Author's note: This article originally appeared on Colorado Track XC on January 13. I'm bumping it back to the top carousel in advance of the CHSCA Track and Field Clinic as a bit of suggested before-the-clinic reading. If we're all familiar with what's already been written about the rule changes it becomes easier to cut to the chase in any discussion that emerges out of the rules changes presentation at the clinic.
Very soon, coaches all around the state will be attending rules clinics to get updates on 2017's new rules for track and field/cross country.
But, if you take a quick look at the December track and field officials' newsletter, you can get a sneak peak of your own at this year's rule changes. It would appear that cross country will feel most of the impact of this year's changes.
Here's a quick look at the ones that, in my estimation, will make the biggest impact:
1. The games committee will have the responsibility of providing liquids during a race and not leave this responsibility to individual coaches. I see this one as having primary impact in cross country and barely any impact at all in track and field. I believe I can recall one track race in 16 years of coaching where liquids were provided to athletes. There will need to be discussion and clarification on this new rule. As I read it, it sounds like coaches (and presumably spectators as well) will not be allowed to provide liquids to competitors. But, if only the meet can provide liquids, does that not imply a logjam at a water station somewhere on the course, effectively encouraging athletes not to take water? Getting complete clarity on this one will be important.
2. We are used to having a gun fired or a bell rung for the final lap of a 1600 or 3200. Evidently, that will now happen with the 800 as well. Hopefully, it will be a bell in most cases; the cost of blanks is such that this little exercise becomes pricey in a hurry.
3. It used to be that if a runner stopped to assist another runner that both competitors fell under the pale of disqualification. Going forward it will be only the assisted runner, and not the assisting runner, who is disqualified. I must admit that this rule change makes better sense to me than I expected when I first caught wind of the rumor that the rule would be changed.
4. In the absence of a curb, the placement of cones ensures the competitors run the prescribed race distance. I'll be interested to hear further discussion on this one. This could be construed to mean that every rankings meet needs to have cones placed around the turns with an approximate distance of 1.5 meters between cones.