The following rules have been implemented to govern the Cross Country Coaches National Youth Championships.

A. TEAM PARTICIPATION
Only club members of a team participating in the AAU or USATF district or association meets may advance as a team to the national meet. A team may have up to three members from an adjoining district or association. The top three teams at the AAU or USATF district or association cross country meet are eligible to compete. Any team that finishes as one of the top 10 teams at Nike Team Nationals Regional is eligible to compete as a team if they have at least five individuals on that team in the same age group.

B. TEAM SCORING
1. Teams will consist of 5-8 members from the same club in the same age group.
2. The finishing position of an athlete shall be his/her score.
3. The total of the positions of the first five (5) members of each team shall be that team’s score.
4. Displaced runners, those athletes who did not compete on a team, will be deleted from the list of place finishers. The team finishers will then be reassigned finishing places and the score calculated as indicated.
5. Teams with fewer than five (5) finishers shall not be scored as a team.
6. The team whose sixth member finishes first shall be given the higher place in case of a tie.

C. INDIVIDUAL PARTICIPATION
The top 20 individuals not on a team at the AAU or USATF district or association cross country meet are eligible to compete. Any Foot Locker runner who finished as one of top 160 individuals in the seeded section of their regional meet is eligible to participate. The top 50 runners in the freshman and sophomore races at their Foot Locker regional meet are also eligible to participate. Any individual that finishes in the top 50 at a Nike Team Nationals Regional is eligible to compete as an individual. Competitors must compete in their age divisions only. No athlete may compete in a younger or older division.

D. PROOF OF AGE
Proof of age is required at registration for the Cross Country Coaches National Youth Championships and whenever required and/or challenged.

Acceptable forms are:
1. A copy of an original birth certificate;
2. A notarized original birth certificate from the appropriate issuing authority;
3. A US Military Government Identification Card;
4. A valid passport (not expired); and/or
5. A valid US drivers license.

E. UNIFORMS
Competitors must wear clothing that is clean, designed and worn so as not to be objectionable. The competitors must not wear clothing that could impede the view of the judges. Athlete’s tops must be of the same color on the front and back. All participating team members must wear jerseys (tops) of the same color in the qualifying process. A team at the national meet may wear shorts of any length but they must be of the same color.