SECTION IV - FIELD EVENTS

This section contains:
 
RULE 180 - General Conditions
 
A. Vertical Jumps
RULE 181 - General Conditions
RULE 182 - High Jump
RULE 183 - Pole Vault
 
B. Horizontal Jumps
RULE 184 - General Conditions
RULE 185 - Long Jump
RULE 186 - Triple Jump
 
C. Throwing Events
RULE 187 - General Conditions
RULE 188 - Putting the Shot
RULE 189 - Throwing the Discus
RULE 190 - Discus Cage
RULE 191 - Throwing the Hammer
RULE 192 - Hammer Cage
RULE 193 - Throwing the Javelin

RULE 180 - General Conditions

Warm-up at the competition Area
1. At the competition area and before the beginning of the event, each competitor may have practice trials. In the case of throwing events, the practice trials will be in draw order and always under the supervision of the Judges.

2. Once a competition has begun, competitors are not permitted to use, for practice purposes, as appropriate,
a) the runway or take-off area;
b) implements;
c) the circles or the ground within the sector with or without implements.

Markers
3. In all field events where a runway is used, markers shall be placed alongside it, except for High Jump where the markers can be placed on the runway. A competitor may use one or two markers (supplied or approved by the Organising Committee) to assist him in his runup and take-off. If such markers are not supplied, he may use adhesive tape but not chalk or similar substance nor anything, which leaves indelible marks.

Competing Order
4. The competitors shall compete in an order drawn by lot. If there is a qualifying round, there shall be a fresh drawing of lot for the final (see also paragraph 5 below).

Trials
5. In all field events, except for the High Jump and Pole Vault, where there are more than eight competitors, each competitor shall be allowed three trials and the eight competitors with the best valid performances shall be allowed three additional trials. In the event of a tie for the last qualifying place, it shall be resolved as described in 20 below.
Where there are eight competitors or fewer, each competitor shall be allowed six trials.
In both cases, the competing order for the last three rounds will be in the reverse order to the ranking recorded after the first three trials.

Note: For vertical jumps, see Rule 181.2

6. Except for the High Jump and Pole Vault, no competitor is allowed to have more than one trial recorded in any one round of the competition.

7. In competitions under Rule 12.1 (d) to (h), the number of trials in the horizontal field events may be reduced. This shall be decided by the National or International body having the control over the competition.

Qualifying Competition
8. A qualifying round shall be held in field events in which the number of competitors is too large to allow the competition to be conducted satisfactorily in a single round (final). When a qualifying round is held, all competitors shall compete in, and qualify through, that round. Performances accomplished in a qualifying round shall not be considered as part of the competition proper.

9. The competitors shall be divided into two or more groups. Unless there are facilities for the groups to compete at the same time and under the same conditions, each group should start the competition immediately the previous group has finished.

10. It is recommended that, in meetings of more than three days, a rest day be provided between qualifying competitions and the finals in the vertical jumping events.

11. The conditions for qualifying, the qualifying standard and the number of athletes in the final, shall be decided by the Technical Delegate(s). If no Technical Delegate(s) have been appointed the conditions shall be decided by the Organising Committee. For meetings conducted under Rule 12.1(a), (b) and (c), there should be at least 12 athletes in the final.

12. In a qualifying competition, apart from the High Jump and the Pole Vault, each competitor shall be allowed up to three trials.
Once a competitor has achieved the qualifying standard, he shall not continue in the qualifying competition.

13. In the qualifying competition for the High Jump and the Pole Vault, the competitors, not eliminated after three consecutive failures, shall continue to compete according to Rule 181.2 until the end of the last trial, at the height set as the qualifying standard.

14. If no athletes, or fewer than the required number of athletes, achieve the pre-set qualifying standard, the group of finalists shall be expanded to that number by adding competitors according to their performances in the qualifying competition. Ties for the last qualifying place in the overall standings of the competition shall be decided as described in 20 below or Rule 181.8 as appropriate.

15. When a qualifying competition for the High Jump and Pole Vault is held in two simultaneous groups, it is recommended that the bar be raised to each height at the same time in each group. It is also recommended that the two groups be of approximately equal strength.

Obstruction
16. If, for any reason, a competitor is hampered in a trial, the Referee shall have the authority to award him a substitute trial.

Delay
17. A competitor in a field event who unreasonably delays making a trial, renders himself liable to have that trial disallowed and recorded as a fault. It is a matter for the Referee to decide, having regard to all the circumstances, what is an unreasonable delay.
The official responsible shall indicate to a competitor that all is ready for the trial to begin, and the period allowed for this trial shall commence from that moment. If an athlete subsequently decides not to attempt a trial, it shall be considered a fault once that period allowed for the trial has elapsed.
If the time allowed elapses once a competitor has started his trial, that trial should not be disallowed.

The following times should not normally be exceeded:
(a) 1 minute for all events.
For the Pole Vault, the time shall begin when the uprights have been adjusted according to the previous wishes of a competitor.
No additional time will be allowed for further adjustment.
(b) In the final stages of competition in the High Jump and Pole Vault, when only 2 or 3 competitors continue in the competition at the completion of a round, the above times should be increased to 1.5 minutes for the High Jump and 2 minutes for the Pole Vault. If there is only one competitor left, these times should be increased to 3 minutes for the High Jump and 5 minutes for the Pole Vault, with the exception of Combined Events.
(c) In the case of consecutive trials by the same competitor, in the horizontal field events, or when more than 1 athlete is still competing in the High Jump or Pole Vault, the delay will be 2 minutes for all events except for Pole Vault, for which it will be 3 minutes. This shall also apply to Combined Events.

Note: A clock which shows the remaining time allowed should be visible to a competitor. In addition, an official shall raise and keep raised, a yellow flag, or otherwise indicate, for the final 15 seconds remaining of the time allowed.

Absence during Competition
18. In Field Events, a competitor may, with the permission of, and accompanied by, a Judge, leave the immediate area of the event during the progress of the competition.

