HS Rule Change for 2011 - 2 Min Warmup instead of 1 Run Thru

[patybobady]

It also mentions the rules changing to state that if the upright of the standard slips/falls during a vault, which causes the bar to fall (whether the vaulter hits the bar or not), it is not an attempt and the vaulter gets another attempt (which has been the common practice for most of us - unless the vaulter annihilates the bar/standards).

this shouldn't have been the common practice ever.. No sense dewlling on the past, but your jump should have been failed.

However in the next line it says if the upright of the standard slips/falls during a vault but "the crossbar is not displaced, the competitor is credited with a made attempt." *This sounds like if someone jumps, both standards fall to ~8 feet, the bar stays on the pegs (somehow) and the vaulter clears the bar, it is a make...

Could this lead to people rigging their standards to slide down at the same speed (slow motion)? Someone will develop some sensor to trigger this slow motion fall when the pole hits the back of the box... just kidding, but is would it be a make?

Lets forget about the press release or new flash and just look at the new rule, which is identical in wording to that in the NCAA book. It says, "If improperly fastened supports slip downward when a jumper hits the crossbar, the head judge of the event shall rule no jump and allow the jumper another attempt.".

Your not going to get the favorable call if you crash into the standards and cause it to slip. That's not nor ever was the intent of the NCAA rule and now the changed NFHS rule. You'll not get a make if the bar stays up on a slipped standard event. All you will get is another attempt.

Got it?

See my PM because I want to make sure I am clear on the past/present rule but don't want to clutter this message away from its original intent. Thanks.

[vaultman18]

When does the new rule take effect? I was told by an official that it was not to be implemented until the outdoor season. Any info would be great.

[Chukam All]

When does the new rule take affect? I was told by an official that it was not to be implemented until the outdoor season. Any info would be great.

I don't want to speak for any other states, but in Illinois we're starting right now.

In fact I had my first experience with it last Saturday. The athletes seemed to like it much better. The coaches loved it. The parents watching didn't seem to like it all that much, but who cares about them.

[rainbowgirl28]

When does the new rule take effect? I was told by an official that it was not to be implemented until the outdoor season. Any info would be great.

It should be in effect now if your meet is being run under NFHS rules. You should definitely try to get your own copy of the current NFHS rule book. It's worth the money for any pole vault coach.

[vaultman18]

It should be in effect now if your meet is being run under NFHS rules. You should definitely try to get your own copy of the current NFHS rule book. It's worth the money for any pole vault coach.

I do have a rule book, one shows up in my school mailbox every year . This came up at a meet and the official seemed very sure of herself. She told me that it was decided at some sort of meeting that they (officials) were to wait until outdoor. I decided to let it go since the meet was not in my home state. I suppose the state we were in (Virginia) has decided to wait until outdoor to implement the rule. Any one from VA care to enlighten me. Thanks

[Divalent]

.. This came up at a meet and the official seemed very sure of herself. She told me that it was decided at some sort of meeting that they (officials) were to wait until outdoor. I decided to let it go since the meet was not in my home state. I suppose the state we were in (Virginia) has decided to wait until outdoor to implement the rule. Any one from VA care to enlighten me. Thanks

You might try posting this question on the VA milesplit site (it's pretty active). http://va.milesplit.com/discussion/local

Seems to me that (last I checked) it is 2011, so one should use the 2011 rules. OTOH, for sports that split the change in calendar year, it is rational to be uniform over the season and go with one or the other. (But it seems to me to be more rational to use the newer rules, since the presumption is that changes are improvements. In particular, the new rules on the penalty for jewelry.)

[PV Official]

It should be in effect now if your meet is being run under NFHS rules. You should definitely try to get your own copy of the current NFHS rule book. It's worth the money for any pole vault coach.

I do have a rule book, one shows up in my school mailbox every year . This came up at a meet and the official seemed very sure of herself. She told me that it was decided at some sort of meeting that they (officials) were to wait until outdoor. I decided to let it go since the meet was not in my home state. I suppose the state we were in (Virginia) has decided to wait until outdoor to implement the rule. Any one from VA care to enlighten me. Thanks

From Bill Boyd's Virginia Track notes: New high school rules will take effect

NFHS (Virginia specific) after the conclusion of the indoor season, O/A
March 1st. The reason is that the registration, test, and clinics will
not all be held before that time.

Virginia officials will also be interpreting the new rule differently:

VIRGINIA HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE

Track & Field - State Association Rules, Clarifications, & Interpretations

The VHSL follows NFHS track & field rules except in certain situations
such a the participation rule. The following information is provided as
clarification and interpretation of NFHS/VHSL Track & Field rules for
the 2011 Outdoor Track season.

