High School Cross Country

High School Cross Country<br /><br />Runners compete against the field as individuals and together as a team. Competitors are timed and run for a specific place. Unlike other sports, the team with the least amount of points wins. When a runner crossed the finish line, he is awarded points based on the order of finish. For example, the first place finishers team is awarded 1 point; the second place finisher 2 points. A teams score is not tallied until the fifth runner on that team crosses the finish. The combined point totals for each team are ranked against one another from lowest to highest to determine a winner. Each runner must wear shoes and matching school issued jerseys and shorts. Sleeved undershirts and leggings are permitted but cannot have a visible logo of more than 2 1/2 inches square. Coaches are responsible for making sure that any jewelry is removed because this is considered a hazard. The only exceptions are medical or religious medals, which are not considered jewelry and must be taped to the body. According to rule 4.3.3, a warning is issued for the first uniform violation, followed by the disqualification of the player for subsequent infractions.