MASTERS’
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Host
Festival Contract to Sponsor
and
General
REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPETITION
The Masters World Championships (MWC) is the property of Scottish Masters Athletics International, LLC, and its governing board (SMAI). SMAI acts solely as the sanctioning body for the MWC; determining where they are to be held (Host Festival) and the general rules and regulations under which they are to be conducted. Once the award sanction has been given, the conduct of the MWC becomes the responsibility of the Host Festival. In accepting the award sanction for the MWC, the Host Festival and the Athletic Director agree to the following rules and regulations in conducting the MWC. Deviations from these rules and regulations may be made only with permission from the SMAI and must be agreed to in writing by SMAI prior to the MWC competition.
The Scottish Masters Athletics International, LLC, by the executive director’s signature below hereby awards the Masters World Championships for the year ______ to the _______________________________________________, hereinafter referred to as the Host Festival with _______________ designated as the Athletic Director (referred to hereafter as AD) for the Host Festival for these championships.
I.
Scottish masters athletics international’s responsibilities
SMAI
will assist the Host Festival and the AD in publicizing the Host Festival
and the MWC to the Scottish games community and masters athletes in particular
in order to maximize masters athlete participation at the Host Festival.
SMAI will post all information
furnished to it by the Host Festival and AD on the SMAI web site.
SMAI will act as the recipient of
and certify all athletes’ entries for the MWC and collect all athlete entry
fees.
SMAI provides no funding for the
MWC but will continue, as needed, to seek sponsorship for the MWC. No guarantee
as to any sponsoring funds for the MWC is made.
II.
Sanctioning of athletic competition
The Host Festival agrees to have
the athletic competition sanctioned by the _____________________________
organization which provides a standard set of rules and certified, experienced
judges for the competition.
III.
COMPETITION AND Field Requirements
The Host Festival agrees to
conduct the MWC as a ______-day competition.
The Host Festival may charge the
athletes a reasonable entry fee to help defray the cost of athlete t-shirts and
meals. This fee should be kept as
low as possible. SMAI will collect
these fees and transfer funds to the Host Festival prior to the competition.
SMAI will retain $5 of each entry fee to defray its costs related to the
competition.
Host Festival must provide a
field for the competition with adequate space for multiple throwing stations and
adequate separation between stations to allow for safety and for all stations to
be active concurrently. Ideally,
there should be at least one station for each event. In no case should there be fewer stations than there are
flights of athletes. The field
should be separated from the other festival grounds by a restrictive barrier
(e.g., fence or rope). The layout
of the field should emphasize safety first and maximize spectator viewing
opportunities.
Because of the number of athletes
and classes expected at the MWC, the AD and the Host Festival agree to limit the
festival’s athletic competition on the day(s) of the MWC to the MWC contests
only.
Host Festival will provide
toilets or “port-a-potties” which are in an area reserved for athletes and
field workers only.
Host Festival will provide
adequate water and/or other liquids as well as a noon meal for athletes and
workers.
Because there is a significant
social aspect to these events, efforts should be taken to allow for
wives/significant others in the athlete’s area as safety allows.
Shelters and chairs or benches
should be provided within the athletes’ throwing areas which are sufficient
for athletes, workers and wives. Shelter,
table and chairs for scoring, registration, etc., will be provided as well as
electricity to the scoring table for the computer and printer.
Host Festival should provide for
an experienced and knowledgeable announcer and sound system adequate to reach
the anticipated gathering of spectators. A
wireless microphone is helpful.
The Host Festival should provide
each athlete with a games t-shirt which is to be worn the day(s) of the
competition. T-Shirts should
identify the games as the Masters World Championships, the year, the host
organization and recognize the MWC as a part of Scottish Masters Athletics
International by displaying the SMAI logo and/or the web site www.scottishmasters.org
. This t-shirt should be
distinctive from other t-shirts for the same highland games for the easy
identification of athletes by spectators (e.g., different color for athletes and
judges). In the event of a
competition requiring the athletes to compete over a two day period, each
athlete should receive two t-shirts.
IV. Awards
The Host Festival will provide unique Masters World Championship medals for the first three places in each event for every class. Duplicate medals will be provided for ties in individual events. The Host Festival will provide prizes for the winners of each class commensurate with a world championship. Appropriate awards will be provided for the second and third places overall in each class. In the event of a tie for any of the top three places (championships, second or third), the Host Festival will provide duplicate awards.
V.
JUDGES
The Host Festival must provide
judges for the competition who are trained and certified by the sanctioning
organization. However, judges whose
experience in Scottish athletics is extensive and well recognized may be used
even though they may not have a certification. There should be one certified
judge and at least two helpers for each flight of athletes.
Payment to the judges and other field workers for their services will be
determined by and is the responsibility of the Host Festival.
Judges must wear Scottish attire
consisting of kilts and hose with flashings while at the competition.
It is suggested that judges all wear similar shirts which differ from
those worn by the athletes.
VI.
RULES, CLASSES, Events, AND Implements
The rules governing competition
will be the rules which have been established by the sanctioning organization
and are normally used at the festival except where those rules contradict the
general MWC rules. In the later case, the MWC rules will apply.
