For parents of Little Athletics children in the Under 9 to Under 15 age groups at NSW Athletics (formerly Little Athletics NSW) Region and State carnivals, 2026/27 season. Covers progression from Zone to Region to State, high jump heights, race formats, starts, footwear, uniform, call room, protests and weather.
NSW Athletics was launched in June 2026, bringing Little Athletics and athletics in NSW under a single affiliation structure, a single membership model and a single championship and event pathway. The Rules of Competition 2026-27 (revised July 2026) now refer to NSW Athletics instead of LANSW and ANSW.
Where the Rules of Competition apply:
State Championships for the 13s and above (such as the NSW Junior Championships and NSW Relay Championships) are run under World Athletics rules (World Para Athletics where relevant) with modifications set out in the Technical Regulations for each competition on the NSW Athletics website. Where there is doubt about the application or interpretation of the Rules of Competition, the benefit of the doubt goes to the athlete.
Pathway: Zone Championships, then Region Championships, then State. The 2027 Little Athletics State Championships for the 9s to 12s are listed by NSW Athletics for 11 to 14 March 2027 at Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre.
Age groups are set by the age a child will be at midnight on 31 December of the calendar year in which the summer season starts. For the 2026/27 season that is 31 December 2026. An "Under" age group is one more than that age:
(8s are seven, 7s six and 6s five. Tiny Tots, who have turned 3 and will be under 5 at 31 December, only take part in approved development activities.) Male and Female categories are offered in every age group.
Eligibility: all athletes must be registered NSW Athletics members with a competitive membership, or registered with an invited association. Athletes must compete in their own age group, with the exception of relay teams at Zone, Region or State Championships and the State Relays.
Zone to Region progression applies to the 8s, 9s, 10s, 11s, 12s, 13s, 14s and 15s, subject to the entry guidelines on the NSW Athletics website (the Pathway Entry Regulations take precedence if there is a discrepancy). Athletes in the 7s can contest Zone but cannot progress to Region.
| Region | Zones | Places that progress | Next best across the Region | Relays that progress |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New England, Northern Rivers, Mid North Coast | First 4 | up to 4 | First 2 |
| 2 | Central Coast, Lake Macquarie, Hunter, Port Hunter | First 3 | up to 4 | First 2 |
| 3 | Western Plains, Western Ranges | First 6 | up to 4 | First 3 |
| 4 | Eastern Riverina, Western Riverina, Mid South Coast, South Coast Highlands | First 3 | up to 4 | First 2 |
| 5 | Northern Metro, North East Metro | First 6 | up to 4 | First 3 |
| 6 | West Metropolitan, Outer West Metropolitan, North West Metropolitan | First 4 | up to 4 | First 2 |
| 7 | Central West Metropolitan, South West Metropolitan, Mid West Metropolitan | First 4 | up to 4 | First 2 |
| 8 | Inner City, Southern Metropolitan | First 6 | up to 4 | First 3 |
Only the top 8 in a heat are considered for progression, so every zone has the same number of athletes qualifying. If only 9 athletes arrive at the call room, heats may be collapsed to a final of a maximum of 9. Heat performances cannot be used for next best selection unless the event is a timed final; all field performances (even from an athlete who did not reach the final round) and all pack-event performances (such as the 800m) are assessed. Zones may offer 16s, 17s and Under 20 events and Para events, but these carry no progression to Region (Para progression starts at Region).
Progression from Region to State applies to the 9s, 10s, 11s, 12s, 13s, 14s and 15s (and the Para groups 9s-10s, 11s-12s and 13s-14s). It is subject to the entry guidelines on the NSW Athletics website.
Starting heights in metres (boys / girls):
| Age group | Zone | Region | State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9s | 0.85 / 0.80 | 0.90 / 0.85 | 0.95 / 0.90 |
| 10s | 0.95 / 0.90 | 1.00 / 0.95 | 1.05 / 1.00 |
| 11s | 1.05 / 1.00 | 1.10 / 1.05 | 1.15 / 1.10 |
| 12s | 1.15 / 1.10 | 1.20 / 1.15 | 1.25 / 1.20 |
| 13s | 1.20 / 1.15 | 1.25 / 1.20 | set by Technical Regulations |
| 14s | 1.25 / 1.20 | 1.30 / 1.25 | set by Technical Regulations |
| 15s | 1.25 / 1.20 | 1.30 / 1.25 | set by Technical Regulations |
An athlete who cannot reach the state minimum starting height for their age group at Region carnivals will not be considered for progression to the State Track & Field Championships, regardless of placing (including any automatic qualifiers). There is no minimum standard for the 1500m walk and 3000m run.
Timed finals:
Timed-final heats for 400m and the circular hurdles are seeded slowest to fastest, using zone or region performances (or club performances where seed times are entered with a zone entry). An athlete with no seed time goes in the slowest heat. Performances from all heats are combined to decide the places for each age group.
Standard program: heats and finals for 70m, 100m, 200m and the 60m/80m/100m/110m hurdles (straight finals if there are fewer than 8 entries). Other circular track events are pack starts.
