The beach discipline within surf life saving sport includes a variety of events including individual beach sprint, team beach sprint and beach flags.
Beach Flags – A “knock Out” heat event
This event carries some detailed regulations, it is a highly competitive, tactical and very physical event where every advantage possible is taken and the outcome is based on split seconds where tiny details can make the win or lose difference.
From a prone starting position competitors rise, turn and race to grab a baton (beach flag) buried upright in the sand approximately 20m away. With fewer batons than competitors, those who fail to grab a baton are eliminated. This continues until there is a winner.
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Regulation details for Beach flags events
Competitors take their allotted positions, a minimum of 1.5m apart at the start line, face down with their toes on the start line with heels together, hands on top of each other with fingertips to wrists and head up. Elbows should be 90 degrees to the body’s midline and hips and stomach must be in contact with the sand. The body’s midline should be 90 degrees to the start line. Competitors may level, flatten, and compress their starting area but no scooping of the sand or digging, or digging in of the feet is permitted.