Rules and Regulations

Rules and Regulations Dubai 2013

Coach Seminar, Dubai 2013 • The current Rules 36 describe a legal secured throwing technique • The rule applies to 12 classes - F31 to F34 and F51 to F58. A fundamental aspect of RULE 36 is that athletes are permitted to use their legs during the throwing action and finish in a standing position. There are a number of undesirable consequences resulting from this: • it is extremely difficult for officials to monitor lifting, and decisions are frequently controversial and almost impossible to resolve; • in classes F31 to 34, athletes who cannot use their legs or who have very limited leg function are greatly disadvantaged because they must compete against athletes who have leg function that is sufficient to walk (see class profiles); and • in the 50s, classification decisions regarding athletes who have some leg function and some arm function (e.g., athletes with polio or incomplete lesions) are highly contestable and difficult to justify; and competitive fields frequently include some athletes that can use their legs and others that can't, creating confusion among spectators and athletes alike.

Coach Seminar, Dubai 2013 • 1. Throwing Frame Specifications: • Each throwing frame must have a seat which is square or rectangular in shape and each side at least 30 cm in length. The front of the seat can be no more than 6 cm lower than the back of the seat (approximately 10° from the horizontal position). The manner in which the athlete is required to sit on the seat is described in Rule 36; • The maximum height of the seat surface, including any cushioning, shall not exceed 75 cm. This measure taken with the athlete out of the seat; • The seat may incorporate side and back rests for the purposes of safety and stability. They can either be made of non-elastic fabric (e.g., non-elastic canvas) or be a rigid construction that does not move (e.g., rigid steel or aluminium). The backrest may incorporate cushioning but should not incorporate springs or movable joints or any other feature that could assist with propulsion of the throwing implement; • The frame may have a rigid holding bar. The holding bar must be a single, straight piece of material without curves or bends, and with a cross-sectional profile that is circular or square, not oval or rectangular. It should not incorporate springs or movable joints or any other feature that could assist with propulsion of the throwing implement; • No part of the frame, including any holding bar shall be moveable during the throwing action; • Footplates, if used, are for support and stability only.

Coach Seminar, Dubai 2013 • RULE 36 • All athletes in current classes F31 to F34 and F51 to F58 throw from a true seated position • Athletes who throw using a throwing frame (described in RULE 35, Appendix 2) must do so from a "true seated" position. The intention of this rule is to minimize contribution of the legs to the athlete's performance. The "true seated" position is defined as follows: • a; The surface of the seat on which the athlete sits: square or rectangular in shape and each side at least 30cm in length; • b; the front of the seat can be no more than 6cm lower than the back of the seat (approximately 10 degrees from the horizontal position; • The athlete must sit so that both legs are in contact with the seat surface from the back of the knee to the back of the buttock (ischialtuberosity); • additionally, the knees and feet must remain wholly in front of the line running through the base of the spine of the athlete at 90° to the direction of the throw (also called the centre line of the landing sector, see RULE 30), as drawn in Figure 1. • This sitting position must be maintained throughout the throwing action until the throw has been marked. Strapping across the upper thighs and or pelvis is encouraged and will aid athlete performance by providing a firm base of support • Comment: the aim of these requirements is to pre vent the legs from making any meaningful contribution to the throw distance

Coach Seminar, Dubai 2013 Line running through the spine .of the athlete at 90° to the Centre Line White line, also at 90° to Centre Line Figure 1: The athleteshouldbeseatedsothatno part of the legs is behind the line running through the spine of the athlete at 90° to the Centre Line.

Coach Seminar, Dubai 2013 • RULE 36: Secured Throwing Technique, Lifting & Fouling • 1 Secured Throwing Technique for F31-34 & F51-58. • Athletes can use their leg or legs during the throwing action, providing they maintain a sitting position. • 1.1.1 Note: The intended "sitting position" is for at least one buttock to be in contact with the seat of the frame whereby the athlete would be able to balance if they were asked to lift their feet off the ground.

Coach Seminar, Dubai 2013 • 2. Athletes also have the option of finishing the throw or put in an upright position providing they: • A) Maintain a sitting position on their throwing frame until the first forward movement which results in the release of the implement (i.e., any preliminary swings or rocking movements must be done from a sitting position); • B) Maintain foot contact with the ground or foot plate inside the circle until after the implement has been released; • 1.1.2 Note (i): The intended "foot contact with the ground or footplate" is for at least the balt of the foot to be in contact with the ground or footplate inside the circle. The contact foot can turn as per an "able-bodied" active foot action, but it cannot lift or step until the throw has been released.

