ARTICLE 17

CROSS COUNTRY

A. Division Placement of Schools

Each Section will determine the divisional placement for its schools who qualify for the state basketball championships and is required to submit the placement of schools into the five divisions to the State CIF Office no later than December 1.
CIF-member schools will be required to participate in the division that has been established by their respective Section. Sections may use their own established criteria to determine placement of teams in the five divisions based on the following guidelines:

                Division I                As determined by Section

                Division II               As determined by Section

                Division III             As determined by Section

                Division IV             As determined by Section, but enrollment may not exceed 1,250

                Division V               As determined by Section, but enrollment may not exceed 500

                (Revised May 2008 Federated Council)

1701 AUTOMATIC TEAM ENTRIES

Team entries into the State championship meet would be based on a formula that includes the following factors:

1.  An established baseline providing a minimum number of entries for each Section.

2.  Additional entries base upon the most recent four(4) year history of the Section team performance in each divisional race.

3.  No Section shall have more than seven(7) team entries in any divisional race.

(Revised May 2002 Federated Council)

1702  INDIVIDUAL ENTRIES TO THE STATE MEET

A maximum of five (5) individuals (not on an automatic team entry), per the criteria in each division will qualify from Section to State meet finals as follows

Cross Country Governing Rules

Revised 6/09

1.  General Rules

    1.1  Classification of Teams

        1.1.1  There are four (4) classifications for cross country:  varsity, junior varsity, Frosh/Soph., and freshman.

        1.1.2  All classifications may compete in practice, league, and invitational meets.   Only the varsity teams, (girls and boys) will compete in the Central Section Divisional Championship meet.

        1.1.3  Runners may move up and down in classification, but can not compete on more than one team on any given day.

        1.2  Boys and Girls Teams (This applies to all meets)

        1.2.1  Varsity entries- The best seven juniors and seniors must be entered based on their times in their last meet.  A freshman or sophomore may be entered in varsity competition provided his time is better than the 7th junior or senior based on the time from the last meet.

        1.2.2  Frosh/Sophomore Entries- Anyone who does not qualify to run for the varsity team may run in this race.

        1.2.3  Junior Varsity Entries- Anyone who does not qualify to run for the varsity team may run the junior varsity race.

        1.2.4  Freshman Entries- Any freshman may run in a freshman race.

        1.3  All participants must wear shoes (without spikes) throughout the race, as stated in the National Federation Rule Book  Rule 9 Section 5 Article 3.

        1.4  The course distances shall be three (3) three miles, or five (5) kilometers for varsity boys, and two (2) or three (3) miles or five (5) kilometers for all other teams.  The Section meet and the Grand Masters meet shall be three (3) miles or five (5) kilometers in distance.

        1.5  Scoring- The finish places of the first five (5) runners from each team (girls and boys) will be added to determine team scores.  Two runners from each team will displace.  The lowest total score is the winner

        1.5.1  Exception- At the Executive Board Meeting on September 26, 1979, it was approved that leagues (only) may score three and displace with two in girls' cross country only if it is determined that this will improve the league programs.

        1.6  Ties in team scoring shall be resolved as per the National Federation Rule Book, Rule 9, Section 2, Article 4.  This will pertain to both team placement, and advancement qualifications for all meets in the Central Section.

        1.7  Referee and Jury of Appeals

        1.7.1  The Central Section Advisory Chairperson will act as the referee for the championship meet if he/she is present at the meet.

        1.7.2  A Jury of Appeals for the championship will act as the referee for the championship meet will be appointed by the Section Advisory Chairperson, one from each area.

    1.8  Runners shall be allowed to have water in all meets (health and safety).

2. SEASON OF SPORT

    2.1  The season of the sport of Cross Country is defined as that period which starts with the first interschool competition, and ends with the last regularly scheduled league meet except for those participating in playoff competition (this includes league championship meets).

    2.2  The last day to start organized team practice for interscholastic competition will be specified by Central Section.

    2.3  There must be 10 days of team practice prior to the first interscholastic meet.  Each team member must have had 10 days of practice prior to his first meet.

    2.4  Each runner shall be limited to a maximum of 2 contests per week, not including league or beyond.

    2.5  Tournaments or Invitational meets shall count as one contest.

    2.6  The season shall end no later than the date of the last playoff football game.

    2.9  Approved list and dates of invitational meets are listed on the Section web site under Tournaments

3.  PLAYOFF PROCEDURES

        3.1  All runners and all teams in the CIF Central Section MAY participate in the Section Championships.

        3.1.1  The CIF Section Championships will consist of one race for boys- 3 miles or 5 kilometers- 1-7 runners and one race for girls- 3 miles or 5 kilometers- 1-7 runners in each of the five (5) divisions. The Divisions will be determined by the approved Section Divisional placement procedure.

        3.1.2  Entries- Varsity boys and girls only.  A team will consist of 5 to 7 runners from any one school of boys and girls.  Entries of less than 5 from one school will be considered individual entries, and will compete only for individual awards.  Their order of finish will not be considered in the team scoring.

        3.1.3  The permanent site for the Section Championships and Grand Masters will be Woodward Park, Fresno. (Executive Board 3/02).

        3.1.4  Scoring- The order of finish of all runners will determine individual award winners.  In calculating team scores, all individual entries will be dropped from the finish order, and all team runners will be moved up on the list. National Federation Rule Book Rule 9 Section 2.

        3.1.5  Awards. Entry fees are $4.00 per individual and $160 maximum per school. (See CIF Central Section Awards Chart in back of Constitution and By-Laws).

        3.1.6  Qualifications from the CIF Central Section Championships to the CIF State Meet, will be as follows: Each Division, determined by competitive equity on a gender by gender basis, will qualify a minimum of two (2) teams to the State Meet.   Each Division will qualify five (5) individuals to the State Meet and the individuals must place in the top twelve (12) at the Section finals. 

       3.1.7  The time schedule for the Section Championship Meet will be as follows: 11:00 AM-D-5 Girls; 11:30 AM- D-4 Boys; 12:00 PM--D-5 Boys; 12:30 PM--D-4 Girls; * 1:00--D-3 Girls; 1:30-Reserve race; 2:00--D-3 Boys; 2:30-- D-1 Girls; 3:00 --D-2 Boys; 3:30--D-2 Girls; 4:00--D-1 Boys.  *  Rotate last three divisions each year.