High School Rules

[OH-IOvaulter]

I'm transporting this from the thread about the Illinois state meet thread as we all started talking about rules that should or shouldn't be the same from the top to the bottom levels of the sport. It got to peg length and cross bar ends, etc. etc. Heres what I said:

But why then are high jumpers forced to suffer so bad with their standards system?? If we as vaulters brush a bar on the way down just slightly its movement is resisted by the standards, if high jumpers do the same then they push the bar off with only the slightest brush. I thought that the theory was to strive for perfection and not even touch the bar. If that is done then the peg length doesn't really matter. I may come under attack for this comment but peg length shortening forces us as vaulters to clear the crossbar with greater clearance and technique. Bubka never touched the bar on his WR clearances and he could have had high jump standards and the bar would have stayed on.

What all rules do you think should be changed? Should the rules be the same from the top hand? Grip height on the pole, standard placement, layers of tape, etc. etc. Lets start debating!!

[OH-IOvaulter]

I forgot to say what I thought, haha, I say top down it should all be the same. The only rules forbidding things should be for safety reasons. If you want to triple tape a pole, I say go for it. You want to cap a pole, you should be allowed, 3 inches up doesn't make a pole unsafe. If standards are safe at 35 " for college vaulters and a bigger pit is needed for safety reasons then they are perfectly safe for high school vaulters. My theory is that coaches should be required to have a greater, clearer understanding of the vault and its implications concerning safety. Ignorance of coaches and safety standards are what cause vaulting injuries. Layers and layers of bureaucratic tape
(pun intended) only convolute the problem.

[drcurran]

I've said it before on this site. The rules for PV should be the same at all levels. Glove, no glove, short pegs, long pegs, different standard depth, 90 sec. time limit, 60 sec. time limit. The differences are not that big a deal that all the PV rules could not be brought in line. Different rules to me would be like getting 4 strikes in HS baseball / softball, but only 3 strikes at the college level. OK just my .02

Dan

[Vaultref]

I agree with Dan. It would be better for all if there was a common set of
rules for the vertical jumps (have to include the HJ here too). It could
happen, but it will take time.

I did summit a couple NFHS change proposals (via my state interpretor) that while late and did not make the survey, they will be on the agenda in June.
1) bring the slipped standard rule in line with NCAA.
2) formally define a consecutive jump and provide a longer time.
3) bring the pole taping rule in line with *ALL* the other rule codes.

#1 and #2 where there last year but no action was taken. I reworded
them for this year.

Yes, I though of the others like the peg length, xbar ends but I didn't
want too overwhelm the committee. Maybe next year.