GUIDES · BETSLIP DOCTOR
In high jump or pole vault, do misses at different heights count toward three consecutive failures?
Yes. Under the standard vertical-jump rule, three consecutive failures count across heights and end further jumping or vaulting, except in a tie for first place. After failing an attempt at a height, an athlete may pass a later attempt at that height and still move to a subsequent height. Once an athlete passes a trial at a height, they cannot make another trial at that same height except in a jump-off for first. Comments say lower-level meets may adapt their competition regulations, so check the rules for a children’s, school or local event.
For New high-jump and pole-vault fans, athletes, and coaches checking how attempts progress. · Updated
Three consecutive failures can span heights
TR26.2 does not require all three failures to happen at one bar height. What matters is that the failures are consecutive. Passing adds no failure, but it does not reset earlier consecutive failures; they carry forward to the next height. The stated exception is a tie for first place; its jump-off procedure is a separate question.
A pass can move an athlete to a later height
An athlete may fail an early trial at a height, pass a later trial there, and continue at a higher height. The passed height is then closed to further attempts, except in a jump-off for first place. This is different from using three failures to leave the event.
Check rules for lower-level meets
The Comments note that regulations for lower-level competitions, such as children’s or school meets, may be adapted to let an athlete take a second or third attempt at a height even after passing an earlier trial there. Do not assume that variation applies everywhere; check the regulations for the event.
Two fictional attempt sequences
In a fictional high jump, an athlete misses the first trial at 1.80m, passes the remaining trials at that height, then misses twice at 1.85m. The pass adds no failure and does not reset the earlier miss: the two later misses bring the count to three consecutive failures and end further jumping, except in the stated tie-for-first case. Separately, a fictional athlete misses the first trial at 2.00m, explicitly passes the remaining trials there, and moves to 2.05m. Under the standard rule, that athlete cannot return for another trial at 2.00m except in a jump-off for first. These examples do not assume any local-meet adaptation.
Related questions
Do all three failures have to be at the same height?
No. TR26.2 says three consecutive failures count regardless of the height at which they occur.
Can an athlete skip an attempt after a miss and move on?
The rule allows an athlete to pass a later trial at that height after failing an earlier one and still attempt a subsequent height. Once the athlete passes at a height, they cannot attempt again there except in a jump-off for first.
Can a school meet use a different attempt rule?
The Comments say lower-level competition regulations may be adapted. Check the rules for that specific meet.