Open exchanges

Open push passes are used in the 4x400 and 4x800 relay exchanges - and increasingly in the 4x200. 

Key points for a fast open exchange:

1. OWN YOUR LANE! Okay, you aren’t in lanes for the 4x400 and 4x800 exchanges, except for the 1st exchange in the 4x400. So what does "Own your lane!" mean? It means leave some space on the inside for your incoming teammate. Space between you and the inside of the track if you are first in line. Space between you and the outgoing runner in front of you if lined up. Room on the inside isn't critical if you do the exchange perfectly and don't overlap, but it is very important if you overlap. In that case, one or both of you may crash!

2. GET OUT! FAST! You want to make the exchange at full (4x400 or 4x800) speed. Not slowly or while still accelerating. But you don't want to run longer than necessary, or need a lot of steps to accelerate to full 4x100 speed. So take two or three FAST steps RUNNING, not shuffling, and then look back and extend your arm for the baton.

3. Let me repeat that. You RUN, not shuffle, for two or three steps. Shuffling is too slow! You won't match the speed of the incoming runner if you are shuffling. You need to RUN two or three steps. You can always then slow down if the incoming runner is rigging.

4. Give the incoming runner a high target! After the fast running steps, extend your left arm back holding your hand high at shoulder level. Sight down your arm and hand to the face of the incoming runner. Give the incoming runner a high target to push into. A low hand/target makes the incoming runner reach down, which will slow him/her and potentially cause them to lose balance and fall.

5. Give them a big target! Hold your hands fingers up, with thumb extended and point towards the infield. As if you are signaling "STOP" with your hand.

6. Incoming runner holds the baton in the right hand vertically and pushes it into the left hand of the outgoing runner. Push it directly forward! Don't hold it up high and then swing it down, or hold it low and swing it up. Hold the baton at shoulder level and as you reach your teammate extend your arm straight forward and push the baton into their hand.

7. After the exchange, the incoming runner immediately runs off the track to the inside if in lane 1. If in other lanes, hold your line, look back and then step off to the inside if clear. 

Examples and Learning Points:

Here are some videos showing open exchanges (and mistakes) and points on why open exchanges are used in the "distance" relays.

Here is a 10-second video of the NCAA Championship 4x400 relay exchanges. 

Watch it several times because even the slow mo section goes by quickly.
Note the following:


1. All did open hands offs.


2. All did push passes, with arms up HIGH.


3. They all RAN, not shuffled.


4. They didn’t raise their arms until after the quick running steps. (Well, at least Arkansas. Can't really tell with the others.)

5. They ran FAST. Just a couple steps and a few meters, but FAST.


6. They left room on the inside for the incoming runner in case they overlapped, but…


7. Because they got out FAST (no shuffling) they didn’t overlap.


8. They received the baton within 5 meters of starting to run. (So minimized the distance run.)

9. The incoming runner held the baton vertically and PUSHED it into the open hand of the outgoing runner. NO downsweeps or upsweeps.



THAT is how you do a open handoff for the 4x400 and 4x800, and most all good collegiate and high school programs are going to it for the 4x200.



Why? 


1. Because an open hand off is as fast as a closed handoff for all distances beyond the 4x100. 


2. You run a shorter distance. 


3. The push is a much more natural (I.e. faster) running position for the incoming runner 


4. The chances of screwing up – fumbling the exchange because of a missed upsweep or downsweep, the outgoing runner running away from the incoming because they aren’t looking, the outgoing runner running too fast and then having to stop so the incoming can catch up – are MUCH lower.

Blind Hand Offs in 4x100

On the other hand, blind hand offs are used in the 4x100 because the incoming runner is running so fast, the outgoing runner can’t match his speed while looking back. They have to run straight forward with eyes forward. That isn’t an issue in the 4x400 and 4x800.

Up Sweep and Down Sweep passes are passé.

However, even in the 4x100, push passes are now used. The downsweep and upsweep are no longer used because mistakes (misses) are so common and because the upsweep or downsweep slows down the incoming runner. Notice that all 3 of these exchanges are a PUSH of a VERTICAL baton! Not a downsweep or upsweep.

Practice makes perfect

And only perfect practice makes perfect relay exchanges.

Extensive practice is needed to perfect exchanges, especially for the 4x100. I can see at least 4 errors in this exchange. How many can you see?

I see:

1. Outgoing runner didn't OWN THE LANE! He didn't leave room on the inside for the incoming runner.

2. Outgoing runner showed a flat hand, not a large "STOP" hand. (He actually combined the arm/hand position of a blind hand off while looking back like in an open exchange. In an open exchange you hold the hand fingers up, thumb to the inside, like signaling STOP.)

3. Incoming runner swept the baton, didn't push it.

4. Incoming runner didn't hold the baton vertically.

Any others?

4x100 meter relay exchange technique below.

This is NOT the open exchange technique for the 4x400 and 4x800.

Two mistakes in this video: 

1. I DON'T like how the outgoing runners are holding up their arms while waiting for the incoming runner here. What is the point? It slows down your acceleration. RUN, then look back and extend your arm. 

2. Also, the outgoing runner in the second example didn't OWN THE LANE! She strayed into the inside of the line, potentially leading to tripping.

The video below is about the 4x100, but has some good points for open exchanges nonetheless:

1. Own the Lane!

2. Exchange drill staying on opposite sides of a lane

3. Leaving too early isn't a deadly mistake in the open exchange, because you will look back and can adjust your speed. Plus you are running slower, so you don't run out of the zone as quickly. You have more time to adjust.

4. See this clip of the open exchange for the 4x200 and up.