SHORT TRACK SPEEDSKATING RULES AND REGULATIONS

Transcription

1 SHORT TRACK SPEEDSKATING RULES AND REGULATIONS USS ST RULES & REGULATIONS V1 1

2 Table of Contents General Information US Speedskating Rules of Competition Qualified Medal Contenders USS DOMESTIC COMPETITIONS / EVENTS US Olympic Team Trials Short Track American Cup Racing Series US Short Track Junior Championship Domestic event qualifications, standards, formats and procedures USS INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS / EVENTS AND QUALIFING Agreement & Reservation Fall World Cups Selection (World Cups 1-4, Olympic Qualifiers ) Olympic Winter Games World Short Track Speedskating Championships World Short Track Junior Championships Fall Short Track World Cup Selection NATIONAL RANKINGS Overall National Ranking National Distance Rankings TRAINING DESIGNATIONS National Training Program (NTP) Composition US Speedskating Short Track Junior National Team US Speedskating Short Track Development Team Medal Contender Clause Criteria & Process Level 1 3 Athlete Selection Criteria National Age Group Short Track Championships Division Classifications / Qualification Time Standards Competition Format and Mandatory Distances National Club Championship Appendix 1a Appendix 1b USS ST RULES & REGULATIONS V1 2

3 General Information Notwithstanding anything that may be printed in any written materials before or during a competition and any statements made orally at any time by any persons, including but not limited to US Speedskating (USS) Employees, Board Members, or others, the USS Short Track Speedskating Regulations shall take precedent in all instances. If there are amended rules and regulations or selection procedures THEN THOSE SHALL BE COMMUNICATED TO ALL COMPETITORS AT LEAST 10 DAYS IN ADVANCE OF THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE EVENT. Those properly amended rules and regulations shall supersede the original and ANY PREVIOUSLY amended rules and regulations. US Speedskating Rules of Competition A) General. All US Short Track Speedskating Olympic Trials, Youth Olympic Trials, US Team Selection Competitions, American Cup events ( Competitions ) and National Age Group Championship shall be conducted in accordance with applicable International Skating Union ( ISU ) Rules and Regulations, except as otherwise stated. B) ISU. All changes made by the ISU in regulations and racing rules and/ or ISU communications that are applicable to these USS Rules and Regulations shall be incorporated and/ or adopted and go into effect the same day the ISU regulations and racing rules and/or communications take effect. C) Eligibility/Citizenship. Competitions used to select USS teams for international competitions shall be open only to skaters eligible to represent the United States in the particular international competitions for which USS teams are being selected. Skaters must comply with ISU Rule 108, 109, and ISU Communication 2030 (re. Citizenship Status and Competition Eligibility) in order to be eligible to compete in USS Selection Competitions and represent the United States in international competitions. A skater must be a citizen of the United States to represent the United States at the Winter Olympic Games and/or Youth Olympic Winter Games. The National Age Group Championship is open to USS members with U.S. Citizenship and Permanent or Temporary Resident Card holders. For the competition season, the following events are the selection competitions unless otherwise stated: Fall World Cup Qualifier / American Cup I 2018 US Olympic Trials US Junior Short Track Championships Please note that American Cup Final will be open to none citizen/resident US skaters D) Relay Team Selection. At all international level events (Winter Olympic Games, World Cup, World Championships, World Junior, Traveling team competition, etc.), the assigned USS coaching staff in attendance at the event will select the skaters to compete as a member of the relay team. E) Seed Times/Qualifying Times. Submitted seed times and qualifying times for competitions must have been established between July 1, 2016 and the date of the entry deadline for the competition to be skated, unless USS ST RULES & REGULATIONS V1 3