Hand times: hand times are recorded to the 1/100th of a second. For progression purposes, 0.24 seconds is added to manual times for events up to and including 200m, and 0.14 seconds for events over 200m up to and including 400m. Results sheets at zones and regions using handheld times must say so.
At Zone and Region Championships, field events other than high jump have 3 rounds, and the top 8 athletes with valid performances at the end of round three get one additional round (NSW Athletics Rules of Competition 2026-27, section 11.12).
High jump: at Zone, Region and State Championship events the bar goes up in 5cm increments until 6 or fewer athletes remain, then in 2cm increments until only one athlete remains. That last athlete may choose the increments (section 11.2).
If a carnival is compressed because of extenuating circumstances such as adverse weather, field events may be cut to 3 trials only.
Any athlete may use a standing start in any track event. In races run entirely in lanes an athlete may use a crouch start or a standing start, and anyone using starting blocks must use a crouch start. In races not run entirely in lanes only a standing start may be used. Once "On your marks" has been called, late athletes cannot join the event.
False starts by age group:
The rules note that the Region and State rule for the older groups is meant to align with the national pathway, is not intended for club level, and that officials are encouraged to give all available leniency at Region Championships.
Appropriate footwear is compulsory in all events, and no athlete may wear football boots or cleats.
NSW Athletics must approve all club uniforms, and athletes must compete in their registered club uniform. An individually registered athlete wears the generic uniform determined by NSW Athletics.
Music devices, mobile phones and similar devices (including anything that can be used to communicate with another person) are not permitted in the competition area. If an athlete has one on the track or field, an official removes it and returns it at the end of the event.
Officials may not coach at an event, though giving factual feedback after a field trial (for example where a foot landed relative to the take-off area in long jump) is not coaching. Talking to or hearing from someone outside the competition area, such as a coach, is allowed. Pacing by people not in the race, by runners or walkers who are lapped or about to be lapped, or by any technical device counts as assistance and is not allowed. An athlete giving or receiving assistance from inside the competition area is cautioned and warned of disqualification for any repeat (in a field event, barred from further participation in that event, with earlier performances standing).
Only athletes and officials are allowed on the competition area, and athletes must leave it straight after their event. A Para athlete's parent or carer who wants to accompany them onto the track or field needs prior written approval from the carnival manager (not needed for T/F11 and 12 athletes, who may have one guide).
Call room: where a Call Room operates for an age group, the athlete must report to it before joining their event. An athlete who does not report (other than for the first field events of the day) is not permitted to compete in that event. The exceptions are an athlete taken to a clashing event by an official, and times when carnival management announces otherwise, such as telling athletes to go straight to the first field event. If heats are condensed or become a straight final, no athlete may join the event once the decision has been announced. Each event gets 2 calls, except at fully timed carnivals.
Clashes: an athlete must never leave an event on their own to go to a clashing one. An Event Clash Manager (when appointed) takes the athlete from one event to the other, and an athlete who leaves without the Clash Manager cannot continue in the event they left. Except in high jump, the Chief Judge may let the athlete compete out of round and out of order, but never two or more consecutive trials. In high jump the athlete may compete out of order and rejoins at the current bar height. An athlete taken from a field event to a track event must return to the field event straight after the track event.
Warnings: the Referee speaks to an athlete or relay team who shows unacceptable or unsporting behaviour, and a repeat means disqualification. Warnings may be verbal or a yellow card. A second warning or yellow card in the same competition excludes the athlete from the rest of that competition (each of Zone, Region and State Championships counts as a single competition). A serious offence can mean immediate disqualification. The Carnival Manager tells the Team Manager.
Team Manager: clubs must name their Team Manager to the Information Official at least 30 minutes before the carnival starts. If only one family from a club is attending, one of the parents, guardians or carers is automatically listed as Team Manager. In all other cases, a club with no named Team Manager cannot lodge protests.
Protests: only the Team Manager can lodge one. It must be in writing on the approved form, handed to the Carnival Information Officer within 15 minutes of the official results being posted, with a $50 deposit. The Referee may review video evidence (not for race walking technical breaches). An appeal to the Jury of Appeal must be in writing within 15 minutes of the decision being notified. The $50 is refunded if the protest is upheld, and not refunded if it is dismissed or judged frivolous. The decision of the Jury (or the Referee, if not referred to the Jury) is final.
Bad weather during a carnival: if circumstances such as adverse weather require it, a compressed program may be used, and the decision can be made during the carnival. A compressed program may have timed finals for all track events and only 3 trials in all field events. At Zone the decision is made by the Zone Coordinator and Carnival Manager with the NSW Athletics Competition Lead (or delegate). At Region it is made by the Region Coordinator and/or Carnival Manager and the Region Technical Delegate with the NSW Athletics Competition Lead (or delegate). At State it is made by the NSW Athletics Competition Lead (or delegate), the Carnival Manager and the Technical Delegate (if appointed). The 3000m may be moved by Zone or Region Coordinators to suit weather conditions.
Natural disasters: an athlete affected by environmental factors outside their control, such as floods or bushfires, may be given special consideration for an exemption from Zone and/or Region. The request must be put in writing (email accepted) to the NSW Athletics General Manager - Sport Delivery before the athlete's championships begin, and that person makes the final decision at their sole discretion.