AboutRichard Howland Expertise I am a master USATF Track and Field official and can answer questions about officiating high school (NFHS), college (NCAA), National (USATF) and international in field events. I am not a coach except for other officials. My specialties are the Field events except pole vault.
Experience I delight in meeting athletes from all backgrounds and ages. I have even officiated field events for a one hundred year old long jumper as well as many "Master" and "Senior" athletes. Special olympics is a great event for officials to volunteer and see the essence of good sport on the faces of the athletes.
After thirty three years as a trial lawyer in Massachusetts with a focus on sports law, among others, I retired and devote much of my time to officiating. I referee soccer, time football, officiate swimming and diving, and officiate and start all events in track and field. My special focus in field events.
In high school and college I played soccer, squash and lacrosse, but track was not available in any depth then. Since I was a lawyer I began officiating and training to officiate sports which I could fit into my schedule. I honestly do not remember when I first started track and field officiating, but estimate that I have been very active for at least fifteen years.
I regularly officiate all events and levels.
Question Can you please tell me the rule on false starts according to the USA Track and Field guildlines?
Answer Gary:
The rule on False Starts is USATF Rule 162. It is fairly lengthy, but the general sense is: Any competitor in a race who moves such that there is a gain or advantage to that runner, before the signal is operated may be guilty of a "false start". "May" because there are a variety of reasons to forgive the start based upon, usually, some extrinsic noise which causes a runner to confuse the noise with the signal. There are other reasons why a runner might be forgiven a "false start".
In the event of a false start by a competitor in the exclusive judgment of the starter, for a first infraction no penalty shall be imposed, but the competitor who started the motion too early shall have a yellow flag or card shown and placed in that lane. All other competitors shall be shown a yellow flag or card indicating that any further false start will call for disqualification of the competitor{s} without further delay.
There are various descriptions of types of determining a false start, but it is always the final judgment of the starter of that race. Since it is a judgment decision there is no appeal, but if the electronic detection equipment is faulty it is grounds to restart the race.
Since there are different apparatuses for starting and detection, the rule has some explanations for handling the matter.
Unless a specific event was the basis for the question I cannot be more precise in answering. Consult the rule for complete text and perhaps the solution to a specific issue or case.
I am sorry that this answer took awhile, we have had a fair amount of violent weather which delayed getting and assembling an answer with the rule citation. I hope that this is helpful, good luck, Dick Howland
