A fault or not a fault, that is the questions.

[lilspike333]

Different officials at my meets have implemented varying faulting rules and I was wondering what the actual rules are. One official was calling people for faults if their pole crossed the plane of the back of the box, even if it did not touch anything. At my last meet I was called for this type of vault on my third attempt. I then proceeded to gather up all my things and leave the meet when he called me back and said that I actually did not fault because my pole never touched anything and I didnt leave the ground. Miraculously I was able to clear the height, which was a new PR for me after thinking I was out of the competition. I was just wondering what the rule is for a fault. Can you pole cross the plane wihtout touching anything? Another kid barely made it over a height and whiel we was on the mats the cross bar was still moving. He then quickly got off the mats and after he took a step or two the cross bar fell down. The official called this a fault and I was also wondering if this too was an actual fault. THanks.

[rainbowgirl28]

Different officials at my meets have implemented varying faulting rules and I was wondering what the actual rules are. One official was calling people for faults if their pole crossed the plane of the back of the box, even if it did not touch anything. At my last meet I was called for this type of vault on my third attempt. I then proceeded to gather up all my things and leave the meet when he called me back and said that I actually did not fault because my pole never touched anything and I didnt leave the ground. Miraculously I was able to clear the height, which was a new PR for me after thinking I was out of the competition. I was just wondering what the rule is for a fault. Can you pole cross the plane wihtout touching anything?

I know in college, if your pole does not actually touch anything behind the box, it is not a miss (which is pretty hard to do if you think about it). I assume the rule is the same for high school.

Another kid barely made it over a height and whiel we was on the mats the cross bar was still moving. He then quickly got off the mats and after he took a step or two the cross bar fell down. The official called this a fault and I was also wondering if this too was an actual fault. THanks.

Yes that was actually a miss. There is no rule about getting off the pit before the bar falls down. If the official decides that the athlete's attempt caused the bar to fall down, it's a miss.

[Texasvaulter07]

Different officials at my meets have implemented varying faulting rules and I was wondering what the actual rules are. One official was calling people for faults if their pole crossed the plane of the back of the box, even if it did not touch anything.

There is supposed to be an "invisible plane" that starts from wherever the crossbar is all the way to the ground and if your pole crosses that "plane" it is a miss.

[ladyvolspvcoach]

lilspike, penetrating the "plane" in high school is an OLD rule. You can cross the plane with your pole. If you do not touch anything it is not a failed attempt. If both feet come off the ground at the same time when trying to stop a jump it is a failed attempt. Again, it used to be (a Loooonnng time ago) that if you got out of the pit while the bar is moving it is a successful jump even if it fell. Now it is a miss if the bar falls off after an attempt period!!

[drcurran]

Let me see if I can help a little with the rules. First college and HS rules are not all the same. The plane we talk about is from the back of the plant box and if anything break the plane AND MAKES CONTACT BEYOND THE PLANE it is a failed attempt. So if your pole passes beyond the plane and touches the pit it must be counted as a miss. Both feet leaving the ground. This is one I have had many "discussions" on with other officials. The rule says (HS and college) if the athlete leaves the ground IN AN ATTEMPT and does not clear the bar it is a failed attempt. The key here is IN AN ATTEMPT. If the athlete is trying to stop and they leave the ground that is not an attempt (provided they do not have a failed attempt by so other rule - breaking the plane and making contact). Bar falling! The rule goes something like "if the action of the athlete causes the bar to be displaced" = failed attempt. Years ago I tried to investigate the "out of the pit before the bar falls rule" as far back as I could go, 40's and 50's, I could not find any rule anything like that. But still today I find athletes who believe that if they are out of the pit before the bar falls the jump is good (HJ and PV). Hope this helps.

Dan

[Russ]

As far as the NFHS rule goes, I agree with Dan's interpretation of the "attempt." I firmly believe that if a vaulter is aborting, it should not be considered an "attempt", even if both feet leave the ground. I think that an "attempt" should be determined by the official's judgment regarding the vaulter's intent at the instant that s/he leaves the ground. It's a subjective call, based on what the vaulter looks like at the instant that s/he leaves the ground (clearly an official can't read the vaulter's mind...but an official can form an opinion about whether a vaulter is "attempting" opr "aborting" at the instant that s/he leaves the ground, based on the objective manifestation of his/her conduct and actions).

[vaultmd]

This brings up another issue I've noticed at high school meets - the athlete catching his or her own pole.

DON'T DO IT!

The way the rules are written, the only person who can't touch the pole is the vaulter. A meet official or helper can catch the pole, but only if it is falling back towards the runway. If the pole follows the vaulter towards the pit and knocks the bar off, the official at least has the leeway of judging whether the pole was pushed towards the runway and has the option of calling the attempt a make because of the wind. If you see the pole heading towards the crossbar and catch it, even if it is resting on the crossbar and the crossbar stays up, the official has no choice but to call it a miss.

[souleman]

What if the pole goes under the crossbar? I'm really getting confused here. In "the old days" if the pole went into the pit whether it knocked the crossbar off or not was a miss. I see so many vaulters now-a-days where the pole follows them into the pit UNDER the crossbar. Is that a make or a miss..........and in what classes is it either. Later..............Mike

[vaultmd]

The vaulter can defend himself or herself if the pole crosses under the crossbar; however, if the bar stays up it's a make. Also, even if the pole hits the crossbar and comes to rest on it it's a make if the bar does not become dislodged. Make sure the official is going to call it a make before anyone touches the pole, though.

[Vaultref]

Even I do not recall when a pole passing under the bar and landing in the pit was a foul.
Regardless, it's not a foul today and that's all that matters.

One thing for sure is do not try to prevent your pole from falling into the bar or the pit for that matter. Let the official at the pit make the call else you will most probably be failed on the attempt.

Only a designated person can be asked to catch poles and then only if the pole was "properly" released in the first place.
I've made many a good attempt call on situations where the wind had blown a properly released pole into the bar and dislodged it. That's what we get paid the big bucks to call.

[souleman]

DRCURRAN wrote. The plane we talk about is from the back of the plant box and if anything break the plane AND MAKES CONTACT BEYOND THE PLANE it is a failed attempt. So if your pole passes beyond the plane and touches the pit it must be counted as a miss.. Is he talking about the front of the pole? Or is he talking about any part of the pole? And wouldn't a pole going under the bar after a vaulter goes over the same as "if anything breaks the plane". I know that I can really be a bonehead at times, but I'm seeing a "yeah, it's a miss, no it's a make" deal going on here about what I'm percieving as the same thing. Later.......Mike

[rainbowgirl28]

Even I do not recall when a pole passing under the bar and landing in the pit was a foul.
Regardless, it's not a foul today and that's all that matters.

I believe that rule changed in 1969. Casey Carrigan missed making the Olympic finals because of this rule, and they changed it the next year. How heartbreaking