4x100m Relay Rules
Four sprinters, four legs of 100m, baton passed inside a marked changeover zone.
Teams of 4, run entirely in lanes; the baton must be exchanged within a fixed 20m changeover zone.
- •Fastest total time for the team wins
- •A dropped baton or a pass completed outside the changeover zone disqualifies the team
- •League standings can rank teams by best time or head-to-head placings
- •The baton, not the runner, must cross the finish line — and must be carried by hand the whole way
- •Running order can't change mid-race, but can change between rounds/races
- •A false start by any team member disqualifies the whole team
The changeover zone
Relays are won and lost in the changeovers, not on the straights. The baton must be exchanged entirely within a 30m takeover zone, and an exchange outside it disqualifies the team regardless of how fast they ran.
The incoming runner does not slow down and the outgoing runner does not wait. The outgoing athlete starts on a visual check mark and accelerates, aiming to be at close to full speed when the baton arrives.
Blind changes and practice
At speed, the exchange is blind: the outgoing runner does not look back but extends a hand on a call from the incoming runner. It is the single hardest thing to teach and needs practice as a unit rather than as individuals.
For a club league, allowing visual changes for developing teams is sensible. A slower but completed changeover beats a dropped baton, and the 4x100m is unforgiving of teams who have never practised together.
Common questions
How long is the takeover zone?
30m, with an additional acceleration zone the outgoing runner may start from. The baton itself must change hands inside the takeover zone; the runners' positions do not matter, only the baton's.
What happens if the baton is dropped?
The team may pick it up and continue, provided the athlete who dropped it retrieves it and no other team is impeded. In practice a drop in a 4x100m ends any chance of a competitive time.
Which order should runners go in?
A common approach puts a strong starter on the first leg, the fastest bend runners on legs one and three, the best straight runner on leg two, and a strong finisher on the anchor. Team strengths matter more than any formula.
How much practice does a team need?
More than most club teams give it. Several sessions of changeover practice at race pace, with fixed check marks measured out, is what separates a team that completes the race from one that does not.
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