The Scissors is a style used in the athletics event of high jump

High jump

The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....

. As it allows the jumper to land on their feet, it is the most common style used by junior athletes where the landing surface is not deep or soft enough to meet full competition standards.

The approach (or run-up) in the Scissors is a straight line at 30 to 50 degrees to the bar, jumping over the lowest point of the bar which is usually the centre. Speed is brisk, simply to ensure horizontal travel over the bar, but not a full out sprint, as there is little chance to resolve forward motion into vertical motion at take-off. Horizontal acceleration should be complete by take-off, with the shoulders held high and the take-off leg (the one pushing into the ground,(the inside leg)) flexing at delivery.

At take-off the leg nearer the bar (the drive leg) is held straight and swung into the air to clear the bar. At exactly the same time the hips and body are driven into the air by the take-off leg. As the jumper crosses the bar, the trailing or take-off leg has to be quickly swung up to clear the bar. If this occurs as the drive leg crosses and clears the bar, the drive leg can be driven downwards, compensating for the upwards momentum lost in swinging the take-off leg upwards to clear the bar. This up-down/up movement of the legs can best be described as a scissoring action.

Once the take-off leg has left the ground (and not before) the athlete should make as much attempt to pull their upper body face down towards the bar as possible, again compensating for the upwards momentum lost in swinging the take-off leg upwards to clear the bar. Care must be taken not to impact the head against the knee.

Driving or swinging the arms into the air at take-of can also provide additional upwards momentum and the arms can be successfully "blocked" (i.e. brought back to the sides) during clearance, although care should be taken not to strike the bar.

Landing from the Scissors is usually on the feet and requires at least some basic form of soft matting or sand to reduce foot impact on landing and in case the athlete loses their footing and falls over. No high jumping should be performed without regard to this and other safety issues.