Why the complaints with tape on the runway?

[GeorgeN]

I am continueing a discussion which I believe started in another topic area.
Some young vaulters are rebelling against the 40 some year old rule of no marks on a runway. The national hs rules clearlly states what the "rules" are. I used to use stakes in the 70's, and tape to the side on indoor tracks where the entire field was rubber. I never heard complaints until I became a hs coach last year. I actually had hard nosed coaches try to insult me in order to allow their athletes to put tape on the runway. The rule is there for a reason. It is a safety hazard to have foreign material on the runway, and tape can distract other athletes while they are running.
Even if you were to argue that the rule is not a good one, it IS a rule. And rules define a sport. 3 strikes and you are out! Kick the ball out of bounds and the other team takes posession. No lowering of the cross bar once the contest begins accept in order to determine a tie for first place, etc.

Why all the cry babies?

George

[vault3rb0y]

Because ignorant coaches dont go by measuring tapes and small markers or chalk in practice, so when they get to meets they want the conditions to be the same as practice, and argue for tape on the runway. What i dont understand is why they dont use chalk just a foot away from the runway, or use a measuring tape that should be provided at most meets... its simple enough and then no one has to pick it up later!!

[GeorgeN]

what I don't understand is why instead of making practice like a meet, they try to make a meet like THEIR practice.
I am welding some markers for our team which have a round plate at the top which is bent over 90 degrees from the steak so it appears like a lid on the ground. That way no one trips on it (them)
Also, at our runway, I painted numbers on the runway which correspond to the rule book, and they are a great help. It instills in the vaulters what their starting run is. They eye ball 76 feet , for example instead of looking at a piece of tape which they might have forgotten to measure before a meet, and now they are trying to run their steps off at a meet with 50 vaulters.
It all makes sense to me anyway.

Thanks for the discussion.

[vault3rb0y]

yea that makes perfect sense. From what ive encountered... running back steps is redundant once you are at a high level. If you know your 7 rights or left by heart, you can go from that. Using that, you can figure out your 5 rights or lefts, and even 3. Theres no need for markers as long as you have an accurate measuring tape.... but i can understand people putting chalk next to 85 or something, just to find it quickly.

[GeorgeN]

I am curious. How old are you? I am 47. You make too much sense to be young

[vault3rb0y]

im 16.
haha but thank you very much, i try to act older and jump higher than my age.

[AVC Coach]

I agree with you guys. Tape is a sticky mess and always leaves an impression on the runway that takes several rain showers to wash away. Chalk can be put outside of the runway for check marks etc. like previously mentioned.

Personally, I don't see anything wrong with chalk marks on the runway. I guess that's something a vaulter would have to get used to. Some of those rules were written back when dirt runways were used along with Swedish steel and bamboo poles, so I don't put too much stock in them, although I do try to follow them.

The one thing that bothers me is to see kids check their take-off, then sprint down the runway in hopes of getting a step for that particular meet. By the time a meet comes around, a vaulter should know their marks. Granted those starting marks will change a little from day to day, at least they should look like they've been there before.

[GeorgeN]

I wish the rule book told us WHAT to use for markers. I think that would solve the problems. All it says is where you can or cannot. I have been to meets where there are about 30 stakes in the ground sticking 12-18 inches up. The vaulters have to be respectful and walk on the right side only to avoid kicking them over. BUt I do think my idea of the 3 inch disk at a 90 degree angle to the stake , and pressing the stake to the surface so the disk is on the grass should work.
Or should we lobby for a rule change?

[rainbowgirl28]

I wish the rule book told us WHAT to use for markers. I think that would solve the problems. All it says is where you can or cannot. I have been to meets where there are about 30 stakes in the ground sticking 12-18 inches up. The vaulters have to be respectful and walk on the right side only to avoid kicking them over. BUt I do think my idea of the 3 inch disk at a 90 degree angle to the stake , and pressing the stake to the surface so the disk is on the grass should work.
Or should we lobby for a rule change?

Different facilities have different surfaces. Plenty of facilities are all concrete or other hard material that you cannot drive stakes into. Some facilities only have a runway, then dirt/grass all around, so you can't really use chalk marks.

Best bet is to have a bag full of a variety of markers that will work in different situations.

[polevaulter08nw]

now a tape messure is allow along side of the runway right, i think that the vaulter should always know a step of theres in practice and in meets. Once i knew mine it just stuck and i haven't forgotten even though it changed abit i still know it. some coaches aren't asking enough out of the vault, such as more than just making it safely into the mats, but at least middle of a season they should know their steps. In my state, most of the vaulters don't and at indoor state there were about 20 vaulters running their step back which just wasted warm up time. very annouying.

[1yeldud1]

Am I thinking wrong or what -- If at EVERY meet if the home team would be required to stretch out a 100 foot tape along side the runnway, wouldn't that solve a lot of problems. At our state meet this year they asked us to NOT put tape or chalk marks down on the runnway and they had small markers specifically made of blocks of 2x4's to use on the asphalt beside the runnway. As you can imagine before the warm ups were even 1/2 thru most of thes got "bumped" or kicked out of location. We asked for a "variance" due to the safety issue of these getting moved and after some thought, we were granted this request by the meet officials. If the meet personel had had a tape measure permantly streatched out during this meet, this would have eliminated any question as to if the wooden runnway markes had been moved or not. I think this would be a good rule change for the National High School Federation to consider. This new rule would not cost any money and would provide a safer more efficient vaulting atmosphere. Any thoughts ??????

[Russ]

I've read the high school (and the other...USATF, NCAA) rules pretty carefully, & I don't see anything that prohibits putting a measuring tape down along-side the runway. Last winter, I sucessfully pulled a measuring tape out along side the runway at nearly every meet without any objections from officials. Only the Dartmouth Relays officials (older New Hampshire gents wearing coats and ties) made me take it away (I didn't protest...but I'd be curious to know what rule on which they were relying). I found that if I put athletic tape down to secure it (about every 10 feet) it would stay in place.

I also agree that painting distances on your home runway (which is permitted by the NFHS rules) is a smart thing to do. We've done it, and our vaulters have come to rely on it.

For outdoor season I made some small markers using U-shaped bolts (purchased from the local hardware store) to take to away meets. I wrapped flourescent tape around the "U" and then used a sharpie to write 30',40', 50', etc. on both sides of the tape, and then stuck them in the ground next to the runway (so the "U" was actually turned upside-down).

One more thought about all of this.

We all need to agree that the "starting point" for the measurement is the "zero" (top of the back of the box) - the same place from which the standard depth (i.e., 40-80 cm) is measured. I've seen some people (why, I don't know!!!) who have measured from the bottom of the back of the box or the front of the box. OMG, people! The correct starting point is the ZERO...it must be a universal starting point for measuring steps for all pole vaulters. Nothing else makes sense.