Effective with the 2025 season, high school track and field races will be recalled in the first 50 meters if a competitor falls due to contact with another competitor. This adjustment was among the eight revisions recommended by the NFHS Track and Field and Cross Country Rules Committee during their June 10-12 meeting in Indianapolis. The rule pertains to races not run in lanes or where multiple competitors share a single lane. All recommended changes were approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.
Julie Cochran, NFHS director of sports and editor of the NFHS Track and Field Rules, explained that the committee considered 50 meters to be sufficient for ensuring a fair start, a reduction from the previous 100-meter mark. “Athletes are up to racing speed well before the 100-meter mark,” Cochran noted. She also mentioned that the 100-meter recall distance posed challenges based on the number of officials and the location of field events that might obstruct views.
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Other changes include the reorganization of Rules 5-10 and 5-11 concerning relays and relay infractions. All infractions have been consolidated into Rule 5-11, simplifying enforcement for officials. The revised rule now lists 14 instances where a relay team can be disqualified.
The committee also clarified a rule change from the previous year regarding field events. Rule 6-2-2 now includes two notes: Note 1 states that the time for all competitors remains the same until the next bar height is set, and Note 2 specifies that the first attempt of a competitor entering the competition at any height is limited to one minute.
Additional field event revisions include:
– A new sub-article (f) in Rule 6-2-2, stating that competitors will receive a verbal or signal warning when 15 seconds remain in their allotted time.
– Language added to Rule 6-3-2 NOTE 1 providing guidance for starting heights in a jump-off when athletes exit at varying heights.
– Clarifications in Rule 6-8-2 defining active flights (five-alive) and continuing flights (straight-through).
– An added sentence to Rule 6-9-22 specifying that the plane of the crossbar must be at least 4 inches from the landing pad.
The committee also provided clarification for Rule 5-13-3 regarding infractions in races not run in lanes.
A complete list of the track and field rule changes can be found on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org. Navigate to “Activities & Sports” and select “Track and Field.”
According to the 2022-23 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, track and field ranks as the second-most popular sport for boys with 604,983 participants in 17,038 schools and remains the top sport for girls with 486,355 participants in 16,997 schools.
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