TEMPERATURE -4 F (-15 F Wind Chill) is the cut-off for competition
CLASSIC RACE RULES Skating in a Classic race is not allowed. The penalty for this infraction is disqualification. You can skate push off to change tracks and may move your feet when rounding corners downhill.
PACING Pacing by anyone during a race is not allowed. The penalty for this infraction is disqualification. This means other skiers can not ski next to you or parents or coaches can not run alongside.
FINISH OF A RACE The toe of the foot crossing the line is the finish of the race, there aren't torso finishes in Nordic Skiing. In chip timed races, when the chip has been activated on the mat the racer has finished. The chip is strapped to the ankle.
TRACKING When a skier is being overtaken during a Classic race on verbal command they must surrender the track. If you are going to need to pass, in a loud and clear voice yell "track". They are not required to stop, they are just required to give way to the oncoming skier. The penalty for non-compliance is disqualification. There is not tracking within 100-150 meters of the finish line.
RELAY EXCHANGE During a relay race there must be body-to-body contact to exchange, not touching equipment.
PURSUIT RACE Interval Race -- Starter countdown: 5-4-3-2-1
Second Race: Skier must self-start using the stadium clock. Athletes must know their start time.
LENGTH OF RACE A normal Nordic race is 5km. Special events, such as invitationals may use any length they desire. Make sure all competing teams know the distance of the race in advance. Temperature and course conditions may require the distance to be reduced.
SCORING PROCEDURE Use a base equal to or greater than the total number of skiers. Fastest skier receives highest point value. Each succeeding skier is scored on a point less. High score wins. Number of skiers scored depends on the conference/race organizer. In section meets it is the top 4.
TIMING Electronic and hand held to the tenth. DROP all other decimals.
RACE NUMBERS When race numbers are provided/requires must be worn and readable.
Interval Start
In this event, a competitor starts every 15 seconds. Skiers race against the clock and the winner is the skier with the lowest time.
Mass Start
The mass start event was introduced at the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. Skiers start simultaneously lined up in an arrow format with the best-ranked positioned at the arrow’s point, or in high school just in a line. The first athlete across the line wins.
Pursuit
The pursuit event combines a classical technique part followed by a skate technique part. The first race is timed as an interval start. In the second race, the fastest skier starts first. Every subsequent skier starts the amount of time they were behind the first skier. The first athlete across the line wins the pursuit race. This will be the format for conference and sections finals as well as for the state meet.
Duathalon The race begins with one technique, at the halfway point of the race, athletes change skis and poles as quickly as possible. They begin the next technique. The first athlete over the finish line wins.
Individual Sprint
The individual sprint begins with a qualification round where skiers start in 15-second intervals skiing one lap of a course. The top finishers from this round advance to the quarter finals. The quarter-final, semi-final and A-and B-final rounds have skiers in each heat with the top two skiers from each heat, plus the top two fastest from each round advancing to the next round. The A-final consists of the top qualifiers.
Relays
In the relay event, teams of four ski the first two legs of the relay using the classical style, and the last two legs using free technique. The winning team is the first across the finish line after the completion of the fourth leg.
This will be the format for ABC relays.
CLASSIC RACE RULES Skating in a Classic race is not allowed. The penalty for this infraction is disqualification. You can skate push off to change tracks and may move your feet when rounding corners downhill.
PACING Pacing by anyone during a race is not allowed. The penalty for this infraction is disqualification. This means other skiers can not ski next to you or parents or coaches can not run alongside.
FINISH OF A RACE The toe of the foot crossing the line is the finish of the race, there aren't torso finishes in Nordic Skiing. In chip timed races, when the chip has been activated on the mat the racer has finished. The chip is strapped to the ankle.
TRACKING When a skier is being overtaken during a Classic race on verbal command they must surrender the track. If you are going to need to pass, in a loud and clear voice yell "track". They are not required to stop, they are just required to give way to the oncoming skier. The penalty for non-compliance is disqualification. There is not tracking within 100-150 meters of the finish line.
RELAY EXCHANGE During a relay race there must be body-to-body contact to exchange, not touching equipment.
PURSUIT RACE Interval Race -- Starter countdown: 5-4-3-2-1
Second Race: Skier must self-start using the stadium clock. Athletes must know their start time.
LENGTH OF RACE A normal Nordic race is 5km. Special events, such as invitationals may use any length they desire. Make sure all competing teams know the distance of the race in advance. Temperature and course conditions may require the distance to be reduced.
SCORING PROCEDURE Use a base equal to or greater than the total number of skiers. Fastest skier receives highest point value. Each succeeding skier is scored on a point less. High score wins. Number of skiers scored depends on the conference/race organizer. In section meets it is the top 4.
TIMING Electronic and hand held to the tenth. DROP all other decimals.
RACE NUMBERS When race numbers are provided/requires must be worn and readable.
Interval Start
In this event, a competitor starts every 15 seconds. Skiers race against the clock and the winner is the skier with the lowest time.
Mass Start
The mass start event was introduced at the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. Skiers start simultaneously lined up in an arrow format with the best-ranked positioned at the arrow’s point, or in high school just in a line. The first athlete across the line wins.
Pursuit
The pursuit event combines a classical technique part followed by a skate technique part. The first race is timed as an interval start. In the second race, the fastest skier starts first. Every subsequent skier starts the amount of time they were behind the first skier. The first athlete across the line wins the pursuit race. This will be the format for conference and sections finals as well as for the state meet.
Duathalon The race begins with one technique, at the halfway point of the race, athletes change skis and poles as quickly as possible. They begin the next technique. The first athlete over the finish line wins.
Individual Sprint
The individual sprint begins with a qualification round where skiers start in 15-second intervals skiing one lap of a course. The top finishers from this round advance to the quarter finals. The quarter-final, semi-final and A-and B-final rounds have skiers in each heat with the top two skiers from each heat, plus the top two fastest from each round advancing to the next round. The A-final consists of the top qualifiers.
Relays
In the relay event, teams of four ski the first two legs of the relay using the classical style, and the last two legs using free technique. The winning team is the first across the finish line after the completion of the fourth leg.
This will be the format for ABC relays.