A bar at 4.15 m is 13 ft 7.25 in. Not 13 ft 7.4 in, which is what a straight conversion gives you, because US results round down to the lower quarter inch. This converter goes both ways, accepts the messy formats vaulters actually type, and rounds the way meet results and record books round. The full chart from 2.00 m to 6.31 m sits underneath it.
Every bar height a meet is likely to call, in both units. The men's world record of 6.31 m sits on the last row.
| Bar height (m) | Centimetres | Feet and inches | Meet style | Exact inches |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.00 | 200 | 6' 6.5" | 6-6 1/2 | 78.74 |
| 2.05 | 205 | 6' 8.5" | 6-8 1/2 | 80.71 |
| 2.10 | 210 | 6' 10.5" | 6-10 1/2 | 82.68 |
| 2.15 | 215 | 7' 0.5" | 7-0 1/2 | 84.65 |
| 2.20 | 220 | 7' 2.5" | 7-2 1/2 | 86.61 |
| 2.25 | 225 | 7' 4.5" | 7-4 1/2 | 88.58 |
| 2.30 | 230 | 7' 6.5" | 7-6 1/2 | 90.55 |
| 2.35 | 235 | 7' 8.5" | 7-8 1/2 | 92.52 |
| 2.40 | 240 | 7' 10.25" | 7-10 1/4 | 94.49 |
| 2.45 | 245 | 8' 0.25" | 8-0 1/4 | 96.46 |
| 2.50 | 250 | 8' 2.25" | 8-2 1/4 | 98.43 |
| 2.55 | 255 | 8' 4.25" | 8-4 1/4 | 100.39 |
| 2.60 | 260 | 8' 6.25" | 8-6 1/4 | 102.36 |
| 2.65 | 265 | 8' 8.25" | 8-8 1/4 | 104.33 |
| 2.70 | 270 | 8' 10.25" | 8-10 1/4 | 106.30 |
| 2.75 | 275 | 9' 0.25" | 9-0 1/4 | 108.27 |
| 2.80 | 280 | 9' 2" | 9-2 | 110.24 |
| 2.85 | 285 | 9' 4" | 9-4 | 112.20 |
| 2.90 | 290 | 9' 6" | 9-6 | 114.17 |
| 2.95 | 295 | 9' 8" | 9-8 | 116.14 |
| 3.00 | 300 | 9' 10" | 9-10 | 118.11 |
| 3.05 | 305 | 10' 0" | 10-0 | 120.08 |
| 3.10 | 310 | 10' 2" | 10-2 | 122.05 |
| 3.15 | 315 | 10' 4" | 10-4 | 124.02 |
| 3.20 | 320 | 10' 5.75" | 10-5 3/4 | 125.98 |
| 3.25 | 325 | 10' 7.75" | 10-7 3/4 | 127.95 |
| 3.30 | 330 | 10' 9.75" | 10-9 3/4 | 129.92 |
| 3.35 | 335 | 10' 11.75" | 10-11 3/4 | 131.89 |
| 3.40 | 340 | 11' 1.75" | 11-1 3/4 | 133.86 |
| 3.45 | 345 | 11' 3.75" | 11-3 3/4 | 135.83 |
| 3.50 | 350 | 11' 5.75" | 11-5 3/4 | 137.80 |
| 3.55 | 355 | 11' 7.75" | 11-7 3/4 | 139.76 |
| 3.60 | 360 | 11' 9.5" | 11-9 1/2 | 141.73 |
| 3.65 | 365 | 11' 11.5" | 11-11 1/2 | 143.70 |
| 3.70 | 370 | 12' 1.5" | 12-1 1/2 | 145.67 |
| 3.75 | 375 | 12' 3.5" | 12-3 1/2 | 147.64 |
| 3.80 | 380 | 12' 5.5" | 12-5 1/2 | 149.61 |
| 3.85 | 385 | 12' 7.5" | 12-7 1/2 | 151.57 |
| 3.90 | 390 | 12' 9.5" | 12-9 1/2 | 153.54 |
