athletes who fail to marshall for an event, or who arrive after the start of an event, may participate in the event subject to permission received from the Chief Marshall and/or the Arena Manager. Any athlete who takes part in an event without reporting to the Marshall prior to the said event or receiving permission from the Chief Marshall or Arena Manager, shall be disqualified from that event, pending consultation with the Executive Committee. If athletes are allowed onto site, they must fit in with the order of the competition.
  • In the event of a clash, competitors who leave a field event to compete in a track event, may return after completing the track event. On both leaving and returning to the field event, the athlete should notify the Field Referee, who will determine how the athlete will resume the event.
  • a) 1500 metre runs and walk events will start from a curved line as a massed start. At the start, or at any other time during the event, an athlete cutting in may do so, as long as they do not interfere with another athlete or in any way cause an athlete to change direction
    b) Lanes to be used in 800 metre events can either be a staggered start in lanes or a massed start from a curved line. Athletes will run in lanes until they reach the cut- in line on the back straight. They may then cross to the inside of the track. When cutting in an athlete may not interfere with another athlete or in any way cause an athlete to change direction.
  • Athletes can either be assigned a lane or will draw for lane position as necessary in all track events.
  • On completion of track events, athletes will follow the directions of the key official.
  • No food, including gum, or cool drink cans will be permitted on the arena, track or jump pits. Athletes are permitted to take their own personal drink containers to a site.
  • Athletes, volunteers and key officials are not permitted to use their mobile phones whilst on site. Mobile phones must be switched off/on silent during competition. No electronic entertainment equipment will be allowed on site.
  • All Chaperones and volunteers will be issued with a High Visibility Vest which must be worn when helping on site.
  • Anyone interfering with the running of an event risks having their athlete(s) disqualified. Education of athletes on site by Key Officials at the site is permitted during the season, but not during the Centre Championships or at any WALA controlled events. Volunteer helpers are not to coach or interfere in any way with any athletes while on site.
  • Once the event starts Athletes must remain on the designated site/area.

PROHIBITED AREAS

  • Unless so directed by an official, athletes must walk around the arena, not across the centre, as the infield must be kept clear for throwing events and high jump.
  • Spectators must remain within the spectator area at all times. Only persons in official capacities will be allowed into the track, centre arena or sites. Club personnel or parents acting as attendants to their team come under the jurisdiction of the Key Official/Chief Judge(s).
  • No athletes are permitted to absent themselves from the sports ground during the program without approval from the Club or Arena Manager, unless otherwise accompanied by a parent/guardian.

PROVISION OF OFFICIALS AND ASSISTANCE

  • Each club must provide at least one official (Chief Judge) for every three registered athletes (or as determined by Centre Executive) to assist in the conduct of the meeting. Each Club Manager is considered to be an official but is not included in the Club quota. Officials (Chief Judges) and parent helpers must sign up online prior to the meet AND sign the sheet/book for insurance purposes, 15 minutes prior to competition starting. The number of parent helpers per club will be decided on by the Centre Executive each season and will depend on athlete numbers and may vary throughout the season.

PROTESTS

  • A protest can only be accepted by the Centre Executive. It must be lodged by the Club Manager, in writing, within 30 minutes of the completion of an event and includes a $20.00 fee (cash only). The fee will be forfeited if the protest is dismissed. A protest committee, comprising of the Arena Manager and any three Centre Executive, will decide all protests. The fee is returned if the protest is upheld. The decision of the protest committee is final.

BEHAVIOUR - please refer to the BLAC Code of Conduct

  • a) Misbehaviour by any athlete, whether during an event or during the conduct of the competition generally, should be reported by the Key Official to the Centre Chairperson who will then consult with the Arena Manager. Removal of athletes from an event by a Key Official must be in consultation with the Chairperson/Arena Manager. A misbehaving athlete may be suspended from competition for a period of time to be determined by the Executive Committee.

    b) Any misbehaviour, malicious gossip and/or bad or abusive language by parents, officials or club members should be reported to a member of the Centre Executive, who must bring the situation to the attention of the Arena Manager on that competition day. The Member will bring the situation to the notice of the next Centre Executive meeting, or a specially convened Centre Executive meeting, who may suspend the offender for a period of time to be determined by the Centre Executive.

  • Decisions of the Centre Executive, Arena Manager, Field or Track Referees on issues of behaviour must be seen to be transparent to avoid confusion by directly interested parties.

CENTRE TROPHIES

  • Centre Trophies will be presented at the conclusion of Centre Championships on the last Saturday of the season. They will be for the following categories:
    • Champion Club
    • Runner-Up Champion Club 
    • Centre Champions and Runners Up
    • Personal Best (Male and Female)

    At the Opening Ceremony march past (week 2 or 3 of each new season), Centre trophies will be presented for the following categories from the previous season:

    • Championship Trophy
    • Parent Participation
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