Why aren't you allowed to jump off two feet in the high jump

Because the World Athletics official Dick Fosbury won't allow it. They have had several votes on the matter and he always vetoes it claiming that the WR would be almost as high as the pole vault if two foot jumps were allowed. That's why it's called the Fosbury Flop.

That sucks it favours one type of jumpers some people jump better off one foot naturally and others are better with two.Allowing two foot jumps would only make the event more competitive.

Would people really jump higher?

Some people claimed that specialized gymnasts might in fact jump higher when allowed to take off with both feet than high jumpers. the clearing technique might be difficult, though.

Jo72 wrote:

Some people claimed that specialized gymnasts might in fact jump higher when allowed to take off with both feet than high jumpers. the clearing technique might be difficult, though.

indeed, watch the gymnastic floor routines; they can lift their CG significantly higher than a high jumper does. But the high jumper has devised sophisticated techiques, such as the fosbury flop, to clear bars with minimal elevation of the CG. It wouldnt surprise me if they could actually clear a bar without their dynamic CG going over it.

However such new techniques would clearly be attainable in gymnastics.

It would be very impressive - maybe we should have two events?

CG = Centre of Gravity

Don't gymnasts jump of springy floors.

paris2024hawk wrote:

Don't gymnasts jump of springy floors.

Yes.

Poster above is an idiot

Jo72 wrote:

Some people claimed that specialized gymnasts might in fact jump higher when allowed to take off with both feet than high jumpers. the clearing technique might be difficult, though.

I think that's the entire point of the Fosbury flop - you make an arch shape, so the CG remains beneath the level of the bar

^^wrong quote in reply above

Jo72 wrote:

It wouldnt surprise me if they could actually clear a bar without their dynamic CG going over it.

y

I think that's the entire point of the Fosbury flop - you make an arch shape, so the CG remains beneath the level of the bar

It is a springy floor, but the guy probably didn't specifically train for it either.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBCKQevaEmw

So if jumping off 2 feet were allowed, then you could do a couple of tumbles and then clear the bar facing it, like pole vaulters do.

"Why aren't you allowed to jump [off] two feet in the high jump"? Because the event is jumping off one foot. That's the event.

You don't get to space the hurdles wherever you want them, either. Their spacing is set. That's the event.

You don't get to turn your back to the throwing sector in the javelin. That's the event.

pupil3142 wrote:

Jo72 wrote:

Some people claimed that specialized gymnasts might in fact jump higher when allowed to take off with both feet than high jumpers. the clearing technique might be difficult, though.

indeed, watch the gymnastic floor routines; they can lift their CG significantly higher than a high jumper does. But the high jumper has devised sophisticated techiques, such as the fosbury flop, to clear bars with minimal elevation of the CG. It wouldnt surprise me if they could actually clear a bar without their dynamic CG going over it.

However such new techniques would clearly be attainable in gymnastics.

It would be very impressive - maybe we should have two events?

CG = Centre of Gravity

I need to ask my daughter who's a gymnast about this. But height is a disadvantage in gymnastics and to set records gymnasts would have to jump massively over their height.

lease wrote:

"Why aren't you allowed to jump [off] two feet in the high jump"? Because the event is jumping off one foot. That's the event.

You don't get to space the hurdles wherever you want them, either. Their spacing is set. That's the event.

You don't get to turn your back to the throwing sector in the javelin. That's the event.

Those analogies are horrible. You can't space the hurdles where you want them and jumping off of two feet are vastly different things.

BTW, besides it being god awful technique that likely won't help, why can't you turn your back to the throwing sector in Javelin? Safety issues?

In high jump if the objective is to clear the bar, why can't you use ANY technique you want as long as you aren't aided by an object? So some body wants to tumble and flip over it, then make tumbling and flipping illegal.

My high jump pr is from a two foot approach and front flipping over the bar.

dontgetit wrote:

BTW, besides it being god awful technique that likely won't help, why can't you turn your back to the throwing sector in Javelin? Safety issues?

USATF Rule 193.1 (c)

After the run-up has begun and until the javelin has been thrown, the competitor shall not at any time turn completely around so that his/her back is toward the throwing area.

NOTE: This rule is intended to avoid rotation as part of the throwing motion or as part of the run-up. This rule does not prevent a competitor who has interrupted an attempt and walks back to initiate another attempt

They did that more easily by saying that you can't jump from two feet.

much jump wrote:

My high jump pr is from a two foot approach and front flipping over the bar.

Yes, but clearing 4-6 isn't going to set any records.

much jump wrote:

My high jump pr is from a two foot approach and front flipping over the bar.

Hmmmm . . . . . the plot thickens.