NATIONAL FEDERATION OF STATE HIGH SCHOOL ASSOCIATIONS
NEWS RELEASE
Pole Vaulters Allowed to Leave Ground Without Breaking Plane
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Becky Oakes
INDIANAPOLIS, IN (July 9, 2007) – Beginning with the 2008 high school track and field season, it will no longer be considered a foul if a pole vaulter leaves the ground without breaking the plane.
This change in Rule 7-5-29b is one of five rules revisions approved by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Track and Field Rules Committee at its annual meeting June 11-12 in Indianapolis. The rules changes subsequently were approved by the NFHS Board of Directors.
"This will be advantageous for the vaulter to abort and still have a chance to come back and try again within the prescribed time limit if he or she has a bad approach," said Becky Oakes, NFHS assistant director and liaison to the Track and Field Rules Committee. "This change will now allow all vertical jumps to be judged the same in regard to aborted attempts and trials."
There has also been a revision in the length of the stopboard used for shot put. Rule 6-5-4 will revert back to the 4-feet measurement of a standard or international-length stopboard instead of converting to a shorter stopboard for the 34.92-degree sector.
"This will prevent schools from installing custom boards," Oakes said. "Manufacturers are not making a stopboard for the 34.92-degree sector and it is not necessary to require schools to provide funding for this extra expense of a custom board."
A significant rules change in 4-3-1d(1) concerning uniforms specifies that a school's name or insignia may be worn on an undergarment, providing it is not larger than 21/4 square inches with no dimension more than 21/4 inches. Previous rules regarding uniforms did not address if a school's insignia was considered legal on undergarments.
"Along with permitting school identification on undergarments, the rule also states that if more than one visible garment is worn under a uniform top or bottom, they all need to be the same, solid color under that piece of the uniform," Oakes said. "This will help clarify what constitutes a legal uniform."
Rule 2-3-2 will replace Rule 2-3-3, allowing meet results to be corrected at any time when a participant, who has been disqualified from further participation in the meet and/or should not have participated in the meet at any time, has participated and scored points. According to Oakes, previously there had never been a rule that specifically outlined this situation.
The final rules change, Rule 3-2-4g, states that the games committee will now have the authority to designate specific areas where coaches may observe and confer with athletes during competition, thus assisting coaches and meet administration especially when a venue may be located away from the track.
"Overall, all five rules changes are to the benefit of the competitors," Oakes said.
Track and field is the third-most popular sport among boys and the second-most popular sport among girls at the high school level with 973,185 combined participants during the 2005-06 season, according to the High School Athletics Participation Survey conducted by the NFHS. It also ranks second in school sponsorship for both boys and girls.
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This press release was written by Nikki Miller, a summer semester intern in the NFHS publications/communications department and a senior at the University of Dayton (Ohio), majoring in journalism and Spanish.
For more information, visit the NFHS Web site at www.nfhs.org.
MEDIA CONTACTS: Bruce Howard or John Gillis, 317-972-6900
National Federation of State High School Associations
PO Box 690, Indianapolis, Indiana 46206
bhoward@nfhs.org or jgillis@nfhs.org
2008 NFHS Track and Field Rules Changes
2-3-2 new,
2-3-3 delete
Addresses that meet results may be corrected at any time when a participant, who has been disqualified from further participation in the meet, has participated and scored points. Article 2-3-3, regarding the opportunity to correct the score when an ineligible athlete participates, is deleted as new Rule 2-3-2 will now address.
Rationale: The correcting of the score due to an error of permitting a disqualified contestant to participate had not previously been addressed. This change will cover correction of the score due to use of disqualified contestant due to conduct during the meet and/or one who should not have participated in the meet at any time.
3-2-4g
Determines that the games committee now has the authority to designate specific areas where coaches may observe and confer with competitors during competition.
Rationale: Designating specific areas where coaches may confer with competitors will assist coaches and meet administration especially when a venue may be located away from the track.
4-3-1d(1)
Specifies that a school name or insignia may be worn on an undergarment providing it is not larger than 21/4 square inches with no dimension more than 21/4 inches. Further, clarifies that if more than one visible garment is worn under a uniform top/bottom, all such garments worn under the uniform piece shall be the same, single solid color.
Rationale: The rule previously did not address if the school insignia could be placed on an undergarment and be considered legal. This change clarifies that school identification is permitted. The change also clarifies that multiple visible garments worn under the uniform top or bottom must be the same color under that piece of uniform.
6-5-4
Reverts back to the measurement of a standard (international)- length stopboard of 4 feet, rather than converting to a shorter stopboard for the 34.92-degree sector in the shot put. The NOTE has been deleted as the 4-feet length is standard for this item.
Rationale: Manufacturers are not making a stopboard for the 34.92-degree sector. The longer stopboard is consistent with the use of this same throwing sector in other rules codes as well. It is not necessary to have high schools purchase a custom stopboard. This eliminates any need for change and cost to schools.
7-5-29b
Deletes that it is a foul if a competitor in the pole vault is to leave the ground without breaking the plane.
Rationale: Pole vaulters will be able to abort what might be a bad attempt and still have the opportunity within the prescribed time limit to execute another attempt. This change now judges all vertical jumps the same in regard to aborted attempts and trials.
Editorial Changes
3-2-3 new g; 3-5-(2-4); 4-3-1c(2); 4-3-1; 5-7-3; 6-2-12; 6-4-6; 7-5-11; 9-6-1b; 9-6-4