dumbdumbedq wrote:
As far as the physical assistance rules go, they require the athlete to receive a warning before a disqualification: "Any athlete giving or receiving assistance during any event other than permitted in
Rule 144.4 must be cautioned by the Referee and warned that for any repetition, he or she will be disqualified from that event." The only exceptions to the warning requirement are for pacing infractions and receiving physical assistance that "assists in making forward progress in the race," neither of which happened here. So my question is was he previously warned by an official that his coach handing him a bottle would result in a dq? If not, it seems like the race made a clearly wrong decision.
In addition, another related rule is:
Section 144.9.c (page USTAF Competition Rules pg. 55) (or page 64 of total pdf file)
(c) A competitor who receives or collects refreshment or water from a place other
than the official stations, except where provided for medical reasons from or
under the direction of race officials, or takes the refreshment of another
competitor, should, for a first such offense, be warned by the Referee normally
by showing a yellow card. For a second offense, the Referee shall disqualify
the competitor, normally by showing a red card. The competitor shall then
immediately leave the course.
At the point, if you want to be a USATF rule-stickler (which is fine; rules are rules), you have to acknowledge the meet referee (assuming Philly had one) did not operate within the USATF rulebook- unless the coach (who has responded numerously on here and social media) is omitting that he and/or Ethan did receive a warning. I've seen many people say that Ethan and coach should have known the rules, but shouldn't the USATF certified officials also know the rules?