Change of Competition Area
19. The appropriate Referee shall have the authority to change the place of the competition if, in his opinion, the conditions justify it. Such a change should be made only after a round has been completed.

Note: Neither the wind strength nor its change of direction is sufficient condition to change the place of the competition.

Ties
20. In field events, except for High Jump and Pole Vault, the second best performance of the competitors tying shall resolve the tie.
Then, if necessary, the third best, and so on. If the tie remains and concerns first place, the competitors having achieved the same results will compete again in the same order in a new attempt until the tie is resolved.

Note: For Vertical Jumps, see Rule 181.8.

Result
21. Each competitor shall be credited with the best of all his attempts, including those achieved in resolving a tie for the first place.

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RULE 181 - General Conditions

1. Before the competition begins, the Chief Judge shall announce to the competitors the starting height and the subsequent heights to which the bar will be raised at the end of each round, until there is only one competitor remaining having won the competition, or there is a tie for first place.

Trials
2. A competitor may commence jumping/vaulting at any height previously announced by the Chief Judge and may jump/vault at his own discretion at any subsequent height. Three consecutive failures, regardless of the height at which any of such failures occur, disqualify from further jumping/vaulting except in the case of a tie for first place.
The effect of this Rule is that a competitor may forego his second or third trial at a particular height (after failing first or second time) and still jump/vault at a subsequent height.
If a competitor forgoes a trial at a certain height, he may not make any subsequent attempt at that height, except in the case of a tie for first place.

3. Even after all the other competitors have failed, a competitor is entitled to continue jumping until he has forfeited his right to compete further.

4. Unless there is only one competitor remaining and he has won the competition:
(a) the bar should never be raised by less than 2cm in the High Jump and 5cm in the Pole Vault after each round; and
(b) the increment of the raising of the bar should never increase.
This rule shall not apply once the athletes still competing agree to raise it to a World Record height directly.
After a competitor has won the competition, the height or heights to which the bar is raised shall be decided by the competitor, in consultation with the relevant Judge or Referee.

Note: This does not apply for a Combined Events Competition.

In a Combined Events Competition held under Rule 12.1(a), (b) and (c), each increase shall be uniformly 3cm in the High Jump and 10cm in the Pole Vault throughout the competition.

Measurements
5. All measurements shall be made, in whole centimetres, perpendicularly from the ground to the lowest part of the upper side of the bar.

6. Any measurement of a new height shall be made before competitors attempt such height. In all cases of records, the Judges shall check the measurement when the bar is placed at the record height and they shall re-check the measurement before each subsequent record attempt if the bar has been touched since last measured.

Note: Judges shall ensure, before starting the competition, that the underside and front of the crossbar are distinguishable, and that the bar is always replaced with the same surface uppermost and the same surface to the front.

Crossbar
7. The crossbar shall be made of fibre-glass, or other suitable material but not metal, circular in cross-section except for the end pieces. The overall length of the crossbar shall be 4.00m (±2cm) in the High Jump and 4.50m(±2cm) in Pole Vault. The maximum weight of the crossbar shall be 2kg in the High Jump and 2.25kg in Pole Vault. The diameter of the circular part of the crossbar shall be 30mm (± 1mm).
The crossbar shall consist of three parts - the circular bar and two end pieces, each 30-35mm wide and 15-20cm long for the purpose of resting on the supports of the uprights.
These end pieces shall have a semicircular cross-section, they shall be hard and smooth.
They may not be covered with rubber or any other material, which has the effect of increasing the friction between them and the supports.
The crossbar shall have no bias and, when in place, shall sag a maximum of 2cm in the High Jump and 3cm in Pole Vault.
Control of elasticity: Hang a 3kg weight in the middle of the crossbar when in position. It may sag a maximum of 7cm in the High Jump and 11cm in Pole Vault.

Ties
8. Ties shall be resolved as follows:
(a) The competitor with the lowest number of jumps at the height at which the tie occurs shall be awarded the higher place.
(b) If the tie still remains, the competitor with the lowest total of failures throughout the competition up to and including the height last cleared, shall be awarded the higher place.
(c) If the tie still remains:
(i) If it concerns the first place, the competitors tying shall have one more jump at the lowest height at which any of those involved in the tie have lost their right to continue jumping, and if no decision is reached, the bar shall be raised if the tying athletes were successful, or lowered if not, 2cm for the High Jump and 5cm for the Pole Vault. They shall then attempt one jump at each height until the tie is resolved.
Competitors so tying must jump on each occasion when resolving the tie (See example).
(ii) If it concerns any other place, the competitors shall be awarded the same place in the competition.

Note: This Rule (c) will not apply to Combined Events.

High Jump - Example
Heights announced by the Chief Judge at the beginning of competition: 1.75m; 1.80m; 1.84m; 1.88m; 1.91m; 1.94m; 1.97m; 1.99m …

A, B, C and D all cleared 1.88m.
The Rule regarding ties now comes into operation; the Judges add up the total number of failures, up to and including the height last cleared, i.e. 1.88m.
"D" has more failures than "A", "B" or "C", and is therefore awarded fourth place. "A", "B" and "C" still tie and as this concerns the first place, they shall have one more jump at 1.94m where "A" and "C" lost their right to continue jumping.
As all the competitors tying failed, the bar is lowered to 1.92m for another jump-off. As only "C" failed to pass 1.92m, the two other tying athletes, "A" and "B" shall have a 3rd jump-off at 1.94m which only "B" cleared and is therefore declared the winner.

Extraneous forces
9. When it is clear that the bar has been displaced by a force not associated with a competitor (e.g., a gust of wind)
(a) if such displacement occurs after a competitor has cleared the bar without touching it, then the attempt shall be considered successful, or
(b) if such displacement occurs under any other circumstance, a new attempt shall be awarded.

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RULE 182 - High Jump

The Competition
1. A competitor shall take off from one foot.