4 otherwise noted. Achieved times must be equal to or faster than the standard set for each competition. Submitted times must be achieved in an ISU or any national governing body sanctioned competition and must be printed in a published protocol or accessible online. F) Uniform. No skater may wear a current USS issued team uniform or skin suit in a competition that he or she did not earn and which was not issued by USS to such skater personally. All uniforms worn in competition must comply with the USS Athlete Agreement. No member of USS may wear a uniform with the markings of a foreign country. The Technical Representative shall issue a warning and if no corrective action is taken, the referee may disqualify the skater. G) Electronic Timing / Photo Finish 1. Electronic timing and photo finish are required at National Age Group and US Short Track Speedskating Championships, US Junior Short Track Speedskating Championships and American Cup Racing Series events. Transponders will be used in the ACRS and selection competitions to gather lap time data for USS Level System. 2. The time recorded by the photo finish system will be the official time. In the event that the photo finish system fails to record a time for a race or time trial then the results from the manual time keeping plus 0.2 seconds will be the official finish time used for that race or time trial only. H) Entry Deadline. The entry deadline will be clearly stated on the competition announcement and entry form and will be ten days prior to the first day of competition. If the entry deadline falls on a weekend or US legal holiday, the entry deadline will be first day after the weekend or US legal holiday. Late entries will be accepted up to five days prior to the first day of competition. This will be known as the late entry deadline. If the late entry deadline falls on a weekend or US legal holiday, the late entry deadline will be first day after the weekend or US legal holiday. Late entries are subject to $100 late fee in addition to the event registration fee. Any entry request received less than 5 days prior to the first day of competition will need to be approved by the USS High Performance Director HPD (or his designee) and will be subject to an extra $200 fee. I) Cut-Resistant Protection. All skaters are required to wear full body cut-resistant protection (either integrated into the skinsuit or separate underwear) at all American Cups, Qualifying events, US Junior Championships and Olympic or Youth Olympic Selection events. This is recommended for skaters participating in the National Age Group Championship. J) Helmet. Safety type headgear that is in compliance with the current ASTM standard (American Society for Testing and Materials) for Short Track Speedskating must be worn. The helmet must have a regular shape and may not have protrusions. ISU Rule 291. This also applies to National Age Group Championships. For information regarding personalized helmet designs, see ISU communication 2088 K) Medical Procedures. Medical procedures at all USS American Cup Racing Series events and selection competitions can be found in the USS Event Manual. L) Notification. When selected to a USS team, all skaters must notify (in writing) to the USS Technical Representative (or its designated representative) if they accept or decline participation in the USS ST RULES & REGULATIONS V1 4

5 applicable event(s) within 2 hours of the completion of the selection event(s) by signing the Letter of Intent provided by and as written by USS. This commitment is used, in part, for management purposes for travel planning and determining the number of discretionary invitations that may be extended to other skaters to potentially fill the quota. Skaters should be prepared in the advance of a selection competition to accept or decline the position. Skaters must have appropriate information (passports, etc.) available for processing at the qualifying event. All additional expenses incurred by USS, should a skater change their commitment, will be at the cost of the skater. This commitment to attend or not attend the event is binding. Skaters are committed to race the events in which they have qualified and agreed to compete based on their signed Letter of Intent, unless determined otherwise by the appointed coaching staff and team leaders in attendance. M) Replacement Skaters. In the event any qualifying skater(s) declines their position(s) on any team, USS has sole discretion to name replacement skaters. The procedure for replacing a qualifying skater is detailed below under each respective International Event Qualifying Criteria. N) Other International Events. USS may identify competition opportunities for which it will select a traveling team. To select a traveling team the most recent qualifying competition may be used. In the event that an athlete with superior prior Level System results, previous or current national ranking, or exceptional past performance is unable to compete at or complete the designated selection event due to a verifiable illness, injury, or exceptional circumstance, USS reserves the right to select skaters directly to the traveling team. Funding support for other international events is at the sole discretion of USS. O) Coaching Policy 1. International Events. USS will select the coaches to represent USS and its teams at the international events listed herein. These coaches will be the USS National Training Program (NTP) coaches unless USS determines the need for additional support by Non-NTP coaches as members of the official USS coaching delegation, subject to the Non-NTP coach signing and complying with the USS Additional Official Agreement. Non-NTP coaches selected as members of the official USS coaching delegation must be USS Certified Level 3 coaches. The USS Short Track Coaching Policy is not applicable to the Winter Olympic Games. 2. US Domestic Events. For the Season, all coaches must be USS Certified Level 2 or above to receive coaching credentials for the USS Short Track events listed herein Qualified Medal Contenders No athletes met the criteria defined in the USS Short Track Regulations. USS ST RULES & REGULATIONS V1 5

6 USS DOMESTIC COMPETITIONS / EVENTS 2018 US Olympic Team Trials Summary: Serves as the qualifying event for selection of the Olympic Team. All information pertaining to the Olympic Team Trials is documented in the 2018 WOG SSK ST Athlete Selection Procedures and can be found on the USS website. US Olympic Team Trials (December 15-17, 2017, Salt Lake City, UT) Short Track American Cup Racing Series Summary: The American Cup Racing Series for Short Track Speedskating ( ACRS ) is a series of competitions held to establish Overall National Ranking and National Distance Rankings for the season and to serve as qualifying events for team selection as identified. ACRS events shall run under ISU rules, except where noted herein. ACRS events include: Fall World Cup Qualifier / American Cup I (August 18-20, 2017, Salt Lake City, UT) Olympic Trials (December Th 2017, Salt Lake City, UT) American Cup Final (March 23-25, 2018, Saratoga Springs, NY) Note: If competitor entries for a specific American Cup meet are inadequate for running a fair and complete competition, the USS HPD (or designee) can choose to cancel the event with advanced notification given to entered athletes US Short Track Junior Championship Summary: The US Junior Championship is a competition held as a qualifying event for team selection. The Junior Championship shall run under ISU rules, except where noted herein. US Junior Championships (January st 2018, Green Bay, WI) Domestic event qualifications, standards, formats and procedures Divisions A. All ACRS events will consist of a single division. USS ST RULES & REGULATIONS V1 6

