As a coordinator or helper in the long jump event, you will take age/groups in a specified order through their jumps, measure and record their efforts, determine final finish places, and report the results to the Awards table.
WHAT YOU WILL NEED -
- Field Event results forms. You will need at least 20 but bring
extras.
- Measuring tape, steel or fiberglass, 50'/15m. Used to measure the
jumps.
- Pen/pencils
- Rake, Garden type.
- Clipboard
- A colored "see-thru" marker.
- Measuring tape, steel or fiberglass, 100'. Placed alongside the
runway to mark steps by the jumpers.
- Tape, Athletic White 2". 1 roll.
- Broom
- Chair
- A radio or a runner to maintain contact with the Announcer.
- Screwdrivers/pegs (3) to mark jumps and secure tape.
- Shovel
- Straight edge (like a yardstick) 36" long.
- Extra blank stickers. Plan on 6 or more.
PREPARING THE AREA:
1. Sweep the runway. Pay particular attention to the last 10 or 12
yards before the take off board to remove any foreign objects
including sand and dirt. This will reduce/eliminate slipping.
Also sweep the take off board and the area between board
and the pit.
2. Inspect the area next to the take off board which is on the side
of the board toward the pit ( The "foul" area). If there is a
depression (usually caused by missing runway material), fill it with
sand. Pack the sand hard and wet it down, if possible. This will help
you detect fouls.
If the take off board is more then 4 to 5 feet from the
pit and Gremlins or Bantams will be jumping, you will need to make a
temporary take off board. A temporary take off board can be made by
putting down 4 to 6 strips of white athletic tape across the runway
as close to the pit as is practical. Be sure to leave at least 24
inches of runway between the new "board" and the pit to judge
fouls.
3. Prepare the landing pit. The objective is to make the sand landing
area level with the take off board and level from side to side. You
also must remove any foreign objects from the pit. Often, if the
pre-meet activities are done as indicated in this handbook, the pit
will be prepared and only a final smoothing" of the sand in the
landing area will need to be done.
You may need to shovel sand from the far end of the pit
to the end nearest the board to level it. Make sure an area at least
20 feet from the board is ready.
Once the sand is ready, sweep any sand still on the
border of the pit back into the pit. This is so the borders (usually
cement) are visible to the jumpers and they can avoid them.
Finally, smooth the sand landing area. No depressions or
"waves" should be there.
4. Put out the runway measuring tape. Secure the "zero" end with a
screwdriv-er or peg so that the zero mark is even with the edge of
the take off board which is nearest to the pit (the "scratch" line).
The tape should be placed off the runway to either side but
preferably to the side which the jumpers will not walk over it.
Stretch the tape out alongside the runway for at least
90 feet and preferable the entire length of the tape or runway,
whichever is shorter. The tape should be pulled tight and with the
numbers up.
5. Set up your clipboard with a Field Event Entry form for both a
Varsity and a Junior Varsity class for the first group.
6. You should have a minimum of 1 and hopefully more helpers. You
must have one. Assign them as follows:
1st - If only 1, to rake pit and mark jumps. If you have
2 or more, then to rake pit.
2nd - To mark jumps in the pit.
3rd - To read the distance at the take off board.
4th - To help rake/shovel the pit.
5th - To help organize the jumpers by calling the
jumping order. Usually works at the far end of the runway (away from
the pit).
The Judge, or coordinator's job is to establish the
jumping order, record the results of each jumper's attempt, to judge
fair and foul attempts, and to determine final finish places.
RUNNING THE EVENT -
1. All field events start at 8:30am, including the long jump. The
first call for the long jump should be made automatically by the
Announcer at about 8:15am followed by the 2nd call at about 8:20am.
The jumpers should arrive at the pit warmed up by 8:30am.
The order of competition for a one pit facility is GG,
GB, BG, BB, MG, MB, JG, JB. If a two pit facility is used, the split
is usually boys to one pit and girls to the other and keeping the
Gremlin to Intermediate order at each pit. Check with the Meet
Director or Referee before the meet.
2. Take their tags as they arrive, paying attention to which is JV
and which is Varsity, and placing them on the correct Event Results
Sheet.
3. Allow each jumper two (2) "run-through" to check their steps. You
must maintain an element of discipline here since most jumpers will
want to take many more than 2 "run-through" which takes valuable
time. Run them through in their jumping order if possible.
4. The Judge determines the order in which the competitors jump. Most
clubs/judges use the order in which the jumpers report.
Some clubs make an exception for the Gremlins to allow
all of the jumpers from one club to jump and then all of those from
the other. This is done since the Gremlins will report "en-mass" with
their coach. The coach is a valuable help in maintaining crowd
control and will help you if possible.
