Idiots guide to NFHS Pole Vault

Idiots guide to NFHS Pole Vault Rules

These are my collection notes from reading the vaulting sections from the 3 official NFHS rules books. It’s an attempt at reorganizing the rules into 3 sections of Competition, Facilities, and Equipment.

Competition Rules

a) Coach Rule (Section 2 Art 9)

i) Can’t warm-up unless supervised by a COACH OR AN OFFICIAL and poles have been inspected.

ii) Can’t practice after the competition.

iii) Must remove poles from the vaulting area.

iv) Warming-up without a COACH OR AN OFFICIAL results in a warning, DQ’d if repeated and DQ’d from the meet for more recurrences.

v) Designated Coaches Area (pg.79 Officials Manual) - … “designated area away from the crowd and out-side the competition area, for vaulters and coaches to confer with each other.”

b) Warm-up Jump (Sec. 5, Art 16 Pg. 60 Rules Book)

i) The Vaulter receives one warm-up jump if he/she passed 3 consecutive heights.

ii) No cross bar for warm-up

iii) The Vaulter must jump at the height the bar is moving to not the just completed height.

iv) Warm-up jump can only happen at height changes.

c) Fouls ( Sec 5 Art. 29, Pg. 61 Rules Book) Counts as a miss

i) Displaces the crossbar from the pins it originally rested.

(1) It’s OK if it lands back on the same pins.

ii) ...it will no longer be considered a foul if a pole vaulter leaves the ground without breaking the plane.

iii) Touches (with pole or body) anything past the vertical plane of the back of the top of the box (“Zero Point”) without clearing the bar.

(1) You can break the plane you just can’t touch anything.

iv) Shifting top hand up (re-griping pole)

(1) Can’t climb-up the pole.

v) Shifting bottom hand over top hand

(1) Can’t climb-up the pole.

vi) Steadying crossbar with hand or arm.

vii) Grips pole over mfgr. top hand-hold mark.

viii) Contacts standards and displaces the crossbar.

ix) Clears crossbar with standards out of the 15.5” and 31.5” standard placement range.

x) Doesn’t initiate, a completed, vault in 90 sec.

xi) Clears bar but then displaces it buy contacting the standards.

xii) If the standard slips and the vaulter misses, it’s considered a miss.

e) Not Fouls, (do-over) doesn’t count as a miss.

i) Vaulter breaks pole during the attempt. (Sec 5 Art. 22 Pg. 60)

ii) Vaulter clears bar but support/standard slips. (Officials Manuel pg 79)

iii) No one can touch the pole unless it’s falling back and away from the crossbar. (Officials Manuel pg 79)

f) Miscellaneous Competition rules.

i) No foreign material in the box

ii) No one can touch the pole unless it’s falling away from the cross bar.

iii) In case of a tail wind a designated pole catcher may catch a “properly released pole”

iv) Crossbar can only be lowered during competition to determine first place in a tie breaker.

v) A vaulter can borrow a pole but only with the poles owner consent and if it meets the weight rule for the vaulter.

g) Breaking Ties ( Section 3 Art 2 ) Pg 52 Rules book

i) The fewest number of attempts at the last height cleared. (Fewest Attempts)

ii) The fewest number of UNSUCCESSFUL attempts (misses) through the entire competition. (Fewest Misses)

iii) Ties are only broken for 1^st place only

iv) Passed attempts don’t count as trials\

h) Jump-Offs (Section 3 Art 2 – b, 4 ) Pg 52 Rules book

i) Only occur when the tie can’t be broken by A and B above

ii) Take one more attempt at last failed height.

iii) If all clear, bar is moved up 3”

iv) If all miss bar is moved down 3”

v) Only one attempt at each “Jump-Off” height up or down.

vi) No passing of heights

i) Measurement of heights

i) Nearest lesser ¼-inch or 1 centimeter

2) Equipment Rules

a) POLE - Pole can be made of any material any length and diameter. (Sec 5, Art. 2, pg 56 Rules Book)

b) TAPE - …“It (the pole) may have a binding of not more than two layers of adhesive tape of uniform thickness” (Sec 5, Art. 2, pg 56 Rules Book) This is the TAPE RULE, REALLY!

c) Bottom of the pole may be protected by any suitable material to protect it from the box.

