How many attempts does a decathlete get in the long jump and the throws?
I · Intermediate · How the events differ · 4 of 7Three. In the long jump and in every throwing event of a combined event, each athlete has three trials and no more. There is no cut to the best eight and no second set of three. The best of the three is the performance that scores.
How it works
- The rule: "In the Long Jump and each of the throwing events, each athlete shall be allowed three trials only."
- The best one counts: the athlete is credited with the best of their trials, as in any field event. That distance is looked up in the tables.
- Three failures: the athlete has no valid performance in that event and scores nothing for it. They continue in the competition.
- Everything else: the take-off line, the sector, the measuring and the time for a trial are the same as in the event held on its own.
- Time: one minute for a trial, and two minutes when the same athlete has consecutive trials.
Each attempt is a trial.
Tricky cases
A decathlete leads the long jump after three rounds. Do they get three more jumps?
No. Three trials is the limit in a combined event.
A heptathlete fouls her first two javelin throws. How many has she left?
One.
Do all three throws score points?
No. Only the best valid one.
Why the rule exists
Six trials for each athlete in four or five field events would stretch two long days beyond what the timetable or the athletes could bear. The extra rounds in an individual event exist to sort out the medals among the best eight. A combined event needs only one good mark from each athlete to feed the points table.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| World Athletics rules, combined events | As above | TR 39.8.1 |
| The same events held on their own | Three trials, then three more for the best eight | TR 25.6 |
| High jump and pole vault | Three tries at each height, as usual | TR 26.2 |
From the rule book
World Athletics, Competition and Technical Rules, 2026 Edition, Technical Rules 25.17, 25.21, 39.8.1 and 39.10. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Athletics Competition and Technical Rules 2026 (PDF).