7 B. US Junior Championships will consist of a single division for junior age skaters. C. Age group races may be added at the discretion of the local organizing committee with approval from USS. ACRS Event Qualification Standards To compete in all American Cups, all skaters must have met the entry time standard for 1000m of 1:47.00 for Ladies and 1:36.00 for Men or the entry time standard for 500m of for Ladies and for Men. (See USS Rules of Competition, Section 2.E for Seed times/qualifying times and Section 2.C for ISU Age & Citizenship Eligibility) Junior Championship Qualification Standards To compete in the US Junior Short Track Championships, all skaters must have met the entry time standard for 1000m of 1:54.00 for Ladies and 1:43.00 for Men. (See USS Rules of Competition, Section 2.E for Seed times/qualifying times and Section 2.C for ISU Age & Citizenship Eligibility) Competition Schedule Formats 1. The ranking list used for seeding shall be distributed prior to the team/coach s meeting held the day before the competition. Meeting times will be designated in the event information 2. The competition schedule will be finalized after check in of skaters is complete and available at the team/coach s meeting 3. Make up of the races for the single distances will be posted during the warm up session each racing day Competition Schedule Formats 1. The ranking list used for seeding shall be published prior to the team/coach s meeting held the day before the competition. Meeting times will be designated in the event information 2. The competition schedule will be finalized after check in of skaters is complete and available at the team/coach s meeting 3. Make-up of the races for the single distances will be posted during the warm up session each racing day The schedule for Fall World Cup Qualifier/American Cup I shall be as follows: Day 1: 1500m (1) & 1500m (2) Qualifying rounds and Finals Day 2: (1&2&1500m((2(2)(1) (1) & (2) Qualifying rounds and Finals Day 3: 1000m (1) & 1000m (2) Qualifying rounds and Finals The schedule for US Junior Championship shall be as follows: USS ST RULES & REGULATIONS V1 7

8 Day 1: 1500m & 500m Qualifying rounds and Finals Day 2: 1000m Qualifying rounds and Finals 1500m Super-Final (A & B Finals only) Relay (time permitting) The schedule for American Cup Final shall be as follows: Day 1: 1500m Qualifying rounds and all Finals. Day 2: 500m Qualifying rounds and all Finals. Day 3: 1000m Qualifying rounds and all Finals. Note: Finals will be run in reverse alphabetical order. The order of Finals between genders may be altered for the purpose of the production of the event. Final races with only one skater will not be run, that skater will receive the highest rank for that final race. Final races with only two skaters will be run. Make Up of Qualifying Rounds for ACRS Competitions & US Junior Championships 1. Seeding the first qualifying round of each single distance (1500m/500m/1000m) at the ACRS will be determined by the most current National Distance Ranking for each distance. Skaters without a current National Distance Rank will be drawn randomly for each distance and seeded after those skaters with a National Distance Rank. For US Junior Championships, skaters without a current National Distance Rank are required to submit a best time for each distance to determine their rank and will be seeded after those skaters with a National Distance Rank. Ties for seeding will be broken by random draw. Note: The number of rounds and the skaters to qualify will be according to the qualification table specific to that competition and published on the USS website. 2. For the purpose of seeding, the list of skaters ranked according to the national distance rankings will be assigned ranking points. The ranking point scale is equivalent to the competition point system. 3. Skaters that qualify into subsequent qualifying rounds of a distance will be ranked first by placement, then by time and followed by Referee advancements. 4. Skaters that do not qualify to the next qualifying round of a distance will be ranked by place, then time in that round and placed into the Final rounds according to their rank. 5. Seeding for qualifying rounds will always be done in a clockwise serpentine manner m Super Final: Half Points will be awarded for the Super Final. o A & B Finals only o The top 6 and ties on the 6th position, based on the Overall Classification, will go to the 1500m Super-Final A. USS ST RULES & REGULATIONS V1 8

9 o The next 6 skaters ranked in the Overall Classification, plus ties will go to the Super-Final B Note: If a skater in the top 12 has withdrawn from the competition, there will be no move up in rank for seeding this Super Final. Competition Point System Final Points will be awarded according to the following table: Rank Points Rank Points Rank Points lower 1 Note: For each distance, skaters are ranked by their group finalists, semi-finalists, quarter-finalists, etc. All finalists are ranked ahead of semi-finalists; all semi-finalists are ranked ahead of quarter-finalists, etc. Skaters will be ranked upon their finish place within their group and receive final points according to their rank. Overall Classification 1. The Overall Classification at each competition will be based on the following order: a) Total final points b) Highest placement in any distance c) Fastest 1000m skated at the competition 2. Following each competition, the competitors shall be ranked within the following categories: a) Overall Ladies and Men USS ST RULES & REGULATIONS V1 9

