Subchapter C: ATHLETICS (1320)

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Subchapter C: ATHLETICS (1320)

UIL Track and Field Webpage

Section 1320: TRACK AND FIELD PLAN

(a) ATHLETIC PURPOSES, CODES, PLAN APPLICABLE.

Rules in Sections 1200-1209 also apply to the Track and Field Plan.

(b) DIVISIONS.

There shall be a boys’ division and a girls’ division in the respective conferences. Girls’ teams shall not compete against boys’ teams, and vice versa.

(c) REPRESENTATION.

Each member school may enter one boys’ team and one girls’ team in the district meet, advancing to regional and state meets as provided in the Track and Field Manual.

(1) Number in Each Event. Each school shall be allowed a maximum of three contestants in each individual event. Only one relay team per school may be entered.

(2) Individual Events. In individual events a school may enter in the next higher meet only the same individuals and in the same events as they qualified for in the preceding meet.

(3) Alternates. If a qualified contestant cannot enter the next higher meet, then the next place winner in that event at the lower meet shall be qualified to participate.

(4) Relays. In the relay event, qualification is by school and not individual. Individuals qualifying only as a member on the relay team may not enter any individual event in the next higher meet.

(d) POINTS.

The point system in scoring high school track meets shall be the same in all meets which count on UIL standing.

(1) Points for Individual Events and Relays. Points shall be given in individual events as follows: First place 10 points, second place 8 points, third place 6 points, fourth place 4 points, fifth place 2 points, sixth place 1 point. Points for relays shall be as follows: first place 20 points, second place 16 points, third place 12 points, fourth place 8 points, fifth place 4 points, sixth place 2 points.

(2) Points to All Finishers. Points shall be awarded to all finishers (first through sixth).

(3) Individual Honors. In computing individual honors a contestant’s points on the relay team shall also be counted; i.e., each contestant on the winning relay team shall receive five points for individual honors

(e) EVENTS.

(1) Order of Events. The events and order in which they shall be held, are:

(A) Running Events.

(i) 3200-meter run: girls; boys

(ii) 400-meter relay: girls; boys

(iii) 800-meter run: girls; boys

(iv) Girls’ 100-meter hurdles (33”)

(v) Boys’ 110-meter hurdles (39”)

(vi) 100-meter dash: girls, boys

(vii) 800-meter relay: girls; boys

(viii) 400-meter dash: girls; boys

(ix) Girls’ 300-meter hurdles (30”)

(x) Boys’ 300-meter hurdles (36”)

(xi)  200-meter dash: girls; boys

(xii) 1600-meter run: girls; boys

(xiii) 1600-meter relay: girls; boys

(B) Girls’ Field Events.

(i) 4-kilo shot put

(ii) Discus

(iii) High jump

(iv) Long jump

(v) Triple jump

(vi) Pole vault

(C) Boys’ Field Events.

(i) Pole vault

(ii) High jump

(iii) 12-pound shot put

(iv) Long jump

(v) Discus

(vi) Triple jump

(2) Metric Distance Only. The 3200-meter run, the 100-meter dash and the 1600-meter run for both boys and girls shall be run at the metric distances only.

(3) Feet/Yard Equivalents. In the 400, 800 and 1600 meter relays and the 200, 400 and 800 meter dashes and runs, the equivalent yard distances may be run.

(f) EVENT LIMITATIONS.

(1) Event Limitations. A contestant shall not be allowed to compete in more than three running events, including the relays, and in not over five 
events total.

(2) Field Events. Contestants may enter five field events provided they are not entered in any running events.

(g) ENTRIES FOR THE DISTRICT MEET.

(1) No entries shall be allowed for district meets which are not submitted to the director on or before the fifth day before the first day of the meet.

(2) Districts may authorize a scratch meeting after the entries are submitted to allow for substitutions.

(3) Schools should be permitted to scratch and add according to approved District Executive Committee regulations. Those events that have been entered by the school on the fifth-day-prior entry form may be subject to some changes under the following suggested guidelines:

(A) Students who are not eligible 5 days prior to the meet, but may become eligible at the time of the scheduled district meet, may be listed on the entry form and assigned to events. They shall be eligible at the time they actually compete.

(B) Students entered, but who have lost their eligibility because of the academic regulations, should be permitted to be dropped or scratched.

(C) Other eligible participants should be permitted to be added to the vacated places. These substitutes should be on an eligibility form turned 
into the district chair prior to the contest.

