The Men's and Women's Track and Field Committee has decided to rescind a rule adopted last year that expanded the definition of a legal throw in the javelin.

The committee rescinded the rule, which would have allowed "flat throws," because it would have prevented javelin-throw distances from being recognized by USA Track and Field and international governing bodies.

"The committee wanted to give the benefit of the doubt to student-athletes," said committee Chair John Kane, associate athletics director at Boston College. "We wanted them to tally a mark regardless if the javelin land ed metal head first or not, especially for multi-event competitors who don't specialize in the throw. Yet, we also need to protect the competitors' opportunity to advance to other levels of competition."

Although the NCAA rule was to include a provision to delineate between marks that were tip first and marks that were flat throws, USA Track and Field would not accept any marks, flat or otherwise, from the collegiate ranks, if the rule was accepted.

The committee rescinded the rule but asked its rules subcommittee to continue working with USA Track and Field on the issue in hopes of allowing flat throws in the future.

The Playing Rules Oversight Panel (PROP) will review all rules proposals in August. Proposals are not final until reviewed by PROP and the NCAA governance structure.

In other playing-rules actions, the committee clarified language in two areas based on rules changes in 2004. First, the placement of the moveable panels in the hammer area was not adjusted after the sector was changed. The new recommendation will be for the panel on the right side (for a right-handed thrower) to be set parallel to the sector line or 2.85 meters off of the sector line, depending on which is less.

Second, the committee clarified that relay team members may wear pants, shorts, briefs or a combination that are of the identical primary color.

The committee also cleaned up the "five-alive" process for high jump and pole vault to specify that if nine or more competitors are at a given height, the five-alive system should be used. If there are fewer than nine student-athletes remaining at a height, five alive should be abandoned to avoid back-to-back attempts by any one competitor. The committee found that the rule was being applied differently because it was not clear if the five-alive system was abandoned based on the number of student-athletes remaining at a given height or in the entire competition.

The committee also addressed a facility issue. When re-striping or building a new facility, the arc of the breakline should reflect an adjustment in each lane for the competitors in outside lanes having farther to travel than the competitors in the inside lanes. Small cones may be placed at the intersection of the lane line and breakline. The rules subcommittee will work on a diagram to show how the arc should be placed to make this adjustment.

"This rules change sounds more difficult than it really is," Kane said. "We wanted to acknowledge that we probably aren't taking into account this breakline correction currently, and we need to do so. We are going to work to make the concept as clear as possible to implement."

The committee also voted to add language specifying that the referee should not serve as a member of the games committee. Since the referee issues a ruling before forwarding it to the games committee, it was never intended for the referee to have a role on the games committee.

Other highlights

Men's and Women's Track and Field Committee
June 25-July 1/Indianapolis

In addition to the rules changes identified in the accompanying article, the Men's and Women's Track and Field Committee recommended the following adjustments for 2004-05: