General Information – Medowie Little Athletics

Rules of Competition

GENERAL

The Medowie and Districts Athletics club uniform must be worn at all athletics competitions. Tops and singlets are to be tucked into the shorts, skirts or bottoms.
Shoes are to be worn at all times at Little Athletics competitions and Training sessions.
The club registration number, age group and athlete registration number badges are to be attached to the top or singlet before entering any competition.
If an Official deems an Athlete’s uniform is incomplete or is not being worn correctly, the Athlete can be disqualified from the event. The uniform must not be obscured by other items of clothing.
Spiked shoes are not permitted in any race over 400 metres.
Under 11’s and older are permitted to wear spiked shoes where applicable.
Please at our 'Helpful Tips' page for instruction videos on most events. Helpful Tips
Read through Event Fact Sheets . These are also available at the clubhouse.

TRACK EVENTS

Note – Spiked Shoes There are rubber soled shoes on the market with removable spikes. These shoes are NOT permitted at Little Athletics events, with the spikes removed.

Starting blocks are provided by the Centre and are optional for use in sprint events. However, the athlete must be familiar with their set-up and will only be permitted a limited time for their preparation prior to the start of the race.
Two false starts by the same athlete will result in a disqualification.
For events up to and including 400 metres, the Starter’s instructions shall be “On your marks”, “Set” and when the competitors are steady, the pistol will be fired.
For events over 400 metres the instructions will be “On your marks” and when the competitors are steady, the pistol will be fired.
For events up to and including 400 metres, athletes must keep to their allotted lane from the beginning to the end of the event. Straying outside your lane could result in disqualification.

WALKS

A race is completed and a time is measured when the athlete’s TORSO crosses the finish line.
Race walking is a progression of steps so taken, that unbroken contact with the ground is maintained.
During the period of each step, the advancing foot of the walker must make contact with the ground before the rear foot leaves the ground.
The supporting leg must be straight (ie. Not bent at the knee) from the moment it makes contact with the ground.

DISCUS

The discus must land wholly inside the lines marking the landing sector.
A failure shall be recorded if the competitor, after entering the circle and commencing to make a throw, touches with any part of their body, the top of the circle or the ground outside the circle.
The competitor must not leave the circle until the implement has landed, and then they must leave by exiting from the rear half of the circle in a controlled manner.
The distance is measured from the inside edge of the throwing circle to the closest part of the landing mark.
The distances shall always be recorded to the nearest centimetre below the distance measured, if the actual distance is not a whole centimetre. E.G. A distance of 10.547 meters is measured as 10.54 metres.

SHOTPUT

The shot shall be put from the shoulder with one hand only.
The shot shall touch or be in close proximity to the neck or chin, and the hand shall not be dropped below this position, during the action of putting. (Close proximity should be about the thickness of one finger)
The shot must not be taken from behind the line of the shoulder.
Immediately prior to release, the athlete may turn their head away from the shot.
The shot must land wholly inside the lines marking the landing sector.
A failure shall be recorded if the competitor, after entering the circle and commencing to make a throw, touches with any part of their body, the top of the circle or the ground outside the circle.
The competitor must not leave the circle until the shot has landed, and then they must leave by exiting from the rear half of the circle in a controlled manner.
The distance is measured from the inside edge of the throwing circle to the closest part of the landing mark.
The distances shall always be recorded to the nearest centimetre below the distance measured, if the actual distance is not a whole centimetre. E.G. A distance of 3.509 meters is measure as 3.50 metres.
A competitor is permitted to place markers to assist their run up and take off, providing they do not interfere with another competitor’s run up line. Shoe bags and clothing are not acceptable markers.
The competitor must take off from one foot only.
A nominal one-minute time period is allowed to complete each attempt. Baulked attempts are treated as part of the same attempt. An unreasonable delay in an attempt may be recorded as a failed attempt.
A failed attempt is recorded when a competitor removes the bar during a jump attempt, or any part of the athlete touches or passes any part of the high jump equipment during a baulked attempt.

HIGH JUMP

NOTE: There is a mistaken idea that provided the jumper scrambles out of the landing area, before the bar falls, it does not count a failure. This is quite wrong and there is no rule to this effect.

