 In terms of sport , the use of poles for vaulting distances was recorded in <unk> contests in the <unk> area of Europe , and vaulting for height was seen at <unk> competitions in Germany in the 1770s . One of the earliest recorded pole vault competitions was in Cumbria , England in 1843 . The basic rules and technique of the event originated in the United States . The rules required that athletes do not move their hands along the pole and athletes began clearing the bar with their feet first and <unk> so that the stomach faces the bar . <unk> poles were introduced in the 20th century and a metal box in the runway for planting the pole became standard . Landing <unk> were introduced in the mid @-@ 20th century to protect the athletes who were clearing increasingly greater heights . 
