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I've done this a hundred times, but last weekend I was asked a question by a coach and it confused me. Two competitors remain. Given these last three heights, and assuming they all came in at the same opening height and cleared on all first attempts up to this point, is there a jump-off for first?

Height_________10-6_____11-0______11-6
Competitor A____O_______O_________XXX
Competitor B____O_______XO________XXX

The more I read NFHS, the more confused I get...

No, competitor A wins because misses at 11' 0".

What did the coach ask you?

How did you become confused?

Competitor "A" would win under any rule book.

"Confused" wasn't really the correct term. I think the issue was more in the way he phrased the question. Sort of like when you write or say a common word over and over, and suddenly it sounds like nonsense...

Your responses confirmed what I understood and what I told him.

What about this?

Height_________10-6_____11-0______11-6
Competitor A____XO_______O________XXX
Competitor B____O________O________XXX

"B" wins.

First look at the number of attempts to clear the tied height. "A" made it on 1st attempt. "B" made it on first attempt. Both are equal here.

Second, look at the number of misses up to the tied height. "A" has one miss. "B" has none. "B" wins because "B" has no misses up to the tied height, "A" has one miss.

See above.

What if vaulter A had one miss at 10-6, vaulters B had one miss at 11-0, neither vaulter missed at 11-6 and both went out at 12-0?

Tie.

Go to tie breaking formula.