LONG JUMP

OBJECTIVE OF LONG JUMP: Jump farther across the pit in a jump than the opponents.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2+ players

MATERIALS: Shoes with a maximum thickness of 13mm

TYPE OF GAME: Sport

AUDIENCE: 10+

OVERVIEW OF LONG JUMP

Long jump is a popular track and field event that showcases athletes’ speed, strength, and agility. The aim of this sport is to jump as far as possible. Although this sport is simple enough to understand, to master it is a whole other animal!

SETUP

The length of the runway is at least 131 feet (40 meters). The 20cm long takeoff board is placed around 3.3 feet (1 meter) from the end of the runway. A foul lines marks the end of the takeoff board. And finally, the sand-filled landing area is around 30 feet (9 meters) long.

GAMEPLAY

From the moment the athlete steps onto the runway, they have 60 seconds to complete the jump. Generally, athletes get around 3 tries to get a higher score. But in major events, the finalists may be given up to 6 attempts.

APPROACH RUN

The objective is to accelerate toward the take-off board. Ideally, the athlete will utilize all 131 feet of the runway to ensure greater speed for the take-off.

TAKE-OFF

To take off, the athlete must have their entire foot on the ground before jumping into the air. In addition, the athlete must ensure that no part of their foot touches or crosses the foul line. Athletes may use a variety of techniques to ensure they get to the furthest distance possible when jumping. Some possible techniques include:

  • Hitch kick: athlete rotates their arms and legs in the air.
  • Sail: athlete brings both arms forward and lifts the leg as though to touch the toes.
  • Hang: athlete extends their arms and legs and stays in position until they switch their legs to the landing position.
LANDING

The athlete’s main objective is to land in the pit at the furthest distance possible. Athletes must carry their bodies past the point where their feet made a mark in the sand to get the best score possible.

SCORING

The measurement is taken from the foul line to the nearest point of indentation in the sand. This is why it’s important for athletes to fall forward rather than backward to get a better score. Generally, the measurement is from the foul line to where the heels land in the sand.

END OF GAME

Each athlete gets three attempts, and the jump with the highest score is selected. Whoever has the highest score wins!

In a major competition, the top 8 jumpers get another three attempts. The highest-scoring jump of these 8 jumpers wins. But if there is a tie, the jumper with the better second-longest jump wins.

Lev
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