‘’European Athletics Team Championships Basic Rules & Specific Regulations for the First League’’
1. European Athletics Team Championships Basic Rules
The European Athletics Team Championships shall be staged over 2 (two) consecutive days and in accordance with the relevant Rules and Regulations of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
Events
The programme shall comprise the following 20 events for Men and 20 events for Women:
Running events: 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 3000m, 5000m, 110m/100m hurdles, 400m hurdles, 3000m steeplechase, 4x100m relay, 4x400m relay
Jump events: High Jump, Pole Vault, Long Jump, Triple Jump
Throw events: Shot put, Discus Throw, Hammer Throw, Javelin Throw
The European Athletics Team Championships comprises one single competition where men’s and women’s teams represent as a single team the respective European Athletics Member Federation.
All European Athletics Member Federations in good standing shall be entitled to enter teams in the European Athletics Team Championships.
Each team shall consist of one athlete in each event (Men and Women), except relays.
Each European Athletics Member Federation may include in its team only athletes eligible to represent that Member Federation in accordance with IAAF Rules.
2. Grouping 2015
In 2015 the participating teams will be divided into:
- A Super League comprising 12 teams in Cheboksary/RUS,
- A First League comprising 12 teams in Heraklion/GRE
- A Second League comprising 8* teams in Stara Zagora/BUL,
- A Third League comprising the remaining teams in Baku/AZE.
*as per decision of European Athletics Council, from 2017, the Second League will be composed of 12 teams.
The Super League, the First League, the Second League and the Third League shall each be regarded as a separate match and scored accordingly.
The winner of each individual event and each relay in each match shall score as many points as there are teams competing, the second will score one fewer, and so on.
Athletes or relay teams disqualified or not finishing shall not score. If two or more athletes tie for a place in any event, the attributable points shall be divided equally between them.
The team having the highest aggregate number of points shall be the winner of the match, and so on.
If two or more teams have the same aggregate number of points, the tie shall be decided in favour of the team having the greater number of event winners.
If the tie still remains it shall be decided in favour of the team having the greater number of second places, and so on.
Promotion and Relegation
Considering the Regulations change from 2017 in what regards the number of teams in the Second League, teams will be promoted or relegated as follows after the conclusion of 2015 European Athletics Team Championships:
- The lowest 3 (three) teams in the Super League shall be relegated to the First League.
- The 3 (three) first classified teams of the First League shall be promoted to the Super League. The lowest 2 (two) teams of the First League shall be relegated to the Second League.
- The 2 (two) first classified teams of the Second League shall be promoted to the First League.
- The 4 (four) first classified teams of the Third League shall be promoted to the Second League.
From 2017, the number of teams to be promoted and relegated in each league will be 3 (three).
First League Participants 2015
These teams have qualified for the First League of the European Athletics Team Championships 2015:
Belgium
Czech Republic (-)
Estonia
Greece
Ireland
Latvia (+)
Lithuania
Netherlands (-)
Portugal
Romania
Switzerland (+)
Turkey (-)
(-) have been relegated from the Super League 2014
(+) have been promoted from the Second League 2014
3. Specific Regulations for the First League
3.1 Track Events
3.1.1 In the Track Events – according to IAAF Competition Rules – no false start will be allowed. Any athlete committing a false start will be disqualified.
3.1.2 In case of a tie between athletes in the different heats for races up to 400m inclusively and relays the photo finish judge shall consider the actual times to the 1/1000th of a second. If the tie cannot be broken the attributable points shall be divided equally between them.
3.2 Field Events
3.2.1 Horizontal Jumps and Throwing Events
3.2.1.1 There will be a maximum of 4 (four) trials in each event. All participating athletes will have three qualification trials (1st, 2nd and 3rd trial); the best 4 (four) athletes after the 3 (three) qualification rounds will compete in the Final (4th round).
3.2.1.2 The 8 (eight) athletes with lower performance will be ranked by their best performance after the 3rd qualification trial; the remaining 4 athletes will be ranked by their best performance after the Final (4th round).
3.2.1.3 In the Horizontal Jumps and Throwing Events the order of trials in the first round will be kept until the 3rd trial. The order of the trials in the final round will be the reverse order of the ranking after the 3rd round.
3.2.1.4 IAAF Rule 180.19 will apply for ties.
3.2.2 Vertical Events
3.2.2.1 In the Vertical Jumps each competitor shall be entitled to a maximum of 4 (four) fouls only throughout the whole field event.
3.2.2.2 All the other relevant IAAF Rules for the Vertical Jumps will
apply.
3.2.2.3 IAAF Rule 181.8 will apply for placings.
3.2.2.4 The time permitted for each attempt in High Jump and Pole Vault shall be 1 (one) minute except when consecutive attempts are by the same athlete or if only the winner according to 2.5 is competing in which case IAAF Rule 180.16 shall apply.
3.2.2.5 The winner of the competition is allowed to continue according to IAAF Rule 181.2. The winner will be allowed to continue at the height he/she was not successful.
3.2.2.6 In case of a tie for first place IAAF Rules 181.8 c) will apply, hence no winner will be defined to continue the competition.
3.3 Starting Order and Distribution of Athletes per heat
3.3.1 The order of attempts in Field Events shall be decided by a draw conducted by European Athletics. Each participating team shall be allocated a letter which shall determine the order of attempts in the field events (according lane and starting order draw).
3.3.2 Races up to 400m inclusively and relays will be staged in two heats of 6 athletes each. The distribution of athletes per heat will be as follows:
3.3.2.1 For the races up to 400m inclusively the heats are being arranged by considering as much information as possible about the performances of all athletes and the heats draw so that, the best performers compete in the same heat. In principle the distribution will be based on the athletes’ season best performances. Results from the previous major events (Finalists of Olympic Games or World Athletics Championships or Medallists in European Athletics Championships) can be also considered by the Technical Delegate for the purpose of the distribution per heats. This will be applied in case an athlete has no season best.
- Heat 2: Lanes 2-3-4-5-6-7 will be allocated to top six athletes
- Heat 1: Lanes 2-3-4-5-6-8 will be allocated to the remaining athletes
3.3.2.2 For the 4X100m and 4X400m relays the teams’ distribution per heat will be according to the teams scoring standings one (1) hour before the scheduled time for each event:
- Heat 2: Lanes 3-4-5-6 will be allocated to the best scored teams (first six teams)
- Heat 1: Lanes 3-4-5-6 will be allocated to the remaining teams
