2010
SNOWSHOEING
1.
Rules:
This competition will be conducted under the rules developed and approved
by the Arctic Winter Games International Committee.
2.
Categories:
Junior Male & Female:
Born in 1991 or later
Juvenile Male & Female:
Born in 1995 or later
3.
Events and Schedule:
Events
a.
Junior categories (middle
and short distance)
·
5 kilometre cross – country
·
Short Distance combined –
100 meters, 400 meters and 1500 meters. See Table ‘A’
b.
Juvenile categories (middle and short distance)
·
2.5 kilometre cross –
country
·
Short Distance combined –
100 meters, 400 meters and 800 meters. See Table ‘A’
c.
All Categories (long distance)
·
Junior Male
10 km cross-country
·
Junior Female
7.5 km cross-country
·
Juvenile Male
5 km cross-country
·
Juvenile Female
5 km cross-country
b.
Relays
·
Mixed Categories
– 4 x 400 meters
Units can
enter two relays teams. Each team
must include at least two female athletes.
Schedule
The competition schedule shall be:
First day
- short distance events
Second day
- day off / weather day
Third day
- short distance combined and relays
Fourth day
- day off / weather day
Fifth day
- distance events
4.
Team Composition:
Each Games
Unit may enter a team comprised of a maximum of eight (8) competitors and two
(2) coaches as follows:
Junior Male
-2
Junior Female
-2
Juvenile Male
-2
Juvenile Female
-2
Coaches
-2
One
coach must be female and one male.
If a coach from one
gender is not available a chaperon must be substituted.
5.
Medals
Individually by event:
Individually by team for relay race:
Gold
-20
Silver
-20
Bronze
-20
6.
Arctic Winter Games Rule
Modifications
a.
Competition Management and
Race Procedure
The Arctic
Winter Games Snowshoeing competition must be run in a manner similar to an
athletics / cross country running competition.
The following competition / race procedures apply:
i.
All athletes must begin
their races with the toe of the footwear of their leading foot behind the start
line..
ii.
An athlete final race time /
position shall be determined when their torso crosses the finish line.
iii.
Once a competitor is in the
starting area for his/her race, no assistance in any form may be given to the
competitor until the competitor has crossed the finish line.
Any direct contact with the competitor shall disqualify the competitor
from that event. The single
exception to this rule is that a replacement snowshoe may be placed in the snow
beside a competitor during the course of the race.
Coaches may situate themselves along the course to facilitate providing
athletes with replacement snowshoes or they may distribute such equipment along
the course at their discretion and as long as this does not interfere with any
other athletes.
iv.
No starting blocks or aids
will be allowed for assistance in starting a race.
v.
No penalty shall be assessed
against a competitor who commits a first or second false start.
The competitor who commits a third or subsequent false start shall be
disqualified by the starter regardless of whether s/he committed the first and
or second false start. False start
decisions of the starter are final and cannot be appealed.
vi.
During the course of the
race no competitor shall deliberately interfere in any manner with another
competitor. Deliberate interference
shall result in the disqualification of the competitor causing the interference.
vii.
During the course of the
race no coach or other team official shall interfere in any manner with a
competitor from another team. If
this occurs, the Sport Specific Technical Committee shall review the matter and
determine if a penalty shall be given to the offending team and or its athletes.
viii.
In the cross-country races,
when a slower competitor is passed, the passing competitor may call “track” and
shall pass on the left. If track is
called, the slower competitor shall give way to the right.
ix.
All races shall be “mass
starts”, per category except races held on the 400-meter track.
Lane assignments for these events are to be determined by draw at least
one day in advance of the race.
x.
For all races, the Race
Committee shall conduct a draw of competitors for starting lane assignments, if
required. In events where the
400-meter track is used, if there are more competitors than lanes available,
separate heats shall be used with athlete heat assignments being determined by
draw.
xi.
The race starter shall start
each race in a regular and consistent fashion.
xii.
A competitor is judged to
have finished a race when his/her chest crosses the finish line.
b.
