When is an athlete out of the competition?
B · Beginner · The jump · 4 of 4An athlete is out after three consecutive failures, whatever heights they happened at. A clearance wipes the count back to zero. A pass does not, so failures at one height and the next are added together. An eliminated athlete keeps the best height they cleared.
How it works
- The rule: "Three consecutive failures, regardless of the height at which any of such failures occur, disqualify from further vaulting except in the case of a tie for first place."
- Consecutive: the three must come one after another with no clearance between them.
- Across heights: two failures at one height followed by a pass and one failure at the next make three.
- A clearance resets: after a successful trial the athlete has three trials again at the next height they attempt.
- Still on the card: earlier failures stay in the record and can decide a tie later.
- Out with a result: an eliminated athlete keeps the best height they cleared.
- No height: an athlete who never clears a bar has no valid trial, shown as NM.
- Jumping on alone: "Even after all the other athletes have failed, an athlete is entitled to continue jumping until they have forfeited their right to compete further."
- The marks: O for a clearance, X for a failure and a dash for a pass.
Tricky cases
An athlete fails twice, passes and fails once at the next height. Are they out?
Yes. Those are three consecutive failures.
An athlete fails twice and clears on the third try. How many tries do they have at the next height?
Three. The clearance resets the count.
Does an athlete who fails three times at their opening height get a result?
No. They have no valid trial, which is recorded as NM.
Can an athlete be eliminated in a jump-off for first place by three failures?
No. The rule makes an exception for a tie for first place, where each athlete has one try at each height.
Why the rule exists
Three tries is enough to separate a bad attempt from a height that is beyond the athlete. Counting failures across heights closes the loophole of escaping a height one cannot clear by passing to the next with a clean slate.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| World Athletics rules | As above | TR 26.2; TR 26.3 |
| Qualification round | Athletes stop once they are certain of a place in the final | TR 25.14 |
| Long jump and throws | No elimination by failures. Every athlete has a set number of trials | TR 25.6 |
From the rule book
World Athletics, Competition and Technical Rules, 2026 Edition, Technical Rules 26.2 and 26.3 and Competition Rule 25.5. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Athletics Competition and Technical Rules 2026 (PDF).