County Qualification



COUNTY QUALIFICATION	Updated 8 April 2007

COUNTY QUALIFICATION AND DEFINITION OF SURREY

Link to Defintion of Surrey

To compete for Surrey or to enter one of its championships an athlete requires a Surrey qualification. County qualifications are defined by UK Athletics in its Rules for Competion.

The following extract is taken from UK Athletics - Rules for Competition - effective from 1^st April 2006 and is reproduced with permission from UKA.

RULE 9 COUNTY QUALIFICATION (ENGLAND AND WALES)

(1) County Championships are open to all eligible athletes possessing a County Qualification.

(2) A County qualification may be acquired as follows:

(a) By birth (see also Rule 4(1)).

(b) By nine months' continuous bona fide residence in the County immediately prior to the date of the competition.

(c) By service in a Unit of HM Forces stationed in the County for nine months immediately prior to the date of competition. Residential qualification in the case of anyone serving in the Royal Navy or Royal Marines is determined by the shore establishment, or in the case of a sea-going ship, by the manning port of such ship. Temporary absence on duty shall not break a qualification acquired under this paragraph.

NOTE: A Regimental Depot affiliated to a County Association may include in its team any duly qualified member of a service battalion.

(3) Competitors who have qualified, and competed under 2(b) and (c) retain the qualification until they have acquired residential qualification and competed in the Championship of another County or represented another County in an Inter-County Championship.

(4) A student at school, college or university does not acquire a residential qualification by residence during term time only.

(5) An athlete who has competed in a County Championship, (other than as allowed under 10 below) or represented a County in an Inter-County Championship, may not compete in the Championship of, nor represent another County in that competition year.

(6) County Inter-Team (including relay) Championships are open to:

(a) Any Club affiliated to the County Association, fulfilling the appropriate requirements of Rule 2(6).

(b) Any Unit of HM Services stationed in the County.

Every member of a team must hold a County qualification.

(7) A County may, at its discretion, limit Team Championships to affiliated Clubs.

(8) Athletes whose first claim Club is not affiliated to the County Association may compete for their second claim Club in a County Inter-Team Championship if they posess the necessary County qualification. Subject to the application of this Rule athletes may represent their Club from the date of election to the Club.

(9) A Club may affiliate to more than one County.

(10) A County may at its discretion relax the residential qualification in the case of Juniors and younger athletes, and of Seniors in residence at a college or university, but competition in any such events shall not be deemed to have established a County qualification.

(11) Where County boundaries are changed by law, affecting the place of birth or residence of an athlete, moving it from County A to County B the following shall apply:

(a) If athletes have already competed for County A or in the Championships of County A under (2) above, they shall retain the existing birth or residential qualification unless notice is given in writing to the Honorary Secretary of County A that they wish to be qualified for County B.

(b) If athletes have not competed for County A or in a Championship of County A under (2) above the place of birth or residence shall be deemed to have been in County B and any period of residence in County A to have been in County B.

(12) Competitors in an Inter-County Championship must possess a County qualification under (2) above for the County they represent.

The above Rule refers to "eligible athletes" and to Rules 2(6) and 4(1). The definition of an eligible athlete is contained in Rule 1.

Rules 1, 2 and 4(1) are as follows:

RULE 1 ELIGIBILITY TO COMPETE

All competitions under the Rules of UK Athletics (UKA) are confined to amateurs under the following definitions (hereinafter termed amateurs under UKA Rules):

(1) Definition of Amateur

An amateur is a person who is eligible to compete under the Rules of UKA.

(2) Restriction of Competition to Amateurs

Competitions under UKA Rules is restricted to amateur athletes who are under the jurisdiction of a Member of the International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF) and who are eligible under the rules laid down by UK Athletics.

(3) Ineligibility to Compete

The following are ineligible to take part in competition under UKA Rules:

Any persons who:

(a) have taken part in any competition in which any of the competitors in any of the events were to their knowledge ineligible to compete under UKA Rules.

NOTE: This does not apply to any athletics meeting which is solely restricted to the Masters (Veterans) age group.

(b) are ineligible to compete in competitions under the jurisdiction of any governing body of amateur athletics affiliated to the IAAF.

(c) take part in any athletics meeting, other than a Hill or Fell race, which is not sanctioned by UKA or one of its Territorial or National Associations.

(d) take part in any competition outside the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland which is not sanctioned, recognised or certified by the Member Association of the IAAF.

(e) have competed, or are competing in any sport for pecuniary reward, other than as permitted by IAAF Rules which have been accepted by UK Athletics.

