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HOW CAN I KEEP SCORE AT A TRACK MEET? I WATCH MY SON’S TEAM WIN RACE AFTER RACE, AND THEN HEAR THAT THEY LOST THE MEET. OR THE REVERSE HAPPENS – THEY SELDOM WIN A RACE BUT WIN THE MEET!

Scoring a dual (2 teams) track meet is not difficult. Just bring a scientific calculator, PDA, binoculars, 3 or 4 assistants with cell phones, and a pencil and paper. (If you can keep a running score in your head look for a full ride to MIT or Cal Tech.)

Start with the pencil and paper. For each race give the team that wins 5 points, 3 points to the team that finishes 2nd, and 1 point for 3rd place. Odd. After the first race the score is either 9 –0 or 8 – 1 or 6 – 3 or 5 - 4. Do this for each event. As the meet progresses you need your trustworthy assistants because throwing, jumping, and running results will be coming in at the same time. Since you probably can’t see more than one event at a time you need some reliable information. Then add those 5s and 3s and 1s. This is why the tone of a meet can change so quickly – 2 races can make an 18 point difference in the score.

The total score should be divisible by 9, until the relay events are contested. In the Hockomock League the 4x100 and 4x400 are the final running events. In each relay the winning team scores 5 points, the losing team 0. This is why, spectator wise, it is so exciting when meets “come down to the relay”. If all other results are in and teams are within 5 points of each other going into the final relay, the meet is determined by the last race.

High school meets sometimes finish running events but are still contesting field events. Equal to the excitement of a meet coming down to the relay is a meet, which will be decided by one jump or one throw. Athletes from both teams and spectators crowd the usually uncrowded field event area to watch the final attempts. A fraction of an inch on the first second or third place can change the outcome of the meet. (The cell phone will come in handy here also – stars are born and PRs are set and grandparents need to hear about it!) Naturally there are times when you should hide the phone and bring a little sympathy – it’s not that much fun to be the kid who had the meet won until that last mark went a fraction of an inch beyond.)

Interesting facts…..
In the Hockomock League 16 events are contested. 14 are scored with 9 points, the 2 relays are 5 each, for a total of 136 points. 68 points tie the meet – if you are only keeping track of the points your own team scores you have won when you get to 69.

Dual meets can end in a 68 – 68 tie.

Ties in running events are rare, although an official may occasionally call one. Field events almost never tie because there are a number of tie-breaking rules. (High jump can tie for second or third place but never for first. It is an interesting phenomenon, but that’s another story…)