The long jump is one of eight field events held in the Olympics. It is also both a decathlon and a heptathlon event for men and women. This entry will provide the rules, the method and some history and interesting knowledge of the long jump.

Rules

The long jump is more closely linked the triple jump as you are trying to achieve a maximum distance horizontally, not vertically. The technical rules are not to extreme, as it is a relatively simple sport in concept. Rules concerning the jump will be provided, as they are fixed throughout all international long jump competitions, but rules concerning how the competition is laid out, since they vary wildly.

• The jumper will have 40 metres to run in order to build up speed. The runner can place two markers along this run-up, in order to provide indicators to themselves on when to start specific actions for the jump.

• The jumper must take-off from in front of the far edge of the marking board, otherwise the jump is disqualified.

• The jumper must land in the sand pi.t¹ The distance of the long jump will be measured from the far edge of the marking board to the closest part of the impression made as the jumper lands.

• The long jumper has one minute to complete their jump - since wind affects the distance made jumpers will wait for the favourable wind, but they must do so while mindful of the ticking clock.

• There is the standard limitation on sole thickness (19mm for long jump) but no restrictions on spikes.

• Finally there is a very serious rule that must not be disobeyed...There must be no somersaulting by a jumper, while not a commonly seen reason for a jump to be considered void, it is nevertheless evidently a fear of the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations), and so remains banned.