2. A competitor fails if:
(a) After the jump, the bar does not remain on the supports because of the action of a competitor whilst jumping; or
(b) He touches the ground including the landing area beyond the plane of the nearer edge of the uprights, either between or outside the uprights with any part of his body, without first clearing the bar. However, if when he jumps, a competitor touches the landing area with his foot and in the opinion of the Judge, no advantage is gained, the jump for that reason should not be considered a failure.

Note: To assist in the implementation of the rule a white line 50mm wide shall be drawn (usually by adhesive tape or similar material) between points 3 metres outside of each upright, the nearer edge of the line being drawn along the plane of the nearer edge of the uprights.

The Runway and Take-off Area
3. The minimum length of the runway shall be 15m except in competitions held under Rule 12.1(a), (b) and (c), where the minimum shall be 20m.
Where conditions permit, the minimum length should be 25m.

4. The maximum overall inclination of the runway and take-off area shall not exceed 1:250 in the direction of the centre of the crossbar.

5. The take-off area shall be level.

Apparatus
6. Uprights. Any style of uprights or posts may be used, provided they are rigid.
They shall have supports for the crossbar firmly fixed to them.
They shall be sufficiently tall as to exceed the actual height to which the crossbar is raised by at least 10cm.
The distance between the uprights shall be not less than 4.00m nor more than 4.04m.

7. The uprights or posts shall not be moved during the competition unless the Referee considers that either the take-off or landing area has become unsuitable.
In such a case the change shall be made only after a round has been completed.

8. Crossbar supports. The supports shall be flat and rectangular, 4cm wide and 6cm long. They shall be firmly fixed to the uprights during the jump and shall each face the opposite upright. The ends of the crossbar shall rest on them in such a manner that, if the crossbar is touched by a competitor, it will easily fall to the ground, either forwards or backwards.
The supports may not be covered with rubber or with any other material which has the effect of increasing the friction between them and the surface of the crossbar, nor may they have any kind of springs.

High Jump Uprights and Crossbar

9. There shall be a space of at least 1cm between the ends of the crossbar and the uprights.

The Landing Area
10. The landing area should measure not less than 5mx3m. For 12.1 competitions it is recommended that the landing area shall be not smaller than 6m x 4m x 0.7m.

Note: The uprights and landing area should also be designed so that there is a clearance of at least 10cm between them when in use, to avoid displacement of the crossbar through a movement of the landing area causing contact with the uprights.

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RULE 183 - Pole Vault

The Competition
1. Competitors may have the uprights, or supports, moved in either direction, but not more than 40cm in the direction of the runway, and not more than 80cm to the landing area from the prolongation of the inside edge of the top of the box.

A competitor shall, before the competition starts, inform the official responsible of the position of the uprights or the supports he requires for his first attempt and this position shall be recorded.

If subsequently a competitor wants to make any changes, he should immediately inform the official responsible before the uprights have been set in accordance with his initial wishes. Failure to do this shall lead to the start of his time limit.

Note: A white line 1cm wide shall be drawn at right angles to the axis of the runway, at the level of the inside edge of the top of the box.

This line shall be prolonged as far as the outside edge of the uprights.

2. A competitor fails if:
(a) after the vault, the bar does not remain on the pegs because of the action of a competitor whilst vaulting; or
(b) he touches the ground, including the landing area beyond the vertical plane through the upper part of the stopboard with any part of his body or with the pole, without first clearing the bar; or
(c) after leaving the ground he places his lower hand above the upper one or moves the upper hand higher on the pole.
(d) during the vault an athlete steadies or replaces the bar with his hand(s).

Note: It is not a foul, if a competitor runs outside the white lines marking the runway at any point.

3. Competitors are permitted, during the competition, to place a substance on their hands or on the pole, in order to obtain a better grip.
The use of tape on the hands or fingers shall not be allowed except in the case of the need to cover an open wound.

4. No one shall be allowed to touch the pole unless it is falling away from the bar or uprights. If it is touched, however, and the Referee is of the opinion that, but for the intervention, the bar would have been knocked off, the vault shall be recorded as a failure.

5. If, in making an attempt, a competitor's pole is broken, it shall not be counted as a failure and the vaulter shall be awarded a new trial.

The Runway
6. The minimum length of the runway shall be 40m and, where conditions permit, 45m. It should have a minimum width of 1.22m and a maximum width of 1.25m. The runway should be marked by white lines 5cm in width.

7. The maximum allowance for lateral inclination of the runway shall be 1:100 and the overall inclination in the running direction 1:1000.

Apparatus
8. Box. The take-off for the Pole Vault shall be from a box. It shall be constructed of suitable rigid material, and shall be sunk level with the runway and shall be 1m in length, measured along the inside of the bottom of the box, 60cm in width at the front end and tapering to 15cm in width at the bottom of the stop board. The length of the box at runway level and the depth of the stop board are determined by the angle of 105° formed between the base and the stop board.

Pole Vault Box

The base of the box shall slope from runway level at the front end to a vertical distance below ground level of 20cm at the point where it meets the stop board. The box should be constructed in such a manner that the sides slope outwards and end next to the stop board at an angle of approximately 120° to the base.
If the box is constructed of wood, the bottom shall be lined with 2.5mm sheet metal for a distance of 80cm from the front of the box.

9. Uprights. Any style of uprights or posts may be used, provided they are rigid. It is recommended that the metallic structure of the base of the uprights be covered with padding of appropriate material in order to provide protection to the athletes.

10. Crossbar support. The crossbar shall rest on pegs so that if it is touched by a competitor or his pole, it will fall easily to the ground in the direction of the landing area. The pegs shall be without notches or indentations of any kind, of uniform thickness throughout and not more than 13mm in diameter.
They shall not extend more than 55mm from the supporting members, which should extend 35-40mm above the pegs.
The distance between the pegs shall be not less than 4.30m nor more than 4.37m.
The pegs may not be covered with rubber or with any other material which has the effect of increasing the friction between them and the surface of the bar, nor may they have any kind of springs.