Coach Seminar, Dubai 2013 • 1.1.3 Note (ii): Some athletes cannot get in a position with the foot flat on the surface due to their physical impairment and in those cases it will not be deemed a breach of the rule. • C) The contact foot may be secured to the ground by strapping or a foot plate, but the thickness of the plate must be <lcm, so that it does not provide a height advantage to the athlete. Any footsecuring device must only be at ground level flat to the ground and must not increase the height of release of the implement (e.g., by throwing off raised footplates); • D) The non-contact foot is free to move within the throwing area as defined by the rules of the event (i.e., the athlete may step into the throw with the non-contact foot). • 1.1.4 Note (i): If an athlete presents with an anatomical limitation that prevents them adhering to the above requirements (e.g., a bilateral amputee), then an assessment will need to be made by the IPC Athletics Technical Delegate in consultation with the Chief Classifier, if a Chief Classifier is available, as to whether or not the athlete is throwing within the spirit of the rules. • 1.1.5 Note (ii): For Sport Classes F32-34, F51-58 from start to finish, the movement of the shot shall be a straight, continuous putting action

Coach Seminar, Dubai 2013 • Proposed RULE 35: Secured Throwing Requirements (Sport Classes F31-34, F51-58) • This rule change would be required if the proposed change to rule 36 is adopted. It specifies minimum seat dimensions. It will also serve to simplify and clarify throwing frame specifications for the backrest (1d) and the holding bar (le). • The changed rules would read as follows • 1. Throwing Frame Specifications: • G) Each throwing frame must have a seat which is square or rectangular in shape and each side at least 30 cm in length. The front of the seat can be no more than 6 cm lower than the back of the seat (approximately 10° from the horizontal position). The manner in which the athlete is required to sit on the seat is described in Rule 36; • H) The maximum height of the seat surface, including any cushioning, shall not exceed 75 cm. This measure taken with the athlete out of the seat; • I) The seat may incorporate side and back rests for the purposes of safety and stability. They can either be made of non-elastic fabric (e.g., non-elastic canvas) or be a rigid construction that does not move (e.g., rigid steel or aluminium). The backrest may incorporate cushioning but should not incorporate springs or movable joints or any other feature that could assist with propulsion of the throwing implement; • J) The frame may have a rigid holding bar. The holding bar must be a single, straight piece of material without curves or bends, and with a cross-sectional profile that is circular or square, not oval or rectangular. It should not incorporate springs or movable joints or any other feature that could assist with propulsion of the throwing implement; • K) No part of the frame, including any holding bar shall be moveable during the throwing action; • L) Footplates, if used, are for support and stability only.

Coach Seminar, Dubai 2013 Examples of legal and illegal sitting positions Figures 1 & 2 show legal throwing positions and figure 3 & 4 show illegal throwing positions. In each case the position is shown both a birds-eye and saggittal view. The red dotted line indicates the direction of the throw and the purple dotted line is a line through the spine running at 90° to the direction of the throw.

Coach Seminar, Dubai 2013 Figure 1 — Shows a legal seated throwing position. The red dotted line indicates the direction of throw, the purple line runs through the base of the spine at 90° to the direction of the throw. The photo shows that the knees and feet of the athlete (indicated by the red dots) are well in front of the purple line and the seat surface comes to the back of the knees

Coach Seminar, Dubai 2013 Figure 2 — Shows an illegal seated throwing position. The red dotted line indicates the direction of throw, the purple line runs through the base of the spine at 90° to the direction of the throw. The photo shows that the knees and feet are well in front of the purple line. However, the seat surface does not come to the back of the knee. If the seat came to the back of both knees, the position would be legal

Coach Seminar, Dubai 2013 Figure 3 — Shows an illegal throwing position because the knee and foot of the right leg are behind the purple line and the seat surface does not come to the back of the knee.

Coach Seminar, Dubai 2013 Figure 4. Shows an illegal throwing position because the knee and foot of the right leg are behind the purple line and the seat surface does not come to the back of the knee.

Coach Seminar, Dubai 2013 • The "throwing action" is considered to be: • from the time the athlete takes the implement into the starting position of the throw • throughout any preparatory movements or swings • throughout the actual propulsion phase of the movement; • throughout the delivery and release of the implement • Until the throw has been marked by an official. • Any move from the true seated position before the throw has been marked will constitute a foul. • Anatomical limitations: If an athlete presents with anatomical limitation that prevents adherence to the above requirements, then an assessment will need to be made by the Technical Delegate in consultation with the Chief Classifier at the event that the athlete is throwing within the spirit of the rules. For example, an athlete with a bilateral through hip amputation cannot "sit so that both legs are in contact with the seat surface from the back of the knee to the back of the buttock". Such cases willbemanaged as theyarise.

Rules and Regulations