Equipment – Snowshoes
Dimensions
The snowshoe shall not be smaller than 220 by 813 millimetres (8 ¾” by 32”). The race committee shall construct a measuring box with inside dimensions of 222 millimetres width, 813 millimetres length and 222 millimetres height. Any shoe that falls through this box in either the vertical or horizontal position shall be deemed illegal and its use will be forbidden. Snowshoes shall be measured and marked by a designated sport official before the start of the first day’s events. Officials will check snowshoes for official markings during the weigh in procedure established in the section below (Weight).
Snowshoes
shall be made of a wooden frame.
The webbing shall be of leather or gut.
Snowshoes shall not have any device(s) affixed to them, the purpose of
which is the improvement of traction.
A pair of
snowshoes complete with bindings shall weigh no less than 1.1 kilograms (2.5
pounds). Snowshoes shall be weighed
prior to and after each competition. The weigh scale shall be of a mechanical
balance type that is unaffected by cold temperatures.
Athletes
must finish the race with at least one (1) of the original snowshoes worn at the
start of the race, and both snowshoes must be properly bound to the feet at the
finish of the race. Any replacement
snowshoes, which were put on during the course of the race, will be measured
immediately after the race and the race committee shall ensure compliance with
all rules respecting snowshoes.
Any
athletes completing the race with an illegal snowshoe(s) shall be disqualified
from the race; any medals or points awarded shall be forfeited.
It is the competitor’s responsibility to ensure his/her snowshoes are
legal as defined by these rules.
The Race
Committee shall establish a procedure for “marking” snowshoes
c.
Equipment – Bindings
Bindings
must be made of soft leather or hide or lampwik.
Metal buckles are allowed but may only be used to fasten one part of the
binding to another part of the binding and not the binding to the snowshoe.
Not allowed are:
·
3 pin cross-country ski
bindings or other metal bindings that prevent the snowshoe from swinging
sideways.
·
Velcro or similar materials
·
Nylon straps, plastic clips
or buckles
Bindings
may be affixed to the mukluks, moccasins or kamiks by using one toe loop that is
sewn to the mukluks, moccasins or kamiks within 76 millimetres (3 inches) of the
centre front part of the mukluks, moccasins or kamiks.
The binding cannot be affixed to the mukluks, moccasins or kamiks in any
other way. The loops must be of a
natural material such as hide or leather.
d.
Equipment – Footwear
All
athletes must wear mukluks, moccasins or kamiks when racing.
Footwear
must be made of soft leather below the ankle including the sole. No commercial
shoes, hard-soled shoes or rigid orthotics are to be worn inside the mukluks,
moccasins or kamiks. Acceptable
liners are felt, wool or foam.
Rubber liners are not allowed. No
cleats or track shoes or any kind, or part thereof, are allowed.
Velcro or similar materials are not allowed.
Duct tape or similar materials or cardboard or similar manufactured
materials are not allowed.
e.
Relays
Athletes
in the relay events shall carry an athletics baton.
It will be passed from one athlete to the next on each team.
Athletes must carry the baton for the full length of their segment of the
race. The relay team must start and
finish the relay with the baton. If
the baton is dropped during any segment of the race the athlete may pick it up
and then continue the race.
f.
Course Layout
i.
The 400-meter relay races
and short distance combined events shall be staged on a 400-meter track that
conforms as close as is possible to track facilities used for athletics
competitions. A minimum six (6)
racing lanes shall be marked for the entire course.
The entire length and width of the track shall be evenly packed so that
competitors have the same snow conditions in each lane.
ii.
The cross-country shall,
whenever possible, utilize local terrain, be across the country on a clearly
marked, narrow trails (ski trail width) of softly packed snow.
In designing this course, attention should be given to ensuring equal
proportions of incline, decline and level running.
A suitable number of checkpoints should be set up and at least one water
stop established.
iii.
For each race, the start and
finish line and for relays a 5-meter exchange zone shall be clearly marked.
iv.
A starting area not less
than 10 x 10 meters shall be provided adjacent to the starting line.
This area shall be kept clear of all persons other than competitors and
officials.
v.
