Read across each height
Suppose a fictional row shows XO at 1.90 m, XX– at 1.95 m and X at 1.98 m. The athlete cleared 1.90 m on the second attempt. At 1.95 m there were two failures, followed by a decision to pass the remaining trial at that height. The next failure at 1.98 m is the third consecutive failure.
Passing did not erase the two misses. Moving the bar higher also did not provide three completely fresh attempts. This is why a commentator can say an athlete has only one chance remaining at a new height, although the viewer has not seen three attempts there.
A dash is a decision, not a clearance
A pass does not establish that the athlete cleared that height. If the row contains a dash at 1.95 m but a clearance at 1.98 m, the successful mark is 1.98 m; the skipped height does not become an additional successful jump. Likewise, an opening pass does not automatically indicate a missing portion of the video.
Compare that earlier sequence with XXO at 1.95 m. The third-attempt success interrupts the run of failures. It also gives the athlete a recorded clearance at that height. Two rows can therefore contain two X symbols but lead to very different situations depending on what follows them.
Use the row to find the important attempt
When looking for a decisive replay, note the height and attempt number as well as the athlete. A clip labelled only with the height can show an earlier miss rather than the clearance. If two athletes finish with the same best height, the attempt history matters to the countback; the best-height column alone may conceal the reason for their order.
The ordinary three-consecutive-failures rule also has a first-place jump-off exception, and competition procedures can affect the final result. Read the final official placing rather than extending this simple example to every tie. The useful first step remains the same: follow the symbols in order, and never count a pass as either a successful jump or a reset.
Related questions
Does passing reset two failures?
No. Consecutive failures can carry across heights; a pass is not a successful clearance.
Sources and scope
Scope notes distinguish published documentation, supplied information and editorial methods. They do not report a hands-on service test.
- World Athletics 2026 rules — O, X and passed-trial notation
- World Athletics high jump — Consecutive failures, passing and ranking context
