Borders League Eligibility
There is just one age restriction on eligibility to run in the Borders League in any season namely, that athletes must be 15 or over.
This is a change effective from season 2023-24. Previously the requirement was for athletes to be 15 or over on the 1st September prior to the start of the season.
Disputes in previous seasons, over the status of athletes moving from one Borders League club to another, led to the publication of a PDF document to clarify the issue. This can be found here .
This is now more than 15 years old, and while the rules have not changed, the procedure for transferring clubs is slightly different.
Here are appropriate links to follow for Welsh and English athletes respectively.
Identification of Athletes
The club that the athlete represents must be immediately identifiable from the athlete’s apparel. In practice, this means that tops (vests or otherwise) in club colours should be worn uppermost in a race. Failure to do so will render the athlete liable to disqualification.
The Competitions and how they are scored
Each Borders League meet is run as a single combined race, and the results are used to calculate the scores in 8 team competitions, along with 18 individual competitions. The following explains what those competitions are, and the scoring system used in each:
- Initially, overall positions are assigned on the basis of finishing order, irrespective of gender. However, as from season 2016-17, these positions are only for external publication of the results as a single race. They are no longer relevant to any of the Borders League competitions.
- Subsequently, two further sets of results are extracted – a male finishing order and a female finishing order. These are the results used in the scoring of (from 2016-17) all Borders League competitions.
- Scoring is based on position within that finishing order 1 for first place, 2 for second, etc. So, in all competitions, the winner is the team/individual which/who accumulates fewest points over the season.
- Athletes who miss a particular race are assigned a penalty score for that race. For the individual competitions, this is 500 for men, 200 for ladies. For all team competitions, this is (following agreed rule changes at 2017 and 2018 AGMs) likewise 500 per man , 200 per lady.
TEAM COMPETITIONS
- For all team competitions, team scores for a race are calculated as the sum of the scores of all the team finishers plus penalty points for any missing team members. These team scores are totalled over all the races in a season to give a final score.
- For the main competitions (both genders), the competing clubs are split into a First Division, currently fixed at 7 clubs, and a Second Division, comprising the remaining 11 clubs.
- At the end of each season, promotion and relegation operates between the two divisions, with the bottom two teams in Division 1 being replaced by the top two in Division 2.
- Team sizes (maximum number of athletes whose positions determine the team score) vary according to gender and division. Following the 2023 AGM, female teams were increased in size in both divisions as follows:
Division 1 Men 10 Division 1 Ladies 6
Division 2 Men 7 Division 2 Ladies 4
Improvers Competitions
- These are essentially team handicap competitions, with no segregation into separate divisions.
- The handicap is assigned on the basis of the club’s average score per team member, calculated from the previous season, to give a so-called target score. Irrespective of division, scores are calculated on the basis of 7 man male teams, and 4 lady female teams.
- In each race, the team’s Improvers score is calculated by subtracting its target score from its (7 man/4 lady) score in the main competition. In consequence, the most improved teams have negative scores.
Veterans Competitions
- From 2016-17, two Veterans Competitions have operated – one each for male and female athletes..
- From season 2024-25, Veterans (both genders) are defined as being in the V35 class or older.
- There is no segregation into separate divisions for Veterans. Male teams consist of 7 athletes; female teams consist of 4 athletes.
INDIVIDUAL COMPETITIONS
- Overall scores are calculated as the sum of the individual scores for each race, minus the worst score incurred. In practice, this means that, to win an award, an athlete can afford to miss one race, but not two.
- Individual competitions are segregated on the basis of age as well as gender. This results in the definition of 23 competition categories; these are defined below.
- In addition, a trophy is awarded to best male athlete overall, and to the best female athlete overall.
- Age category is now assigned on the basis of the athlete’s age at the date of the first race of the Borders season. For season 2026-27, this is set to be October 4th, 2026.
- The individual competition categories defined for the Borders League are as follows:
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- U20M male, age 15 to 19 inclusive
- SM male, age 20 to 34 inclusive
- MV35 male, age 35 to 39 inclusive
- MV40 male, age 40 to 44 inclusive
- MV45 male, age 45 to 49 inclusive
- MV50 male, age 50 to 54 inclusive
- MV55 male, age 55 to 59 inclusive
- MV60 male, age 60 to 64 inclusive
- MV65 male, age 65 to 69 inclusive
- MV70 male, age 70 to 75 inclusive
- MV75 male, age 75 to 80 inclusive
- MV80 male, age 80 and upwards
- U20F female, age 15 to 19 inclusive
- SF female, age 20 to 34 inclusive
- FV35 female, age 35 to 39 inclusive
- FV40 female, age 40 to 44 inclusive
- FV45 female, age 45 to 49 inclusive
- FV50 female, age 50 to 54 inclusive
- FV55 female, age 55 to 59 inclusive
- FV60 female, age 60 to 64 inclusive
- FV65 female, age 65 to 69 inclusive
- FV70 female, age 70 to 75 inclusive
- FV70 female, age 75 and upwards
Further categories may be added as required.
Updated 06/09/2026