Track and Field Study Guide
Track and field is primarily an individual sport grouping together track events (sprinting, middle and long distance races) and field events (jumping and throwing). The first form of track and field was practiced in Egypt more than 4000 years ago.The first recorded examples of organized track and field events at a sports festival are the Ancient Olympic Games. At the first Games in 776 BC in Olympia, Greece, only one event was contested: the stadium footrace. The scope of the Games expanded in later years to include further running competitions, but the introduction of the Ancient Olympic pentathlon marked a step towards track and field as it is recognised today – it comprised a five-event competition of the long jump, javelin throw, discus throw, the stadium foot race, and wrestling. The first modern Olympic Games, in 1896, consisted mainly of track and field events.
The Shot Put
The style of shot put that we learned is called a “Power Throw”. When shot putting you must stay in the circle the entire time, if you step out of the circle during the “put”, it is called a foul. A foul may also occur if the shot comes away from the side of the chin and/or if you “put” the shot outside the area called a sector. You only get 3 chances to shot put in a track meet, the person with the farthest distance wins.
High Jump
You may only jump off one foot; the approach you learned in class was called a “J” approach. When you get to the bar you jump off the outside leg while raising the inner knee. As you are in the air you turn your body so that your back goes over the bar and then you land on your upper back with your feet folding over your head. You get 3 attempts at each height once you reach a height that you can’t clear with 3 attempts you are done competing for that day. The person who jumps the highest height wins the competition.
The Evolution of the High Jump
The Standing Jump Scissors KickThe Western Roll Fosbury Flop
The Long Jump
In the long jump you only get 3 jumps to jump as far as you can. You must jump from a board called a “Takeoff Board”, if your any part of your foot goes over the board when you jump it is a foul. You may only jump off one leg but you want to land on two feet (we called it the “frog” landing). The jump is measured from whatever body part lands closest to the takeoff board.
Discus
A discus is 2 Lbs. 3 ½ ounces. Thrown from a circle 8’ 2 ½ “ in diameter; the discus is held with the first joint of the fingers on one hand; hold discus by the edge and release it at shoulder level; it comes off the hand with wrist being snapped toward the release. The athlete must enter and exit from the back of the circle. The best of three attempts is once again used to determine scoring.