Tape Rule

[belmore]

Yes, people do move their hands up the pole occasionaly, not very often, but I have seen some dramatic vaults that way. The rule about which way to tape the pole is pretty vague nowadays. I really see no reason to make a vaulter change his or her tape because of the direction, as long as it isn't bunched up or more than two layers, the rule book doesn't say which direction. As an official, I have no jurisdiction in determining which way you wrap. Just keep it smooth and no ridges. The vaulters I coach, I always have them wrap from bottom up just to stay clear of any problems in competition.

[Vaultref]

vaultref-
while weve got you here on the tape issue ive got a question

what is the rationale behind this rule? is there actually a reason for it? just curious.

Wish I really knew Skyin. That rule has been around for quite sometime and added prior to the now common practice of publishing rationale for changes. The NCAA made a very subtle wording change either last year or the prior year and it was never listed as a rule change nor editiorial change. It was confirmed via contact to the rules chair (Mr J. Kane) that the directional requirement was removed.

I'm sure all those jumping under USATF rules know the number of tape layers was removed from that rules code. I believe the rationale was to match what IAAF did the year before.

Using chalk, sticky tape helps with the grip but one still needs to have some hand strength to hold on while vaulting. NCAA allows gloves but the other codes do not. I've often wondered why.

All the codes want a uniform surface. With ridges, the ability to hold on to the pole increases so those with weak grips have an advantage over those with a uniform surface.
I'm all for allowing vaulters methods to hold on to the pole better, but where do you draw the line? A few ridges or roll-downs probably does not help much at all. But when those ridges become "handles", there is a competitive advantage for that vaulter.

As Belmore points out there is no directional rule anywhere now, all that can be done is to recommend it to keep the taping uniform.
I don't think any of us checked tape at this years trials but from what I saw, the surfaces were uniform.

[Skyin' Brian]

thanks for the info. i always find differing rules between orgainizations to be interesting(as well as confusing at times)

[vaultdad]

I think the rationale was to prevent injury among the younger vaulters, and an illegal hand hold for the more experienced.

I've seen folks slide down the pole when their grip was not very good, and a pole with old , ridged tape on it will pretty well rip up your hands in no time at all.

And, as Vaultref said, the number of layers of tape is now unrestricted by USATF rules, but I don't take that to mean you can tape a wad in place to act as an grip point.

[1yeldud1]

Vaultdad, when the Barn is so cold that we have to wear gloves to work out pole vaulting Brian would have me intentionaly mis-wrapped our poles. I would strip off all the old tape and take about a 4 to 5 foot length of new tape and twist it into a sort of "rope". We would then spiral this "rope" around the hand grip area of the pole. We then would wrap the pole as normal "over" the hand made rope on the grip area. When we would vault with "batting or football recievers" gloves on this made a big difference in the vaulters grip. We did discover that all gloves are not created equil. A pair of gloves that were made of high quality "thin" leather would not last. Brian would rip the palms out of these gloves in only 1 ro 2 sessions.

[vaultdad]

Yeah, you can imagine what it would do to unprotected skin . . .

On the other hand, what a great way to build up calluses for other activities such as karate or guitar!

I have seen that method tried and used at some high school meets though . . .mostly because nobody actually checks poles until something bad happens.

I've considered recommending something like ski gloves . . . What's really the difference if you see someone mistape a pole on purpose, then spray stickum on it, and go get chalk to keep from sticking to the pole? I've seen all three done by one competetior on more than one occasion, all the while using a seriously underweight pole. This kind of glove might be a safety item for events where you could really do damage to your hands (like hurdles or vault). Gymnasts are allowed protection for their hands when doing events like uneven parallel bars. What's the difference? Vaultref said earlier that NCAA rules permit it, so why should it be any different for beginners and intermediate level athletes?