The pole vault box is 1.00 m long measured along the inside of its base, 0.60 m wide at the front where the runway meets it, and tapers to 0.15 m wide at the bottom of the stop board. It drops to 0.20 m below runway level at the point where the base meets that stop board, and the stop board sits at 105 degrees to the base. Those are World Athletics figures, and NFHS builds to the same geometry. Every number below comes from a rule book or a federation diagram, with the tolerances stated where the rule states them.
The 1.00 m in the rule is measured along the inside of the bottom of the box, not across the top. Because the base slopes down 0.20 m over that run and the stop board leans back, the opening you actually see at runway level is longer. The NFHS diagram puts that runway-level length at 108 cm, about 42.5 inches. If a contractor builds a 1.00 m opening at runway level, the base comes out short and the stop board angle is wrong.
World Athletics does not publish a separate figure for the depth of the stop board or the length of the box at runway level. It says both are determined by the 105 degree angle between the base and the stop board. Work it through and the stop board face comes out at about 22.4 cm, which is the number the NFHS diagram prints. Tolerances are plus or minus 0.01 m on dimensions and minus 0 to plus 1 degree on angles.
The box itself is the same shape. What changes is the equipment around it. NFHS requires at least 2 inches of dense foam padding on any hard surface near the box, caps the pad cutout at 36 inches across the bottom, and requires the front pads to sit no more than 3 inches from the top of the back of the box. World Athletics instead specifies that the landing area sides nearest the box sit 0.10 m to 0.15 m away and slope back at 45 to 48 degrees. The surrounding pit rules are on the pole vault pit dimensions page, and what the box does mechanically is on what the box is in pole vault.
The box is identical at every meet you will ever attend. What changes is where your tip arrives and how late. Film one vault from the side and AI pulls the frame of pole-tip contact and measures your takeoff foot against your top hand.
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Six measurements settle whether a box is legal. Take them with the pit pulled back and a straight edge across the runway.
Bridge the box front to back with a straight edge sitting on the runway surface. Every depth measurement is taken down from that line, not from the sloping base.
Run a tape along the inside of the bottom of the box from the front end to the foot of the stop board. It should read 1.00 m, tolerance plus or minus 0.01 m. The opening at runway level will read closer to 108 cm and that is correct.
0.60 m across the front end where the box meets the runway, tapering to 0.15 m across the bottom of the stop board. The NFHS diagram gives 40.8 cm across the stop board end at runway level, which is what you get when the sides taper correctly.
0.20 m from the straight edge down to the point where the base meets the stop board. This is the measurement that drifts as a box settles, so take it at more than one point across the width.
Angle finder against the base, reading up to the stop board face. The rule allows minus 0 to plus 1 degree, so 105 to 106 is legal and 104 is not. The stop board face itself should measure about 22.4 cm.
Top edges sunk level with the runway, rounded or soft, with the front edge not standing above runway grade. At a high school meet, confirm the box collar padding and that the front pads sit within 3 inches of the back of the box.
One right answer per row. World Athletics figures are from Technical Rule 28. NFHS figures are taken from the federation's published field events diagrams, which print the numbers World Athletics leaves to be derived from the 105 degree angle.
| Dimension | World Athletics (TR 28) | NFHS |
|---|---|---|
| Length along the inside bottom of the box | 1.00 m (39.4 in) | 100 cm (39.4 in) |
| Length at runway level | Determined by the 105 degree angle | 108 cm (42.5 in) |
| Width at the front (runway) end | 0.60 m (23.6 in) | 60 cm (23.62 in) |
| Width at the bottom of the stop board | 0.15 m (5.9 in) | 15 cm (5.91 in) |
| Width at the stop board end, runway level | Set by the side taper | 40.8 cm (16.1 in) |
| Depth below runway at the stop board | 0.20 m (7.87 in) | 20 cm (7.87 in) |
| Height of the stop board face | Determined by the 105 degree angle | 22.4 cm (8.8 in) |
| Angle, base to stop board | 105 degrees | 105 degrees |
| Angle, side walls to base at the stop board | Approximately 120 degrees | 120 degrees |
| Tolerances | Plus or minus 0.01 m, minus 0 to plus 1 degree | Not stated on the diagrams |
| Top edges | Sunk level with the runway, rounded or soft | Top edges at ground level, front edge not above runway grade |
| Padding around the box | Athlete may place padding within their trial time | Minimum 2 in (51 mm) dense foam on any hard surface |
| Zero line marking | 10 mm wide line at right angles to the runway | 0.5 in or 1 cm line extending 3 m each side of the box |
Common questions athletes and coaches ask about this topic.
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