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Is there a correct direction to use (top to bottom or bottom to top)when taping poles? This is hotly contested between a friend and I. Thanks for your help!

bottom to top...otherwise the tape rolls down when you jump.

ha ha! thanks! i told him i was right, now my second opinion has sided with me! ~

Actually - there is NO "correct" way to tape a pole. The only rule is that it is not aloud to be any thicker than 2 layers. If you actually do a good tap job and take care of your pole, you can tape from top to bottom which provides better grip. If you do not, then you should probably tape from the bottom up, however you wont get the same amount of grip. Also, the whole "tape will roll when you jump" is a possibility either way that you tape the pole if you are gripping at the top of the section you have taped.

i've only seen poles taped from bottom to top

I thought it was illegal to have u tape roll, seeing if it roles it would be more then 2 layers thick???

I don't think it matters.... my coach re tapes it every couple meets...I don't pay attention to which way he tapes it, but I'll check.

bottom to top for us, actually at our sectionals the officials checked to see if it is taped correctly and one year i had to re-tape my pole because it was taped top to bottom.

Ok I truthfully don't think there is a "correct" way to tape a pole. Come on now. It is there to provide grip and the only rule is that it can't be more than 2 layers thick. Just my point of view because I have never heard anything different.

CHC04Vault wrote:I thought it was illegal to have u tape roll, seeing if it roles it would be more then 2 layers thick???

That is correct, but if you tape correctly and take care of it - then it wont roll even if its taped top to bottom.

*TigerVault* wrote: bottom to top for us, actually at our sectionals the officials checked to see if it is taped correctly and one year i had to re-tape my pole because it was taped top to bottom.

Your official was wrong and misinformed. The only way he was authorized to make that call was if the tape was rolled - because then that area would have more than 2 layers of thickness. I think in many cases you find officials who are more concerned with making everyone do it the way that they want, rather than the actual rules. I have seen this happen on several occassions, and have fought it - sometimes you just need a coach who is willing to call bull---- when they hear it.

The NCAA actually does have a rule specifying that poles must be taped bottom to top. I was never questioned on it once while competing in college, but while coaching a few years ago, I had a coach from a rival school try to get my kid dq'ed for having her pole taped top to bottom. I argued with him and the official, but sure enough, they found the rule in the book and pointed it out to me. That was before I became a certified offical.

lonestar wrote:The NCAA actually does have a rule specifying that poles must be taped bottom to top. I was never questioned on it once while competing in college, but while coaching a few years ago, I had a coach from a rival school try to get my kid dq'ed for having her pole taped top to bottom. I argued with him and the official, but sure enough, they found the rule in the book and pointed it out to me. That was before I became a certified offical.

Thats interesting - I didnt know that. However unless I missed it somewhere, its nowhere in the highschool rule book.

***Note: If I am wrong about this - please feel free to find out where it is posted and let me know - I'm not one of those people who thinks he is incapable of being wrong***