​73.1 High school indoor track shall be played under the rules of the National Federation of State High School Associations, as        modified by the MIAA.
  

     ​73.1.1 Any alteration of these rules must be sent in writing in advance of the event by the league or meet director to the schools       involved.

     ​73.1.2 The number and type of events will be determined by the by-laws of league or directors of multi-school events.

     ​73.1.3  No competitor or team will be allowed to compete without wearing a proper uniform that has the school's name and/or         insignia and/or colors.

     ​73.1.4 In relay races, each team member shall wear the same color and design school uniform (jersey and shorts). When       other visible apparel is worn under the school uniform, it shall be of the same color for all teammates choosing to wear them in       conformity with National Federation code.

     ​73.1.5 Recommended number of certified officials is a minimum of 2.

​73.2 Participation Limitations:

     ​73.2.1 A competitor shall not compete in more than four events, including relays.

     ​73.2.2 A student may compete in a meet on two consecutive days only once during a week. No student may compete in a meet         on three consecutive days.

     ​73.2.3 Scoring of a triangular track meet will not count as two competitions for the participation limit for the season.

     ​73.3 Medical personal authorized by the Games Committee or Referee to do so may perform a hands-on medical examination         during the progress of an event for any athlete who appears in distress. If in their opinion it is in the best interest of the athlete's       health and welfare, they may remove the athlete from the competition.

RULE 75. Outdoor Track

​75.1 High school outdoor track shall be played under the rules of the National Federation of State High School Associations, as modified by the MIAA.

     ​75.1.1 Any alteration of these rules must be sent in writing in advance by the league or meet director to the schools involved.

​     75.1.2 The number and type of events will be determined by the by-laws of leagues or directors of multiple school meets.

   

     ​​75.1.3 No competitor or team will be allowed to compete without wearing a proper uniform that has the school's name and/or            insignia and/or colors.

​ 

​​     75.1.4 Track and Field events shall be timed/measured in either metric or English distances.

​      ​75.1.5 In relay races, each team member shall wear the same color and design school uniform. When other visible apparel is              worn under the school uniform, it shall be of the same color for all teammates choosing to wear them in conformity with the            National Federation code.

     ​75.1.6 Schools entering a contestant in the pole vault are required to have a minimum of one member of the school appointed           coaching staff certified in the teaching procedures, rules, and the safety and legal requirements associated with coaching the             pole vault event.

      ​75.1.7 For dual meets a copy of the pole vaulter’s weight certification form must be presented to the official responsible for              that event on the day of the contest. For state qualifying and all state meets, the form is part of electronic entry and copy of              form is included in the Outdoor Format. The original weight certification form, signed by the principal, athletic director, and            coach must be kept on file in the school office and be available on request.

      ​75.1.8 Recommended number of certified officials is a minimum of 2.

​75.2 Participation Limitations:

     ​ 75.2.1 A student may compete in a meet on two consecutive days only once during a week. No student may compete in a meet        on three consecutive days.

     ​75.2.2 A competitor shall not compete in more than four events, including relays.

      ​75.2.3 Scoring of a triangular track meet will not count as two competitions for the participation limit for the season.

​75.3 Medical personal authorized by the Games Committee or Referee to do so may perform a hands-on medical examination during the progress of an event for any athlete who appears in distress. If in their opinion it is in the best interest of the athlete's health and welfare, they may remove the athlete from the competition. 

   

​​     2.  Every attempt should be made to notify visiting teams by 1:00PM

​

INDOOR TRACK & FIELD

A. Conference Make-Up- The PVIAC Indoor Track will be comprised of two (2) divisions, Pioneer and Valley, each divided into two (2) leagues, North and South.

​B. Alignments and Schedules- 

     ​1. Divisions and leagues will be aligned by a combination of enrollment and competitive balance. In general, the Pioneer                 Division will be composed of larger schools and the Valley Division will be composed of smaller schools.

     ​2. The season will consist of a minimum of six (6) regular season divisional meets and a postseason combined divisions                   championship meet.

     ​3. Multiple meets may be scheduled on the same date, with all meets to feature dual meet scoring in all individual events (5-3-1)  and relays (5-0).

​ C. Postponement Procedure- 

     ​1. Postponement of an entire competition date will be the responsibility of the chair school. An attempt to notify all teams will          be made by 1:00 PM if possible.

     ​ 2. Teams that cannot attend a meet due to a school’s mandatory cancellation of events will make up those missed meets at the          next scheduled competition date. If there are no opportunities to reschedule, the last time those teams were together will be              scored retroactively.

​      3. Teams scheduled to compete against a school that has cancelled will be allowed to compete for time and/or distance but will        not score.

