INDIANAPOLIS
- USA Track & Field has amended Rule 144.3, which pertains to the
use of headphones and other electronic devices, to enable race
directors to choose to allow the use of headphones by runners in
non-championship races.
Approved at USATF's 2008
Annual Meeting held earlier this month in Reno, the rule now reads:"The
following shall be considered assistance and therefore not allowed:
"(f)
The visible possession or use by athletes of video, audio, or
communications devices in the competition area. The Games Committee for
an LDR event may allow the use of portable listening devices not
capable of receiving communication; however, those competing in
Championships for awards, medals, or prize money may not use such
devices."
The rule previously had banned the use
of headphones by all runners. While headphones remain banned for any
athlete competing in a USA Championship, they may be allowed by race
directors in other circumstances, at the discretion of each race
director.
Enforcement of the previous ban was in
the hands of race directors, with some enforcing the ban, some simply
urging runners not to use headphones and others not enforcing it.
Rooted in a concern for athlete and volunteer safety, the rule had
drawn passionate feedback from all sides, including from runners who
hated the rule and runners who loved it; from volunteers who had seen
the logistical difficulties of having participants wearing headphones;
and from race directors who supported it and others who had had
encountered logistical difficulties enforcing it.
"The
difficulty in enforcement was part of the reasoning," USATF Rules
Committee chair John Blackburn said. "However, several good-sized races
have demonstrated that they were able to enforce the rule. There were
strong opinions on all sides of this discussion, both understanding the
issues related to athlete safety, race organization, difficulty of
enforcement. This resolution appeared to be the best position for USATF
overall."
About USA Track & Field
USA
Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track and
field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States.
USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, some of the
most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the #1 high school and
junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult
runners in the United States. For more information on USATF, visit www.usatf.org
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