Starter's Guide to Athletics South Africa Track Meets All Ages 2026/27

Under World Athletics Competition Rule 22 and TR 16:

• Stand so the whole field falls within a narrow visual angle. For crouch starts you must be able to see that every athlete is steady in the set position before firing.
• For staggered starts without lane loudspeakers, stand roughly the same distance from every athlete. If you can't, place the gun there and fire it by electric contact. Lane loudspeakers are recommended so every athlete hears the commands and gun at the same time.
• Give commands clearly so all athletes hear them, but avoid shouting unless you're far away without a PA.
• Don't start the procedure until the timing team and finish judges are ready, and for races up to 200m, the wind gauge operator. The start coordinator tells you when everything is in order.
• Fire the gun held upwards. For crouch starts, raise your gun arm when the athletes are steady in their blocks, then say "Set". Don't raise it too early, especially with manual timekeepers.
• There's no set time between commands: fire once all athletes are motionless in the correct position.

World Athletics rules (TR 15.1 and 16.3): in races up to and including 400m (including the first leg of the 4 x 200m, medley relay and 4 x 400m), a crouch start and starting blocks are compulsory, and blocks may not be used in any other race. On their mark, the athlete must be completely within their lane behind the line, with both hands and at least one knee on the ground and both feet on the foot plates, touching neither the line nor the ground in front of it. On "Set" they rise to their final position, keeping hands on the ground and feet on the plates.

Races longer than 400m (TR 16.4): standing start. On their mark, athletes may not touch the ground with their hands, or the line or ground in front of it with their feet.

ASA variation (ASA Rule 29): at club, provincial and associate-member competitions and the mass-participation section of major events, starting blocks are not compulsory. If the organiser makes them compulsory, the organiser must supply them. Athletes' own blocks must meet the World Athletics specifications but can be any design that doesn't interfere with other athletes.

Under World Athletics TR 16.7, once in their full and final starting position, an athlete may not begin their start before the gun. The start begins:

• Crouch start: any motion that includes or results in one or both feet losing contact with the foot plates, or one or both hands losing contact with the ground.
• Standing start: any motion that results in one or both feet losing contact with the ground.

It's also a false start if an athlete starts a movement before the gun that doesn't stop and carries on into the start (a "rolling start").

Not false starts:

• Other movements, such as raising the hips and lowering them again without hands or feet losing contact. These may be dealt with as improper conduct instead.
• In standing starts, an accidental overbalance can be treated as an "unsteady" start rather than a false start. An athlete pushed or jostled over the line shouldn't be penalised; the athlete who caused it may be warned or disqualified.

World Athletics guidance asks starters and referees not to be over-zealous with standing starts.

Under World Athletics TR 16.8 and 16.9, except in combined events, any athlete responsible for a false start is disqualified by the starter. There's no warning first.

• The starter's assistant raises a red and black (diagonally halved) card in front of the athlete. If lane markers allow it, the matching indication is shown on the lane marker.
• When one athlete false starts, others often follow. Only the athlete or athletes who, in the starter's opinion, were responsible are disqualified, which can be more than one athlete.
• If a recalled or aborted start wasn't caused by any athlete, no warnings are given and a green card is shown to all athletes.

The starter or any recaller who thinks a start wasn't fair (including blocks slipping or something interfering with an athlete) must recall the athletes with a gun or other audible signal.

ASA's domestic rules don't add a separate false start rule for youth age groups.

Under World Athletics TR 16.5, the starter must abort the start if, after "On your marks" or "Set" and before the gun, an athlete:

1. causes the start to be aborted without a valid reason (for example raising a hand, or standing or sitting up from a crouch start), as judged by the referee;
2. doesn't follow the commands, or doesn't take up their final starting position at once and without delay; or
3. disturbs other athletes by sound, movement or otherwise.

Penalties:

• For 1 or 2, the referee may warn the athlete for improper conduct (yellow card), and disqualify them for a second infringement in the same competition (red card). A green card is not shown.
• For 3, if it causes another athlete to commit what would otherwise be a false start, the referee may warn (and on a second offence disqualify) the athlete who caused it. Otherwise a green card is shown. Repeated movements at several aborted starts can also lead to a warning.
• If an outside cause led to the abort, or the referee disagrees with the starter, a green card is shown to all athletes to show no false start was committed.

Use "Stand up" when you're not satisfied all is ready after the athletes are on their marks.

Under World Athletics TR 39.8.3, in the track events of a combined events competition (for example the U16 pentathlon, heptathlon or decathlon):

• One false start per race is allowed without disqualification.
• After that first false start, the athlete responsible is shown a yellow and black card, and every other athlete in the race is also shown the yellow and black card to warn them.
• Anyone responsible for a further false start in that race is disqualified by the starter and shown the red and black card.

Only the starter can decide these warnings and disqualifications.

Under World Athletics TR 15.3, starting blocks must be linked to a World Athletics certified start information system at the top-level World Rankings competitions (paragraphs 1(a)-(c) and 2(a)-(b) of the definition) and for any performance submitted as a world record. At other competitions it is strongly recommended but not required. An automatic recall system may also be used.

When a system is in use (TR 16.6):

• The starter and/or an assigned recaller wears headphones to hear the warning tone when a reaction time is less than 0.100 seconds.
• If the tone sounds after the gun, the race is recalled and the starter immediately checks the reaction times and other information to confirm who, if anyone, was responsible.
• The system's evidence is a resource to help officials decide correctly.

Deaf or hearing-impaired athletes may use start lights; this is not assistance.

Under World Athletics Competition Rule 22:

• Starter: has entire control of the athletes on their marks and is responsible for a fair and equitable start. Only the starter decides false start warnings and disqualifications (TR 16.8 and 39.8.3).
• Recallers: one or more must be assigned. For the 200m, 300m hurdles, 400m, 400m hurdles and the 4 x 100m, 4 x 200m, medley, 4 x 400m and mixed relays there must be at least two. A recaller may recall or abort a start but can't act alone afterwards; they report what they saw to the starter.
• Start referee: decides disciplinary matters (such as delaying or disturbing the start) and can overrule the starter's decision on whether a start was fair.
• Start coordinator: allocates and supervises the start team, tells the starter when timing, judges and (for races up to 200m) the wind gauge are ready, and keeps the start records, including reaction-time printouts.

Under World Athletics Competition Rule 23 (and ASA Rule 21.3.6), the starter's assistants:

• check that athletes are in the correct heat or race and that their bibs are worn correctly;
• place each athlete in the correct lane or position, assembling them about 3m behind the start line (or behind each start line in echelon starts), then signal to the starter that all is ready;
• reassemble the athletes if a new start is ordered;
• make sure batons are ready for the first runners in relays;
• once the athletes are ordered to their marks, make sure the crouch and standing start rules are observed;
• after a false start, show the cards: a red and black card to the athlete disqualified, or in combined events a yellow and black card to the athlete responsible and to everyone else in the race for a first false start.