Almost nothing in the rulebook changes when you move the vault indoors. Same 40 m minimum runway measured from the zero line, same 1.22 m width, same 80 cm of standards travel, same 5 cm minimum bar raise. What changes is the building and the air. Ceiling height, a runway laid over a subfloor, cold poles in an unheated fieldhouse, and a headwind you can feel but that nobody measures. Here is the honest comparison, rule by rule and then everything the rules do not cover.
World Athletics sets one pole vault runway spec for both: minimum 40 m from the zero line, 45 m where conditions permit, 1.22 m wide. The standards travel from directly above the back of the box out to 80 cm toward the pit either way. Indoors adds a single allowance. You may start your approach on the banking of the oval track, so long as the last 40 m sits on a compliant runway.
Nothing in the Technical Rules sets a ceiling height for the vault, which means it is a facility question, not a rules question. Some fieldhouses run out of air well before a good vaulter runs out of pole. If you have ever been told to move your standards in or lower your grip at a particular gym, that was architecture talking, and it is worth checking before you enter.
Coaches say the same thing every January: a pole left in a cold van feels stiffer than the same pole in June. There is no published correction factor and no rating adjustment, so treat it as a reason to warm your poles up and expect to start a size down, not as a number you can calculate. It cuts both ways once the building heats up.
The fastest way to tell whether a slow indoor season is the ceiling, the cold, or your run is to film both and look at the same frames. Upload a vault from each season and the AI grades your approach, plant, and swing so you can see what changed.
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Rule figures come straight from the World Athletics Technical Rules. Everything below the rule rows is practical, not regulated, and varies by facility.
| Factor | Indoor | Outdoor |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum runway length | 40 m from the zero line, 45 m where conditions permit | 40 m from the zero line, 45 m where conditions permit |
| Runway width | 1.22 m plus or minus 0.01 m | 1.22 m plus or minus 0.01 m |
| Approach start | May begin on the banking of the oval if the last 40 m is a compliant runway | Full straight runway |
| Standards range | Zero line out to 80 cm toward the pit | Zero line out to 80 cm toward the pit |
| Bar raise | Never less than 5 cm, and the increment never increases | Never less than 5 cm, and the increment never increases |
| Trial clock | 1 min, 2 min with 2 or 3 left, 5 min alone | 1 min, 2 min with 2 or 3 left, 5 min alone |
| Wind | None | Not measured and not limited for the vault; a space is reserved for a wind sock |
| Overhead clearance | Set by the building, not by the rules | Open |
| Runway feel | Often a portable or sprung surface over a subfloor | Permanent synthetic over asphalt or concrete |
| Pole behaviour | Consistent once the poles are at room temperature | Stiffer in the cold, softer in summer heat |
| World records | Count as outright world records | Count as outright world records |
| US season | Roughly December to March | Roughly March to June |
Common questions athletes and coaches ask about this topic.
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