Note: To lessen the chance of injury to a competitor by his falling on the feet of the uprights, the pegs supporting the crossbar may be placed upon extension arms permanently attached to the uprights, thus allowing the uprights to be placed wider apart, without increasing the length of the crossbar (See Diagram).

Vaulting Poles
11. Competitors may use their own poles. No competitor shall be allowed to use any other competitor's pole except with the consent of the owner.
The pole may be of any material or combination of materials and of any length or diameter, but the basic surface must be smooth. The pole may have a binding of not more than two layers of adhesive tape of uniform thickness and with a smooth surface.
This restriction does not however, apply to binding the bottom end of the pole with protective layers of tape for a distance of approximately 30cm to reduce the risk of damaging the pole when striking the back of the box.

The Landing Area

12. The landing area should measure not less than 5m (excluding the front pieces) x 5m. The sides of the landing area nearest to the box shall be placed 10cm to 15cm from the box and shall slope away from the box at an angle of approximately 30° (See Diagram). For 12.1 competitions it is recommended that the landing area shall be not smaller than 7m long (including the front pieces) x 6m wide x 0.8m high.

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B. HORIZONTAL JUMPS

RULE 184 - General Conditions

Measurements
1. In all horizontal jumping events, distances shall be recorded to the nearest 0.01m below the distance measured if the distance measured is not a whole centimetre.

Runway
2. The minimum length of the runway shall be 40m. It should have a minimum width of 1.22m and a maximum width of 1.25m. The runway should be marked by white lines 5cm in width. The maximum length of the runway shall be 45m, measured from the relevant take-off line to the end of the runway.

Note: It is a foul if the competitor begins his run more than 45 metres from the take-off line.

3. The maximum allowance for lateral inclination of the runway shall be 1:100 and the overall inclination in the running direction 1:1000.

Wind Measurement 4. The wind speed shall be measured for a period of 5 seconds from the time a competitor passes a mark placed alongside the runway, for the Long Jump 40m from the take-off line and for the Triple Jump 35m. If a competitor runs less than 40m or 35m, as appropriate, the wind velocity shall be measured from the time he commences his run.

5. The wind gauge shall be placed 20m from the take-off board. It shall be positioned 1.22m high and not more than 2m away from the runway.

6. The wind gauge shall be read as described in Rule 163.10.

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RULE 185 - Long Jump

The Competition 1. A competitor fails if he:
(a) while taking off, touches the ground beyond the take-off line with any part of his body, whether running up without jumping or in the act of jumping; or
(b) takes off from outside either end of the board, whether beyond or before the extension of the take-off line; or
(c) he touches the ground between the take-off line and the landing area; or
(d) he employs any form of somersaulting whilst running up or in the act of jumping; or
(e) in the course of landing he touches the ground outside the pit closer to the take-off line than the nearest break made in the sand; or
(f) when leaving the landing area, his first contact with the ground outside the pit is closer to the take-off line than the nearest break made in the sand on landing, including any break made on overbalancing on landing which is completely inside the pit but closer to the take-off line than the initial break made on landing.

Note 1: It is not a foul, if a competitor runs outside the white lines marking the runway at any point.

Note 2: It is not a foul under 185.1(b), if some part of a competitor’s shoe/foot is touching the take-off board, where the competitor takes off before it.

Note 3: It is not a foul, if a competitor walks back through the landing area after having left the landing area in a correct way.

2. Except as shown in 1(b) above, if a competitor takes off before reaching the board it shall not, for that reason, be counted as a failure.

3. All jumps shall be measured from the nearest break in the landing area made by any part of the body or limbs to the take-off line, or take-off line extended (see paragraph 1(f) above). The measurement shall be taken perpendicular to the take-off line or its extension.

The Take-off Board
4. The take-off shall be marked by a board sunk level with the runway and the surface of the landing area. The edge of the board which is nearer to the landing area shall be called the take-off line.
Immediately beyond the take-off line there shall be placed a plasticine indicator board for the assistance of the Judges.
If it is not possible to install the above apparatus, the following method should be adopted: immediately beyond the take-off line and across the length of it over a width of 10cm the ground shall be sprinkled with soft earth or sand, at an angle of 45° to the horizontal.

5. The distance between the take-off line and the far end of the landing area shall be at least 10m.

6. The take-off line shall be placed between 1m and 3m from the nearer end of the landing area.

7. Construction. The take-off board shall be rectangular, made of wood or other suitable rigid material and shall measure 1.21m to 1.22m long, 20cm (±2mm) wide and 10cm deep. It shall be white.

8. Plasticine Indicator Board. This shall consist of a rigid board, 10cm (±2mm) wide and 1.21m to 1.22m long made of wood or any other suitable material. The board shall be mounted in a recess or shelf in the runway, on the side of the take-off board nearer the landing area.
The surface shall rise from the level of the take-off board to a height of 7mm (±1mm). The edges shall either slant at an angle of 45° with the edge nearer to the runway covered with a plasticine layer along its length 1mm thick (see Diagram 1) or shall be cut away such that the recess, when filled with plasticine shall slant at an angle of 45° (see Diagram 2).

Diagram 1 -Take-off Board and Plasticine Indicator Board

Diagram 2 - Take-off Board and Plasticine Indicator Board

When mounted in this recess, the whole assembly shall be sufficiently rigid to accept the full force of the athlete's foot.

The surface of the board beneath the plasticine shall be of a material in which the spikes of an athlete's shoe will grip and not skid.

The layer of plasticine can be smoothed off by means of a roller or suitably shaped scraper for the purposes of removing the footprint of a competitor.

Note: It will be found very helpful to have spare plasticine boards available, so that, while a footprint is being eliminated, the competition is not delayed.

The Landing Area
9. The landing area shall have a minimum width of 2.75m and a maximum width of 3m. It shall, if possible, be so placed that the middle of the runway, if extended, would coincide with the middle of the landing area.