5. Make sure the sand in the pit is level and smooth before each
jumper is called.
6. In calling the athletes to jump, it is suggested that the judge
call the jumpers name and club who is next to jump and, also, call
the following jumper's name and club. This allows a non-delaying warm
up by each jumper. The call can be simply: "Mary Smith from Oxnard is
up" and, "Kim Jones from Ojai is next" or something similar.
7. Each jumper has two minutes from the time his/her name is called
to complete their jump.
8. Each competitor gets three (3) jumps. The judge must record the
result of EACH jump (NOT JUST THE LONGEST) since second best jumps
may be needed to resolve ties.
9. The measurement of the jump is taken from the point of the
depression closest to the take off board to the edge of the take off
board closest to the pit.
The proper measurement is taken by putting the zero end
of the tape at the depression in the sand and stretching the tape
back to the take off board. The distance is read at the board by the
judge.
10. A FOUL is an attempt which counts as a jump but is not measured.
It is recorded as a diagonal line in the box on the Event Results
sheet where the distance of the jump is usually recorded.
The most common foul is when the jumpers foot (shoe)
goes past the edge of the take off board closest to the pit. This
edge is commonly referred to as the "scratch" line.
Even if sand or other material is not used, the judge
must carefully watch the runner until he/she is 2 to 3 strides from
the board. The judge then shifts his eyes to the board to watch the
shoe strike the board. A judgement call as to the fairness of the
jump is then made by announcing "Fair" or "Foul" in a loud voice,
ONLY AFTER THE JUMPER HAS LEFT THE PIT.
It is also a foul if the jumper lands with any part of
his body outside the pit.
It counts as an attempt if the jumper runs past the take
off board but does not jump.
11. Measurements are taken to the lesser centimeter and recorded in
meters (354 cm is recorded as 3.54 m).
12. After each jump is either declared foul or has been measured, the
sand in the pit must be re-leveled and smoothed.
13. Ties are broken for all places by evaluating the second best
jumps of those tied. If the second best jumps are equal, then the
third best jumps are used to break the tie. Ties for first are broken
first, then second, then third, etc. if necessary. We do not use
"jump-offs" in our dual meets and J.V. finals to resolve ties.
14. Athletes must "check out" with the long jump judge before going
to a running event or another field event. The athlete has five (5)
minutes after the completion of the running event or the trial at the
other field event to return to the long jump.
While the "checked out" jumper is gone, competition
continues by simply skipping over him/her in the jumping order. If
the other competitors have finished when the "checked out"
competitors return, allow each returned jumper to complete all of
their remaining trials. Also, allow them sufficient time between
jumps to recover (up to 3-5 minutes).
15. When the last jumper is finished and before determining the final
finish places, have the announcer make final call for the next
group.
16. Determine the finish places for both varsity and J.V. through at
least fourth. If time permits, determine the finish place for all
entered.
17. Send the Event Results Sheets to the Awards table. Do not hold
the results until all groups are finished because of the work load
this creates on the Awards table.
TIPS -
- Do not rush into the pit to measure a jump. Do not enter the
pit until the jumper has left it or the attempt was declared a foul.
If the jumper walks back toward the take off board while in the pit,
the jump is measured from the mark made closest to the scratch line,
and that can be a foot print.
- In marking a jump, use two screwdrivers or similar
pins/stakes/B-B-Q skewers as follows:
Place one screwdriver into the sand at the point of the depression to
be measured. Put the second screwdriver through the ring on the end
of the measuring tape (almost all have them). Hold the screwdriver
which is through the measuring tape so that the tape can be read
(numbers up).
Without touching the screwdriver placed into the ground, and holding
the screwdriver placed through end of the measuring tape, hold the
tape so the "zero" mark on the tape is even with the screwdriver
placed into the ground. This will allow the normal amount of
"tugging" on the tape while the jump is being measured and not change
the distance.
- As you measure the jump, call out the distance loud enough
for the judge (separate recorder) and the jumper to hear. This will
greatly reduce the number of repetitive questions you'll get.
- Make out a JV and a Varsity Event Results Sheet even if there
are no competitors in one or more of the classes. Send the sheet to
Awards marked "No entries" to help them keep track of which events
have been ribboned.
- Don't mix age/groups, boys and girls, or Varsity and J.V. on
one Events Results sheet.
- If you need to measure from a point in the pit which will not
allow a perpendicular measurement to the take off board, place a
straight edge (yard stick) down so that its edge is even with the
"scratch" line so that it extends the scratch line and the
measurement can be taken properly.
- When entering the pit to mark a jump, approach the depression
you intend to mark from the "far" end of the pit (the end away from
the take off board). This will reduce the chance of obliterating or
changing the fragile "break" line in the sand of the original
depression made by the jumper.