Free Sample
The Complete Handbook of High Jump Pits
The Field Reference for Buyers, Installers, Coaches, and Facility Managers
by Alumigogo Books
Chapter 1: Understanding High Jump Pits
A high jump pit is not simply a large foam pad. It is a protective system designed to absorb and dissipate the kinetic energy of a falling athlete in a controlled way. The cost of getting this wrong is not the repair bill; it is the potential for serious injury to a jumper or a pole vaulter who might land on it. That core function - managing the impact of a human body moving at speed from height - dictates every design, material, and specification that follows in this book.
The need for a dedicated landing area arose with the change in jumping technique in the mid-20th century. Before the 'Fosbury Flop' became standard in the late 1960s, jumpers used a variety of techniques like the straddle or the western roll. These techniques were inefficient, often resulting in the athlete landing on their feet or in a controlled roll to the side. The landing surface was, accordingly, a simple pile of loose sand or a standard foam pit primarily designed for long jumpers.
The introduction of the Flop changed the physics of the event. The athlete's back rotates to face the bar, and the body crosses the bar face-up, then lands on the upper back, shoulders, and often the back of the head. This is a far more vulnerable landing posture than a roll or a stumble. The landing height is also higher, as the athlete's center of mass first peaks above the bar