The Pole Vault: Rules, Records and Fantasy Scoring

What the event is

Athletes sprint down a runway carrying a long flexible pole, plant it in a box at the end of the runway and use its bend to launch themselves over a bar set several metres in the air. The pole vault is the most technical event in athletics: a vaulter has to be a fast sprinter, a strong gymnast and an athlete who is comfortable upside down five and a half metres above the ground.

How it is run

The competition format matches the high jump: an opening height, set increments, three attempts per height, and three consecutive failures to end the competition. Athletes can pass heights, and the same tie-breaking rules apply, with a jump-off available for first place.

Poles are chosen by the athlete and come in different lengths and stiffness ratings. Athletes also choose where the uprights holding the bar are positioned, moving them forward or back to suit their takeoff. Wind has a large effect: a tailwind adds runway speed while a headwind can make a competition unsafe, and outdoor finals are sometimes delayed for it.

Championships run a qualifying round and a final. One-day meets run a single competition, and the pole vault is also a major indoor event.

What a world-class mark looks like

Clearing 5.90m for men and 4.80m for women is world class. Championship medals typically need 5.95m or better and 4.85m or better. The men's world record has been raised repeatedly in the last few years and now sits beyond 6.25m; the women's record of 5.06m was set in 2009.

How the pole vault scores in Heatsheet

The pole vault fills the field roster slot, sharing the two-starter limit with the other jumps and the throws. Finals pay 10 down to 1.

The pole vault is unusual in having one athlete who wins almost every competition he enters, which makes him a first-round fantasy pick and makes the rest of the event a contest for second place. Below the very top, form swings with conditions, so vaulters are a higher-variance pick than high jumpers. A winter indoor season adds scoring chances if your league schedules indoor meets. Full rules on the scoring page.