(f) are suspended or banned for a doping offence by UK Athletics, or by the Governing Body of any other sport.

(g) ask for, or receive, directly or indirectly, any monetary consideration, reward or employment for becoming or continuing as a member of a Club or any other athletic organisation.

(h) use the services of an Athletes' Representative other than one approved under Rule 11.

(i) have been suspended or banned for being in breach of Rules 16 or 17 (Advertising and Sponsorship or Clothing).

(j) have been declared ineligible to compete by the IAAF.

(k) have committed any acts or made any statements either verbally or in writing, or have been responsible for any breaches of the Rules, or other conduct which, in the opinion of a Territorial or National Association is considered to be insulting, improper or likely to bring the sport and/or UK Athletics into disrepute.

(4) Unless the period of ineligibility is stated in the relevant Rule or Regulation of the IAAF or UK Athletics, those ineligible under this Rule shall be deemed ineligible for a period set down in guidelines produced by the Executive Board of UK Athletics, or, in the absence of such guidelines, for such period as the Executive Board of UK Athletics (for doping matters) or the Territorial or National Association (for all non-doping matters) shall decide.

(5) If athletes compete whilst suspended or ineligible, the period of this suspension shall be deemed to recommence from the time they last competed as though no part of a period of suspension or ineligibility had been served.

RULE 2 CLUBS

(1) A club is a bona fide Club or Society of amateur athletes affiliated to UKA in accordance with its Articles of Association and Rule Book. Each club must also be affiliated to the Territorial or National Association in whose geographical area of responsibiliy the Club's headquarters are located. No Club may form a branch.

(2) An affiliated Club must supply to the Association to which it it is affiliated, and to the UKA itself, such information as that body requires.

(3) A club must be properly constituted with a constitution which provides, inter alia, for its democratic management by means of a managing committee and the holding of an annual general meeting of all its members.

(4) Athletics is organised within the following disciplines:

(a) Track and Field

(b) Race Walking

(d) Cross Country including Trail Running

(e) Fell and Hill Running

(f) Trail Running

Clubs are deemed to cater for those disciplines for which they have declared to the appropriate Association the intention to compete in team competitions in that particular activity. Members of a Club may only compete in Championships or other Open Competitions if their club is affiliated for that discipline.

RULE 4 COMPETITION CONDITIONS

(1) For the purpose of determining place of birth for a competition qualification this may be either at the location of actual birth, or at the domicile of the mother at the time of birth, if different. In the event that the different locations are in different Counties or Districts then the athlete may make an irrevocable selection for which County or District they wish to be eligible. Once an athlete has made a decision as to their County or District of birth this may not be changed.

Definition of Surrey

The "County of Surrey" for the purposes of Athletics (and many other sports) is described as being the Ancient and Geographical County of Surrey. This means that in addition to the current Administrative County of Surrey it also includes part of Greater London.

Because of the various re-organisations of local government in the London area, and the fact that as far as athletics is concerned there is no county of London, the athletic county of Surrey (and indeed the athletic counties of Kent, Essex and Middlesex) includes that part of the Greater London area which, historically, was part of Surrey. In order to simplify matters Kent County AA and Surrey County AA agreed that for those areas South of the River Thames which have one of the following London postal disrticts are considered to be located in Surrey:

London Postal Districts in Surrey :

SE1 (Southwark), SE5 (Camberwell), SE11 (Kennington), SE15 (Peckham), SE16 (Rotherhithe), SE17 (Walworth), SE19 (Norwood), SE21 (Dulwich), SE22 (East Dulwich), SE24 (Herne Hill), SE25 (South Norwood), SE27 (West Norwood), SW2 (Brixton), SW4 (Clapham), SW8 (South Lambeth), SW9 (Stockwell), SW11 (Battersea), SW12 (Balham), SW13 (Barnes), SW14 (Mortlake), SW15 (Putney), SW16 (Streatham), SW17 (Tooting), SW18 (Wandsworth), SW19 (Wimbledon), SW20 (West Wimbledon).

For those parts of Greater London which are not located in a London Postal District then those located in the London Boroughs of Croydon, Sutton, Merton, Kingston and that part of Richmond which is on the "Surrey side" of the River Thames are all considered to be located in Surrey.

The Administrative County of Surrey comprises the boroughs of Elmbridge, Epsom & Ewell, Guildford, Mole Valley, Reigate & Banstead, Runneymede, Spelthorne, Surrey Heath, Tandridge, Waverley and Woking.