What are the box, the bar and the landing area like?

• The box: 1.00 m long, 0.60 m wide at the front and narrowing to 0.15 m at the stop board. Its floor slopes down to 0.20 m below the runway.
• The zero line: a line across the runway level with the back end of the box. Failures and bar positions are judged from it.
• The bar: a round fibreglass bar 4.50 m long and no heavier than 2.25 kg.
• The pegs: the bar rests on two horizontal pegs "so that if it is touched by an athlete or their pole, it will fall easily to the ground in the direction of the landing area".
• Where the bar stands: the edge of the bar nearest the athlete may be anywhere from directly above the back of the box to 80 cm towards the landing area.
• Asking for a position: each athlete states the position they want before the competition. A change must be requested before the bar is set, and none is allowed once the time for the trial has started.
• The runway: at least 40 m from the zero line, and 45 m where possible, 1.22 m wide.
• Distance marks: the organisers place markers beside the runway every 0.5 m from 2.5 m to 5 m and every metre from 5 m to 18 m.
• Padding: an athlete may put padding round the box for their own trials. At major competitions it is provided.
• The landing area: at major competitions not smaller than 6 m long behind the zero line, 6 m wide and 0.8 m high, with front pieces at least 2 m long.
• Measuring: in whole centimetres from the ground to the lowest part of the upper side of the bar.

A vaulter arrives at the bar from a different angle depending on their grip height and the bend of the pole, which is why each may set the bar forward or back. The box gives the pole one fixed point to turn on, and the zero line gives the judges one fixed plane to judge by.