What is the rule?

[tylerd1994]

My fellow vaulter at our last meet cleared 8 ft 6 inches and checked out to go run his 100m dash. He came back later and we were at 10ft. The guy running the even forgot about him and said they could not lower the height and he coule vault 9ft. but if he cleared it he had to move to 10???? is that right? I thought you could never move the bar down. But what do you do in the event if the person running it makes a mistake? It's not the vaulters fault. I think he should of been able to jump 9'6 too.

[drcurran]

Ouch! I hate to hear about things like this happening, but they do. The rules do say that the bar is not to be moved down. I was working a meet and I (the official) totally missed two girls from the same school at 9'. We had moved the bar to 9' 6" when the two girls came up to me and said "we did not get a chance to vault at 9'. I looked at the sheet and sure enough I just plain missed them. I did not check with anyone, we just put the bar back to 9' and gave them their 3 tries. I even stopped running the clock, because it was my fault and they were at a disadvantage of jumping with little rest, but in your situation I'm not sure what the "right" thing to do is. If the athlete checked out and their was not a time violation (Time set by games com.) I'd want to lower the bar and give him his attempts at 9' and 9'6". My guess is it goes to the field ref. for the call. OK my .02

Dan

[tylerd1994]

Now thats what i thought should of been done. Since they already broke the rule and lowered it why not let him jump 9'6 , thats what i would have done.

[rainbowgirl28]

The rules say that the official does not _have_ to wait for vaulters running other events, it is at the discretion of the games committee to decide how long the official should wait.

Maybe next time your friend will hustle back to the vault a little quicker and/or not leave so early for the 100. Sometimes times kids leave at first call for a running event and don't come back until 30 minutes later. Most meets aren't going to wait that long.

[tylerd1994]

Yeah you are right. All three of us left at second call to go run. But he was in a later heat. I think everyone assumed he was out, and thats why no one said anything. I just hope that never happens to me sometime. I guess they're isnt really anything you can do about it.

[rainbowgirl28]

Sometimes you can check in at first call, then come back to the vault, jump more, then meet your heat at the start line. Depends on the meet obviously. The important thing is to communicate with the official, and no find out in advance how much time you have.

[Bubba PV]

The way I've most seen it enforced by friendly officials is to move the athete to the end of the roatation and then let the clock run on the attempt and then move on. But the bar can never be moved down.

[drcurran]

I agree with most everything that has been posted. Athletes should wait 'till the last min. to leave, athletes could / should have a teammate come get them when it is time to compete in another event, athletes must communicate with offical, and so on. It sounds like this athlete did communicate with the official, and the official just forgot him. I know what the rule says " the bar is never lowered", but if the official makes a mistake, why should we (the officials) stick it to the athlete? OK my .02 (again)

Dan

[Bubba PV]

Obviously if the official makes a mistake but I think you agree those are two different subjects.

I once took over the officiating of a NCAA D1meet (I was a certified USATF official) when the assigned official was a no show. An hour into the meet he showed up and made the whole group start over. Talk about lowering the bar.