A warm up shelter and
portable washroom facilities should be set up for competitors in a convenient
location. Consideration should be
given to providing benches, juice and fruit for the athletes in or adjacent to
the warm up shelters.
g.
Disqualifications
All
disqualifications must be made in writing and approved by the head official.
Once approved, the Chief official will cause the disqualification to be
announced over a public address system.
The disqualification shall also be posted to a public bulletin board.
Once the disqualification has been posted the time limits related to
coach appeals outlined below come into affect.
The Dispute Procedure outlined below is then followed with respect to any
further actions related to a disqualification.
h.
Snowshoeing Protest/Dispute Protocol
Purpose:
The purpose of this
protocol is to provide a fair and reasonable process for any formal protests
that lodged with respect to the snowshoeing competition.
Authority/Related Documents:
The Arctic Winter
Games Snowshoeing Technical Package including the Snowshoeing Protest/Dispute
Protocol shall be the authoritative document for all sport specific formal
protests as detailed below. The
Arctic Winter Games International Committee Discipline Policy shall prevail in
all other matters.
Application:
This protocol
applies to sport technical matters related to the organization and conduct of
the snowshoeing events. Other protests (for example perceived major violations
of the principles of “Fair Play”) may be brought to the attention of the Head
Official; however the Games Jury rather than the Snowshoeing Technical Appeals
Committee would consider them.
Snowshoeing Technical Appeals Committee:
The Host Society
will arrange for the appointment of a Snowshoeing Technical Appeals Committee to
deal with all sport specific formal protests.
This committee shall consist of the Head Official, the Sport Chair and
two other persons appointed by the Host Society.
Coaches may be
appointed to the Snowshoeing Technical Appeals Committee; however if an
appointed Coach is in a conflict of interest an alternate shall be appointed to
the Committee.
Dispute Procedure:
Protests of official decisions with respect to technical or rules-related matters must be filed in written form using the Arctic Winter Games “Discipline Action/Protest Form” by a coach with the Head Official within 30 minutes of the following:
a.
The posting of the results of an event,
b.
The posting of a disqualification of an athlete,
c.
The rendering of another decision by an official
for which appeals are allowed.
The Technical
Appeals Committee shall meet and render a decision on the protest as soon as
possible. Only the Head Official
will announce the decision of the protest to the parties involved.
For the purposes of
this section, if there are multiple heats within an event, a written protest
must be received within 30 minutes of the completion of the posting of the
results of the heat. If the event
consists of a single race then the 30-minute requirement relates to the posting
of the results of the event itself.
Appeals:
All decisions of the
Technical Appeals Committee are final unless a review of the decision can be
justified as detailed in the Arctic Winter Games International Committee
Discipline Policy.
An affected party wishing to
file an appeal of a decision of the Technical Appeals Committee must submit the
appeal in writing to the Head Official within three hours of being notified of
the Technical Appeals Committee’s decision.
The appeal must contain a clear description of the perceived error in
law, fact or procedural fairness that justifies an appeal to be heard.
The
Technical Appeals Committee will then discuss the matter with the Arctic Winter
Games International Committee Technical Director to determine whether or not the
AWG Appeals Board can hear the appeal.
The affected parties will be advised as soon as possible after this
decision is made.
i.
Results
The Head Official
shall review and approve all results before they are considered final.
The Head Official shall then cause these results to be posted in a public
place, marking each result with the time it was posted.
The above noted time limits start when the results have been posted.
j.
Temperature / Weather Delays
The Head Official in
consultation with the Host Society Snowshoe Committee Chair shall determine when
an event is to be delayed due to weather conditions.
TABLE ‘A’
Each athlete entering the Short Distance Combined event will have the results of their performance in all three events scored as detailed below. The athlete with the highest point total from all three events will be declared the gold medal winner. The athlete with the second highest total from all three events will be declared the silver medal winner. The athlete with the third highest total from all three events will be declared the silver medal winner.
1.
The athlete with the fastest time in each event shall be awarded 1000 points.
2.
All other athletes shall receive the points as determined by the following
formula:
First Place Finisher’s Time
X
1000 =
Athlete’s Points
Athlete’s Time