Classes for
competition will include the following:
Men age 40 to 44 inclusive as of the first day of competition
Men age 45 to 49 inclusive as of the first day of competition
Men age 50 to 54 inclusive as of the first day of competition
Men age 55 to 59 inclusive as of the first day of competition
Men age 60 to 64 inclusive as of the first day of competition
Men age 65 to 69 inclusive as of the first day of competition
Men age 70
and above as of the first day of competition
Men weighing
200 lb. or less and age 40 to 49 inclusive as of the first day of competition
Men weighing
200 lb. or less and age 50 or above as of the first day of competition
Women age
40-49 inclusive as of the first day of competition
Women age 50 and above as of the first day of competition
Small classes may be grouped together in flights and large classes may need to be split into multiple flights for competition. Flighting will be the responsibility of SMAI.
The AD will
provide an accurate scale for weighing-in of the U200 competitors prior to the
competition.
The
competition for the MWC will include the following eight events without
deviation in any way in event or weight used:
Open and Braemar stone (16+# and 22+# men, 9+# and 13+# women)
Weights for distance (28# and 42# men, 14# and 28# women, 22# for women 50+)
Scottish hammers (16# and 22# men, 12# and 16# women)
Weight over the bar (42# men and 28# women, 22# for women 50+)
Cabers of length and weight appropriate to various classes
The sheaf toss
(#16 men’s and 10# women’s) is an optional event which
the Host Festival and the AD may plan to contest
at this MWC.
Height standards may be of the
“knock off” or the “fixed bar” type as determined by the AD and local
practice.
Implements are to be provided by
the Athletic Director and should be verified with a certified, commercial scale
as to weight and size prior to the beginning of each day of competition.
Stones should be at least 16 lb.
for the men’s open stone (9 lb. for women)
and at least 22 lb. for the men’s Braemar stone (13 lb. for women).
It is suggested that stones be selected for maximum “throwability”
with a weight close to the minimum so that athletes have chances to set a
record.
The size and number of cabers per
class or if there is to be a “qualifying” caber is at the discretion of the
Athletic Director depending on local practice at the Host Festival.
The Athletic Director and judges
may determine the starting heights for weight-over-the-bar and sheaf toss and
cabers to be used to facilitate class sizes and time constraints.
Vii.
SAFETY
The safety of both participants
and spectators must be given the utmost consideration.
The Athletic Director is the person ultimately responsible for safety in
all areas of the competition. Therefore,
any limitations placed on the competition in the interest of safety by the AD
may not be questioned. Such
limitations may include, but are not limited to, “out of bounds” areas for
any event, style limitations for the WOB event, and termination of an event
because of weather. Adequate
protective “cages” should be provided for each hammer trig and distance trig
where needed.
VIII.
athletes’ Entry and Participation Requirements
To enter, athletes must have
participated in at least five Scottish games within the 12 months preceding the
Championships. Exceptions may be
made for athletes from overseas or in hardship cases and must be requested well
ahead of time from the SMAI. Athletes
who have previously placed in the top three at a Masters World Championship are
exempt from this rule.
The Athletic Director will insure
that all athletes must wear a Scottish style kilt and Scottish style hose with
flashings. Athletes not so dressed
will be asked to refrain from competition until they meet this requirement and
will not be allowed to make up missed throws.
Athletes must also wear the games t-shirt for the day of the competition.
No exceptions will be granted to this rule.
Athletes should be prepared to
show proof of age at the field prior to competing. U200 athletes will be required to weigh in prior to
competition. The AD will provide a
scale adequate to this task.
IX.
AMENITIES
Because the MWC is expected to
draw athlete entries from many states as well as Canada and Scotland, it is
suggested that the AD and Host Festival provide for social functions the evening
prior to the competition and the evening following the competition.
Athletes may be required to pay for these functions.
X.
INSURANCE
The Host
Festival agrees to furnish SMAI with a certificate showing SMAI, its executives
and directors as an additional insured on the Host Festival’s insurance
coverage. Further, the Host
Festival agrees that SMAI has no liability for any actions by any personnel
associated with the conduct of the MWC or any part of the competition.
Host Festival will provide a liability waiver/release to be signed by all athletes, judges and other persons entering the competition area. This waiver/release should cover the SMAI as well as any other organizations involved with the festival.
XI. TRAVEL
The Host Festival agrees to provide transportation for an official designated by
SMAI to the festival site in advance of the games to inspect
the site and oversee the advance planning for the competition. This
may take place during the festival in the year preceding the MWC games.
XII.
SIGNATURES
The undersigned verify that they are duly authorized by the Host Festival to make this contract on behalf of the Host Festival and by their signatures commit the Host Festival to comply fully with and fulfill all the requirements for the MWC outlined above.
_______________________________________________________________
Host Festival
By
_________________________________________ Date ______________
Authorized Officer
Officer’s Printed Name
___________________________________________
_____________________________________________
Date _____________
Athletic Director for Host Festival
AD’s Printed Name ______________________________________________
The signature below certifies that SMAI has designated the above named Host Festival as the official host for the Masters World Championships for the year 2007.
______________________________________________ Date ____________
William M. Scruggs, Executive
Director
Scottish Masters Athletics International, LLC