Measurement reference points
Bottom: top of runway surface where the bar's projected center falls. Top: lowest point of the bar between the two standards (because the bar sags slightly under gravity, the center is the lowest).
Pole vault height is measured from the top of the runway surface to the top of the bar at its lowest point on the standards. Officials use a calibrated measuring tape and, at major meets, a laser-aligned device. The bar is set on adjustable pins on the standards; the measurement is recorded in meters (international) and feet/inches (US HS / college).
Bottom: top of runway surface where the bar's projected center falls. Top: lowest point of the bar between the two standards (because the bar sags slightly under gravity, the center is the lowest).
Standard: calibrated steel measuring tape, 5 m / 16 ft minimum. Major meets: laser-aligned electronic measuring device, accurate to 1 mm. Tape and laser readings are cross-checked at world-record attempts.
Recorded in meters and centimeters internationally (e.g., 6.26 m). In the US HS and college system, also recorded in feet and inches (e.g., 19 ft 2.5 in). Official record height is the lower precision of the two systems used at the meet.
At world-record attempts, height measurements are verified by multiple officials with redundant equipment. Protests of a bar height are rare and usually resolved by re-measurement before the next attempt.
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