Walk Officials must report to the Officials Coordinator before the commencement
of the program to:
sign in
receive equipment
obtain name tag
obtain officials tag
Equipment
Walk Jackets - Each Centre should have enough numbered walk
jackets to be able to conduct two consecutive walk races. Jackets may be of one colour
with sequential numbering, or two different coloured sets also sequentially numbered.
Individual Judging Pads - Each walking judge should be issued
with an individual judges pad for recording of cautions and reports. Individual slips
should be handed to the Chief Judge at the conclusion of the race for recording in the
Chief Judges Master Sheet.
Chief Judges Master Sheet - Each race requires a Chief Judges
Master Sheet. An example may be obtained from the VLAA office. The Chief Judge is
responsible for completing appropriate details including the number of reportable
infringements for the competitor, based upon reports received from judges. The completed
Chief Judges Master Sheet indicates the numbers of competitors disqualified. Having signed
the sheet the Chief Judge forwards numbers of disqualified competitors to the recorders
after checking reports against the Master Sheet.
Definition
Race Walking is a progression by steps so taken that the walker makes contact
with the ground, so that no visible (to the human eye) loss of contact occurs.
Walking Rule
The walker must never have both feet off the ground at once. (CONTACT)
The leg must not be bent at the knee from when the foot first makes contact with
the ground until it is directly under the body (KNEES)
Breaches of Walking Rules
Either or both of the following constitutes a breach of the walking rules:
Failure to have the advancing leg straight
Loss of contact with the ground.
Methods of cautioning and reporting
In Little Athletics, judges give verbal cautions. Verbal reports are given to
Under 10 and under. Non verbal reports are given to Under 11 to Under 15.
Examples
Number 25, Caution "knees"
Number 86, Report "knees not straightening"
Number 35, Caution "contact"
Number 47, Report "loss of contact"
Disqualifications
The maximum number of judges for a track event is seven (7). The following should
apply.
Number of Judges on Panel
Number of Reports for Disqualification of a
Competitor
2 or 3
2 Reports
4,5,6 or 7
3 Reports
Note
The Chief Judge is normally the highest graded judge officiating.
The Chief Walk Judge must instruct competitors on the basic rules of walking, and
conduct of the event, before the event (on the day).
Judges should be placed for maximum coverage of the track.
Due to walk judging requiring officials to focus extremely hard on the children
to establish contact, numerous occassions have occured where the officials have
accidentally interfered with competitors in other track events. Due to heavy track use at
NLAC meetings, it is requested that walk judges stand on the inside of the track. It
is understood that this is not the best position to judge for contact, but it is the best
solution to the problem.
Judges must not pre-judge competitors.
Each judge may caution a competitor once for a "loss of contact"
infringement and once for a "bent knee".infringement.
If a judge adjudicates that a competitor has infringed for a second time, then
that competitor is put on report for that infringement and this recorded on their
Individual Judging Pad.
Each judge can only report a competitor once.
Judges must not confer with each other regarding their opinions (reports) of
competitors.
At NLAC, the above table applies to athletes in Under 9 to Under 15. There will
be no disqualification of children in the Under 6 to Under 8 age group as we do not wish
to discourage them. Instead, a group of 4 parents organised by the age group manager will
walk around the track with the children to let them know if they are running, and to slow
the child down. Children in this age group need to do the event for exposure, but they
should not be expected to perform to standards of older children. By the time they make it
to Under 9's they will have done the event enough times to be better at it. They will be
officialed as normal by the judges, but they will not be disqualified. The Under 6 and
Under 7 children perform this event unofficially as part of On-Track and Play Training.
A child in the Under 6's to Under 8's cannot be granted a Centre Record in the
event, if under normal rules they would have been disqualified.
The Chief Judge is the ONLY judge who informs the children of their
disqualification or time penalty. The child must be told of the infringement so that
they have a chance to rectify the problem before the next walk event.
Please note that NLAC's policy is for the children to have fun, and
children do not see being disqualified as being fun, so for NLAC events, please use your
discretion on disqualification rules by keeping atune to the spirit of the moment, and
other competitors thoughts.
This Centre has a good record in the walk events and we wish to build upon this,
so under all circumstances please ensure that the child leaves the event with a good
impression of the event, willing to learn, and willing to try again next time.
The Age Group Manager and any Centre Coach or Committee Member can remove a child
from the track if they consider the child to not be trying in the event, and causing a
delay to the program. The performance will not be recorded.