Note: When the axis of the runway is not in line with the centre line of the landing area, a tape, or if necessary, two tapes, should be placed along the landing area so that the above is achieved. (See diagram).

Triple Jump

Centralised LJ/TJ Landing Area
10. The landing area should be filled with soft damp sand, the top surface of which shall be level with the take-off board.

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RULE 186 - Triple Jump

The Rules for the Long Jump apply to the Triple Jump with the following additions:

The Competition
1. The Triple Jump shall consist of a hop, a step and a jump in that order.

2. The hop shall be made so that a competitor lands first on the same foot as that from which he has taken off; in the step he shall land on the other foot from which, subsequently, the jump is performed.
It shall not be considered a failure if a competitor, while jumping, touches the ground with the "sleeping" leg.

Note: Rule 185.1 (c) does not apply to the normal landings from the hop and step phases.

Take-off Board
3. The distance between the take-off line and the far end of the landing area shall be at least 21m.

4. For international competition, it is recommended that the take-off line shall be not less than 13m for men and 11m for women from the nearer end of the landing area. For any other competition, this distance shall be appropriate for the level of competition.

5. Between the take-off board and the landing area there shall, for the step and jump phases, be a take-off area with a minimum width of 1.22m providing firm and uniform footing.

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C. THROWING EVENTS

RULE 187 - General Conditions

Official Implements
1. In all international competitions, the implements used shall comply with IAAF specifications. Only implements which hold a current valid IAAF certificate of approval may be used. The following table shows the implement to be used by each age group:

2. All such implements shall be provided by the Organising Committee for all competitions held under Rule 12.1(a). In these competitions, competitors are not allowed to use any other implements.

3. No modification shall be made to any implements during the competition. At competitions other than those under Rule 12.1(a), competitors may use their own implements, provided these are checked and marked as approved by the Organising Committee before the competition and made available to all competitors. Personal Safeguards

4. (a) No device of any kind - i.e. the taping of two or more fingers together - which in any way assists a competitor when making an attempt, shall be allowed. The use of tape on the hand shall not be allowed except in the case of the need to cover an open cut or wound. However taping of individual fingers is permissible in hammer throwing. The taping should be shown to the Chief Judge before the event starts.
(b) The use of the gloves is not allowed, except for throwing the hammer. In this case, the gloves shall be smooth on the back and on the front and the tips of the fingers, other than the thumb, shall be exposed.
(c) In order to obtain a better grip, competitors are permitted to use a suitable substance on their hands only. In addition, hammer throwers may use such substances on their gloves, and shot putters may use such substances on their neck.
(d) In order to protect the spine from injury, a competitor may wear a belt of leather or other suitable material.
(e) In the Shot a competitor may wear a bandage at the wrist in order to protect it from injury.
(f) In the Javelin Throw, a competitor may wear an elbow protection.

Throwing Circle 5. The rim of the circles shall be made of band iron, steel or other suitable material, the top of which shall be flush with the ground outside.
The interior of the circle may be constructed of concrete, asphalt or some other firm but not slippery material. The surface of this interior shall be level and 1.4 - 2.6cm lower than the upper edge of the rim of the circle.
In the Shot, a portable circle meeting with these specifications is permissible.

6. The inside diameter of the circle shall be 2.135m (±5mm) in Shot putting and Hammer throwing and 2.50m (±5mm) in Discus throwing.

Layout of Shot Circle

The rim of the circle shall be at least 6mm thick and shall be white.
The hammer may be thrown from the discus circle provided the diameter of this circle is reduced from 2.50m to 2.135m by placing a circular ring inside.

Layout of Hammer Circle

Layout of Concentric Circles for Discus and Hammer

7. A white line 5cm wide shall be drawn from the top of the metal rim extending for at least 75cm on either side of the circle. The white line may be painted or made of wood or other suitable material. The rear edge of the white line shall form a prolongation of a theoretical line through the centre of the circle at right angles to the centre line of the landing sector.

8. A competitor may not spray nor spread any substance in the circle or on his shoes.

Javelin Runway
9. In the javelin event the minimum length of the runway shall be 30m and the maximum 36.5m. Where conditions permit, the minimum length shall be 33.5m. It shall be marked by two parallel white lines 5cm wide and 4m apart. The throw shall be made from behind an arc of a circle drawn with a radius of 8m. The arc shall consist of a strip painted or made of wood or metal 7cm wide. It shall be white and be flush with the ground. Lines shall be drawn from the extremities of the arc at right angles to the parallel lines marking the runway. These lines shall be white, 75cm long and 7cm wide. The maximum allowance for lateral inclination of the runway shall be 1:100 and the overall inclination in the running direction 1:1000.

Note: It is a foul if a competitor begins his run more than 36.5 metres from the inner edge of the arc.

Javelin Runway and Landing Sector
(Not to Scale)

Landing sector
10. The landing sector shall consist of cinders or grass or other suitable material on which the implement makes an imprint.

11. The maximum allowance for the overall downward inclination of the landing sector, in the throwing direction, shall not exceed 1:1000.

12. a) Except for the Javelin Throw, the landing sector shall be marked with white lines 5cm wide at an angle of 34.92° such that the inner edge of lines, if extended, would pass through the centre of the circle.

Note: The 34.92° sector may be laid out accurately by making the distance between the two points on the sector lines 20m from the centre of the circle 12m (20x0.60) apart. Thus for every 1m from the centre of the circle, the distance across should be 60cm.

b) In the javelin throwing, the landing sector shall be marked with white lines 5cm wide such that the inner edge of the lines, if extended, would pass through the two intersections of the inner edges of the arc, and the parallel lines marking the runway and intersect at the centre of the circle of which the arc is part (see diagram). The sector is thus about 29°.

Trials
13. In the Shot, Discus and Hammer, implements shall be thrown from a circle, and in the Javelin from a runway. In the case of attempts made from a circle, a competitor shall commence his attempt from a stationary position inside the circle. A competitor is allowed to touch the inside of the iron band. In the Shot he is also allowed to touch the inside of the stop board described in Rule 188.2.

