The Rules of Pole Vault Part 3

[vaultfan]

From the Texas Pole Vault message board (http://www.texaspolevault.com/index.html)

Just wanted to get some thoughts on what happened down at the state meet. The girl from Clifton cleared 10ft on her fist try and attempted to push the pole back and it fell back into the bar and knocked it off. On her second attempt the same thing happened. This time the pole actually stood straight up....the official catching poles made no attempt to grab it and it knocked the bar off again. This poor girl had never cleared 10ft before and here she did it twice and was robbed. On her third attempt she flat out missed it and lost the state championship. Did anyone else see this and have any comments?


Brian Elmore responded:

I read:

: 1. If any part of the body or pole knocks the bar off it is a miss.
: 2. That if there is a tailwind the official can appoint someone to catch the pole.
:
: : So by this rule it looks that if the pole has fallen away from the cross bar it is considered a proper release? If this is true, then if a pole is to fall BACK into the bar after being released than this is considered a good release and should therefore be counted a good jump? Any comments from the Peanut gallery? To me it looks as it states a proper release is when a vaulter makes an attempt to throw the pole back allowing the pole to "FALL BACK" any distance from the bar so that he/her does not carry the pole back into the bar.


From the NFHS 2002 Track and Field Rulebook:
:
: : : Rule 7, Section 4
:
: : : Article 28: It is a foul if the competitor:
:
: : : a. Displaces the crossbar from the pins on which it originally rested, with the body or the pole.
:
: : : Article 24: No person shall be allowed to touch the vaulting pole unless it is falling back and away from the crossbar. If there is a tailwind which might cause a properly released pole to fall forward, the referee should appoint an official and authorized him/her to catch the pole after it has been properly released.

The pole catcher designated by the official is there only to keep the pole from hitting the ground. I urge anyone arguing this point to go to an indoor meet. There are plenty of poles released back toward the runway that never make it and return toward the vaulter and dislodge the crossbar. I am sorry this has turned into such a big deal. I will do my best to call these meets, teach your kids vaulting under their handhold to toss the pole back to your best and we will all be a happy vaulting family again. Most officials at big meets will be USATF certified and they are taught that the pole must be released with enough force that it would fall towards the runway. The high school rule is written funny, but I think it meant to interpret the USATF rule where no one can catch the pole unless thrown away from the pit and no one can stop a pole from falling towards the bar. Rules are rules and they have to be followed to allow a level playing field for the athletes, judgement calls by coaches athletes and officials will always be a part of sports, I intend for my judgement calls to be in favor of the athlete always. I hope y'all do too

You will probably want to read all the posts made on the message board of the Texas pole vault club made shortly after the state track meet. There was quite a “spiritedâ€Â