How to Become a Race Walking Official - Operating the Penalty Zone
Watch the Entire Lesson as a Single Video
The Race Walking Penalty Zone is a relatively new addition to race walking competitions with a goal of decreasing the number of disqualifications. The penalty zone should be located next to the course and is delineated by cones. In our example, we created a 10-meter by 3-meter rectangle. Your size may vary based on availability. There is a marked entrance and exit.
Multiple people are required to operate a penalty zone. We will narrate it’s operation from the perspective of the Penalty Zone Coordinator whose role is to run the Penalty Zone operation and to keep records of actions taken by you and your assistant. There is also a Penalty Zone Assistant to help. The Penalty Zone Coordinator’s Assistant waits for those who receive timed penalties near the entrance.
The Penalty Zone Coordinator maintains records of the entry and exit of walkers in the Penalty Zone by completing a Penalty Zone Time sheet shown here.
Before the race begins, we should complete the information on the top. We fill in the date, competition start time, the Competition Name, the distance, whether the race is Male / Female or both, the age group, and the penalty time.
We will show how the penalty zone operates with a simulated race.
This example event is a women’s 20km walk, the race began at 8:01 am and the penalty time is 2 minutes.
We pick up our explanation well into the 20km race walk. The time of day is now 8:49am.
Walkers 3 & 6 come by walking within the definition of race walking. They are followed closely by #4 who is also walking appropriately.
Later, at 8:51, we have walkers #1 & 2 pass by walking legally.
Walkers #1 & 2 are two minutes behind the lead pack. They are also walking legally.
As you can see, walker # 4 has received three red cards from three different judges for loss of contact. Rather than being disqualified, #4 will serve a time penalty in a Penalty Zone, in this case, set up next to the DQ Board. The Recorder alerts the Penalty Zone Coordinator to look for walker #4 and tells the Penalty Zone Coordinator’s Assistant to stop #4 when she passes by again and to put her in the Penalty Zone.
Walker # 4 is directed into the Penalty Zone by the Penalty Zone Coordinator’s Assistant for 2 minutes.
Since this is a 20k race, Walker #4’s time penalty is 2 minutes. For races 5k or less, the penalty is 30 seconds; for a 10k it is 1 minute. For longer races, the penalty is 30 seconds for each 5k. The Penalty starts when the walker enters the Penalty Zone
When in the Penalty Zone, walkers may walk normally, jog, race walk, stand still and stretch with bent legs. They are not judged in the Penalty Zone. They may talk with their coach. They may not take refreshments nor use toilet facilities. Taking refreshments and using toilets is done on the athlete’s time as they are racing.
The walker is given a count down:
10-9-8-3-3-2-1 Exit!
Walker #4 is allowed to leave the Penalty Zone and is now two minutes behind the leaders. If she receives a 4th Red Card from another judge, she will be disqualified.
The Penalty Zone Coordinator completes the first row on the Penalty Zone Sheet by writing Bib #4 and the walker’s name. As well as hip #4, the countdown watch ID #(which in this case is A), the time of day she entered (8:58) and the time of day she exited the Penalty Zone (9:00).
Walker #2, had two red cards on the DQ Board (one for contact and one for bent knees). Two more red cards from different judges have come in. (Both for bent knees). The Chief Judge’s Assistant will look for Walker #2 to show her the Red Paddle.
Since the last two cards came in before #2 could spend time in the Penalty Zone, she does not go to the penalty zone and is disqualified for receiving 4 red cards. This action will not be noted on the Penalty Zone Time Sheet.
A third Red Card gets posted on the DQ Board on walker #3. The Chief Judge’s Assistant alerts you to place #3 in the Penalty Zone for 2 minutes. However, it is the last lap of the race and Walker #3, who has taken the lead, has already passed by heading towards finish.
Since Walker #3 will not be able to serve the Time Penalty, 2 minutes (for a 20k) will be added to her finishing time. Fill out the Post Finish Penalties section of the Penalty Zone Time Sheet, noting a two minute penalty will be added. It is advisable to alert the finish line of the penalty in a timely fashion, perhaps by alerting the Referee on Chief Race Walk Judge, who inform the Chief Finish Judge on #3’s time penalty. Finally, make sure you sign the time sheet.