14. It shall be a foul if a competitor in the course of an attempt:
(a) improperly releases the shot or the javelin,
(b) after he has stepped into the circle and begun to make a throw, touches with any part of his body the top of the iron ring or the 1.14m -1.16m ground outside the circle,
(c) in the Shot, touches with any part of his body the top of the stop board,
(d) in the Javelin, touches with any part of his body the lines which mark the boundaries of the throwing area or the ground outside.

15. Provided that, in the course of a trial, the Rules relative to each throwing event have not been infringed, a competitor may interrupt a trial once started, may lay the implement down inside or outside the circle or runway and may leave them.
When leaving the circle or runway he shall step out as required in paragraph 17 before returning to the circle or runway to begin a fresh trial.

Note: All the moves permitted by this paragraph shall be included in the maximum time for a trial given in Rule 180.17.

16. For a valid trial, the shot, the discus, the hammer head (including any part of the implement not touching the ground on impact) or the tip of the javelin shall fall completely within the inner edges of the white lines marking the landing sector.

17. A competitor shall not leave the circle or runway until the implement has touched the ground.
For throws made from a circle, when leaving the circle, the first contact with the top of the iron band or the ground outside the circle shall be completely behind the white line which is drawn outside the circle running, theoretically, through the centre of the circle.
In the case of the javelin, when a competitor leaves the runway the first contact with the parallel lines or the ground outside the runway shall be completely behind the white line of the arc at right angles to the parallel lines.

18. After each throwing, implements shall be carried back to the area next to the circle or runway and never thrown back.

Measurements
19. In all throwing events, distances shall be recorded to the nearest 0.01m below the distance measured if the distance measured is not a whole centimetre.

20. The measurement of each throw shall be made immediately after the attempt:
a) from the nearest mark made by the fall of the shot, discus and hammer head, to the inside of the circumference of the circle along a line to the centre of the circle;
b) in the javelin event, from where the tip of the javelin first struck the ground to the inside edge of the arc, along a line to the centre of the circle of which the arc is part.

Markers
21. A distinctive flag or marker may be provided to mark the best throw of each competitor, in which case it shall be placed along, and outside, the sector lines.
A distinctive flag or marker may also be provided to mark the existing World Record and, when appropriate, the existing Continental or National Record.

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RULE 188 - Putting the Shot

The Competition
1. The shot shall be put from the shoulder with one hand only. At the time a competitor takes a stance in the circle to commence a put, the shot shall touch or be in close proximity to the neck or the chin and the hand shall not be dropped below this position during the action of putting. The shot shall not be taken behind the line of the shoulders.

The Stop Board
2. Construction. The board shall be white and made of wood or other suitable material in the shape of an arc so that the inner edge coincides with the inner edge of the rim of the circle. It shall be placed mid-way between the sector lines, and be so made that it can be firmly fixed to the ground.

3. Measurements. The board shall measure 11.2cm to 30cm wide, 1.15m (±1cm) long, and 10cm (±2mm) high in relation to the level of the inside of the circle.

The Shot
4. Construction. The shot shall be of solid iron, brass or any metal not softer than brass, or a shell of such metal filled with lead or other material. It shall be spherical in shape and its surface shall have no roughness and the finish shall be smooth. To be smooth, the surface average height must be less than 1.6µm, i.e. a roughness number N7 or less.

5. It shall conform to the following specifications:

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RULE 189 - Throwing the Discus

The Discus
1. Construction. The body of the discus may be solid or hollow and shall be made of wood, or other suitable material, with a metal rim, the edge of which shall be circular. The cross section of the edge shall be rounded in a true circle having a radius of approximately 6mm. There may be circular plates set flush into the centre of the sides. Alternatively, the discus may be made without metal plates, provided that the equivalent area is flat and the measurements and total weight of the implement correspond to the specifications. Each side of the discus shall be identical and shall be made without indentations, projections or sharp edges. The sides shall taper in a straight line from the beginning of the curve of the rim to a circle of a radius of 25mm to 28.5mm from the centre of the discus. The profile of the discus shall be designed as follows. From the beginning of the curve of the rim the thickness of the discus increases regularly up to the maximum thickness D. This maximum value is achieved at a distance of 25 mm to 28.5mm from the axis of the discus Y. From this point up to the axis Y the thickness of the discus is constant. Upper and lower side of the discus must be identical, also the discus has to be symmetrical concerning rotation around the axis Y.
The discus, including the surface of the rim shall have no roughness and the finish shall be smooth and uniform throughout.

2. It shall conform to the following specifications:

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RULE 190 - Discus Cage

1. All discus throws shall be made from an enclosure or cage to ensure the safety of spectators, officials and competitors. The cage specified in this Rule is intended for use with spectators all the way round the outside of the arena and with other events taking place in the arena. Where this does not apply, and especially in training areas, a much simpler construction may be satisfactory. Advice is available, on request, from national organisations or from the IAAF Bureau.
Note: The hammer cage specified in Rule 192 may also be used for discus throwing, either by installing 2.135/2.50m concentric circles, or by using an extended version of that cage with a second discus circle installed behind the hammer circle.

2. The cage should be designed, manufactured and maintained so as to be capable of stopping a 2kg discus moving at a speed of up to 25 metres per second. The arrangement should be such that there is no danger of ricocheting or rebounding back towards the athlete or over the top of the cage. Provided that it satisfies all the requirements of this Rule, any form of cage design and construction can be used.

3. The cage should be U-shaped in plan as shown in the diagram. The width of the mouth should be 6m, positioned 5m in front of the centre of the throwing circle. The height of the netting panels or draped netting at their lowest point should be at least 4m. Provision should be made in the design and construction of the cage to prevent a discus forcing its way through any joints in the cage or the netting or underneath the netting panels or draped netting. Notes:
(i) The arrangement of the rear panels/netting is not important provided the netting is a minimum of 3.00 metres away from the centre of the circle.
(ii) Innovative designs that provide the same degree of protection and do not increase the danger zone compared with conventional designs may be IAAF Certified.
(iii) The cage depicted and described is designed for a 40 degree landing sector. New cage designs shall be developed to take into account the smaller 34.92 degree landing sector by reducing the cage mouth width or positioning the throwing circle further back in the cage so as to reduce the danger zone.

