Athletics
High Jump
High jump asks athletes to clear a horizontal bar from a curved approach and one-foot takeoff. Competitors remain in the event until three consecutive failures eliminate them.
At a glance
- Takeoff must be from one foot.
- The bar rises through announced heights.
- Three consecutive misses eliminate an athlete.
Player profile. High jump rewards an unusual blend of approach speed, takeoff stiffness, body awareness, and courage near the bar. The athlete must preserve the curve of the run, plant accurately on one foot, rotate in flight, and shape the body so successive segments pass without dislodging the crossbar.
Where it happens
Two uprights support a light crossbar above a cushioned landing bed. The approach area is broad enough for curved run-ups from either side, and the absence of a fixed lane lets athletes choose a path that converts horizontal speed into a one-foot vertical takeoff.
- Bar height varies; the landing area and upright spacing follow event standards.
What you need
- High-jump shoes
- Uprights and crossbar
- Foam landing mat
How to play
- Athletes choose entry heights, approach on a curve, take off from one foot, rotate over the bar, and land on the back or shoulders. They may pass heights strategically.
The essential rules
- Takeoff must use one foot.
- Dislodging the bar is a failed attempt.
- Touching the ground beyond the bar without clearing is a failure.
- Three consecutive failures end the competition for that athlete.
- Competitors may pass a height or remaining attempts.
- The bar may only move upward during normal competition.
- Attempts must begin within the time limit.
- Ties are resolved by miss count and, if needed, a jump-off.
How the result is decided
A cleared height remains on the athlete's record even if later attempts fail. The bar rises through announced heights, three consecutive misses end participation, and ties are separated first by misses at the decisive height and across the competition before a jump-off is used when required.
Fouls and penalties
- Two-foot takeoff
- Dislodged bar
- Ground contact beyond the plane before clearance
- Time violation
Techniques
- Curved approach
- Fosbury-flop takeoff
- Back arch over the bar
- Leg clearance
Tactics
- Select opening height conservatively.
- Use passes to conserve energy or pressure rivals.
- Adjust approach marks to conditions.
Disciplines and variants
- Indoor high jump
- Historical scissors and straddle techniques
Competition landscape
- Olympic Games
- World Athletics Championships
Records in the reference
No stable record table is published here. Records change; use the current governing-body source before acting.
How the sport developed
The source shows the event changing as landing surfaces improved. Earlier upright and scissor-like clearances gave way to techniques that placed more of the body over the bar efficiently, and deep foam beds made back-first landings practical, altering both performance and the event's visual language.
- The landing mat made modern back-first clearance practical and safe.
Play it in India
A dated public source documents an Indian federation, programme or centre for this sport. Current local intake, price and availability still require confirmation.
- Athletics Federation of India is the current organisation reference and is matched to a dated MYAS recognition source. This does not establish local intake, price, schedule or availability.
- Organisation reference
- Athletics Federation of India
- Recognition state
- MYAS recognition list matched
- SAI NCOE discipline rows
- No matching centre row found
- Khelo India discipline
- Not established
- Olympic programme
- Current · since 1896
- India Olympic medals
- No sport-level total in current sources
Evidence and currency
This is an original KhelPath explainer assembled from editorial research. It is orientation, not an authoritative rulebook.
World Athletics Book of Rules ↗ · observed 2026-08-28