Rule 7-4-9: (High Jump) and Rule 7-15-16 (Pole Vault) (Amend to read):
The intent of this rules change is allow more warn-up time for the
competitors who have been idle for more than one(1) hours. The
interpretations of these rules for Virginia is such that each
competitor, in turn as listed on the event sheet, shall be given a
specified amount of time (High Jump =1 ½ minutes & Pole Vault =
2-minutes ) to use the run-up area without the crossbar, rather than a
total time to be used by any and all such competitors. Rationale: This
is a much fairer way to accomplish the intent of the rule as is assures
tha each competitor has the same amount of time for the warm-up.

It appears the Virginia officials will be applying the high school rule like the NCAA rule, giving each athlete 2 minutes of time in turn rather than pooling the time for several athletes.

[Vaultref]

Virgina like any other state is free to interpret this rule any way they like.

However, as I read the case book example for this change, it implies the time is a combined time.
I suspect more news will come out of the January 21st NFHS Interpreters meeting.

NY at the moment is combining the time and we started using all new rules as of the first indoor meets back in late November of 2010. While that could change after our state rep returns, I doubt that it will. He has already talked to several of us and knows what at least we feel about it.

[drcurran]

From the information I have received it seems the new rules do NOT go into use until the outdoor / Spring season in PA. (One reason given was that we do not have our rules interpretation meeting until early in March)

[26mi235]

It should be in effect now if your meet is being run under NFHS rules. You should definitely try to get your own copy of the current NFHS rule book. It's worth the money for any pole vault coach.

I do have a rule book, one shows up in my school mailbox every year . This came up at a meet and the official seemed very sure of herself. She told me that it was decided at some sort of meeting that they (officials) were to wait until outdoor. I decided to let it go since the meet was not in my home state. I suppose the state we were in (Virginia) has decided to wait until outdoor to implement the rule. Any one from VA care to enlighten me. Thanks

From Bill Boyd's Virginia Track notes: New high school rules will take effect

NFHS (Virginia specific) after the conclusion of the indoor season, O/A
March 1st. The reason is that the registration, test, and clinics will
not all be held before that time.

Virginia officials will also be interpreting the new rule differently:

VIRGINIA HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE

Track & Field - State Association Rules, Clarifications, & Interpretations

The VHSL follows NFHS track & field rules except in certain situations
such a the participation rule. The following information is provided as
clarification and interpretation of NFHS/VHSL Track & Field rules for
the 2011 Outdoor Track season.

Rule 7-4-9: (High Jump) and Rule 7-15-16 (Pole Vault) (Amend to read):
The intent of this rules change is allow more warn-up time for the
competitors who have been idle for more than one(1) hours. The
interpretations of these rules for Virginia is such that each
competitor, in turn as listed on the event sheet, shall be given a
specified amount of time (High Jump =1 ½ minutes & Pole Vault =
2-minutes ) to use the run-up area without the crossbar, rather than a
total time to be used by any and all such competitors. Rationale: This
is a much fairer way to accomplish the intent of the rule as is assures
that each competitor has the same amount of time for the warm-up.

It appears the Virginia officials will be applying the high school rule like the NCAA rule, giving each athlete 2 minutes of time in turn rather than pooling the time for several athletes.

I think that the VA interpretation is flawed. Specifically, if you multiple vaulters (say 3) no one is going to sit on the runway and not vault; once they have gone down it is open to the next vaulter. It is up to the official to not let vaulters loiter on the runway and prevent others from using it. This rule has resulted in progressively bigger time savings the more vaulters there are (for example, the larger savings in large groups. In addition, I disagree with the interpretation of advantage. Specifically, the vaulter that goes last will likely be winded from several runs at the pit and they may be required to vault immediately, depending on the listing in the order. Mixing them all together allows for a chance for rest (e.g., if the last vaulter that has just run through might feel like that they want more time, they can hold the waiver of the rest of the 2*X clock). For these reasons, in NCAA meets I combine the time rather than have to pick favorites and rather than wasting extra time. I want my vaulters warmed up and not fatigued.

I have generally erred on the side of safety since I started officiating the Vault at the same time as the Big Ten Men's meet in Minneapolis (2002?) where the guy died.


I think that I would make the NCAA and high school rules close to being identical (weight limits on poles etc an exception) and would use the new HS rule on the aggregation of the 2-minute intervals.

[drcurran]

I think the HS method here is much better than the NCAA. And as I understand the rules, and have been told, HS rule will use a block of time (ie - 3 vaulters get 6 min.) and NCAA vaulters will get 2 min. for each vaulter as an individual. And the NCAA vaulters warm up in the order they will appear in the competition. I also understand that as officils we do not have a choice to adjust this rule as we see fit.

Dan

[drcurran]

I have generally erred on the side of safety since I started officiating the Vault at the same time as the Big Ten Men's meet in Minneapolis (2002?) where the guy died.

The "guy" who died had a name - he was Kevin Dare!

Dan