Club Eligibility – An update
The following notes outline the main points relating to eligibility and transfers as per the current rules. These can be found in UKA Rules for Competition (1st April 2008 Edition) Rules 3, 5 and 6.
CLUB MEMBERSHIP
There are three categories of club membership available to athletes, namely first claim, second claim and higher competition.
First Claim.
When athletes come into the sport one of the first things they do is to join an athletics club. As soon as they sign up for a club they automatically become a first claim member of that club. There is one exception to this and that relates to athletes who are still at school. In their case the school always has first claim on their services. Other than that, however, an athlete becomes a first claim member of the first club they join.
Athletics is, of course, a multi discipline sport and not all clubs cater for all disciplines. The six disciplines recognised in the rule book are Track and Field, Race Walking, Road Running, Cross Country, Fell & Hill Running and Trail Running. Clubs are deemed cater for a discipline if they have declared to their governing body (in our case Welsh Athletics) their intention to compete in team competitions in that activity. When athletes become first claim members of a club they do so for all the disciplines the club caters for at the time they join.
It is actually possible to be a first claim member of two clubs at the same time. If the original club does not cater for all the disciplines of athletics, athletes can become first claim members of another club purely for those disciplines not covered. For example, if the first club participated only in track & field, an athlete who wished to compete in road or cross-country events as well could join another club for that reason. He or she would then be first claim to club A for track & field only and to club B for road and cross-country. It is important to remember that the key factor is team competition. A member of a purely track and field club would be able to compete in that club’s colours in (say) a road running event as an individual.
Second Claim
There is nothing in the rules to prevent an athlete from joining more than one club. For a variety of reasons (which could include social or coaching) it sometimes suits people to do so. Athletes could then compete for their second club, when not required by their first club, but only in competitions that permit it. Some leagues, for instance, specify that participation is restricted to first claim members only, but there are some competitions that allow second claim members to take part. This is not the same situation as the one above where an athlete can be a first claim member of two clubs for different disciplines. Athletes could compete for their second claim clubs in the same disciplines as for their first in competitions where their first claim club does not participate and where second claim members are accepted.
Higher Competition Club
This is a fairly recent innovation and follows on from a scheme introduced in Scotland some years ago known as ‘secondary first claim’ membership. The intention of the rule is to give athletes the opportunity to compete at a higher level than that provided by their first claim club while at the same time being able to retain their membership of it. Previously, the only way to represent a club competing at a higher level was to transfer completely to that club and resign from the parent club.
There are some important points relating to this rule. Firstly, it applies to track and field only. It is not possible, therefore, for a roadrunner in a fairly small club to become a higher competition member of another in order to compete in, for example, the AAA 12 stage road relays. Even within track and field it is limited in scope. It applies only to league competition and then only for senior leagues. This means, for instance, that an athlete could not become a higher competition member of another club for the purpose of competing in the National Young Athletes’ League. As its purpose is to give an additional opportunity to athletes, it is not an obligation and they retain the right to opt to compete for their original club rather than the higher competition club, but they cannot compete for both on the same day. Higher claim membership is temporary, for one year at a time, and athletes remain first claim members of their original club.
So, what exactly constitutes higher competition? UKA has defined three levels. The highest is ‘British’ which means the British Athletics League for men and the UK Women’s League. The second tier is classified as ‘National and Territorial’ and covers the three English territories (North, Midlands and South) plus the national leagues of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. For the purposes of this rule, these leagues are all considered to be of the same level.
Athletes whose clubs participate in the Welsh League could not request higher competition status in order to compete in, say, the Midlands League. The third and final category covers lower regional and district leagues.
Note that it is leagues themselves that determine the level, not divisions within leagues. Athletes cannot apply for higher competition status to a club that just happens to be in a higher division. The lowest division of the Welsh League is of the same level as the highest division of the Southern or Midland Leagues.
Transfers and dual membership
Each association within UK Athletics is obliged to form an Eligibility Committee for the purpose of regulating movements of athletes from club to club. As athletes’ circumstances change they may wish to change clubs completely, become first claim to two clubs for different purposes or apply for higher competition status. The Eligibility Committee is concerned with movements of athletes. It is of no interest to the committee when athletes sign on for their first club, but any movements after that must have the committee’s approval.
I shall attempt to explain the rules covering each different kind of transfer.
Change of First Claim Club
If athletes decide that they simply wish to change clubs their first action is to resign from their current first claim club. They must do this in writing, and the club is obliged to consider the resignation within one month of receiving it. It is possible for a club to reject a letter of resignation although this is a very rare occurrence and generally only applies when the athlete is behind with club subscriptions. At the same time as they resign, athletes should complete a form ‘Application for Change of First Claim Club’ (the club should have a supply of these) and have it signed by two officers of the club they are leaving. They must then post this form to the Welsh Athletics office, with the appropriate fee, from where it will eventually be passed on for confirmation by the Eligibility Committee. Athletes are obliged to join another club within 28 days.
Hardship Applications
Athletes are not permitted to compete for their new clubs in team competitions until the Eligibility Committee has approved the change of first claim status. The normal waiting period for such a change is six months and if no exemptions are requested then that will apply. However, in certain circumstances this waiting time can be dispensed with or reduced. It is the responsibility of the athlete to apply for an exemption and this will be granted only for particular reasons. The most common of these reasons are when an athlete has changed address significantly, when the original club cannot provide the athlete with an adequate level of competition, or when the original club agrees in writing to support such an exemption. There are places on the transfer form for making these requests. The exemption given by agreement of the parent club can only be granted once. If a club is disbanded athletes can apply to join another club with immediate effect. If two clubs merge to create a bigger one, first claim membership of the new club is continuous, but if athletes do not wish to take up membership of the amalgamated club they will be able to join a new club without time penalty. Athletes in the under-13 and under-15 age groups are allowed an immediate change of clubs once only within each age group. Any further changes while in the same age group would be liable to the six months waiting time.
Dual First Claim Applications
There is only one reason for being a first claim member of two clubs and that is when the first club does not cater for particular disciplines. All that is required is for the athlete to fill in the same form as above, stating the disciplines for which they wish to become first claim to another club, and obtaining the agreement of the parent club that this is the case.
Higher Competition Club membership
Application for higher competition membership is made on a different form, provided by UKA, and available via their website, although it is possible that some clubs will have copies available. This form of membership is for one year at a time and requires a £10 registration fee. One important point is that applications must be made by 1st March in the year of competition, and the registration then takes effect from 1st April. It is permissible for athletes to register with a different higher-level club each year but not for more than one in the same year.
Where to apply
Please send all applications/fees to the Welsh Athletics office and not to members of the Eligibility Committee.
Welsh Athletics, Cardiff International Sports Stadium, Leckwith Road, Cardiff CF11 8AZ. Tel: 029 20 644870
Alan Currie
Welsh Athletics Rules and Eligibility Facilitator
September 2008
