Officiating Race Walk

Presented by Les ChihJanuary 19, 2014

USATF Ohio Association Clinic

People Needed

• Chief Judge (can serve as Referee)• Five Judges• Head Judge selected among the five• Apprentice Judges (if present)• One Recorder (RW Official)• One or two officials• One Card Collector (Runner)• Starter, umpires, lap counters, finish line, aid station,

timers. etc.

Equipment Needed

• Recorder’s table with chairs• Judge’s white tally sheets (numbered)• Judge’s red disqualification cards (numbered)• Yellow paddles for all Judges• Red paddle for head Judge• Pencils with erasers or pens• Clip boards• Disqualification board and easel• Dry markers

Equipment Needed (con’t)

• ~ (loss of contact) and > (bent knee) magnets for the white board

• Summary sheet• Zip lock bags• Stapler• Water!• Rule book

Basic Rules• 1) Loss of contact signified by: ~• 2) Bent knee signified by: >

Perfect Loss of contact Bent knee

• Judges have sole authority on the race. Head Judge’s decision is final. The running/track referee have no jurisdiction over race walks.

Judges Duties

• Look for loss of contact and bent knees in your area “as seen by the human eye”

• Judges shall act in an individual capacity• Judges must be visible to the athletes• Video replay not allowed• Teach the apprentices

Basic Operations• The Chief Judge is responsible for bringing all the

equipment• Chief Judge decides on placement of table and

disqualification (DQ) board • The five Judges select a Head Judge• Review the rules with judges/officials/head umpire• Synchronize watches. 99% of time will use real time,

not race time• Head Judge places the remaining four Judges• Head judge gives final instructions to the athletes. After

finishing, all athletes must stay in the finish area for 10 minutes or until they are released

Basic Operations (con’t)

• At the beginning of the race, want 3 Judges in the first 100 m. This should include the Head Judge

• If there is time, the Head Judge should walk the track and visit with each Judge

• If the Judge is not satisfied with the athlete's form, the Judge will show the yellow paddle to the athlete indicating > or ~

• Judge will take notes on the white tally sheet indicating bib number, warning, and time of day

Basic Operations (con’t)

• If the athlete made an infraction, the Judge writes up a proposal for disqualification or the red DQ card with bib number, infraction, time of day, and sign it

• The Runner will pick-up the cards and deliver to the recorder’s table. The official tallies the red cards

• Three red DQ cards from 3 different Judges results in disqualification

Tally sheet/DQ card

Basic Operations (con’t)

• Official notifies the Head Judge. Head Judge shows the red DQ paddle to athlete. Athlete must leave the track immediately and remove bib #

• By the last 2 laps of the race, want 3 Judges for the final 100m

• The judges proposal for disqualification (red DQ) cards will be delivered during and after the race

• RW Official will summarize all red cards. If there are additional DQ’s after the race the Head Judge will notify the athlete

End of race• Continue to record all the red cards on the summary sheet• All judges report to the officials table and turn in tally sheets

and DQ cards• DQ’s do occur after the race• Head Judge notifies the athlete• That is why the athletes are held 10 minutes by the finish

line helpers• Summary sheet filled out by the official and reviewed by the

head. Both sign off• Summary sheet is turned in to the scorer’s table and posted

by results• http://www.livestream.com/victorysports2/video?clipId=flv_c78e86ba-e285-4689-b780-4a186673ecb9