10 b) National Distance Rankings for each distance Penalties, Yellow Card, Did Not Start, Did Not Finish (Mass Start), Withdrawals 1. If a skater Does Not Start the first qualifying round of a distance, the skater will be penalized from races at that distance and receive no points for that distance. 2. If a skater starts the first qualifying round of a distance, but Does Not Start in a subsequent round of that distance, the skater will be penalized from races at that distance and receive a rank equal to the number of skaters in that round and receive final points according to that rank. 3. If a skater Does Not Start in a 3000m Super Final or 1500m Super the skater will receive a rank equal to the number of skaters that qualified for the 3000m super final or 1500m super final. 4. Skaters Penalized in a qualifying round (heat, quarter-final or semi-final) will be ranked last in their group. They will receive a rank within that group equal to the total number of skaters competing in that round.. They will not compete in subsequent rounds or Finals at that distance. 5. Skaters Penalized in the Final rounds will be ranked last in that final and receive a rank that is equal to the total number of skaters competing in that final round. 6. Skaters receiving a Yellow Card will receive no Final Points for that distance and will be ranked last in the respective distance ranking. 7. Skaters receiving a Red Card will be disqualified from the competition and will not be ranked in the final classification. 8. If a skater Does Not Finish a race, they will be considered penalized. If the referee, at his/her discretion feels that the skater was prevented from finishing due to reasons beyond the skater s control, then the referee may declare the skater having reached the finish, but no time will be recorded. 9. If a skater Withdraws from the competition, they will retain final points earned to that point and be ranked in the Overall Classification according to those points. If possible, the competitor steward may re-seed the round affected by the withdrawal. Withdrawal form must be submitted. American Cup Race Series Overall Champion & Overall Rankings 1. The American Cup Race Series Champion will be the Lady and Man with the greatest Overall Final Point total from all ACRS events. 2. The American Cup Race Series Champion must compete in the American Cup Final, unless they qualified and participated as a member of the World Championship Team. 3. The Final Overall Classification from the American Cup Final will be used to break all ties. The results of USS ST RULES & REGULATIONS V1 10

11 the World Championships will break any further ties. American Cup Race Series Single Distance Champion & Overall Distance Rankings 1. The American Cup Race Series Single Distance Champion will be the Lady and Man with the greatest Overall Final Points total in the 1500m, 500m, and 1000m. 2. Overall Final Points in each distance shall be calculated as follows: a) 1500m: All 1500m events at American Cup I, Olympic Trials and American Cup Final. b) 500m: All 500m events at American Cup I, Olympic Trials and American Cup Final. c) 1000m: All 1000m events at American Cup I, Olympic Trials and American Cup Final. 3. The results at the American Cup II will break all ties for that distance. The results of the World Championships will break any further ties. Note: Junior age skaters will be identified by an (*) in the ACRS Overall Champion & Overall Rankings and the ACRS Single Distance Champion & Overall Distance Rankings. USS INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS / EVENTS AND QUALIFING Agreement & Reservation A) Athlete Agreement. To be considered for USS financial support for international events and travel athletes must have signed the USS Athlete Agreement for the current season. B) Reservation. Foregoing notwithstanding, USS has the sole right, at any time, to make changes to the funded competition schedule and is not obligated to staff, send or fund a team to any international events or any particular competition. Only athletes that qualified for international events or competitions (as designated below) are eligible to be entered in and / or have travel costs covered. If a qualified athlete chooses not to attend, it will be the USS HPD or their designee s decision to replace that athlete s position at the event / competition Fall World Cups Selection (World Cups 1-4, Olympic Qualifiers ) Eligibility ISU Rule 286 determines the eligibility of the USA to submit entries for these competitions. USS ST RULES & REGULATIONS V1 11

12 Entry Quotas Last 4 remaining Olympic Trials positions will be selected from this competition. While USS will have 6 quota spots per gender for ISU World Cups as per ISU Rules and Regulations and ISU Communication 2044, the funded World Cup Team will be comprised of 5 Ladies and 5 Men for World Cups 1-4. USS reserves the right to fund the next qualified skater if needed or that skater may elect to self-fund. Travel USS will provide travel support provided that: Athlete has qualified as per the selection procedures. Athlete has signed the USS Athlete Agreement for the current season. Selection Procedures 1. The selection competition will be the Short Track Fall World Cup Qualifier / American Cup I. From this competition the team members will be selected to attend World Cups 1, 2, 3, and The top 2 ranked skater in each cumulative distance classification may qualify for the World Cup team. Ties within each distance classification will be broken by fastest time skated for the 500m and 1000m, and the rank of the 1500m(2) rif less than 5 skaters qualify, the overall classification will be used to fill remaining team positions. 1. If 6 different skaters qualify, the 2 nd ranked skater in any distance classification with the lowest overall ranking will not be funded. 3 Distance Classifications from AmCup1 will be used to determine who will compete in each individual distance at World Cups 1-4. The top 2 ranked skaters in each distance will have priority and the 3 rd quota spot per distance will be at the discretion of the coaching staff and Team Leaders. 4. Replacement of skaters: In the event any qualifying skater(s) decline(s) their position(s) on the Fall World Cup Team, USS may name replacement skater(s) from the same qualifying event as used to select the original team member(s). Funding of the replacement athletes is at the sole discretion of USS Olympic Winter Games All information pertaining to the Olympic Team Trials is documented in the 2018 WOG SSK ST Athlete Selection Procedures and can be found on the USS website. USS ST RULES & REGULATIONS V1 12

