Subchapter C: ATHLETICS (1240)

BACK TO TABLE OF CONTENTS

Subchapter C: ATHLETICS (1240)

UIL Cross Country Website

Section 1240: CROSS COUNTRY PLAN

(a) ATHLETIC PURPOSES, CODES, PLAN APPLICABLE.

Rules in Sections 1200-1209 also apply to Cross Country.

(b) DIVISIONS.

There shall be one division for boys and one for girls in the respective conferences. Boys’ teams may not compete on or against girls’ teams.

(c) DISTANCE.

(1) Girls, Boys. The distance for the cross-country event will be approximately two miles for 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A girls (3200 meters) and three miles for 1A-6A boys and 5A and 6A girls (5000 meters).

(2) Limitation. A race of six miles or longer shall not be considered a cross-country meet.

(d) ENTRIES.

(1) Number. A minimum of five participants and a maximum of seven participants shall constitute a team. If a school enters fewer than 5 students, it cannot compete for the team title.

(2) Team Score. The place of the first five finishers on each team will count for the total team score.

(3) Team Limit. A school may enter only one team of boys and one team of girls in the district, regional and state meets.

(4) Fee. There is no entry fee for the state cross-country meet.

(e) MEET LIMITATIONS.

(1) Number of Meets. No student representing a member school shall participate in more than eight meets during the school year, excluding one district meet, the regional meet and the state meet. Each meet a school team enters counts as one meet for each participating individual. Students are considered to be representing their school if they are wearing and/or using school equipment or being directed or transported by a school employee. Meets which are limited to three or fewer schools, do not count as a meet for participants, provided there is no loss of school time.

(2) School Week Limitation. No student representing a member school shall participate in more than one tournament/meet per school week (the first instructional day of the week through the 
last school day). Exceptions: the regional and state tournaments, and district varsity tournaments postponed by weather or public disaster, may also be scheduled during the school week.

(f) CHAMPIONSHIP STRUCTURE.

(1) District Meets. District meets shall be held in districts with more than three teams and/or 10 individuals entered. District cross-country chairs shall be responsible for organizing the district cross-country meets.

(2) Qualifiers to Regional Meet. The top three teams and the top 10 individuals shall qualify from district to the regional meet. An individual qualifier may also be a team member of one of the qualifying teams.

(3) Qualifiers to State. The top four teams and the top 10 individuals (who are not already on the advancing teams) shall qualify from regional to the state meet.

(g) PRACTICE REGULATIONS OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL YEAR.

Any cross-country practice conducted by a school outside the school year shall be in accordance with the following regulations: 

(1) Student-athletes shall not engage in more than three hours of practice activities on those days during which one practice is conducted. 

(2) Student-athletes shall not engage in more than five hours of practice activities on those days during which more than one practice is conducted.

(3) The maximum length of any single practice session shall be three hours.

(4) On days when more than one practice is conducted, there shall be, at a minimum, two hours of rest/recovery time between the end of one practice and the beginning of the next practice.

(5) Schools shall not schedule more than one practice on consecutive days and student-athletes shall not participate in multiple practices on consecutive days.