1-2-3 Standards

[mahkone]

Stop being lazy and move the standards. In PA most athletes and coaches know the rules and follow them. Why punish kids? Not every high school vaulter will jump in college, but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be able to make the same adjustments more advanced vaulters make. I have girls jumping 8, are they going to win the meet? Jump in college? Probably not, but I am happy to give them every opportunity to PR at a meet.

We all practice with the standards buried back, but that doesn't always translate in a meet situation. If pushing standards isn't what you signed on for, maybe officiate the 100m. Sorry for the blunt response...

[nitro]

i would hate the rule. There is a reason why the standards can go anywhere in the range not just 3 places. It helps you jump higher! At Reno i can understand because they have so many vaulters that a couple seconds every vaulter makes a huge difference for the entire day but at a track meet where there is only 1 pole vault competition. Here in Indiana the vaulters that are not competing in the meet at that time have to do the standards and put up the bar anyways so if people are too lazy to move the standards a couple different inches make the vaulters do it that appreciate it.

[BethelPV]

I am going to have to agree with Cory on this one! The reason the standards can be moved by each inch is so that all the vaulters have an equal opportunity to clear the bar. If you start making it so there are only 3 settings, not only will it make it less fun for people because they wont clear as many bars, but I also think you will see a decrease in the amount of high schoolers participating due to the fact that they don't make heights. So what if the vault runs 10-15 minutes longer because you have to move the standards everytime!! The sport isn't for the the judges running it, its for the athletes remember. I know for a fact I wouldnt have jumped as high as I did in HS had they had 3 or 5 set places you had to put your standards.

Also, i work at high school meets and volunteer coach at the high school level as well, and for me its alot nicer when I have a kid do exactly what i want him to do in his jump, and know that if we move the standards 2 or 3 inches one way or the other he is going to make a PR! I get as excited about that as I do when I get a new PR myself, which is what makes this sport so fun in the first place! I guarantee you limit the standards, you will limit the joy that alot of high schoolers have in the sport because you will limit the PR's that are able to achieve! Just my .02 cents...

[powerplant42]

Benefits:
Approximately 6-10 seconds (a guess) taken off from each vault.
Possibly less worrying about standards.

Drawbacks:
More angry participants... which would lead to fewer participants.
Changing a rule (thereby needing to reeducate officials).

[rainbowgirl28]

I really think it's a stretch to say that a rule change of this nature would reduce the number of participants. There's no evidence that any of the rule changes (minimum standard placement, weight labels, max hand hold, etc) have reduced the number of participants.

Kids who want to vault will vault. Anyone who would let something like more limited standard placements keep them from vaulting doesn't deserve to be out there.

[BethelPV]

I am sorry but i have to disagree. If i would have had to deal with only 3 places to put my standards in high school, idk how long i would have stayed around. Granted i kept my standards at 30 most of the time, but there were plenty of times i needed to move them up 2 inches in order to make a height. If i would have had to move them up 6-8 inches and not made a height i honestly don't know if i would have kept vaulting, and wouldn't have gotten the college education i recieved, or continued on with the sport we all love. And I guarantee i wouldn't have made 4.90 or 5m in high school. I just think it would be frustrating for a lot of vaulters and would make them think twice about vaulting throughout their high school career, i know i would have and so would my high school athletes. We are trying to encourage more people to join this great event, yet we are trying to limit their success by adding more limitations for the sake of time? Kind of crazy that we are talking about limiting the opportunities for the vaulters to succeed and possibly earn their way to a college education!!

[AVC Coach]

I keep seeing responses to this topic and I'm still confused as to how this will save time. What's the difference? If you have to move the standards, you have to move them. It takes the same amount of time either way. Maybe we should get the Myth Busters guys to dispell this myth about saving time. I'm sure they would say this theory is busted.

[powerplant42]

It might actually produce MORE worrying about standards... Not worrying about changing them so much as: "Oh my gosh these standards are so off!!! What am I going to do!?"

[Russ]

I would NOT be in favor of this rule. I'd prefer to allow high school vaulters to adjust the standards anywhere between 40-80 cm & keep the rule as it is currently. We are not measuring with a laser. We just try to get them as close as possible to where the vaulter/coach wants them.

There are many other rules - especially safety rules - that should be suggested for change LONG before tinmkering with the standard depths.

For example, ever notice that the NFHS rules, unlike the USATF, IAAF, and NCAA DO NOT have a special rule to give a vaulter additional time when s/he is the only vaulter at a height (except at the end of the competition)? So if you are the only vaulter at 12'00" and you miss your first attempt, TECHNICALLY you only have 90 seconds to take your next jump once they get they crossbar back up. And if you miss again, you've only got 90 seconds again. The lack of a rule to provide additional time for "consecutive jumps" is dangerous. Change that one I'd say. NCAA & USATF and IAAF give the same amount of time as when there are 3 or fewer competitors in that situation. The NFHS rule is not smart.

[rainbowgirl28]

Russ, I agree that they should allow extra time for back-to-back jumps.


A good official takes their sweet time putting up the bar in that case

[jschools]

As an official, I really like this idea. I have been to some Invitationals where there have been 30 vaulters! Next to continually have to reset the cross bar, setting the standards takes up the most time. I think that using 3 settings will significantly reduce the time at vaulting.

As a coach, I think that this is good idea for beginning/lower vaulters. Sometimes, the kids start thinking too much about it and forget the more important things.

Also, I think that they should penalize any vaulter that bails on a vault early, but still knocks the bar off! Just kidding.

[kcvault]

I agree with the rule for Reno, beach vaults, and street vaults. However When I jumped in high school I had a good coach but neither of us were very knowledgeable about pole vaulting and my school only had three poles I could use. As a result I could not clear the bar with out very specific standard placement. It seems like a little thing but if I only had three option for standards I don't think I would have jumped near as high and might not have continued on into college were I learned how to vault properly. I don't think kids should be punished because they don't have the poles, or coaching that would allow them to jump high with such a limited option. If you really want to speed up a competition teach all of your vaulters, and those helping at the pits to efficiently put up a cross bar. I have been at meets were the person officiating the vault showed the person putting up the cross bar to put it up more efficiently and it made a huge difference in how fast the competition went.