A proposed new ASTM standard has the potential to make pole vaulting safer. ASTM WK35729, Specification for Pole Vault Box Collar, is currently being developed by Subcommittee F08.67 on Pole Vault, part of ASTM International Committee F08 on Sports Equipment and Facilities.
A box collar is a protective device that covers the hard unpadded surfaces surrounding a pole vault box. It may also cover the top edges and side walls of a pole vault box.
The pole vault box is the trough, typically made of steel and set in concrete, that stops the end of the pole as the vaulter jumps off the ground. The upper rim of the box can pose a hazard to vaulters who fall on it as a result of a poorly executed vault.
“The exposed hard surfaces between the pole vault box and the pole vault landing pad may be padded with a pole vault box collar, however, no standard exists that specifies the performance requirements of the box collar,” says Peter McGinnis, Ph.D., professor of kinesiology, State University of New York College at Cortland, and chairman, F08.67.
“ASTM WK35729 is being developed to provide guidance to rule makers regarding the minimum impact attenuation that a box collar should provide,” says McGinnis.
Once approved, the proposed new standard will potentially be referenced in the rule books of the National Federation of State High School Associations and the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
Interested parties are invited to participate in the ongoing development of ASTM WK35729.
ASTM International welcomes and encourages participation in the development of its standards.