In the field events there are minimal marks, heights, distances, that shorter than are null, no mark, no score.
I had a few years of witnessing that in track.
In a recent conversation I said that I hadn’t competed in javelin for that very reason, the marks may not have been markable, and in my eyes wouldn’t have been worth having been measured if they were in fact just over the minimal line.
If/when I flobbed a discus throw near that minimal line I’d just walk right out the front of the circle, purposefully fouling so as to keep the meet moving.
I’ve never done a powerlifting meet.
I wouldn’t unless I’d be hitting what in my eyes are meet worthy numbers.
(Since I’m a big dude : 405+ bench, 495+ squat, 600+ deadlift.)
That minimum distance/height requirements from the field events would go far in speeding up powerlifting meets if they were to emulate minimal requirements for the lifts in each weight class.
I know people who have official numbers, as opposed to my gym lifts that clearly don’t count, who officially lifted less than bodyweight on the bench, barely over bodyweight on squat and deadlift.
I’m talking guys by the way.
Imagine an under 800lb total in the 275s, “weaksauce”.
I get to the promotor it’s money, though I can’t imagine everyone in the meets is pleased by those “competitors”.
At track meets we weren’t.
No one was pleased when a kid insisted on officially recording 3″ past the minimal discus distance when we all eye balled it as possibly a no mark, and ourselves gentlemanly fouled by walking out the front of the circle when we flibbed with such marks.
The worst athletes always wanted official. The better athletes didn’t bother, often enough on scoring marks that were subpar TO THEM, yet far better than the barely minimal numbers insisted on measuring by those barely able to hit them.
(Even better than the entire heat in some cases.)
I remember the kid that won states in the discus doing this…at a distance greater than everyone else in the heat, but something like 20′ short for him.
People doing this kept the meets moving.