IAAF Race Walking “Pit Lane Rule”

IAAF – “Following a proposal from the IAAF Race Walking Committee in April 2013 the IAAF Council decided that, starting in 2014, all National Level Race Walk competitions for athletes under 16 be conducted, as much as possible, with some form of “Pit Lane Rule” principally aimed at reducing (if not eliminating altogether) disqualifications.”

Below attached is a set of operational guidelines.

Please note that, during this testing phase, results achieved with the Pit Lane Rule are considered as not valid for the purpose of entry standards.

Penalty Area set up (for track events – see below)

• It should be located in the final straight, in lanes 5 to 7, close to the 80m start line and in front of the Posting Board.

• It shall have one entrance and one exit at opposite ends (both of the same size) and be of 10m in length (maximum). The width can vary but should be such to allow up to 5 athletes at the same time.

• Small barriers or cones should be used to clearly identify the penalty area.

• The athlete is free to stop or continue moving inside the penalty area however there shall be no benches and no access to refreshments, drinking, sponging or other kind of assistance but communication with coaches is allowed.

• Set up for road events should be similar though compatible with existing space constraints.

Example of set-up for a track event

Additional Officials

• There must be 2 red-card collectors next to each Race Walking Judge to ensure the fastest possible delivery of the red cards to the recorder.

• 1 official and 1 assistant will be required to manage the operation of the Penalty Area (in charge of the athletes’ entry and exit, plus the control of the penalty time).

• 1 Chief Judge’s Assistant will be required to help the Chief Judge communicate the penalty times to the athletes concerned, especially in the last laps.

Judging

IAAF Race Walking Rules (230) must be applied with the following adaptations:

• When one athlete receives 3 Red Cards, he must receive a communication from the Chief Judge or his Assistant showing him a paddle with the time penalty on both sides and he must stop in the penalty area at the first opportunity. Depending on the race distance, the following penalty times shall apply:
• Races up to 5000m 60 seconds
• Races longer than 5000m and up to 10,000m 120 seconds

• After the time penalty, and following the instructions of the official in charge of thepenalty area, the athlete shall re-enter the event.

After the time penalty, and following the instructions of the official in charge of the penalty area, the athlete shall re-enter the event.

• The athlete is not judged in the Penalty Area.

• If the athlete then receives any additional Red Card(s) (from the judges who had not previously sent him one), he shall be disqualified and the Chief Judge or his assistant must notify the disqualification as soon as possible.

• If an athlete receives 4 or more Red Cards before stopping in the penalty area, the athlete shall be disqualified and the Chief Judge or his assistant must notify the disqualification as soon as possible.

If an athlete receives the third Red Card at the late stage of the race and it’s not possible for the Chief Judge or his assistant to notify the athlete that he must stop in the penalty area, the athlete shall finish the race and the penalty time (60 or 120 seconds) shall be added to his official time.

• The Chief Judge maintains the power to immediately disqualify the athlete in the last 100m of a race (no time penalty) if he tries to gain an unfair advantage.