NFHS changes minimum standard placement to 18"

[rainbowgirl28]

http://www.nfhs.org/content.aspx?id=7105

Among the changes in rules for field events, the most significant perhaps is a revision in the pole vault. The standards or uprights shall be set to position the crossbar from 18 inches beyond the vertical plane of the top of the stopboard, instead of the previous distance of 15.5 inches. The maximum distance remains 31.5 inches.

“This change will help vaulters land more in the center of the pad, providing a better range of placement of the standards and positioning the crossbar for risk minimization,” Oakes said.

[ashcraftpv]

Like

[rainbowgirl28]

Me too!

[LHSpolevault]

I like this! I wrote our states governing body (miaa, mass) about a possible change from 15.5 to 18 because of how often I see kids jumping with 15.5 coming up short... And when you come up short on a vault at that setting, you're that much closer to the box. unfortunately, this won't help as much as we'd like since it won't replace bad coaching

[vcpvcoach]

I ran our sectional for the girls and more than half of the girls where at 16". Should be interesting to see what happens next season.

Love this rule change. Now, let's see if coaches will lower grips to get their athletes deeper in the pit.

[VaultMarq26]

How may high school coaches know that it will help their athletes get deeper. If they knew that they would have already moved their athletes grip down when they were coming up short. We'll just see more no heights until the coaches learn. Love the rule but may take a few years to really change the way kids vault

[littlewilson85]

I think you meet see a lot less coaches putting athletes in the pole vault at championship meets to score team points. The classic "hold here, start here, and run like hell" approach with the standards all the way up.

[rainbowgirl28]

I think you meet see a lot less coaches putting athletes in the pole vault at championship meets to score team points. The classic "hold here, start here, and run like hell" approach with the standards all the way up.

I really doubt a coach is going to keep a kid out of a meet with a 2.5" difference in standard placement.

[fishman4god]

A good rule for sure defenitely safer!