National Collegiate Athletic Association

The NCAA News - News and Features

February 24, 1997

Asking for a RAISE

Some gymnastics coaches support proposal that would allow adjustments in the height of the vault to accommodate taller athletes

BY STEPHEN R. HAGWELL
Staff writer

If there is one gymnastics event that encompasses all the qualities of the sport, it is the vault.

Combining speed, explosiveness and tumbling and mandating precision by the competitor, the vault is arguably the most exciting event the sport has to offer. It has also, according to some coaches, become very dangerous -- at least for some gymnasts.

Concerned that the current height of the vault horse presents taller gymnasts with a competitive and safety disadvantage, the National Association of Collegiate Gymnastics Coaches/Women (NACGC/W) has submitted a proposal to the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Committee. The coaches are seeking a modification of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) Code of Points to give coaches and student-athletes the option of raising the vault horse from its current position of 120 centimeters to a maximum height of 135 centimeters.

The Women's Gymnastics Committee will review the proposal at its July meeting.

Height set at 120 centimeters

Currently, the FIG Code of Points requires the vault horse to be positioned at 120 centimeters. Men's gymnastics conducts its vault competition at a height of 135 centimeters (a difference of about six inches).

"We feel quite strongly that being able to raise the horse would create a safer situation for our taller gymnasts," said Meg Stephenson, assistant women's gymnastics coach at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and NACGC/W president. "What we're finding with our athletes is that they are hitting the board to go up and having to reach back down to get to the horse and then try to generate the momentum to go back up again. We feel that is not the safest situation."

The proposal, which was approved by the NACGC/W at its April 1996 meeting, currently is being reviewed by the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports. The competitive-safeguards committee discussed the proposal at its February meeting and currently is soliciting opinions from biomechanics experts on whether the proposed change will possibly contribute to increased injuries. The committee intends to present its findings and recommendation to the gymnastics committee in June.

Advocates contend that the proposal would give gymnasts -- specifically taller gymnasts -- the opportunity to perform a vault that is more beneficial and safer than what is currently possible. They say the current rules are written primarily for Olympic-caliber and age-group gymnasts -- most of whom are much smaller than collegiate gymnasts.

"Vaulting is all about speed and physics and it's harder to come in low at the right angle when you're 5-8," said Suzanne Yoculan, women's gymnastics coach at the University of Georgia. "When you come onto the horse at a high angle, your hands slip off. It happens to many gymnasts. I'm not saying that raising the vault is going to stop that altogether, but there's no reason that a gymnast should be at a disadvantage because of their height. And they are."

Modification 'premature'

Opponents argue that the proposed rules modification is premature.

They say there isn't any evidence proving that raising the vault would provide a safer environment. They contend that gymnasts have performed routines at the current height throughout their careers, and have adapted to the height of the vault horse.

They also contend that the vault at its current height provides no greater risk of injury than any of the four routines (floor exercise, balance beam, vault and uneven bars). Further, they fear that increasing the height of the vault horse may decrease the stability of the apparatus.

"If someone can prove to me that it's really an advantage to do this, great," said Jim Gault, women's gymnastics coach at the University of Arizona. "I don't believe they can prove it. Where is all the research? There hasn't been any that I know of as to how it benefits anyone and how it's going to affect our sport."

"We've got to look at a lot of other things before we vote on whether we want to raise the horse arbitrarily or not. We've got to look at the implications of raising the horse," said Debbie Yohman, women's gymnastics coach at the University of Pittsburgh. "When this was proposed it was presented as an idea with potentially some very good benefits. I think it was presented and approved as an idea we like. I don't think at the time we said we liked it, everyone was thinking about the implications."

Surprisingly, there is available evidence to support both sides of the debate.

Based on statistics contained in the 1995-96 NCAA Injury Surveillance System report for men's and women's gymnastics, the vault accounts for 15 percent of reported injuries in the sport -- lowest of the four events. The findings are similar in men's gymnastics.

Advocates agree that the vault has become safer through a series of improvements in the takeoff and landing areas, but they contend that taller gymnasts still face considerable risk because the apparatus has remained constant.

"What's happened in gymnastics over the years is that kids have gotten stronger, the takeoff and landing areas have improved, but the horse has remained constant," said Dan Kendig, women's gymnastics coach at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, who experimented with one of his taller gymnasts using a raised vault horse in the summer of 1996 and experienced no additional problems. "What that has done is reduce the postflight time for the athletes. They now have to try to cram their routines into a shorter period of time."

Diminish risk factor

Stephenson says the option to raise the vault would diminish the risk factor while enabling gymnasts to reach a higher point in the vault. She also states that a study by American Athletic, Inc. (AAI), which supplies gymnastics equipment for collegiate programs, provides evidence that raising the vault horse will not decrease the stability of the apparatus.

AAI conducted several tests in September 1996 to determine how much straight horizontal force would be required to lift the bases of the vaulting horse off the floor at each of four heights -- 120, 125, 130 and 135 centimeters. AAI concluded that raising the vaulting horse from 120 to 135 centimeters would result in a stability differential of two percent.

"We definitely feel that being able to raise the horse would create a safer situation for taller gymnasts," Stephenson said. "We're looking at it that injuries would decrease because you'll have more time in the air to actually complete the skill. A lot of times now, athletes don't use additional matting that's allowed because it decreases their drop time."

Gault agrees that raising the horse would provide greater height and impetus, but questions whether injuries will decrease as a result.

"Are there any statistics that say raising the horse is going to be safer?" Gault said. "The horse is higher. That means if you raise the horse higher, a girl is going to be dropping from a higher distance. That's safer? Who knows. Maybe it is. There again, where are the statistics saying dropping from a higher distance is going to be safer?"

Yohman believes that coaches need to review the ramifications and parameters of the issue. She prefers to table the proposal until additional research is conducted.

"It seems like it's a real simple answer. The equipment company says it's safe to raise the horse for the kids that need to use it," Yohman said.

"But, again, I go back to the fact that this is an idea that was proposed that looked like it has a lot of benefits, but the implications when you sit down and start thinking about it...we've gone this long without raising the horse. Let's do a little more research."

Yoculan contends that coaches could spend years researching the issue without reaching a conclusion. She stresses that the proposal provides an option to raise the vault, but does not require gymnasts to raise the horse. She states the proposal gives coaches and gymnasts an opportunity to train at a predetermined height and make their own determination.

"What does it hurt to give athletes the option? It doesn't mean we have to do it," Yoculan said. "There's probably not a gymnast on our team who will raise the horse, but I think the option should be there. I don't think any athlete should be put at risk or be limited in terms of potential because of an equipment regulation."