(formerly known as the UK School Games)
29th August - 1st September 2024 Loughborough
Overview
Since 2006, the School Games National Finals have provided the perfect opportunity for young athletes (U17s) to experience a mini-Olympics, spectate other sporting events, stay in fantastic team accommodation and competing as part of a wider team.
The School Games has seen many of its athletes go on to achieve the highest sporting accolades and success on national and international stages. Inspirational athletes including Jonnie Peacock, Morgan
Lake, and Hannah Cockroft.
2022 saw the last School Games National Finals, which with great success and many athletes went on to compete in the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games.
We are pleased to report that the games will take place again in August 2024, with athletics making up one of the 10 sports.
British Athletics and the designated lead organisations in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales are keen to provide a competition opportunity, which brings the best athletes together at a multi sports games and links with the Home Country Talent Pathways. The previous two Games have used a revamped competition offer, which better meets the needs of the sport.
Para-Athletics Selection Policy
What is the REVISED competition format?
Prior to 2021, the games had seen 5 teams representing the North, Midlands and South of England, Northern Ireland, and Scotland, competing against each other in a traditional athletics competition.
In 2024 we will deliver the revamped competition format, first used in 2021, which:
• Provides increased numbers of athletes present at the games (increasing from 5 to 8 Teams)
• Selects the best 8 available athletes from across the UK, per event (male and female) and wherever possible, provides fair representation from the four home countries.
• Provides 8 evenly balanced teams, to provide a better team competition experience.
• Links directly with the Home Country Talent Pathway and Programmes.
How does it work?
• We have introduced new Entry Standards, which athletes must achieve to be considered for selection.*
• We will select the first athlete per event (male and Female) from each Home Country, who has the achieved the entry standard in the qualification period.**
• We will then select the next 4 best athletes, based on ranking, to make up the remaining 4 places.
• If any Home country does not have an athlete who meets the entry standard, then the next best athlete from the remaining Home-Countries will be selected.***
• If any athletes are unavailable for the School Games based on the above criteria, we will then move to the next highest ranked athlete.
• The top 8 selected athletes will then compete as part of an All-Stars Team, which will be drafted on the day of the selection meeting.
How does the draft system work?
• Each athlete will be given a point score based on their ranking at the selection meeting. i.e. the number one ranked athlete will be given a point score of 8 and then eighth ranked athlete will be given a point score of 1.
• The 8 teams will then be selected to ensure that all teams have an evenly balanced make up /
numbers.
* The Entry standards are based on the 2023 English Schools Entry standard for this age group.
** If an athlete from any Home Country has met the entry standard and is the number one ranked athlete for their country but is ranked lower than other athletes with the entry standard, they would still be selected first as the highest ranked athlete for their Home Country.
*** In the event that there is no athlete(s) with the entry standard from a home country/ home countries in a given event, the selection panel will then look at the next highest ranked athlete with an entry standard.
Eligibility
1.To be considered for selection, athletes must satisfy the following:
a. Be competing as an Under 17 on or before the 31st August 2024. (D.O.B. 1st September 2007 to 31st August 2009)
b. have achieved the relevant Entry Standard within the specified period,
c. sign the School Games Team Members’ Agreement (“TMA”) and abide by its terms and conditions. Any athlete failing to do so prior to the first date of competition will result in their selection being withdrawn.
Qualifications
2. To be considered as part of the selection process, qualifications performances must be achieved between the Monday 1st January 2024 and the Sunday 14th July 2024 23:59.
