The National Federation of State High School Associations met in June to discuss rule changes for high school athletics for the 2024-25 season.
Eight rule changes were made for high school track and field events, including a change to the distance at which races can be recalled due to a runner falling as a result of colliding with a competitor. Effective as of the 2025 season, races will be recalled in the first 50 meters, as opposed to the previous 100 meters.
Julie Cochran, NFHS director of sports and editor of the NFHS Track and Field Rules, said the committee determined that 50 meters is sufficient in calling a fair start.
“Athletes are accelerating and are up to racing speed well before the 100-meter mark,” Cochran said. “In addition, the current recall distance is problematic depending on the number of officials on the track and location of field events that may obstruct the view of the 100-meter distance around the entire curve.”
Other changes included a reorganization of rules 5-10 and 5-11 regarding relays and infractions. All infractions have been moved to rule 5-11, in an effort to make the rules easier for officials to use and enforce. No new infractions have been added. The committee also provided a clarification to a change in field events that was implemented last year.
Last year, rule 6-2-2 permitted one minute for the first trial of a competitor first entering both the high jump and pole vaulting competitions. This year, the committee approved the following two notes for clarification: 6-2-2 NOTE 1 states that “at any given bar height, the time for all competitors remains the same until the next bar height is established,” and 6-2-2 NOTE 2 states that “regardless of the number of competitors remaining, the first attempt of a competitor entering the competition – at any height – is one minute.”
Several other clarifications and amendments to field events were made and approved by the committee. A complete listing of the track and field rules changes will be available on the NFHS website at nfhs.org. Click on “Activities & Sports” at the top of the home page and select “Track and Field.”
According to the 2022-23 NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, track and field is the second-most popular sport for boys with 604,983 participants in 17,038 schools, and the No. 1 sport for girls with 486,355 participants in 16,997 schools.
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