The NCAA Men's and Women's Track and Field Committee has recommended playing-rules changes that would clearly differentiate indoor and outdoor running tracks.

At its annual meeting June 30-July 3 in San Diego, the committee voted to designate the standard outdoor running track to be 400 meters or 440 yards in length. Similarly, the group identified 200 meters or 220 yards as the standard indoor running track length.

To further define indoor and outdoor tracks, the committee recommended that running tracks that are equal to or exceed the standard outdoor running track length (400 meters) shall not be considered an indoor track. In addition, the committee voted to set 300 meters as the maximum length of any indoor track constructed after January 1, 2004.

"We (the committee) are truly interested in maintaining indoor and outdoor track and field as sports with different identities and nuances," said John Kane, senior associate athletics director at Boston College and chair of the committee. "If indoor running tracks become too long, the line of separation between the two becomes thin. The committee believes that designating standard lengths and setting a maximum length for future indoor tracks would be important steps in keeping the two sports separate."

The proposed rules changes on track lengths must be approved through the NCAA divisional governance structure operating in its oversight role of rules involving participant safety, financial impact and the image of the sport.

The committee also gave institutions another means to increase safety in the pole vault by allowing them to mark the runway with a maximum of seven permanent lines at 30-centimeter increments from the vaulting box back toward the start of the runway. These lines can help vaulters determine their position on the runway. They also can be an aid to coaches in teaching athletes the correct spot to begin the vault and reach the landing pads safely.

A significant change was made in the javelin throw. The committee voted to expand the definition of a legal throw to include any attempt in which any part of the implement makes the first contact within the legal sector. From 1999 through 2003, the first contact within the legal sector had to be by the metal head (commonly referred to as the tip).

Since qualifying marks for competitions sanctioned by USA Track and Field (USATF), and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), will continue to be for tip-first throws only, officials shall note throws in which the first contact within the legal sector is other than metal head-first in official meet results with an asterisk next to the measurement.

The other throwing events also will be affected by a major rule change. In the discus and hammer throws, the shot put, and the indoor weight throw, the sector for legal throws was decreased to a 34.92-degree angle extended from the center of the circle. The reduction from 40 degrees makes the NCAA rule consistent with those of the USATF and IAAF.

Other highlights

Men's and Women's Track and Field Committee
June 30-July 3/San Diego

In addition to the rules changes noted in the accompanying article, other major rules changes are listed below in the order in which the change will appear in the 2004 rules book.

In Rule 1-3-7, all references to the 10-foot hurdle at the steeplechase water jump will be eliminated.

In Rule 1-5-1, indicated that the vaulting box in which the vaulting pole is planted shall be constructed of suitable rigid materials.

In Rule 3-5-2, the referee(s) now has the authority to act upon all apparent violations of the rules that he observes in meets in which a games committee has been established.

In Rule 4-1-2, athletes must participate honestly in the finals of all events in which they are legally declared and qualified, and in which such participation is a criteria for entry in a subsequent meet.

In Rule 4-2-1, any outer garment (for example, sweat pants, tights) that is school-issued becomes the official uniform.

Also in Rule 4-2-1, the use of, or wearing of, artificial noisemakers by competitors is now prohibited.

In Rule 4-2-3, the primary color of any one-piece body suits worn by members of a relay team must be the same as the primary color of the top of those members not wearing one-piece body suits. The members may wear pants, shorts or briefs that must be the same color. The length of one-piece body suits, if worn, may vary.

In Rules 5-5-4 and 6-1-7, the use by competitors of video or audio devices, radio transmitters or receivers, mobile phones, computers, or any similar devices in the competition area is now prohibited.

In Rule 5-11-9-d, the following sentence was added: "If there are four or more heats, the heat winner shall advance and all other qualifiers shall advance on the basis of time."

In Rule 5-11-9-g, if preliminaries are run in the 1,500-, 3,000- or 5,000-meter runs, or the 3,000-meter steeplechase, the maximum number that may qualify for finals would be 12 in the 1,500, 14 in the 3,000 run and steeplechase, and 16 in the 5,000.

In Rule 6-1-18, the field-event judge and meet referee may suspend competition in the event of unsafe wind conditions once competition has begun but the event venue (for example, direction of jumping) shall not be changed.

Rule 6-1-19 was added. It will be titled Safety Considerations and will state: "It is the responsibility of the field-event judge and meet referee to ensure fair and safe competition. In the event of unsafe conditions once competition has begun (for example, weather or facility concerns), competition may be suspended but the event venue (for example, direction of jumping) shall not be changed." Rule 6-1-19 from the 2003 rules book will become Rule 6-1-20.

In Rule 6-4-1, assignment to flights in field events may be random or based on entry performances. The games committee for each competition shall determine the order in which flights are contested.

In Rule 9-2-6, the hurdles races in the combined events may be run in alternate or consecutive lanes as determined by the games committee.

In Rule 10-4-2, when the 800- and 1,000-meter runs, and the 3,200-meter relay, are contested indoors on tracks of more than 200 meters/220 yards, a one-turn stagger shall be used.

In Rule 10-5-1, the following races may be run in single-round timed-section finals or with preliminaries and finals with advancement based on time only: the 200-, 300-, 400-, 500- and 600-meter runs, and the 800- and 1,600-meter relays.

In Rule 10-5-1-a, the seeding procedure explained in the rule is the only one to be used in preliminary rounds that have advancement to finals based on time.

Rule 10-5-1-c was added. It will state: "In single-round timed-section finals, the sections shall be seeded slow to fast, and shall compete in the same order."

* In Rule 10-9-4, the minimum length of the weight-throw implement was deleted.