13 2018 World Short Track Speedskating Championships The USS team for the World Short Track Speedskating Championships shall be selected in accordance with the following: Eligibility 1. ISU Rule 286 determines the eligibility of the USA to submit entries for these competitions. 2. Minimum qualifying times are required for entry in this ISU Championship as stated in ISU Communication Entry Quotas The World Short Track Championships Team will be comprised of five (5) Ladies and five (5) Men if a relay team is qualified for Ladies and Men. If no relay team is qualified, US Speedskating s ISU entry quota (individual starting positions) for individual events at the World Short Track Championships shall be two (2) Ladies and two (2) Men. USS may elect to fund a substitute to travel with the team if deemed competitive for this event. Travel USS will provide travel support provided that: Athlete has qualified as per the selection procedures. Athlete has signed the USS Athlete Agreement for the season. Selection Procedures The primary selection competitions will be the American Cup I and Olympic Trials. Overall classification will be based on total final points from all distances. 1. If relay team is qualified, the top five (5) Ladies and/or top five (5) Men will be selected to the World Championship Team based on skaters best overall point value from the ST Olympic Trials (Dec , 2017). If a skater was not eligible to skate Olympic Trials BUT can still represent USA at World Championships, points from Am Cup 1 will be used for rankings. 2. If no relay team is qualified, the top three (3) Ladies and /or top three (3) Men will be selected to the World Championship Team based on skaters best overall point value from the ST Olympic Trials (Dec , 2017). If a skater was not eligible to skate Olympic Trials BUT can still represent USA at World Championships, points from Am Cup 1 will be used for rankings. Order of eligibility for Individual starting positions 1. Up to 2 Individual medalists at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games may earn individual starting positions a. Ties between multiple medalists will be broken by best finish, then by highest overall points from US Olympic Team Trials. USS ST RULES & REGULATIONS V1 13

14 2. Skaters best overall point value from US Olympic Team Trials (If a skater was not eligible to skate Olympic Trials BUT can still represent USA at World Championships, points from Am Cup 1 will be used for rankings) World Short Track Junior Championships The USS team for the World Junior Short Track Speedskating Championships shall be selected in accordance with the following: Eligibility 1. ISU Rule 283 determines the eligibility of USA to submit entries for this Championship. 2. Minimum qualifying times are required for entry in this ISU Championship as stated in ISU Communication No Entry Quotas The World Junior Championships Team will be comprised of up to (4) Ladies and four (4) Men. Skaters that have qualified for Jr. World Team based on placement but have failed to meet the time standards, may elect to self-fund. Self-funded skaters may be partially reimbursed based on performance at World Junior Championships. While the Jr. World Championship Team may be comprised of up to 4 Ladies and 4, USS will fund travel expenses for skaters meeting the following 500m OR 1000m time standard (skated at any USS sanctioned competition between July 1, 2017 and January 28, 2018) US Speedskating will cover travel expenses for skaters meeting the following 500m OR 1000m time standard Travel Ladies: 500m: m: 1: Men: 500m: m: 1: USS will provide travel support provided that: Athlete has qualified as per the selection procedures. Athlete has signed the USS Athlete Agreement for the current season. Athlete has met time standard(s) USS ST RULES & REGULATIONS V1 14

15 Selection Procedures: The primary selection competition will be the US Junior Short Track Championships. Overall classification will be based on total final points from all distances with the 1500m Super-Final valued at half points. 1. Up to 2 skaters per gender may earn individual starting positions by qualifying for the 2018 Olympic team. If more than 2 skaters qualify for the Olympic team, the overall classification will be used. 2. Remaining positions on the World Junior Championships Team up to a maximum of four (4) may be selected from the final Overall Classification at the US Junior Short Track Speedskating Championships. 3. Skaters qualifying through point no.1 above followed by those qualifying through point no.2 above will qualify to compete in the individual events at the World Junior Championships up to a maximum of three (3) skaters. 4. Replacement of skaters: If a skater declines their position on the World Junior Short Track Team the next ranked skater in the final Overall Classification from the US Junior Short Track Championships may be selected as a replacement. Funding of the replacement athletes is at the sole discretion of USS Fall Short Track World Cup Selection The best 2 ladies and 2 men from the Overall ranking of the American Cup Final will earn positions on the Fall World Cup Team. Remaining positions will be earned at the 2018 Fall Selections / American Cup NATIONAL RANKINGS Overall National Ranking Skaters will be ranked in an Overall National Ranking based on the following order: 1. Skaters who compete in individual distances at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games will be ranked in order of highest overall finish in an individual distance. The next highest overall finish in an individual distance will break ties. If skaters are still tied, the Overall Classification from the Olympic Trials will serve as the next tiebreaker and the Overall Classification from the American Cup Series will serve as the final tiebreaker. 2. Olympic Team members, ranked in order of placement at the Olympic Trials 3. Any skater(s) qualified for the World Championship Team not qualifying for the Olympic Team 4. Total Final Points earned from the seasons American Cup Racing Series. USS ST RULES & REGULATIONS V1 15