      ​4. Any cancellation of an entire competition date after the scheduled inclement weather makeup dates will not be made up.

​ D. Starting time Adjustment- 

     ​1. Starting times of the meets may vary, depending on the day/site/special conditions and cannot be changed by participating             schools.

     ​2. The start of a session will not be delayed unduly because of the absence of a team. Special consideration to adjusting the               starting time will be given after considering weather conditions, traffic accidents, or other unforeseen circumstances.

​E. Location of Competitions- Meets will be held at an available accommodating facility with Terms and Conditions of Use to be negotiated with the PVIAC.

​F. Length of Competitions- All competitions will be limited to the time frame that is part of the Terms and Conditions negotiated with the host facility (see E). In general, all competitions should be limited to two and one-half (2.5) to three (3) hours in duration.

​G. Rules of the Game Modifications: All competitions will be conducted according to the current rules of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHSA), as modified by the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) and the Pioneer Valley Interscholastic Athletic Association (PVIAC).

​H. Equipment- 

    ​1. All necessary venue equipment (pits, sectors, circles, starting blocks, rakes, brooms) will be provided as a part of the                    negotiated Terms and Conditions of Use (see E).

    ​2. Limitations on the use of spiked shoes, (including style and length) will be a part of the negotiated Terms and conditions of Use (see E). Use of illegal equipment will result i in disqualification of the offender.

​I. Uniform and Numbers:

     ​1. All team uniforms must conform to NFHSA specifications.

    ​ 2. Each team will receive one (1) set of competition (bib) numbers assigned to its roster for the entire season. Dark, equal sized       copies of these competition numbers should be made as no athlete will be allowed to compete without his/her assigned number.       No hand-written numbers will be allowed. Use of the wrong competition number by an athlete will result in disqualification.   

​J. Order of Events and Participation Limits- 

      ​1. Teams will be allowed a maximum of four participants per event during the regular season

      ​2. The League Director will be responsible for determining opening heights in the high jumps, minimum measurable attempts          in the long jump and shot put, and cut-off times in distance races in order to keep the competitions within the prescribed time            limits.

​      3. The order of events in both the regular season and the post-season will follow NFHSA and MIAA guidelines.

     ​4. The 4X400m relay and the 4X200m relay will alternate weekly. The 4X800m relay will not be run in the regular season, but          will be contested at the post-season championship meet.

     5. In all running events girls’ races will be run first except the high hurdles in the late session, in which the boys’ race will be           run first.

     ​6. In all field events the sequence of boys’ and girls’ competitions will alternate weekly.

     ​7. When running events and field events conflict, running events will take priority. Any athlete excused from a field event to             compete in a running event must return and complete all attempts before their flight is finished or lose their remaining attempts.

​K. Determination of Champions- 

     ​1. League champions will be determined on the basis of won/loss record.

    ​ 2. Conference champions will be determined by the results of the post season championship meet, which will feature 10-8-6-5-       4-3-2-1 scoring for all events.

​L. Selection of All-Star- Following PVIAC policy, coaches will determine All-Stars at the post-season meeting.

​M. Protest Procedure- All protests must be presented to the League Director within the rules set forth by the NFHSA rules book, Section 5. Situations that are eligible to protest/appeal include, but are not limited to:

          ​a. misapplication of the rules which must be filed within thirty (30) minutes after the posting of event results.

          ​b. correction of clerical or team scoring errors which may be corrected up to forty-eight (48) hours after the completion of                the meet.

          ​c. correction of meet results involving an ineligible participant which may be made at any time when discovered

         ​d. failure to follow a procedure contained in the terms and conditions of competition announced in advance by the league                 director.

​Situations that are not subject to protest/appeal include:

           ​a. any judgment decision pertaining to violations or alleged violations of the rules.

           ​b. a decision made by the finish judges or timers that does not involve misapplication of a rule or the terms and condition​ of             competition.

           ​c. whether a start is fair and legal.

​N. Provision and Responsibility for Meetings- Refer to PVIAC Policy and Calendar.

​O. Special Rules-

     ​1. The following meet officials are recommended:

          ​a. League director with a working knowledge of HY-TEK meet manager software

          ​b. Assigner of Officials

         ​ c. Starter (certified official)

         ​d. Two (2) Clerks (certified officials)

        ​ e. Nine (9) Field judges (certified officials) – to be assigned by the LeagueDirector as needed.

         ​f. Hy-Tek operator (with a working knowledge HY-TEK Meet Manager software)

        ​ g. Scorekeeper (one (1) per session)

     ​2. Roster Submission- ​Rosters must be submitted through an “electronic entry portal” approved by the PVIAC and League                Director. Initial rosters must be submitted by a date determined by the League Director. No athlete submitted after the initial            deadline will be eligible for the first meet. A second deadline will be determined by the League Director for “roster updates”.          No roster additions will be allowed after the roster update deadline.