(D) If a school which has not entered an event 5 days prior wishes to enter an event at the time of the scratch meeting, it would be up to the District Executive Committee’s policy or authorized meet director to determine if that school could enter.

(h) QUALIFICATION.

The district director shall, subject to exceptions provided in (h)(1) below, certify the first four winners to area competition, and the first four winners at area will be certified to regional competition. The regional director shall certify first and second place winners for the state meet in accordance with the schedule provided in the Track and Field Manual.

(1) All Conferences Except in cases where the options provided for in the Track and Field Manual concerning district and area meets are adopted, four contestants qualify from each district to area; four contestants qualify from each area to region, and two contestants qualify from each region to state meet. See #5 below.

(2) Qualifications are to be made in accordance with the National Federation Track and Field Rules.

(3) If a tie still exists after the application of these rules, then it will be decided by a coin toss and points split.

(4) Individual school entry forms and entry fees are not required for the state meet.

(5) After the regional meet directors have certified state qualifiers, the UIL staff will select one additional qualifier for each event to compete in the state meet. This qualifier will be the individual and/or relay team with the best overall time, mark, or height from all regional meets per classification that did not finish first or second.  Ties will be broken as noted above.

(i) AREA, REGIONAL AND STATE MEET ALTERNATES.

(1) Alternates. In the event a qualified contestant is unable to compete, area, regional and state meet directors may permit the next highest place finisher to compete. Relays qualify by schools. Relay team members may be changed according to rule.

(2) Restriction. An alternate on a relay cannot participate in any other event except the relay unless the alternate qualified in another event. This rule is applicable in all area, regional meets and in the state meet.

(3) Preliminaries. A contestant in an individual event shall compete in the preliminaries in order to compete in the finals.

(j) AREA, REGIONAL AND/OR STATE QUALIFIERS MEETS.

All area, regional and/or state qualifiers, including alternates in individual events and relays, shall be eligible to participate in any event at the applicable area, regional and/or state qualifiers meet(s).

(k) REPORTING TO EVENT.

The director of the meet shall see that the preliminaries and the finals start at the scheduled times.

(1) No Excuse. No excuse shall be accepted for failure of a team or contestant to appear at the time announced for the event to start.

(2) Forfeiture. Any contestant who fails for any reason to be on hand at the time of the preliminaries shall forfeit the right to compete in the preliminaries and the finals, in that event.

(l) NO EXTRA TRIALS FOR RECORD.

Winners in the field events at the state meet will not be allowed extra trials for a state record. Those who qualify for the finals will be allowed three additional trials, and the contestants will be credited with their best performance whether it was made in the preliminaries or in the finals.

(m) INVITATIONAL TRACK AND FIELD MEETS.

(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 area meet, the regional meet, a regional qualifiers meet and the state meet. 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. Each meet a school 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.

(2) Cancelation. A track and field meet is considered a meet when one-half or more of the field events and one-half or more of the track events are completed. If less than one-half of the field events and less than one-half of the track events are completed, and the meet cannot be continued, the meet may be canceled and does not have to count as one of the allowable eight meets, unless there was loss of school time. A canceled meet shall be counted if there was loss of school time.

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

(4) Day of Week and Starting Time. Students or teams representing a member school are permitted to participate in an invitational track and field meet only as listed below:

(A) After 2:30 on Friday or the last day of the school week, or as early as the end of the academic school day for all participating schools on a day preceding a holiday or break. Exception: A student representing a member school may participate in a maximum of two meets which start no earlier than 
12:00 noon on Friday or the last day of the school week.

(B) Or on Saturday or school holidays;

(C) Or on any school day other than the last day of the school week with the following conditions:

(i) Students shall not miss any school time other than the in-school athletic class period.

(ii) Events shall not begin until after the end of the academic school day for all schools involved.

(iii) Schools utilizing this option are limited to a one-day meet.

(iv) A school or student participating in this type of meet shall not enter another track and field meet during the same school week, Monday through Friday.

(v) No event shall start after 10:00 p.m.

(5) End of District. A member school shall not enter a student or students in an invitational track and field meet after the final date for district certification of track and field representatives except those students qualifying for further competition as a qualifier, relay alternate (maximum of two alternates on any one relay team) or alternate (fourth place finisher at district) in the UIL regional or state meets. One regional qualifiers meet would not count in the allowable total of eight meets per student per year. A state qualifiers meet would count in the allowable total of eight meets per student per year.

(6) End of Season. Students and teams shall not represent a member school in any track and field meet after the date of the State Track and Field Meet.