2026 – High School Warmup Rule

The “warmup rule” for High Jump and Pole Vault is changing for the 2026 track seasons. Here’s the difference.

The 2025 rule was that athletes would get a warmup period (2 mins for PV, 1 1/2 mins for HJ) without a bar or bungee at their entering height bar change if they passed three or more heights. They only got this at their opening height (even if they passed three or more heights after they began the competition). The rule called for multiple athletes entering the competition to combine their warmup time. In other words, if three were entering a PV competition, they would get six minutes total time.

The 2026 rule is completely different. It is based on how long the competition has been going on. Athletes will get a warmup period (2 min for PV, 1 1/2 for HJ) without the bar or bungee, if they enter the competition sixty minutes after the competition begins. Again, it will be awarded at bar change at the height where the athlete is entering – after the first sixty minutes.

This is aligned to the NCAA and USATF (IAAF) rules for warmup.

Here’s the examples:

2025 Rule – Ann passes 8, 8’6″, and 9′. Ann intends to enter the competition at 9’6″. After vaulting is completed at 9′, Ann gets 2 minutes to warmup. If there are other vaulters entering at 9’6″, their warmup times are added together.

2026 Rule – The pole vault competition begins at 10:00 am. Ann passes 8′, 8’6″, and 9’0″. The competition at 9’0 ends at 10:48. Ann does not get warmup time, and would need to pass another height (to get past 11:00 am) to get that time.

2026 Rule – Or, the pole vault competition begins at 10:00am. Ann passes 8 and 8’6″, intending to come in at 9′. Because of the size of the field, the competition at 8’6″ ends at 11:05. Ann gets 2 min warmup time before competition begins at 9′.

The number of passed heights doesn’t matter – it’s the time since the beginning of the competition.

In both rules, athletes only get one opportunity for warmup time – at their entering height in the competition.

The only question remaining is – are the warmup times combined (like the old rule) or is each athlete required to take their warmup time of 2 minutes separately (the current NCAA rule). We won’t know the answer to that until the actual wording for the rule is released.

Additional: now that the actual rule is published it is clear – warmup times do NOT “aggregate” for the group. Like the NCAA rule – each vaulter gets their own 2 minute period.