Athletics (British Sports Library)

RELAY RACING 127 judge his position, and then runs on with head straight to the front and the receiving right arm stretched behind his shoulder (palm and elbow uppermost), at an angle of about 45 degrees. The passer should hold the baton at the lower end and the receiver should grasp it at the upper end. Within the first 50 yards he transfers it to his left hand with an over-arm action, so that the back of the hand is towards the body, thus enabling the left hand' to again grasp the baton by the lower end ready for handing it over to the next receiver. The runner of the final relay obviously need not shift the baton from the right hand to the left. The incoming relay should cultivate a full forward stretch of the arm and shoulder, within such limits of his own exhaustion as will preserve him from falling if he is leg weary. The responsibility of effecting the transfer rests upon the incoming relay. He should aim f?r the receiver's arm, bringing the baton from an upright position and gradually swinging it down into the receiver's palm; he must, however, make absolutely sure that the man who is taking over from him has a firm hold of the baton before he himself lets it go. It is best to pass the baton from the right hand to the left directly it is received and in a single move– ment. In any case the runner should shift it from one hand to the other within a space of 50 yards,