03/10/14 – NFHS Clarifications

March 10, 2014 Track and Field Blog Updates

The NFHS has received several questions regarding the wearing of fashion socks, sleeve warmers and further clarification of the use of electronic devices.

On behalf of the Track and Field Rules Committee, the following situations are being provided for your information should you encounter the same or similar questions. These situations are also posted in My Groups under Track Field, Documents.

SITUATION: Competitor A reports to the clerk of the course wearing Superman socks that have a cape attached to each sock flowing behind the athlete. The clerk, after consulting the meet referee, directs competitor A to either remove the socks or securely affix the capes to the socks so as not to come loose during competition; otherwise, he/she will not be permitted to participate. RULING: Correct procedure. COMMENT: Although socks are not a part of the uniform and, therefore, are not required to meet uniform restrictions, the cape extending from the socks becomes a risk minimization issue, as the spikes from the individual runner or others could get caught in this excess material. The referee, under Rule 3-4-6, has the authority to restrict this garment due to risk minimization. (3-4-6, 4-3-1, 9-6-1)

SITUATION: The 4×100 relay team from school A reports to the clerk of the course. Each member is wearing a solid white, long-sleeved garment with the hole in the sleeve for the thumb to slip through under the uniform top. The clerk looks at the portion of the sleeve covering the palm of the hand to be certain it is not made or altered to provide a grip on the baton, which it does not. No further action is taken and the relay team members are in compliance with the rules. RULING: Correct procedure. COMMENT: Gloves are not permitted to be worn in relays. This item is not a glove, but due to partially covering the palm, the clerk may inspect the garment. (5-10-5)

SITUATION: All members of team A report to the starting line wearing arm sleeves/warmers displaying a leopard design. This has no relation to the school mascot. The meet referee instructs the coach and athletes that their items are considered visible undergarments and, therefore, must be a single, solid color or must be removed if the individual competitors are to participate in the race. RULING: Incorrect procedure. COMMENT: The visible garment requirements apply to shirts worn under the official uniform top. The arm sleeves are not considered a visible garment, as a shirt. These items may consist of more than one color. [4-3-1b(8), 9-6-1b(7)]

SITUATION: In the pole vault, only one competitor remains. The bar is set at the new height and the competitor is called for his/her next attempt. The competitor has five (5) minutes in which to initiate and complete the attempt. The athlete wants to go over to the coaches’ box and view the video of his/her last attempt, but is not permitted to do so as the coach shall not use an electronic device for communication with the athlete during a trial. RULING:Correct procedure. COMMENT: Once the competitor has been called for his/her trial, the access to electronic devices is prohibited. (6-4-9a, 4-6-5g, 3-2-8a, 7-2-11, 7-1-1)