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A
Message from the Head Referee to all age-group competitors
www.usatriathlon.org
Most triathletes come to races with only a
rudimentary understanding of the rules of the sport. Indeed, few have
ever read through the
Competitive Rules in its entirety available
at usatriathlon.org. In order to minimize misunderstandings on race
day, I hope you will take the time to read the following summary of
Position Violations, which you probably know as the drafting rules.
I have reduced the Position Rules to the
following concepts, which everyone can remember:
Ride on the right side of
your lane.
Keep three
bike lengths between you and the cyclist in front of you.
Pass on the left of the cyclist in front,
never on the right.
Complete
your pass within 15 seconds.
If passed, you must drop completely out of
the zone, to the rear, before attempting to re-pass.
Remember, you are racing in a USA Triathlon
sanctioned event and there are trained referees on the course to ensure
fairness in the competition. There will be NO WARNINGS if you
commit a foul during competition. Triathlon is an individual event and
you must take personal responsibility to understand the rules and avoid
penalties. At the end of the race all citations by the marshals are
reviewed by the Head Referee who then decides if a penalty should be
assessed. The Head Referee’s ruling is final in the case of Position
Violations and there are no protests or appeals of Position penalties.
Marshals commonly cite the following violations:
Illegal Position or
Blocking – riding on the left side of the lane without
passing.
Illegal Pass
– passing on the right.
Overtaken
- failing to drop back three bike lengths after being
passed and before re-passing.
Drafting
– following a leading cyclist closer than three bike lengths and failing
to pass or exit the draft zone within 15 seconds.
Though Position Violations carry a time
penalty for each occurrence, if you are cited for three violations, you
will be disqualified.
Always have your chinstrap securely
fastened! The chinstrap rule is the easiest to follow, but some folks
always seem to forget – that’s a DQ! This applies to before and after the
race as well while at the race venue site (even warming up or going back
to your car after the race).
Remember to treat other athletes,
volunteers, and officials with courtesy and consideration. Failure to do
so is called Unsportsmanlike Conduct and you will be disqualified.
All that being said, I hope you have a great
race, lots of fun, and achieve all your goals.
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