d) Can’t tape hands or fingers unless there’s an open wound. (Sec. 5 Art 21 pg 60 Rules Book)

e) Can tape wrist (Sec. 5 Art 21 pg 60 Rules Book)

f) Can’t wear gloves (Sec. 5 Art 21 pg 60 Rules Book)

g) Can use chalk or adhesive (Sec. 5 Art 21 pg 60 Rules Book)

5) Weight Rules

a) The Vaulter’s weight shall be at or below the manufactures pole rating. (Sec. 5, Art. 3, Pg. 56 Rules Book)

b) Pole mfg. must include a min. ¾” pole rating

c) Pole mfg. must include 1” band indicating max. top hand hold

d) School’s coach must verify all schools vaulter’s meet weight requirements.

e) State association determines own proc. for coaches verification

f) Vaulter can’t use variable weight pole (Sec. 5, Art. 4, Pg. 56 Rules Book)

g) Vaulter can’t use pole rated below body weight in comp./warm-up

h) Vaulter can’t use improperly marked pole

6) Facilities

a) Minimum pit size (Sec. 5 Art 7)

i) 19’8” wide x 20’2 deep.

ii) 16’5 from zero point to back of pit.

iii) Front buns are a min. of 16’5” wide. (Sec. 5 Art 8)

iv) Hard unyielding surfaces shall be padded with a min. of 2” of foam or suitable material. (Sec. 5 Art 9 pg. 57 Rules Book)

v) A min. of 2” dense foam padding (box collar) shall be used to pad any hard and unyielding surface including between the planting box and all pads. (Sec 5 art 14 pg. 59 Rules Book)

b) Zero Point ( Sec. 5, Art 13, pg 59 Rules Book)

i) The top back of the box is the zero point which is used as the base line to measure the distance the standards travel.

ii) You can draw a permanent line on the ground to mark the zero point base line. It shouldn’t extend more then 10’ from the center of the zero point in either direction.

c) Standards

i) Standards movement no closer than 15.5” (40cm) from the zero point. ( Sec 5 Art.19 pg 60 Rules Book)

ii) No farther back than 31.5” (80cm) from the zero point. ( Sec 5 Art.19 pg 60 Rules Book)

iii) Standard cross bar support pins are no less then 13’8” and no more then 14’8” apart. (Sec.5 Art 10 Rules Book pg56)

iv) Support pins are no more then ½” diameter, smooth surfaces with out anything that might help hold the crossbar in place and no more then 3” long. (Sec.5 Art 10 Rules Book pg. 56)

v) Support pins project at right angles from standards. (Sec.5 Art 10 Rules Book pg.56)

vi) Standards shall have all exposed base projections covered or padded and secured or weighted in a way to prevent them from tipping over. (Sec.5 Art 10 Rules Book pg. 56)

j) Crossbars (Sec 5 Art 11 pg. 59 Rules Book)

i) Nonmetal

ii) 14’10” long

iii) Uniform thickness

iv) Weigh no more then 5 lbs.

v) May be square with beveled edges no more then 1 1/8” thick

vi) May be triangular with each face no more then 13/16” wide

vii) May be circular no more then 1 3/16 diameter with flat ends of 1 3/16” by 6-71/3”

k) Box (Sec 5 Art 12 pg. 59 Rules Book

i) Constructed of concrete, fiberglass, metal or other hard surface.

ii) Top edge of box must be a ground level (grade).

(1) Box cannot be higher then the grade of the runway; however it can be just below the grade of the surface. (7.5.12 pg. 81 Case Book)

iii) Top edge dimensions - 42.7” left & right sides, 16.1” top back, 23.62” front edge

iv) Bottom back edge 5.91”

v) The back of the box (stopboard) shall be placed at and angle of 105 degrees to the base of the box.

vi) It is recommended the planting box be a contrasting color to the runway.

l) Runway

i) Runway can be no more then 0.1 percent down hill. (Sec 5, Art 1 pg.56 Rules Book)

(1) 1:1000 1’ in 1000’ or 1.2” in 100’

ii) The Vaulter may place makers on the Side not ON the runway. (Sec. 5, Art. 20 Pg. 60 Rules Book)

iii) Meet mgmt may place markers on the runway.

iv) Markers no more then 3” long

v) Markers every foot from 6’ to 13’ then every 10’ from 20’ to 120’

vi) 130’ min to 147’ 6” (Sec. 5, Art 6 pg 57 Rules Book)

vii) 42” wide ” (Sec. 5, Art 6 pg 57 Rules Book)