Track  and  fields  world  governing  body  World Athletics is  considering one of the most radical changes in the history of the long jump, with the   take-off board to be replaced by a zone.

Under the proposal, which is already being trialled, athletes will have a bigger designated area on the runway to launch their jump, which will then be measured from the exact point of take-off to where they land in the sand.

Currently, the starting point of a jump is taken as the edge of the fixed synthetic board, rather than where a competitor actually takes off.

World Athletics have come up with the idea to ensure that ‘every single jump counts’ after data showed them that a third of all efforts at last summer’s World Championships  in  Budapest   were fouls……. where an athlete had overstepped the board.

The new concept will initially be tested at low-level meetings this year and, if it proves to be successful, it could be rolled out for elite competitions from 2026 ahead of the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028.

The long jump changes could be seen for the first time at a new-look global event World Athletics will launch in 2026.