| 3.95 | 395 | 12' 11.5" | 12-11 1/2 | 155.51 |
| 4.00 | 400 | 13' 1.25" | 13-1 1/4 | 157.48 |
| 4.05 | 405 | 13' 3.25" | 13-3 1/4 | 159.45 |
| 4.10 | 410 | 13' 5.25" | 13-5 1/4 | 161.42 |
| 4.15 | 415 | 13' 7.25" | 13-7 1/4 | 163.39 |
| 4.20 | 420 | 13' 9.25" | 13-9 1/4 | 165.35 |
| 4.25 | 425 | 13' 11.25" | 13-11 1/4 | 167.32 |
| 4.30 | 430 | 14' 1.25" | 14-1 1/4 | 169.29 |
| 4.35 | 435 | 14' 3.25" | 14-3 1/4 | 171.26 |
| 4.40 | 440 | 14' 5" | 14-5 | 173.23 |
| 4.45 | 445 | 14' 7" | 14-7 | 175.20 |
| 4.50 | 450 | 14' 9" | 14-9 | 177.17 |
| 4.55 | 455 | 14' 11" | 14-11 | 179.13 |
| 4.60 | 460 | 15' 1" | 15-1 | 181.10 |
| 4.65 | 465 | 15' 3" | 15-3 | 183.07 |
| 4.70 | 470 | 15' 5" | 15-5 | 185.04 |
| 4.75 | 475 | 15' 7" | 15-7 | 187.01 |
| 4.80 | 480 | 15' 8.75" | 15-8 3/4 | 188.98 |
| 4.85 | 485 | 15' 10.75" | 15-10 3/4 | 190.94 |
| 4.90 | 490 | 16' 0.75" | 16-0 3/4 | 192.91 |
| 4.95 | 495 | 16' 2.75" | 16-2 3/4 | 194.88 |
| 5.00 | 500 | 16' 4.75" | 16-4 3/4 | 196.85 |
| 5.05 | 505 | 16' 6.75" | 16-6 3/4 | 198.82 |
| 5.10 | 510 | 16' 8.75" | 16-8 3/4 | 200.79 |
| 5.15 | 515 | 16' 10.75" | 16-10 3/4 | 202.76 |
| 5.20 | 520 | 17' 0.5" | 17-0 1/2 | 204.72 |
| 5.25 | 525 | 17' 2.5" | 17-2 1/2 | 206.69 |
| 5.30 | 530 | 17' 4.5" | 17-4 1/2 | 208.66 |
| 5.35 | 535 | 17' 6.5" | 17-6 1/2 | 210.63 |
| 5.40 | 540 | 17' 8.5" | 17-8 1/2 | 212.60 |
| 5.45 | 545 | 17' 10.5" | 17-10 1/2 | 214.57 |
| 5.50 | 550 | 18' 0.5" | 18-0 1/2 | 216.54 |
| 5.55 | 555 | 18' 2.5" | 18-2 1/2 | 218.50 |
| 5.60 | 560 | 18' 4.25" | 18-4 1/4 | 220.47 |
| 5.65 | 565 | 18' 6.25" | 18-6 1/4 | 222.44 |
| 5.70 | 570 | 18' 8.25" | 18-8 1/4 | 224.41 |
| 5.75 | 575 | 18' 10.25" | 18-10 1/4 | 226.38 |
| 5.80 | 580 | 19' 0.25" | 19-0 1/4 | 228.35 |
| 5.85 | 585 | 19' 2.25" | 19-2 1/4 | 230.31 |
| 5.90 | 590 | 19' 4.25" | 19-4 1/4 | 232.28 |
| 5.95 | 595 | 19' 6.25" | 19-6 1/4 | 234.25 |
| 6.00 | 600 | 19' 8" | 19-8 | 236.22 |
| 6.05 | 605 | 19' 10" | 19-10 | 238.19 |
| 6.10 | 610 | 20' 0" | 20-0 | 240.16 |
| 6.15 | 615 | 20' 2" | 20-2 | 242.13 |
| 6.20 | 620 | 20' 4" | 20-4 | 244.09 |
| 6.25 | 625 | 20' 6" | 20-6 | 246.06 |
| 6.30 | 630 | 20' 8" | 20-8 | 248.03 |
| 6.31 | 631 | 20' 8.25" | 20-8 1/4 | 248.43 |
The reverse lookup, for when a US result sheet is in feet and inches and you need the metric bar height.
