17/10/2026
🏃♀️🏆 EVADANTE SPORTS | ATHLETICS PERFORMANCE HUB
BEYOND THE FINISH LINE
Parent Education Series | Post 01
🚨 APE vs ABSA POINTS: WHY EVERY ATHLETICS PARENT NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE!
A GOLD MEDAL TELLS US WHO WON. BUT DOES IT TELL US HOW STRONG THE PERFORMANCE REALLY WAS?
Every athletics season, parents celebrate personal bests, medals, school records and team selections.
But how many parents understand the points awarded to their children?
And more importantly, how many know whether those points were calculated using the correct scoring tables?
📊 1. WHAT ARE APE POINTS?
APE stands for Athletics Performance Evaluation.
The 2024–2027 APE tables were developed under Athletics South Africa (ASA), in association with South African Schools Athletics (SASA).
These tables assign performance scores to official times, heights and distances according to the relevant event, age group and category.
This makes it possible to evaluate performances across different athletics disciplines using a standardised scoring framework.
For example, a sprinter and a high jumper can both earn 500 APE points despite competing in completely different events.
The points reflect performance against the applicable standards, not simply finishing position.
📚 2. WHAT ABOUT ABSA POINTS?
Many parents, teachers and coaches will remember the term ABSA points.
This terminology appears in historical South African school-athletics results and refers to an older points-scoring approach.
The important distinction is that ABSA points and the current APE tables must not automatically be treated as interchangeable.
Before comparing scores, we must establish exactly which scoring table was used.
🏃 3. LET'S LOOK AT REAL EXAMPLES
🔵 APE EXAMPLE — 2024–2027 HIGH SCHOOL TABLES
Boys Under 15 | 100 m | Electronic timing
13.27 seconds = 500 APE points
This illustrates how a recorded performance is translated into a points score using the relevant APE table.
🔴 HISTORICAL ABSA EXAMPLE — 2018
A published school-athletics report recorded:
Boys Under 14 | 100 m
12.28 seconds = 785 ABSA points
These are two separately documented examples, not a direct comparison. The athletes competed in different age groups, with different performances and scoring frameworks.
The historical ABSA conversion table has not been independently verified.
The lesson? Never compare two points scores without first checking the scoring system, age category, event and timing method.
🏆 4. WHY DOES THIS MATTER FOR TEAM SELECTION AND AWARDS?
Imagine two athletes:
🥇 Athlete A wins a race against a relatively weak field.
🥉 Athlete B finishes third in a highly competitive race but achieves an exceptional personal best.
Who delivered the stronger performance?
Finishing position alone cannot answer that question.
Performance points provide another way to assess achievement.
However, parents must understand that points do not automatically determine team selection. Selection depends on the official criteria applicable to the particular school, district, province or competition.
A transparent selection process should explain which criteria are being used.
📁 5. WHY ACCURATE RECORD KEEPING IS ESSENTIAL
Every athlete should have a reliable performance history.
Parents and coaches should ensure that records include:
✅ Full name and correct age category
✅ Competition date and meeting name
✅ Event and official performance
✅ Finishing position
✅ Manual or electronic timing
✅ Wind readings where applicable
✅ Personal bests and season bests
✅ Performance points and scoring-table version
✅ Official results or supporting documentation
An incorrect time, wrong age category, missing result or incorrectly applied scoring table can create an inaccurate picture of an athlete's achievements.
Reliable records help coaches monitor development, identify strengths, plan training and provide evidence when performances need to be verified.
❤️ 6. PARENTS, REMEMBER THE BIGGER PICTURE
An athlete is more than a medal.
An athlete is more than a points score.
A child who improves from 14.20 seconds to 13.80 seconds has achieved something meaningful, even if they do not finish on the podium.
Our responsibility is to recognise development, encourage progress and ensure that every athlete's achievements are represented accurately.
A MEDAL CELEBRATES A MOMENT. AN ACCURATE ATHLETICS RECORD TELLS THE STORY OF AN ATHLETE'S DEVELOPMENT.
💙 EVADANTE SPORTS BELIEVES:
Informed parents make better decisions.
Accurate records support fairer evaluation.
Transparent systems build trust.
And athletes deserve to have their hard work recognised correctly.
📣 PARENTS, HERE ARE FOUR QUESTIONS WORTH ASKING YOUR SCHOOL:
1️⃣ Which athletics points system is being used?
2️⃣ Are the correct age-group and event tables being applied?
3️⃣ Can parents access their children's official results and performance records?
4️⃣ How are points considered when athletes are selected or recognised?
KNOW THE RULES. QUESTION THE FACTS. PROTECT OUR ATHLETES.
💬 LET'S TALK: Does your child's school explain how athletics points are calculated, or do you simply receive a number without an explanation?
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📚 REFERENCES & FURTHER READING
1. Athletics South Africa (ASA) & South African Schools Athletics (SASA). Athletics Performance Evaluation (APE) Tables, High Schools, 2024–2027. Compiled by Sarel Bekker and Richard Stander.
https://www.bsport.co.za/2024-APE-Tables-High-Schools.pdf
2. South African Schools Athletics. Official school athletics information and APE tables.
https://schoolathletics.info/
3. Letaba Herald, 26 January 2018. Historical school-athletics reporting, including ABSA performance points.
https://www.citizen.co.za/letaba-herald/news-headlines/2018/01/26/atletiek-begin-op-n-hoe-noot-by-ben-vorster/
4. Twizza Super Schools Series. Competition rules and APE/ASA scoring system.
https://superschoolseries.com/
Educational note: Scoring tables and selection requirements may differ by competition. Always consult the applicable official regulations.