Competitors are disqualified when three consecutive failures are recorded at any height.
The high jump is complete when last remaining athlete fails or decides to stop.
Athletes are to be advised to jump so that they land in the Centre of the bags. The official may stop an athlete from jumping, if the athlete’s jumping style is deemed dangerous.
A jump marker may be placed along side the jump runway to assist run up and take off.
A one half metre by one metre take off area is provided for age groups U6 up to and including U12. A twenty-centimetre take off board is provided for U13 and upwards.
The jump is measured as the shortest distance between an imprint made by any part of the competitors body in the landing area and either:

LONG JUMP and TRIPLE JUMP

1. The imprint made on the take off board, or 2. The take off line if the competitor jumps from behind the take off board.

Distances are measured to the nearest centimetre below the distance measured if the distance measured is not a whole centimetre.
A failure is recorded if the competitor touches the ground beyond the take off line and before the landing area or walks back through the take off area.
For triple jump, a five, seven, nine, and eleven metre take-off board is provided. The competitor may change the take off distance as long as they notify the official prior to making each attempt.
The javelin must be thrown over the shoulder or upper part of the throwing arm. It must not be slung or hurled.
The javelin must land wholly inside the lines marking the landing sector.
A failure shall be recorded if:

JAVELIN, TURBO JAVELIN AND VORTEX

1. The tip of the javelin does not strike the ground first; 2. The competitor completely turns around so their back is toward the throwing arc, with the javelin in their hand; 3. The competitor touches the ground outside the runway, the lines or the landing area with any part of their body

The competitor must not leave the runway until the javelin has landed, and then they must leave by exiting from behind the throwing arc and the two extension lines.
Distances are measured to the nearest even centimetre below the distance measured if the distance measured is not an even centimetre.
No device of any kind shall be used to assist the throw. Taping of fingers or the wrist is allowed for medical reasons only.

Trophies and Awards

WEEKLY RESULTS AND RANKINGS

Each week the Recording Officer of the Centre processes every result from the previous competition in order to provide the following to every Athlete:

1. A Result Slip stating where you were placed in each event and the official measurement or time recorded.

2. Allocate points towards the end of year awards.

3. Keep track of the personal best performances for each event, and

4. Determine if any records have been broken. Athletes are able to track their achievements through our website.

ELIGIBILITY FOR AWARDS AND TROPHIES

To be eligible for any Club trophy or award, the athlete must attend a minimum of 65% of competition meetings, and all outstanding monies owed to the Centre must be paid prior to the last Centre competition night.
Points are awarded for each and every event that the athlete competes in. This means, the more weeks you attend, the greater the total point score and therefore the greater the opportunity to win an award or trophy.
Results achieved at any official LAANSW event can be claimed as an official Centre record.
Certificates will be presented at the end of season to all athletes detailing their personal best results.
Points are awarded every week to each athlete for personal improvement. Trophies are awarded, at the end of season, to the three highest point scorers for both boys and girls in each age group.
Points are awarded every week to each athlete according to their finishing place. An award will be presented to the highest point scorer for both boys and girls in each age group.
Four trophies are awarded to the athletes obtaining highest Best In Age points for the season. The awards presented are:

CERTIFICATES OF RECORDS CERTIFICATES OF ACHIEVEMENT MERIT TROPHIES ENCOURAGEMENT AWARD BEST IN AGE AWARDS BEST ALL ROUNDER AWARDS 1. Best All Rounder Sub Junior - Ages under 6 to under 7 years, 2. Best All Rounder Junior - Ages under 8 to under 10 years, 3. Best All Rounder Sub Senior - Ages under 11 to under 12 years, 4. Best All Rounder Senior - Ages under 13 to under 17 years,

HIGHEST ACHIEVER AWARDS

These awards for boys and girls are based on performances at a Zone, Regional and State championships.
Any athlete that represents our club for the first time at the state level will receive a jacket. Thereafter, a cloth badge indicating the year of representation at the state event will be awarded.
Each week the Recording Officer of the Centre processes every result from the previous competition in order to provide the following to every Athlete:

