The NCAA Men's and Women's Track and Field Committee has voted to delay implementation of a playing rules change it approved earlier this year.

At its annual meeting in July, the committee voted to expand the definition of a legal throw in the javelin event to include any attempt in which any part of the implement makes the first contact within the legal sector (see the July 21 issue of The NCAA News). From 1999 through 2003, the first contact within the legal sector had to be by the metal head (commonly referred to as the tip).

The committee later received information from USA Track and Field (USATF), the national governing body for the sport, that it expects to pass a provision at its annual meeting in December that would prohibit the acceptance of qualifying marks for USATF championships from events at collegiate meets that do not prescribe to or exceed USATF competition rules.

USATF and International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) rules continue to define a legal attempt in the javelin as tip-first throws only. Consequently, collegiate javelin throwers would not have been eligible for USATF or IAAF-sponsored competitions in 2004.

"Given that 2004 is an Olympic year, the committee did not want to limit the opportunities for collegiate throwers to qualify for their countries' Olympic trials," said Margaret Simmons, assistant athletics director at Murray State University and secretary-rules editor of the track and field committee.

Consequently, the committee approved a delay in implementation of the new rule until at least January 1, 2005. "The delay will give the committee additional time to explain thoroughly its rationale for approving the change to USATF, and hopefully work toward a satisfactory resolution for both groups," Simmons said.