16 National Distance Rankings Skaters will be ranked in a separate Individual Distance National Ranking for the 500m, 1000m, and 1500m based on the following order: 1. Skaters who compete in individual distances at the 2018 Olympic Games will be ranked in order of placement in that individual distance. Skaters on the 2018 Olympic team that will not compete in individual distances will maintain their respective NDR s achieved prior to AmCup Final. 2. Total Final Points earned at the American Cup Racing Series Distance Rankings in each distance after adjustments made due to World Team members NDR. Note: NDR points at the AmCup Final will begin in consideration of the number of members USS sends to the 2018 World Championships. (i.e. 1 st place per distance at AmCup Final will be worth 6 th place points from the points chart on p. 9 if there are 5 members on the 2018 World Championships team. If USS sends 3 members, then 1 st place at AmCup Final will begin with 4 th place points and so on) TRAINING DESIGNATIONS National Training Program (NTP) Composition A) The NTP target size will be 12 athletes, and will not exceed 16 eligible skaters at one time. B) Top 3 skaters from the seasons Overall National Ranking for Ladies and Men and the next highest ranked skater in the level system will be automatic invites to the NTP. This accounts for 8 athletes. C) American Cup champions (best male & female) will be eligible to receive a scholarship to FAST or ASE D) USS may select additional skaters based on consideration of their Overall National Ranking, Overall National Distance Ranking, Short Track Level Performance Markers (Appendix 1a-1b), or other factors such as exceptional past performance. These skaters will be considered discretionary invites to the NTP. Discretionary invitations to the NTP shall be made by USS upon the recommendation of the USS NTP coaches and staff. D) Skaters named to the NTP as discretionary members may be placed on probationary status. Their status will be reviewed periodically by the USS NTP coaches and staff, and following the evaluation they may or may not be asked by USS to continue in the NTP. E) At any time USS may approve other skaters outside of the NTP to be invited to train with the program from time to time for a trial period or as a designated training partner. These skaters will receive no NTP benefits with the sole exception of ice time and coaching. These skaters are not considered members of USS ST RULES & REGULATIONS V1 16

17 the NTP. F) NTP Invitations will be sent as soon as possible after the national rankings are finalized following the competitive season US Speedskating Short Track Junior National Team Eligibility: All Junior National Team skaters must be of ISU Junior eligible age for the season and eligible to represent USS at ISU events. Qualification: 1. Any team members for any Olympic/Youth Olympic Team, World Cup Team, or World Championship Team of the previous season US Speedskating Short Track Development Team Eligibility: All Development Team skaters must be of ISU Junior eligible age for the season and eligible to represent USS at ISU events. Qualification: 1. Any team members for any Olympic/Youth Olympic Team, World Cup Team, or World Championship Team of the previous season. 2. The top two (2) eligible junior age skaters both male and female (4 total) from the Junior Overall National Ranking that are not already included in point no.1 above. 3. Junior Development skater of the year. Team Additions: Additional skaters (not to exceed four (4) total, male and female combined), may be selected for Junior Development Team status by the following: 1. Status may be awarded to a skater by the USS HPD. 2. Status may be restored by the USS HPD, for injury, illness or other extraordinary circumstances. USS ST RULES & REGULATIONS V1 17

18 All petitions for the additions must be submitted to the USS HPD by June 1 st following the American Cup Final and end of the season Medal Contender Clause Criteria & Process Medal Contender Illness or Injury Clause: Medal Contender status is used exclusively for an extreme circumstance including injury and/or illness that prevent an athlete from completing/competing in a qualifying competition. To be considered as an athlete who has earned Medal Contender status for the season, an athlete must have met one of the following criteria: 1. Finish top 4 in an individual Olympic distance (500m, 1000m, 1500m) at the 2018 World Short Track Championships individual World Cup medals in the same distance 3. Finish top 5 in the Overall Classification at the World Short Track Speedskating Championships. Medal Contender Process: When the Medal Contender Clause is invoked, the medal contender may be granted the last individual distance racing or team spot requested for World Cup(s) and/or World Championship Event(s) and/or other international event(s). In the event that a Medal Contender is unable to compete at or complete the USS-designated selection event due to a verifiable illness, injury, or exceptional circumstance, the Medal Contender must submit a Medal Contender Petition Form to USS no later than 2 hours following the conclusion of the USS-designated selection event with their specific request. 1. If the Medal Contender provision is in effect for illness or injury, the Medal Contender should complete and submit the Medal Contender Petition Form to USS. This form allows USS, including a qualified physician selected by USS, to review the medical records for purposes of verifying the illness or injury. The Medal Contender should also submit written evidence and other records from a qualified physician, acceptable to USS, as evidence. The petition must be signed by the Medal Contender and his/her personal coach and if a minor, his/her parent or legal guardian. 2. If the Medal Contender provision is in effect for an exceptional circumstance, the Medal Contender should complete and submit the Medal Contender Petition Form to USS but the medical release and authorization section of the petition is not required. The petition must be signed by the Medal Contender and his/her personal coach and if a minor, his/her parent or legal guardian. 3. The petition will be considered by USS, and if the petition is submitted due to illness or injury, USS USS ST RULES & REGULATIONS V1 18

