Track Officials
Track Referee
Call Room Judge
Marshal
Starter's Assistant
Starter
Recaller
Wind Gauge Operator
Umpires
Timekeeper
Finish Line Judges
Lap Scorers
Photo Finish Judge
Jury of Appeal
- Track Referee
- presides over the events and ensures that the competition is carried out in accordance with the rules (Rule 124.1).
- ensures the field of play is safe for competitors, officials and all other participants.
- does not act as judge or umpire (Rule 124.2).
- checks all final results, signs the results cards and forwards them to the competition secretary (Rule 124.3).
- decide placings in a race when the finish line judges and/or the photofinish judge are unable to arrive at a decision (Rule 124.2)).
- warn or exclude any competitor guilty of improper conduct, using a yellow card for warnings and a red card for disqualifications (Rule 124.4).
- deals with any protest regarding the conduct of competition (Rule 124.4).
- allows athletes to leave the competiton area accompanied by a Judge ().
- Call Room Judge
- ensures that:
- the competitors are wearing proper clothing,
- number bibs are worn correctly and correspond to the start lists
- shoes, number and dimensions of spikes etc. comply with the rules, and
- non-authorised material is not taken into the competition area (Rule 136).
- Marshal
- has control of the competition area, and
- allows only officials and competitors assembled to compete to enter and remain in the area (Rule 132).
- Starter's Assistants
- check that the competitors are competing in the correct heat or race and that their number bibs are worn correctly (Rule 129.1)
- place each competitor in his correct lane or station, assembling the competitors approximately 3m behind the start line (in the case of races started in echelon, similarly behind each start line). When this is completed, they signal to the Starter that all is ready. When a new start is ordered, the Starter's Assistants repeats this process (Rule 129.2).
- are responsible for the readiness of batons for the first runners in a relay race (Rule 129.3).
- ensure that, when the Starter has ordered the competitors to their marks, competitors assume a position completely within their allocated lane and behind the start line (Rule 162.4).
- Starter
- has entire control of the competitors on their marks (Rule 128.1).
- must determine that the Timekeepers, the Judges and, when applicable, the Chief Photo Finish Judge and the Wind Gauge Operator are ready (Rule 128.1)
- positions himself so that he has full visual control over all runners during the start procedure (Rule 128.2).
- in the event of a false start issues the warning or disqualification on the offending athlete(s) (Rule 128.5).
- Recaller
- positions himself so that he can see each competitor assigned to him (Rule 128.4).
- recalls a race with a second shot if any competitor moves before he could react to the sound of the Starter's gun (Rule 128.3).
- Wind Gauge Operator
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- ensures that the wind gauge is place beside the straight adjacent to and not more than 2m from lane 1, 50m from the finish line, and 1.22m high.
- ascertains the the velocity of the wind in the running direction in the appropriate events,
- records the results each trial in accordance with rules 163.8 163.9 163.10 163.11, and 163.12 and,
- reports the results to the competitions secretary (Rule 135).
- Umpires
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- are the eyes and ears of the Track Referee. They make written reports of a foul or violation of the rules to the Referee, but have no authority to make a final decisions (Rule 126.1).
- are placed so that they may observe the competition closely (Rule 126.2), and,
- for relay races, are placed so that they may supervise the take-over zone (Rule 126.4).
- Timekeeper
- Two methods of timekeeping are recognised as official:
- hand timing, and
- fully automatic timing obtained from a Photo Finish system (Rule 165).
In the case of hand timing, a Chief Timekeeper and a sufficient number of timekeepers for the number of competitors entered:
- are positioned on the outside of the track [normally at least 5m. from the track, in line with the finish line and on an elevated platform] (Rule 165.2).
- record:
- times for all finishers,
- lap times in races of 800m and over (whenever possible), and
- times at every 1000m in races of 3000m and over (whenever possible)
In the case of fully automatic timing obtained from a Photo Finish system, a Chief and, at least, two Assistant Photo Finish Judges are appointed. Their responsibilities are described below, under Photo Finish Judge.
- Finish Line Judge
- decide on the the order in which the competitors finish, or where they can not arrive at a decision, refer the matter to the Referee (Rule 125.2).
- must all operate from the same side of the track [normally at least 5m. from the track, in line with the finish line and on an elevated platform] (Rule 125.2).
- Lap Scorers
- keep track of the laps completed by all competitors in races longer than 1500m (outdoors) (Rule 125.2).
- record the times over each lap (as given to them by an Official Timekeeper) of the competitors for whom they are responsible in races of 5000m and longer (Rule 130.1).
- are appointed by the Track Referee.
- individual lap scorer are normally not responsible for recording more than four competitors (six for Race Walking events) (Rule 130.1).
- one lap scorer is responsible for maintaining, at the finish line, a display of the laps remaining. The display is changed each lap when the leader enters the straight that ends at the finish line. The final lap is signalled to each competitor, usually by ringing a bell (Rule 130.2).
- provide manual indication to competitors for whom they are responsible who have been, or are about to be, lapped (Rule 130.2).
- Photo Finish Judge
The Chief Photo Finish Judge:
- is responsible for the functioning of the fully automatic timing device,
- supervises the positioning of the equipment,
- in conjunction with the Assistants, determines the places of the competitors and their respective times, record the results on official forms and forward the forms to the competitions secretary.
- Jury of Appeal