| Feet and inches | Meet style | Exact metres | Bar height to set (m) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8' 0" | 8-0 | 2.4384 | 2.44 |
| 8' 6" | 8-6 | 2.5908 | 2.60 |
| 9' 0" | 9-0 | 2.7432 | 2.75 |
| 9' 6" | 9-6 | 2.8956 | 2.90 |
| 10' 0" | 10-0 | 3.0480 | 3.05 |
| 10' 6" | 10-6 | 3.2004 | 3.21 |
| 11' 0" | 11-0 | 3.3528 | 3.36 |
| 11' 6" | 11-6 | 3.5052 | 3.51 |
| 12' 0" | 12-0 | 3.6576 | 3.66 |
| 12' 6" | 12-6 | 3.8100 | 3.81 |
| 13' 0" | 13-0 | 3.9624 | 3.97 |
| 13' 6" | 13-6 | 4.1148 | 4.12 |
| 14' 0" | 14-0 | 4.2672 | 4.27 |
| 14' 6" | 14-6 | 4.4196 | 4.42 |
| 15' 0" | 15-0 | 4.5720 | 4.58 |
| 15' 6" | 15-6 | 4.7244 | 4.73 |
| 16' 0" | 16-0 | 4.8768 | 4.88 |
| 16' 6" | 16-6 | 5.0292 | 5.03 |
| 17' 0" | 17-0 | 5.1816 | 5.19 |
| 17' 6" | 17-6 | 5.3340 | 5.34 |
| 18' 0" | 18-0 | 5.4864 | 5.49 |
| 18' 6" | 18-6 | 5.6388 | 5.64 |
| 19' 0" | 19-0 | 5.7912 | 5.80 |
| 19' 6" | 19-6 | 5.9436 | 5.95 |
| 20' 0" | 20-0 | 6.0960 | 6.10 |
US vault results are reported to the quarter inch. International results are reported to the centimetre. Going from metric to imperial, the convention is to round down to the lower quarter inch, because a converted figure must never credit an athlete with more than the bar they actually cleared. That is why 6.31 m is written 20 ft 8.25 in even though the exact figure is 20 ft 8.43 in, and why Isinbayeva's 5.06 m is 16 ft 7 in rather than 16 ft 7.2 in.
A centimetre is 0.3937 inches, so a 5 cm raise moves the bar 1.97 inches. Nothing about that lands on a clean imperial number. Start at 4.00 m (13 ft 1.25 in), add 5 cm and you get 4.05 m (13 ft 3.25 in), then 4.10 m (13 ft 5.25 in), then 4.15 m (13 ft 7.25 in). The quarter inch column drifts because the two grids never line up. The 15 cm jumps common in early rounds do the same thing, three times as fast.
This matters more than it sounds. If the bar was set at 4.15 m, the mark is 4.15 m. The 13 ft 7.25 in is a translation for people who think in feet. Records, qualifying standards, and rankings all key off the height the bar was actually set to, and a converted figure that disagrees by a quarter inch loses to the bar every time. Check the meet's progression sheet before arguing about a mark.
0.25 in is 0.635 cm. So the imperial grid is denser than the metric grid, and round trips are not symmetric. Metric to imperial and back is stable: 4.15 m gives 13 ft 7.25 in, which converts back to 4.15 m. Imperial to metric and back can drift a quarter inch, because 13 ft 6 in is 4.1148 m and the smallest centimetre bar height that clears it is 4.12 m, which reads back as 13 ft 6.25 in. That is arithmetic, not a bug.
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