USATF Minnesota Team and Cross Country Circuit Rules

I. Team Participation

  1. Competition is held in six divisions: men's open, women's open, men's masters, women's masters, men's grand masters and women's grand masters. In order to compete on either Circuit, teams must be currently registered with USATF Minnesota, and all scoring team members must be individual members of USATF Minnesota. To get a USATF number quickly, register online at www.usatf.org.
  2. In the men's and women's open divisions scoring teams consist of five team members for races up to 15 kilometers, and three team members for races over 15 kilometers. In the men's and women's masters and grand masters divisions, with the exception of the Ft. Snelling (5 X 5) Relays, scoring teams consist of three team members for all races. For the Cross Country Circuit in 2007 men's masters teams will score five team members.
  3. Team members scoring for the open teams may be of any age. Team members scoring for the masters division must be at least 40 years of age. Team members scoring for the grand masters division must be at least 50 years of age. Team members may score for more than one division. Thus, a masters athlete who is 50 years of age may score for an open, a masters and a grand masters team.

II. Team Rosters

  1. Each team must submit their intent to participate in the Team or Cross Country Circuit, along with a team contact with email address, to the Team or Cross Country Scorekeeper at least seven (7) days prior to the first event in which the team will compete. Teams may submit more then one team concact. 
  2. Each team's roster will consist of currently registered USATF Minnesota members on the day of the event whose club affiliation in the national USATF database is the team. Currently registered USATF Minnesota members whose club affiliation is "unattached" will be ineligable to score in an event for any team. Only the athlete can submit or change their club affiliation.
  3. Team rosters may be requested by the team contact by emailing office@usatfmn.org.

III. Scoring and Awards

  1. For road and track races, team scores will be determined by adding the scoring team member's times. For the cross country races, team scores will be determined by adding the scoring team members' places. For the Ft. Snelling (5 X 5) Relays, team scoring will be determined by the teams' finishing times.
  2. Points will be awarded on the basis of team participation during the previous season's team circuit. The first-place team will receive two more points than there were scoring teams in the previous season. For example, since twelve (12) men's open teams scored during 2007, the first place men's team will receive 14 points for a first-place finish in 2008. The scoring will decrease in increments of one point for each additional scoring team. If there are more teams scoring than points allowed (i.e. there are 14 points awarded for men's open and 16 men's open teams score) each team will be awarded at least one point. The number of points available in each of the six (6) scoring positions is a fixed value, determined by the number of scoring teams from the previous season. The following is the number of teams that scored points in each division during the 2007 season and the number of points the first-place finishing team will receive at each team circuit race during the 2008 season:
    Women 2007    2008
    Open

    10

    12

    Masters

     6

     8
    Grand Masters

     2

     4
    Men    
    Open

    12

     14
    Masters

    10

     12
    Grand Masters

     6

     8
  3. Year-end awards for the top teams will be based on total points accumulated during the season.

IV. Results

  1. Results will be posted on the USATF Minnesota web site (www.usatfmn.org) as soon as possible after the race, and a notification that the results have been posted will be sent by e-mail to each team's designated contact person. Each team must provide a current email address to the scorekeeper for purposes of this notification.
  2. Teams will have until 5:00 PM on the third day after results have been posted to make any challenges or corrections to the results. Thus, for example, if results are posted on the Monday following the race, any challenges or corrections must be made by 5:00 PM the following Thursday.
  3. Results will be posted as final upon the expiration of the challenge/correction period or following the resolution of any challenges/inclusion of any corrections, as the case may be.

V. Changes in Club Representation

  1. An athlete wishing to transfer from one club to another must comply with USATF Regulation 7 in all respects.
  2. Under USATF Regulation 7, an athlete wishing to transfer from one club to another "must serve ninety (90) days in 'unattached status' from the date of the last competition in which the athlete represented" his or her previous club, subject to certain limited exceptions.
  3. USATF Minnesota has determined that an athlete "represents" his or her club in competition if the event is a USATF team championship or otherwise scores USATF teams, and
    • The athlete writes his or her club name in the designated spot on the entry form, or
    • The athlete wears a uniform identifying him or her with the club, or
    • The athlete scores for the club
    • Under Regulation 7, USATF Minnesota may waive the ninety-day requirement "if it determines that the change in organization was caused by events outside the control of the athlete involved and is in the best interests of athletics and the athlete."
    • Requests for a transfer, or for a waiver of the ninety-day rule, must be made by the runner involved, in writing (including email) and must be delivered to the Team Circuit Scorekeeper at least one week prior to the first race in which the runner wishes to represent his or her new club.

    VI. Contact Information

    1. Team's intent to participate, transfer requests, and all other submissions should be sent to the USATF Minnesota Team and Cross Country Circuit Scorekeeper at teamcircuit@usatfmn.org.
    2. Individual membership applications should be sent to USATF Minnesota at 960 Douglas Road, Mendota Heights, MN  55118. If you need a USATF number quickly, register online at www.usatf.org. Questions should be directed to Craig Yotter, USATF Minnesota Managing Director, at office@usatfmn.org or 651-330-8847.