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. Note: officials need to make sure they mark the actual event starting time on the flight list.

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 warmup times ARE NOT AGGREGATED!! So each athlete taking their warmup gets “their” two minutes – all by themselves. The warmups are ordered by the athletes order on the flight list.

And a final note – once an athlete takes their warmup, they are required to make an attempt at that height. I suppose they could simply “take a miss”, by allowing their attempt to time-out after they’ve been called then pass to the next height. But then they would only get two attempts at that next height. But they cannot warmup at a height, then pass that height (without any attempts).