19 reserves the right to request an independent medical examination of the Medal Contender by a qualified physician chosen by USS at the expense of USS. USS will review all submitted evidence that prevented the Medical Contender from competing or completing the USS-designated selection event(s) due to illness or injury, the prognosis for recovery. If, based on its review, USS determines that special consideration is warranted, and if due to illness or injury, the Medal Contender receives a medical release to return to training and competition from a qualified physician, acceptable to USS in its sole and absolute discretion, the Medal Contender may be awarded the final individual distance racing spot at the World Short Track Championships or Team member spot on a World Cup Team. Level 1 3 Athlete Selection Criteria Skaters can achieve points at the following USS competitions throughout the seasons according to the points chart found in Appendix I. The identified events will be: 1. Desert Classic Fall World Cup Qualifier American Cup I US Olympic Team Trials US Junior Championships American Cup Final World Cups World Championships (Jr. & Sr.) Skaters with the required number of points will be awarded the achieved level for the season: Level 1: points Level 2: points Level 3: points Bonus points may be awarded upon written confirmation and supplied required documentation to the Short Track Program Director (or designee) prior to March 25, 2018 **. Bonus points can be earned through three different methods: Volunteering or giving back to the sport of speedskating, promotion of speedskating in the community and by continued education. Note the maximum number of points that can be earned through bonuses is 2 points and there is a maximum of 1 point per each of the below three categories. For giving back to the Sport: 0.5 pt. per contribution: Volunteering at a speedskating event (track steward, VIP accompaniment, etc.) o Have signature from meet director for volunteering at speedskating events. o A minimum of 4 hours per event, noting an event is per weekend. Volunteering with a school or other community program to promote the sport of speedskating. USS ST RULES & REGULATIONS V1 19

20 o Requires description and signature of teacher or instructor with location and number of spectators. Volunteering with club(s) in a coaching/assistant coaching role. o Minimum 15 hours signed by recognized certified coach or club/team president (or designee). For promotion of Speedskating: 0.5 pt. per appearance: Visits to school classes, work environments or other comparable setting to talk about your life experiences with and /or the sport of speedskating. o Requires proof of minimum 30 session and visit with written confirmation providing details of event. For continuing education: 0.5 pt. per achievement: Successful completion of academic school year through Grade 12 with a satisfactory GPA or higher. o Proof of transcript or course completion required. ** Earning one full course credit at post-secondary institution during the current season with satisfactory grade or higher. (0.5 pt.) o Proof of transcript or course completion required. ** Achieving a USS Level 1, 2 or 3 Coaching Credential (0.5 pt.) ** For the purpose of educational bonus points, above deadline will be extended until grades or transcripts can be produced. USS ST RULES & REGULATIONS V1 20

21 National Age Group Short Track Championships Summary: The National Age Group Short Track Championship is multiple age division competition. The Championship is an elimination format and shall run under ISU rules, except where noted herein. National Age Group Short Track Championships (March 23-25, 2018, Saratoga Springs, NY) Division Classifications / Qualification Time Standards 1. The age of the skater shall be the age the competitor is before July 1 st preceding the competition 2. Junior and Open division skaters must meet at least one of the time standards listed in the table. 3. Time standards are recommended for Master skaters. 4. Submitted time standards and seed times must have been established at a USS sanctioned competition between July 1, 2016 and the date of the entry deadline for the National Age Group Short Track Championship. 5. Time standards are based on 125% of the current National Age Group records. USS ST RULES & REGULATIONS V1 21

