Today at the state championships, our #3 runner was disqualified for forgetting to wear the race bib when he already had put on both of the shoe timing chips. This ended up dropping our team's place from 4th to 7th. My question is, "Why does something like this even matter and why was a disqualification needed?" I never can understand how athletes can be disqualified for things so minor.
More like FrustratedHSXCCoach, how da fuq do you forget to put your bib on. Part of your job is to make sure your kids are ready to go when the gun goes off. Both of you went potato here. You failed the rest of the team by not checking on it. I personally think that it is freaking stupid to dq someone just because of that. But the rules are rules, it doesn't matter how stupid the rule is. Cheer up, hopefully the two of you learn a lesson.
Be Somebody wrote:
More like FrustratedHSXCCoach, how da fuq do you forget to put your bib on. Part of your job is to make sure your kids are ready to go when the gun goes off. Both of you went potato here. You failed the rest of the team by not checking on it. I personally think that it is freaking stupid to dq someone just because of that. But the rules are rules, it doesn't matter how stupid the rule is. Cheer up, hopefully the two of you learn a lesson.
Seriously. How dumb can you get. No offense to OP, either. That's just really, really dumb.
I'm not the coach by the way. I'm a runner on the team. I guess I just don't understand what the significance of the bib is in regards to being dq'd
I think many DQs are just against common sense, but this is just basic. One reason you need a bib is for identification for possible infractions.
When you have that first baby, it may be excusable to forget the bib. But that second kid damn well better be wearing a bib or you're just a lousy parent!
FrustratedHSXCRunner wrote:
I'm not the coach by the way. I'm a runner on the team. I guess I just don't understand what the significance of the bib is in regards to being dq'd
The significance is that it must be worn during competition per rule book. And you do not get to wear someone else's, or one from two years ago. Still puzzled?
How was this missed during uniform checks?
There are several reasons you would need a race bib.
1) identification in case of a rule violation.
2) it identifies you as one of the 7 varsity members of your team, or as a competitor in the state championships.
3) the bib system with video is used to determine official order of finish at a number of championship meets.
Really, this isn't a stupid rule. The bib has practical applications and you are asked to wear them at every major invitational.
Larry the cable guy wrote:
How was this missed during uniform checks?
There are several reasons you would need a race bib.
1) identification in case of a rule violation.
2) it identifies you as one of the 7 varsity members of your team, or as a competitor in the state championships.
3) the bib system with video is used to determine official order of finish at a number of championship meets.
Really, this isn't a stupid rule. The bib has practical applications and you are asked to wear them at every major invitational.
Ding ding ding. Correct answer.
Forgetting your bib in an important race is worse than forgetting your spikes.
The bib is very important, so you don't spill any pablum on your shirt.
Larry the cable guy wrote:
How was this missed during uniform checks?
There are several reasons you would need a race bib.
1) identification in case of a rule violation.
2) it identifies you as one of the 7 varsity members of your team, or as a competitor in the state championships.
3) the bib system with video is used to determine official order of finish at a number of championship meets.
Really, this isn't a stupid rule. The bib has practical applications and you are asked to wear them at every major invitational.
Yep. No one noticed while you were doing your warmup and strides before the race? When I coached, we always checked uniforms at the line before the runners started their strides. And the kid didn't look at a teammate, notice that he was wearing a bib, and say "oh, crap, I need to get my bib on"?
Crappy situation, but you are pointing the blame in the wrong direction. Your teammate screwed up.
J.R. wrote:
The bib is very important, so you don't spill any pablum on your shirt.
I was thinking more about Gerber's mashed peas. Has there ever been a baby who actually liked to eat that?
Larry the cable guy wrote:...There are several reasons you would need a race bib.
1) identification in case of a rule violation.
2) it identifies you as one of the 7 varsity members of your team, or as a competitor in the state championships.
3) the bib system with video is used to determine official order of finish at a number of championship meets.
Really, this isn't a stupid rule. The bib has practical applications and you are asked to wear them at every major invitational.
Also, chips don't work 100% of the time. Mayor's Cup in Boston last week one of the guys on our team's chips didn't read at the finish. Because he was wearing a bib it was easy to positively identify him in the backup timing system.
I'm the biggest proponent of "no stupid pointless rules", in this case there are a lot of good reasons why the OP's teammate should have been DQ'd - in fact I'd even say the runner should have been pulled off the course as soon as a race official noticed he or she didn't have a bib on (or not allowed to start, how does the clerk of the race allow that to happen?).
To the OP...to see why this is really an issue I'd encourage you to volunteer to work with the timing crew at any mid-size road race. See aht problems finishers without bibs cause, you'll change your position.
Why do you call a race number a bib?