STATE REPRESENTATIVE TROPHY

1. A Result Slip stating where you were placed in each event and the official measurement or time recorded. 2. Allocate points towards the end of year awards. 3. Keep track of the personal best performances for each event, and 4. Determine if any records have been broken. Join in the fun and track your improvement each week by saving your Result Slips in the Sticker book provided to you at registration

RECORD PERFORMANCES

Centre Records: These are the best performances measured by any of our athletes at our weekly meets at Kindlebark Oval or a LAANSW recognised carnival, e.g. Zone, Regional, State championship, etc. Age Group Marshals are to check the current records located in the rear of the age group folder, and if an athlete has broken a record, locate a Committee member to validate and sign for the record. Don’t remove any markers or rake the sand until the record is confirmed.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

All families should read the ‘resources‘ page on the LANSW website to become familiar with the statewide policies and procedures.

FAQs

Who can participate in Little Athletics?

Children between the ages of 3 and 17 years can register. Parents, grandparents and friends can also be involved by helping with the various events.

At what time of year does Little Athletics take place?

Little Athletics is primarily a summer activity, running from September through to March. Medowie LAC runs on Friday afternoons from 5pm. Generally competition finishes around 6:45pm.

Where will my child be participating?

Your child will participate at Medowie Little Athletics Club – Kindlebark Oval, Medowie. In NSW there are almost two hundred Little Athletics centres. Each of these centres conducts weekly activities at local venues. These centres may compete at different times of the day/week.

What events are offered?

Events offered at a centre competition are dependant on the athlete’s age and the centre program for that week. Most of the typical track and field events are included. Some events have age restrictions on them.

What level of ability do children have to be to join?

Our emphasis is on fun and fitness. Children can join with any level of skill or fitness. Children are given plenty of encouragement to achieve personal bests.

How much does Little Athletics cost?

Registration fees can be found on our Registrations page.

How do I register my child?

If your child would like to take part in Little Athletics, you need to register them with the Medowie Little Athletics Club. This registration can either be completed in person or online. Registrations occur online. See our Registrations page or the Calendar for details.

What age group will my child be in?

Age groups are determined by the year and month of birth. Age will be determined by the age members turn in the calendar year (i.e. age as at 31 December).

Can my child try Little Athletics before joining?

Yes, we allow new families a 2 week trial period from the first meeting in September.

What is expected of parents?

Because Little Athletics is a totally voluntary organisation, centres cannot operate without the assistance of parents each week in fulfilling the many and varied duties required. These include officiating at an event; managing an age group; recording results; working in the canteen; to name just a few. Most centres have parent assistance rosters. Additional assistance is always required on the centre committees and all parents are encouraged to become involved. Little Athletics is one of the few sports where parents can become fully involved in their child’s sporting interests.

What shoes should I buy my child?

Footwear must be worn in all events, by all competing members. Little Athletics NSW does not however specify types of shoes; we do recommend ‘The Athlete’s Foot’ for footwear advice. Note: spiked running shoes can only be worn by athletes in Under 11s or older age groups.

Do children need to wear a uniform?

Yes; all registered athletes must wear an approved centre uniform when competing in Little Athletics competitions. More information can be found on the Registrations page.

Will my child be taught the correct technique or have access to coaching?

Little Athletics NSW conducts coaching clinics and camps at various venues and times throughout the season. Most centres also have qualified coaches or parents who offer training session/s during the week.

What other competitions are available?

There are various competitions conducted each season for registered members. The first of these events is the Zone Championships (involving a number of centres within your local district). The best athletes at each zone progress to one of five Regional Championships (three metropolitan and two country NSW). The first three from each Regional progress to the NSW State Track & Field Championships – which is held in March of each year at Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre.

As well as the above events, Little Athletics NSW also conducts the following: State Relay Championships; State Multi-Event Championships; State Cross Country & Road Walks.

For more information about these events, Events and Carnivals page.

Centres also conduct ‘Gala Days’ which are open to registered members from any centre. These are FUN days, which offer a variety of events. Details on centre gala days can be found in our calendar or can be obtained from Little Athletics NSW.

Does my child have the opportunity to win any medals/trophies?

Many centres run award schemes to encourage athletes to “BE THEIR BEST”. Trophies, medals, ribbons and certificates are usually awarded for some of the categories stated below:

performance
improvement
participation

Uniform

Oval Map