22 Division/Age (*minimum age) 222m 333m 500m 777m 1000m 1500m Junior E Men / (7*-10 yrs.) :01.9 1:39.0 Junior E Ladies/ (7*-10 yrs.) :02.0 1:38.0 Junior D Men/ (11-12 yrs.) :29.3 1:57.1 Junior D Ladies/ (11-12 yrs.) :00.6 1:34.3 2:02.3 Junior C Men/ (13-14 yrs.) :26.8 1:52.6 2:54.3 Junior C Ladies/ (13-14 yrs.) :32.5 2:03.5 3:14.3 Junior B Men/ (15-16 yrs.) :54.7 2:58.7 Junior B Ladies/ (15-16 yrs.) :02.5 3:13.0 Open Men / (17 yrs. and older) :52.2 2:59.2 Open Ladies/ (17 yrs. and older) :03.2 3:14.5 Master Men :55.5 2:58.2 Master Ladies 1:03.0 2:09.6 3:20.9 Master Men :03.3 3:14.5 Master Ladies 1:04.9 2:15.4 3:27.1 Master Men 1:01.9 1:38.2 2:07.8 3:18.9 Master Ladies 1:07.5 1:46.6 2:18.6 3:33.5 Master Men 1:03.1 1:38.9 2:09.9 3:22.5 Master Ladies 1:11.1 1:51.2 2:25.7 3:41.4 Master 70+ Men 1:13.0 1:56.5 2:30.0 3:53.4 Master 70+ Ladies 1:39.9 2:20.9 2:58.0 4:32.8 Variations and Exceptions to the Age Group Divisions 1. At a National Age Group Championship meet, a skater meeting the time standard may compete in an advanced age group up to and including the Open division (17+). In the event the skater scores points, the skater shall be disqualified from compete in a lower age group at the next National Age Group Championship meet. This disqualification shall not apply to Master skaters scoring points in one of the Master divisions. Skaters scoring points in a Master division may skate in a lower age group down to and including the Open division (17+). The division changes permitted by this paragraph are the only ones that shall be allowed and applies only to the National Age Group Championship. 2. A skater may compete in an advanced age group in National Age Group Short Track Championship without jeopardizing his current or future lower age status in National Age Group Long Track Championship and vice versa. If a skater is placed in an advanced age group as a result of combining divisions but did not sign up for that division and scores points, they will not be required to skate in USS ST RULES & REGULATIONS V1 22

23 that advanced age group for future National Age Group Short Track or Age Group Long Track Championships. 3. A skater may compete in only one division at a championship competition and in only one competition when competitions are combined. 4. If there is only one skater registered in a division, they will be combined with the next age appropriate division. 5. Master divisions will be combined into age appropriate racing groups and awarded overall medals according to 5-year age divisions. Competition Format and Mandatory Distances Format: Progression on each distance from the first round to the A final will be by elimination. Divisions Mandatory Distances/ Skaters in A Final Junior E (7-10) 222/5 333/5 500/5 777/6 Junior D (11-12) 333/5 500/5 777/5 1000/6 Junior C (13-14) 500/4 777/4 1000/4 1500/6 Junior B (15-16) 500/4 1000/4 1500/6 1500/6 Open (17+) 500/4 1000/4 1500/6 1500/6 Master Divisions 500/5 777/5 1000/6 1500/6 Relays Junior C and 3000 Heats & Finals older Make up of Qualifying Rounds Note: The number of rounds and the skaters to qualify will be according to the published Qualification Table on the USS website Seeding the first qualifying round for the first distance a. Skaters shall be ranked from fastest to slowest seed time submitted by the skater. b. Ties on seed time shall be randomly drawn. c. Once the skaters are ranked, they shall be seeded into heats in a serpentine fashion. d. After the makeup of each heat, the order in which the heats will race will be randomized. USS ST RULES & REGULATIONS V1 23

24 Subsequent rounds within the same distance. a. Skaters that advance shall be ranked by finish place, then by time and then on advancements from previous round and seeded into the next qualifying round. b. The order in which the heats will race will be randomized. Seeding the first qualifying round of subsequent distances a. The most current overall classification will be used. b. Ties for seeding will be broken by random draw. Lane Position a. Skater position on the start line will be random for the first qualifying round of a distance. b. Skater position on the start line for subsequent rounds and finals will be by time in the previous round. Competition Point System Rank 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th Points a. Final points are awarded in the A Final race only. b. Skaters that did not qualify to the A Final, remain ranked by finish place, then time within their group/qualifying round. c. No points will be awarded to skaters or relay teams who receive a penalty, did not start, and did not finish, yellow card, or red card. d. In case of a tie in a final, all skaters involved in a tie will receive the points awarded for that finish position. If two skaters are involved in a tie, the points for the following finish place will not be awarded, in the case of three skaters involved, the following 2 finish places will not be awarded. Final and Overall Classification Ranking a. Total number of final points earned over the scheduled distances. b. Best combined ranking over all distance classifications. c. Finish place in the last distance of the scheduled program. d. By best time over the longest distance of the scheduled program. RELAY a. Relay teams shall consist of male team(s) and female team(s) from associations, registered clubs, training teams, and/or team(s) of direct skaters. Teams shall consist of 4 and up to 8 skaters entered in the Junior C and above b. A maximum of 4 shall compete. Entries of teams with less than 4 shall not be accepted. c. Master divisions must meet the 500m Junior C entry time standard to participate. USS ST RULES & REGULATIONS V1 24