Plan of Discus Cage only

4. The netting for the cage can be made from suitable natural or synthetic fibre cord or, alternatively, from mild or high tensile steel wire. The maximum mesh size shall be 50 mm for steel wire and 44 mm for cord netting. The minimum size of cord or wire depends on the construction of the cage, but the minimum cord or wire breaking strength should be 40kg.
 
In order to ensure the continued safety of the cage, the steel netting should be inspected at least every 12 months.
 
Visual inspection is not sufficient for fibre cord. Instead, several sample lengths of the standard cord should be worked into the netting by the manufacturer. One of these can be removed every 12 months and tested to ensure the continued strength of the netting.

5. The maximum danger sector for discus throws from this cage is approximately 98°, when used by both right and left handed throwers in the same competition. The position and alignment of the cage in the arena is, therefore, critical for its safe use.

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RULE 191 - Throwing the Hammer

The Competition
1. A competitor, in his starting position prior to the preliminary swings or turns, is allowed to put the head of the hammer on the ground inside or outside the circle.

2. It shall not be considered a foul throw if the head of the hammer touches the ground, or the top of the iron band, when a competitor makes the preliminary swings or turns, but if, after having so touched the ground, or the top of the iron band, he stops throwing so as to begin the throw again, this shall count as a failure.

3. If the hammer breaks during a throw or while in the air, it shall not count as a foul throw, provided the attempt was made in accordance with this Rule. If a competitor thereby loses his balance and contravenes any part of this Rule, it shall not be counted as a foul throw and the athlete shall be awarded a new trial.

The Hammer
4. Construction. The hammer shall consist of three parts: a metal head, a wire and a grip.

5. Head. The head shall be of solid iron or other metal not softer than brass or a shell of such metal, filled with lead or other solid material with a minimum diameter of 110mm for men and 95mm for women. It shall be spherical in shape.
If a filling is used, this shall be inserted in such manner that it is immovable and that the centre of gravity shall not be more than 6mm from the centre of the sphere.

6. Wire. The wire shall be a single unbroken and straight length of spring steel wire not less than 3mm in diameter and shall be such that it cannot stretch appreciably while the hammer is being thrown. The wire may be looped at one or both ends as a means of attachment.

7. Grip. The grip may be either of single or double loop construction, but shall be rigid and without hinging joints of any kind. It shall not stretch appreciably while being thrown. It shall be attached to the wire in such a manner that it cannot be turned within the loop of the wire to increase the overall length of the hammer.
Handle. The handle shall be solid and rigid made of one piece without hinging joints of any kind. It shall be equilateral triangle shaped. It shall not stretch appreciably while being thrown. It shall be attached to the wire in such a manner that it cannot be turned within the loop of the wire to increase the overall length of the hammer. The grip shall be straight and 115mm long.

New Handle

8. Connections for wire. The wire shall be connected to the head by means of a swivel, which may be either plain or ball bearing. The grip shall be connected to the wire by means of a loop. A swivel may not be used. [The handle shall be connected to the wire. A swivel may not be used. From 1-1-2003]

9. The hammer shall conform to the following specifications:

Centre of gravity of head
Not more than 6mm from the centre of the sphere, i.e. - it must be possible to balance the head, less handle and grip, on a horizontal sharpedged circular orifice 12mm in diameter (see diagram).

Suggested apparatus for testing centre of gravity of Hammer head

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RULE 192 - Hammer Cage

1. All hammer throws shall be made from an enclosure or cage to ensure the safety of spectators, officials and competitors. The cage specified in this Rule is intended for use with spectators all the way round the outside of the arena, and the other events taking place in the arena. Where this does not apply, and especially in training areas, a much simpler construction may be satisfactory. Advice is available on request from national organisations or from the IAAF Bureau.

2. The cage should be designed, manufactured and maintained so as to be capable of stopping a 7.26kg hammer head moving at a speed of up to 32 metres per second. The arrangement should be such that there is no danger of ricocheting or rebounding back towards the athlete or over the top of the cage. Provided that it satisfies all the requirements of this Rule, any form of cage design and construction can be used.

3. The cage should be U-shaped in plan as shown on the diagram. The width of the mouth should be 6m, positioned 4.2m in front of the centre of the throwing circle. The height of the netting panels or draped netting at their lowest point shall be at least 7m. Provisions should be made in the design and construction of the cage to prevent a hammer forcing its way through any joints in the cage or the netting or underneath the netting panels or draped netting.
Note: The arrangement of the rear panels/netting is not important provided the netting is a minimum of 3.50 metres away from the centre of the circle.

4. Two movable netting panels 2m wide shall be provided at the front of the cage, only one of which will be operative at a time. The minimum height of the panels shall be 9m.
 
Notes:
(i) The left hand panel is used for throwers turning anti clockwise, and the right hand panel for throwers turning clockwise. In view of the possible need to change over from one panel to the other during the competition, when both left and right-handed throwers are present, it is essential that this changeover should require little labour and be carried out in the minimum of time.
(ii) The end position of both panels is shown in the plan even though in competition only one panel will be closed at any one time during competition.

Plans for Alternative Hammer Cages:

Cage for Hammer only

Cage for Hammer and Discus

(iii) When in operation, the movable panel shall be exactly in the position shown. Provision shall therefore, be made in the design of the movable panels to lock them in the operative position.
(iv) The construction of these panels and their operation depends on the overall design of the cage and can be sliding, hinging on a vertical or horizontal axis or dismounting. The only firm requirements are that the panel in operation shall be fully able to stop any hammer striking it and there shall be no danger of a hammer being able to force its way between the fixed and movable panels.
(v) The cages depicted are designed for a 40 degree landing sector. New cage designs shall be developed to take into account the smaller 34.92 degree landing sector by reducing the cage mouth width or positioning the throwing circle further back in the cage and increasing the width of the movable panels.
(vi) Innovative designs that provide the same degree of protection and do not increase the danger zone compared with conventional designs may be IAAF Certified.