3. Most Entry Standards have been based on the English Schools Standards.
Please note meeting an Entry Standard is NOT confirmation of selection for the School Games National Finals.
|
Male |
Event |
Female |
|
11.10 |
100m |
12.50 |
|
22.70 |
200m |
25.80 |
|
51.10 |
400/300m |
41.20 |
|
1:57.00 |
800m |
2:16.00 |
|
4:06.00 |
1500m |
4:45.00 |
|
8:56.00 |
3000m |
10:20.00 |
|
4:40.00 |
1500m SC |
5:23.00 |
|
14.00 |
100m / 80m Hurdles |
12.00 |
|
58.70 |
400m / 300m Hurdles |
46.40 |
|
6.40m |
Long Jump |
5.40m |
|
13.20m |
Triple Jump |
10.90m |
|
1.88m |
High Jump |
1.65m |
|
3.90m |
Pole Vault |
3.10m |
|
13.20m |
Shot Put |
12.00m |
|
40.00m |
Discus |
32.00m |
|
47.00m |
Hammer |
45.00m |
|
52.00m |
Javelin |
38.00m |
Selection Process
4. The School Games National Final Teams will be selected in one meeting on Monday 15th July 2024.
5. A maximum of 8 athletes (male & female) will be selected for each event.
6. A reserve list will also be selected on the day based on the criteria set out within this document.
7. Prior to the selection meeting, athletes who have met the entry standard will be requested to complete an online registration form to confirm they wish to be considered for selection. If this form is not completed, then you will not be eligible for selection. Please note completing this form does not guarantee selection, but it is an important process, to ensure we have all the required information for those athletes successfully selected.
8. Round 1 – Home Country Automatic Selections
a. The highest ranked athlete, per event (male and female) from each Home Country, with an Entry Standard will be automatically selected.
b. If no athlete(s) from a Home Country / Home Countries have successfully achieved the Entry Standard, this place within the teams will move to round 2.
9. Round 2 – Highest ranked athletes remaining after round 1
a. After round 1 the next 4 highest ranked athletes, per event (male and female), with an Entry Standard will be automatically selected.
b. If any additional places have passed over from Round 1, the panel will select the next best athlete(s) remaining after Round 2, point a.
Please note if any athletes provisionally selected in Rounds 1 & 2 confirm (in writing) prior to the meeting that they do not wish to take part in the School Games National Final, the panel will select the next highest eligible athlete(s).
10. Round 3 – Selecting a Reserve List
British Athletics are aware that some athletes may need to withdraw from the School Games prior to the event. To help limited the disruptions to the teams and the event, the panel will select a reserve list for each event.
At the 2024 School Games National final, teams will compete in a Universal 4 x 100m Relay (See example). The relay members will be made up of the athletes selected for each team.
Conditions
11. Performances must be achieved during competitions organised or authorised by the World Athletics, its Area Associations, or its National Member Federations. Domestic competitions will only be accepted if they are achieved in Permit Level 2 competition (or higher) OR any of the following Permit Level 1 competitions: Please visit -
https://www.uka.org.uk/competitions/fixtures/
- All County Championships
- All County Schools’ Championships
- All divisions of the British Athletics League (BAL)
- All Premier division UK Youth Development League (YDL) matches (upper age-group).
- Scottish Schools National Champs & Scottish League
- Northern Ireland & Ulster Age Group Championships
- Ulster Schools Championships
- Any Open Meeting run by Athletics Northern Ireland
For the avoidance of doubt, any Permit Level 1 competitions not listed above will NOT be valid for entry standard purposes.
12. Providing the sprints are timed using photo finish and that sprints and jumps all use a wind gauge.
13. Wind-assisted performances (or performances achieved at events where wind measurement was not available) will not be accepted.
14. Any performances achieved in mixed track event, involving both male and female participants and held completely in a stadium, shall not be accepted. For more information, please refer to Rule 9 of the UKA Rules for Competition Manual.
15. Hand-timed performances in 100m, 200m, 300m /400m, 800m, 80m/100m Hurdles and 300/400m Hurdles will not be accepted.
16. Indoor performances for all field events and for races of 400m or longer will be accepted.
Appeals
17. There shall be no right of appeal to the selection of the School Games Teams made by the Panel.
The provisions of the British Athletics Selection and Nomination “Fast” Appeals Procedure do not
apply to the School Games team’s selection for the 2024 School Games National Finals.
Amendments
18. British Athletics reserves the right to amend this Selection Policy at its sole discretion and will make any amended version publicly available (including the date on which any amendment was made) at www.uka.org.uk.