     ​3. Meet entries: All event entries for each meet must be submitted through the approved electronic entry portal by a deadline           determined by the League Director. All event entries should include an actual (if possible) or reasonably estimated seed                   performance. Entries submitted with no seed performance will be placed in the lowest heat/flight. Entries received after the               entry deadline will result in a fine of $100 being assessed to the offending school. Coaches should receive a confirmation of             their entry for the established electronic entry portal, along with the date and time at which their entry was submitted. If coaches       have difficulty with the entry process, they must contact the League Director prior to the entry deadline. Entering athletes                 correctly and on time is the responsibility of each coach; the League Director is not responsible for tracking down missing               entries or for contacting coaches if entries are not received on time. Coaches are advised to bring a copy of their entry                       confirmation to the meet, in order to address any discrepancies that may arise. Scratches and substitutions for that scratch will         be allowed prior to the start of the meet, but no additional entries will be accepted on the day of the meet.    

​     4. Each athlete competing in the mile and two mile events must have a “lap counter” from their team. The “lap counter” will            keep written track of the laps completed by their assigned athlete and notify the finish line official when he/she has started the          final lap. All lap counters will stand in a designated “coaches box” near the finish line. At the completion of the race the lap              counters will leave the area promptly. If no lap counter is provided and an athlete is omitted from the final results no appeal              will be allowed.

     ​5. A limit of two (2) coaches per gender will be allowed only in the designated “coaches boxes” to be located near the finish             line, between the high jump pits, and near the shot put circle. No athletes or student managers (other than those assigned to               work as lap counters) will be allowed in the coach’s box.

     ​6. It is the coach’s responsibility to keep all non-competing athletes off of the infield at all times. Non-competing athletes                 (including team managers) on the infield will risk disqualification from the meet or the disqualification of athletes from their           team in the event being contested.

     ​7. It will be the responsibility of the League Director to arrange for Fully Automatic Timing (FAT) services for each regular season meet and the post-season championship meet. The cost of such services must approved by the PVIAC.

​     8. All coaches will be responsible for the conduct of their athletes while in the facility, including removing trash from their team areas at the conclusion of the meet and overall respect for the facility.

     ​9. Post-season championship Meet-

         ​ a. Qualifying standards and entry deadlines will be determined by the League Director and published at the pre-season                      meeting. Qualifying standards may be relaxed if, in the League Director’s opinion, there are not enough qualifiers for the                  championship meet.

         ​b. In any event where the MIAA Class Meet standard is lower than the PVIAC standard, that lower standard will suffice for             entry into the PVIAC championship meet.

         ​c. Entries for the post-season championship meet must be submitted through the approved electronic entry portal by the                   deadline established by the League Director. No hard copy, phone, or faxed entries will be accepted.

         ​d. All individual entries for the post-season championship meet must include a legitimate, verifiable seed performance. If                 there is a question about a seed performance the League Director will have the right to demand written verification (Proof of           Performance) of that time/distance. Relay entries must include a reasonable estimate of the time expected of the team that                 will be entered in the meet.

          ​e. Entry limits will be the same as those for the MIAA post-season meets.

          ​f. The order of events for the post-season championship meet will follow that of the MIAA post-season meets to whatever                extent is possible.

          ​g. All events run without trials will be seeded by time and run from slow to fast.

          ​h. Scoring for all events in the post-season championship meet will be 10-8-6-5- 4-3-2-1.

     ​10. Due to multiple safety concerns, the PVIAC strongly and actively discourages coaches from allowing athletes to warm up outside of the track facility

      ​11. Starting blocks may not be used during the regular season in the 300 or 4x400 relay events, but will be allowed in those events in the championship meet

​P. Reporting Scores and Results- All individual and team results will be published by the League Director in a timely fashion 

​​Q. Maintaining Event Records and League Standings- The League Director will be responsible for maintaining an up-to-date event record book and an accurate listing of league standings based on won/loss record. 

OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD 

​A) Schedule-

     1. ​ Refer to P.V.I.A.C. Directory

     ​2. Schedule makers determined by P.V.I.A.C.

     ​3. Steele Relays sanctioned by P.V.I.A.C.

​B) Procedure for Sub-Varsity Schedule- During vacation week a development meet is scheduled, not a league meet.

​C) Postponement Procedue-

​     1. Responsibility of the home team.

     ​2. Every attempt should be made to notify visiting teams by 1:00 pm

     ​3. Make-up meets must be made up at next available date with failure to find a compatible date.

