New high school track and field

New high school track and field rule reduces pole vault liability

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Cynthia Doyle

INDIANAPOLIS, IN (July 20, 2005) - At its June 27-28 annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas, the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Track and Field Rules Committee added a new rule requiring coaches to verify that their pole vault participants' equipment meets requirements prior to competition.

Rule 7-5-3 calls for a procedure that will ensure that the standard is met prior to participation at each meet, thereby reducing liability for coaches. Each state association will determine its own verification procedure.

"We're enforcing this in the spirit of fair play. We want to reduce the risk of vaulting with an inappropriate pole," said Cynthia Doyle, NFHS assistant director and liaison to the NFHS Track and Field Rules Committee.