5. The netting for the cage can be made from suitable natural or synthetic fibre cord or, alternatively, from mild or high-tensile steel wire. The maximum mesh size shall be 50mm for steel wire and 44mm for cord netting. The minimum size of cord or wire depends on the construction of the cage, but the minimum cord or wire breaking strength should be 300kg. In order to ensure the continued safety of the cage, the steel netting should be inspected at least every 12 months.
Visual inspection is not sufficient for fibre cord. Instead, several sample lengths of the standard cord should be worked into the netting by the manufacturer. One of these can be removed every 12 months and tested to ensure the continued strength of the netting.

6. Where it is desired to use the same cage for discus throwing, the installation can be adapted in two alternative ways. Most simply, a 2.135/2.5m concentric circle may be fitted, but this involves using the same surface in the circle for hammer and discus throwing. The hammer gates shall be used for discus throwing in the same manner as for hammer throwing except that the leading edge of the gate shall be on the sector line.
For separate circles for hammer and discus in the same cage, the two circles shall be placed one behind the other with the centres 2.37m apart on the centre line of the landing sector and with the hammer circle at the front. The shape of the rear of the cage shall then be enlarged using a minimum of eight fixed panels or the equivalent in draped netting and two movable panels 2m wide. The minimum height of the panels, both fixed and movable, for this enlarged cage shall be the same as for the standard cage.
Note: The arrangement of the rear panels/netting is not important provided the netting is a minimum of 3.50 metres away from the centre of concentric circles or a minimum of 3.00 metres away from the centre of the discus circle in case of separate circles (see also Rule 192.4 (v) & (vi).

7. The maximum danger sector for hammer throws from this cage is approximately 85°, when used by both right and left-handed throwers in the same competition. The position and alignment of the cage in the arena is, therefore, critical for its safe use.

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RULE 193 - Throwing the Javelin

The Competition
1. (a) The javelin shall be held at the grip. It shall be thrown over the shoulder or upper part of the throwing arm and shall not be slung or hurled. Non-orthodox styles are not permitted.
(b) A throw shall be valid only if the tip of the metal head strikes the ground before any other part of the javelin.
(c) At no time during the throw, until the javelin has been discharged into the air, may a competitor turn completely around, so that his back is towards the throwing arc.

2. If the javelin breaks during a throw or while in the air, it shall not count as a foul throw, provided the attempt was made in accordance with this Rule. If a competitor thereby loses his balance and contravenes any part of this Rule, it shall not be counted as a foul throw and the competitor shall be awarded a new trial.

The Javelin
3. Construction. The javelin shall consist of three parts: a head, a shaft and a cord grip. The shaft shall be constructed completely of metal, or of another suitable homogeneous material, and shall have fixed to it a metal head terminating in a sharp point. The surface of the shaft shall have no dimples or pimples, grooves or ridges, holes or roughness, and the finish shall be smooth and uniform throughout.

Note: If a javelin head is constructed such that a reinforced tip is welded on to the end of the head, it shall be considered legal provided the head is smooth and uniform along the whole of its surface.

4. The grip, which shall cover the centre of gravity, shall not exceed the diameter of the shaft by more than 8mm. It may have a regular non-slip pattern surface but without thongs, notches or indentations of any kind. The grip shall be of uniform thickness.

5. The cross-section shall be regularly circular throughout (see Note 1). The maximum diameter of the shaft shall be immediately in front of the grip. The central portion of the shaft, including the part under the grip, may be cylindrical or slightly tapered towards the rear but in no case may the reduction in diameter, from immediately in front of the grip to immediately behind, exceed 0.25mm. From the grip, the javelin shall taper regularly to the tip at the front and the tail at the rear. The longitudinal profile from the grip to the front tip and to the tail shall be straight or slightly convex (see Note 2), and there shall be no abrupt alteration in the overall diameter, except immediately behind the head and at the front and rear of the grip, throughout the length of the javelin. At the rear of the head, the reduction in the diameter may not exceed 2.5mm and this departure from the longitudinal profile requirement may not extend more than 300mm behind the head.
Note 1: Whilst the cross section should be circular, a maximum difference between the largest and the smallest diameter of 2% is permitted. The mean value of these two diameters shall correspond to the specifications of a circular javelin.
Note 2: The shape of the longitudinal profile may be quickly and easily checked using a metal straight edge at least 500mm long and two feeler gauges 0.20mm and 1.25mm thick. For slightly convex sections of the profile, the straight edge will rock while being in firm contact with a short section of the javelin. For straight sections of the profile, with the straight edge held firmly against it, it must be impossible to insert the 0.20mm gauge between the javelin and the straight edge anywhere over the length of contact. This shall not apply immediately behind the joint between the head and the shaft. At this point it must be impossible to insert the 1.25mm gauge.

6. The javelin shall conform to the following specifications:

7. The javelin shall have no mobile parts or other apparatus, which during the throw could change its centre of gravity or throwing characteristics.

8. The tapering of the javelin to the tip of the metal head shall be such that the angle of the point shall be not more than 40°. The diameter, at a point 150mm from the tip, shall not exceed 80% of the maximum diameter of the shaft. At the midpoint between the centre of gravity and the tip of the metal head, the diameter shall not exceed 90% of the maximum diameter of the shaft.

9. The tapering of the shaft to the tail at the rear shall be such that the diameter, at the midpoint between the centre of gravity and the tail, shall not be less than 90% of the maximum diameter of the shaft. At a point 150mm from the tail, the diameter shall be not less than 40% of the maximum diameter of the shaft. The diameter of the shaft at the end of the tail shall not be less than 3.5mm.

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