Competition Rules

Updated SHGA Rules - April 2013

THE SCOTTISH GAMES ASSOCIATION LIMITED - BYELAWS

  1. Results of all competitions must be recorded on official return sheets provided by the SGA and these sheets returned to the SHGA results coordinator within 14 days following completion of the event by the Secretary of each Games/Sports/Event.
  2. Handicappers, Judges, or Officials found guilty of misconduct and/or infringement of Rules, shall be deleted from the SHGA Approved List of Officials and their future employment in such official capacity proscribed.
  3. (a) No Handicapper, Judge, or Official may engage in betting or bookmaking, on foot or cycle racing at any SHGA Meetings at which he/she is officiating
    (b) Handicappers must not engage in the training of athletes for track events for Members Games/Sports/Meetings.
    (c) No coaches or trainers of runners having vested interest in the athletes taking part should be appointed as officials on the finish line at SHGA Members Games.
  4. All Handicappers, Secretaries and Officials shall use their best endeavors to enforce the ban or use of assumed names and addresses by any entrant into Open Athletics at Members Games/ Sports/Meetings.
  5. It is the responsibility of each Member to inform General Council of any infringement of SGA Rules, misdemeanour or other misconduct, which comes to their attention, on the part of any official, competitor or other individual.
  6. Secretaries, Handicappers, Starters, and all Games Committee personnel will use their best endeavours to ensure that no person under suspension by the SHGA will be allowed to compete at SHGA Member Games.
  7. Members will afford every assistance to the SHGA Secretary and other SHGA representatives in the pursuance of their duties.
  8. No competitor may enter an assumed name or address. Athletes will be required to give details of the address at which they are permanently residing at the time of registration and to advise the SHGA Secretary of any change of address.
  9. In youths races, the minimum age will be ten years of age and the maximum will be fifteen years. Persons wishing to enter youths events must provide proof of date of birth at time of registration.
  10. In open events, competitors must be not less than sixteen years of age.
  11. All registered athletes wishing to compete in track events will be allocated SHGA identification numbers. Each athlete must wear his/her number on back and chest when competing in all SGA events where bibs are not supplied.
  12. All competitors taking part in running events up to and including 800 metres at Members Games must wear spiked track shoes.
  13. All persons wishing to take part in athletic events at a Members Games/Sports Meeting must be registered as an athlete with the Scottish Games Association prior to taking part in any of these events and pay appropriate fee which will be fixed annually.
  14. Entry monies due by competitors wishing to participate in events at Members Games/Sports Meetings must be paid over in the manner and by the date/time specified by the Member.
  15. Where Games have pre-entry requirements, competitors may be penalised for late entries at the discretion of the handicappers.
  16. Failure by any competitor to notify the handicapper, at a Member Games/Sports meeting in which he/she is competing of a winning performance subsequent to competing for such Games/Sports Meeting will result in the possible disqualification of that competitor from any and all events at that venue. Any monies or awards gained
    at that venue prior to discovery of the failure to disclose shall be subject to forfeiture.
  17. Any runner or cyclist who wishes to question their handicap mark must do so in writing to the handicapper concerned. Competitors who are dissatisfied with the response received may apply, in writing, to the Secretary of the SHGA who will then put the matter before a panel of General Council Members appointed by the President to consider the complaint.
  18. Competitors must lodge complaints or make appeals personally. Submissions presented on their behalf by coaches, trainers, and/or other aides will not be considered, except in youth races.
  19. Handicap marks allocated to competitors for any individual event at a Members/sports meeting shall not be altered during the course of that event.
  20. Competitors must leave the track at the close of their competition and must not loiter on the Games Field.
  21. No attendants shall be allowed to accompany competitors on the track except at the finals of the open handicaps and then they mus leave the arena before competitors come under starter’s orders.
  22. Any competitor adjudged to be wilfully jostling, running or obstructing another competitor may be disqualified by appointed Games Officials, from that race and reported to the General Council for decision on disciplinary action.
  23. Any competitor in a track event who is holding the inside position on the track and is adjudged by an official appointed by the Member Games and/or by the SHGA, to have run wide to prevent another competitor from passing will be disqualified from that event.
  24. Any competitor giving verbal and/or physical abuse to officials will be reported with the minimum possible delay, to a panel comprising the SHGA Representatives at that venue and a representative of the Member’s Managing Committee who will have powers to deal with this matter on the day.
  25. Competitors who are found to have made a deliberate attempt to mislead the handicappers or officials in any way shall be subject to disqualification from participation in any event at that Member’s venue at which such attempt is detected. The matter must then be referred to the General Council for decision as to whether further disciplinary measures are to be implemented.
  26. Games Officials have the authority to carry out random inspection of running shoes and equipment.
  27. The handicapper has the authority to position a competitor who has competed successfully from actual scratch or virtual scratch to a markbehind the scratch mark in subsequent handicaps, irrespective of the fact that the event(s) is (are) advertised as being over a given distance.
  28. All competitors competing at Meetings held under the SHGA Rules automatically bind themselves to accept this and all other SHGA Rules.
  29. Sprint handicap races up to and including 110 metres shall be run on stringed or lined tracks.
  30. In handicap races, stations at the start shall be assigned to the competitors according to the order of their names appearing on the programme. No.1 in the heat taking the inside station, No.2 the second station etc. Competitor on scratch is permitted to nominate the lane of his/her choice in the final. All starts should be pegged and the respective distance marked on the pegs. Lines shall be drawn from the pegs indicating the competitors starts. In handicap sprints, two lines of start pegs shall be provided with parallel lines drawn from peg to peg, so that Steward and runners alike have easy visibility of correct starts.
  31. Adequate and separate dress accommodation shall be provided by Members for male and female competitors.
  32. The track must be measured accurately, and the track with bends shall be measured 12 inches/30.5 centimetres from the inside.
  33. Starting blocks may be used in scratch championship events. Their use in 200 metre events is permitted only where marked lanes are provided.
  34. Any Official may stop a race for safety reasons. In all other circumstances only the appointed starter or recall steward where appointed has such authority.

Photographs courtesy of Ron Russell - Glenrothes, Fife

Copyright 2009. Scottish Highland Games Association.