     ​4. A meet suspended due to an emergency, such as hazardous weather conditions or power failure shall be continued from the           point of interruption. All trials and marks, made up to the point of interruption, shall stand. A proper warm up must be given             when the meet re starts.

​D) Starting Time Adjustment- All meets should begin at 4:00pm unless otherwise agreed upon by the participating teams

​E) Location of Meets- 

     ​1. Refer to PVIAC directory, highschoolsports.net or TrackCentral Fan Page

​     2. Schools that do not have access to a track are required to make arrangements for opposing teams to host them, or to secure a        neutral site.

​F) Length of Meets- To include all events, meets will run approximately between two to three (3) hours.

​ G) Rule Modifications-

​      1. League will follow National High School Federation Rules.

​      2. All M.I.A.A. and P.V.I.A.C. track rules will apply. Athletes may participate in any 4 events including relays.

​H) Equipment-  Must comply with National Federation guidelines.

​ I) Uniform- All schools must follow NFHS uniform rules

​J) Order of Events- To follow National Federation rulebook format unless otherwise agreed upon by all participating teams. 

​K) Procedure for Determination of League Champions-​ PVIAC league champions determined by won/loss record within league excluding cross-overs.

​ L) Procedure for Selection of All-Star Teams- At the post-season meeting, coaches will follow P.V.I.A.C. policy in determining all-stars.

​M) Protest Procedure- As outlined in the NFHS rulebook and the M.I.A.A. blue book.

​N) Provision and Responsibility for Meetings Refer to the PVIAC Policy and Calendar (www.PVIAC.net)

​ O) Special Rules-

​     1. Participation limits for PVIAC regular season meets will be in accordance with MIAA and NFHS rules.

     ​2. Starting heights will be as follows unless another starting height is agreed upon by all coaches prior to the meet.

            ​a. Boy’s Pole Vault 7’-0”

            ​b. Girl’s Pole Vault 6’-0”

            ​c. Boy’s High Jump 4’-10”

           ​ d. Girl’s High Jump 3’-10”

     ​3. A Certified starter/referee is required for all PVIAC meets.

    ​ 4. Certified starters will receive a $5 per meet subsidy for starting blanks unless supplied by the hiring school; $10 for tri and            quad meets

     ​5. An additional 3 (4 total) certified officials are recommended for dual meets, 5 (6 total) for double duals.

     ​6. Finish line-

             ​ a. For races 800 meters or longer, officials will work together too determine order of finish and scoring places.

              ​b. Times are to be reported to the score keeper and matched up with their respective places.

              ​c. For races 400 meters or less officials will time by place. It is preferred to have one official pick places and one official                  time. If necessary, coaches and officials may work together to time by place. Under no circumstances should times be                        obtained by lane.

​      7. A member school that is certified to compete in the pole vault (coaches, athletes and equipment certified), when competing          at a member school that does not conduct the pole vault event, will conduct the event at their own site at the practice day prior          to the scheduled meet competition. The event must be officiated by a certified official or coach and athletes must clear the                minimum heights designated in the PVIAC by-laws (6’ 0” for girls and 7’ 0’ for boys). Performances by the athletes at such            competition will be scored; will count towards the results and the performance will count towards an athlete’s qualifying for            tournament competition.

      ​Additional Information-

      ​​1. AD’s need to email the track chairperson whether they have or don’t have pole vault.

      ​2. If the opposing school requests the event information (date and time) it must be provided to them. It is important the                      opposing school have the opportunity to be present for the event if they so choose.

​P) Procedure for Reporting Scores and Results-

     ​ 1. The home team is required to report results to MassLive.

      ​2. Each coach is highly recommended to enter their results on TrackCentral.net

​Q) Responsibility for Maintaining League Records-​ The chair school in conjunction with MassLive will be responsible for compiling and maintaining all league records.

​R) Meet Management

     ​1. Meet Set-Up (to be provided by home team.)

          a. Javelin, Discus and Shot Put sectors properly marked as per NFHS rules.

          ​b. Javelin area securely fenced off with ropes or flags as required by NFHS rule.

          ​c. Long/Triple Jump pits filled and leveled to height even with take-off board.

        ​ d. Pole Vault landing pads must meet NFHS standards including the covering all hard surfaces including the area around the             vault box as required by NFHS rule7-5 articles 9 and14

         ​e. High jump landing pads must meet NFHS standards.

     ​2. Post Meet-

          a. Coaches from each team will verify or record their runners times for each event on the official score sheet. Times will be              recorded (rounded up-hand time) to the nearest tenth (ie. 12.34 becomes 12.4)

          ​b. Officials will verify and sign the official score sheet.

          ​c. The home team is responsible for calling massLive with results. Each coach is highly recommended to record their team’s            results on trackcentral.net.