• Sept. 23 and Dec. 5 chosen
Final mandatory section dates for the 2001 APSE contest are Wednesday, Dec. 5, and Sunday, Sept. 23.

• Non-compliance with rules will mean disqualification
Preliminary judging in the writing divisions and preliminary and final judging in the section divisions of the 2001 APSE contest will be done March 3-6 by panels of sports editors at the winter meeting in St. Petersburg, Fla.

• Guidelines for judging in the six writing divisions
Final judges will select the top five, in order, from as many as 10 finalists determined by the preliminary judges.

• Entry rules for writing
The upper right-hand corner of the first page of entries should include this information on separate lines.

• Guidelines for daily and Sunday
Judges will select – but not rank – the top 10 sections in each circulation category and will select as many as 10 honorable mentions.

• Daily and Sunday section contest rules
Entries must include a 3x5 index card with section division, paper, city, daily circulation and days of publication.

• Special section guidelines
Newspapers may submit only one special section. This includes one-subject or one-theme sections issued one time.

• Clarifications to rules
Here are some are clarifications to the contest rules that might have inadvertently been interpreted in different ways in different years.

• Where to send contest entries

• Use this checklist to prepare entries for contest

• Caution: use correct Social Security numbers
Editors are reminded to prepare two lists of names and correct Social Security numbers of personnel entered in the writing divisions.