POLE VAULT -- PREPARATIONS
Personal Equipment Kit
Flags – red, white, yellow
Clipboard
Steel tape (metric)
Stopwatch
Orange cone
Adhesive tape
Rulebooks
Rules/instruction sheets
Levels (regular & hanging)
Twine/chalk line
Pens & pencils
Magic marker
Wooden shims
Bungee cords & rods
Yarn/wind indicators
Metric/Ft. & inch convrsn sheet Plumb bob & line Cloth tape (ft. & in; 120 ft)
Hip numbers (9-15) Safety pins Multi-tool/pliers
Plastic score sheet rain covers
Equipment From Meet Management
Standards
Standards extenders
Crossbars (2-3)
Bar lifters (2) Custom Bar Lifters
Measuring device
Chairs/benches
Event sheets
Flags - red, white, yellow
Clipboards
Cloth tape (feet & inches)
Timing display/stopwatch
Power source & ext. cords
Orange cone
Adhesive tape
Safety pins
Pole tree/rack
PA system
Performance boards (2 digit, 4 digit)
Wind indicator
Palm Pilot
Preparations
1. Determine from meet mgmt: Who is the Field Referee? Other PV officials assigned? Which pit & runway to use? Require/waive wear of numbers? Starting height & increments? One/several flights/5-alive? Escorts required? Who gets the results? Meet records–men & women? Warm-ups 60 or 90 min? Awards-when/where? Where is medical staff? Keep/release athletes when done? Palm pilot operator?
2. Obtain equipment listed above from meet management.
3. Assign other officials to positions; brief them on duties & rules.
4. Measure the pit, reposition pit and collar as necessary.
NCAA - Pit: 5m x 6m x .81m (LxWxH); extending 1.5m from back of box toward runway; placed max of 36cm beyond back of box (if angled pads, recommended max 15cm) (2-6-1); Standards: 4.30-4.37m apart (2-6-2); Pegs: 55mm (2-6-3); Runway: recommended minimum of 40m long, 1.22m wide (1-5-2).
USATF – Pit: 6.15m x 6m x .81m (LxWxH), min. 5m long behind the box (181.19); Runway: min. 40m long (45m - chmpshps), 1.22m wide (180.16); Standards: 4.30-4.37m apart, and pegs: 55mm (181.17).
5. Clean out the box. Sweep the runway. Move objects away from all sides of the pit.
6. Zero the standards to the back of the box, and mark (tape) for placement. Level standards vertically; use shims as necessary. Set or mark the indicator tape for standard settings; mark placement of standards.
7. Crossbars - Max sag: 3cm (2-6-5, 181.11). Align & mark end pieces - “LF’, “RF”, lines on bar & end pieces; number each bar (6-6-1).
8. Set and measure the measuring device for the opening height. Place competition bars on pegs and measure each at the opening height, note differences. Note the reading for each standard on event sheets.
9. Measure, mark distances for steps near box NCAA: 7 marks 2.8-4.6m, @ 30 cm, large mark at 3.7m/12’1”(1-5-3); USATF: 1.5-4.5m, @ 15 cm (180.16); tape down tape measure along edge of runway.
10. Set up performance boards (1 for height; 1 for standard settings); wind indicators; and timing display.
11. Determine and announce start and end times for warm-ups.
12. Check-in all athletes (NCAA - must report in before 1st competitive vault occurs). Ask for and note their standard settings, and their starting height on the event sheet. Check for competition numbers.
13. Note meet and other records (must use a steel tape for records).
14. Brief the athletes on the rules and competition procedures (see Rules & Briefing Sheet).
Rich Schornstein, Jan 2007 kidz1023@comcast.net