Combined Events Scoring Tables

What are Combined Events?

Combined events are a discipline within athletics that consist of multiple events in which athletes compete across different disciplines over one or two consecutive days. The final ranking is not determined by finishing position in each individual event, but by the total number of points accumulated across all events: the athlete with the highest score wins the competition.

Each performance, whether a time, distance or height, is converted into points using the IAAF Combined Events Scoring Tables. These points are accumulated after each event, and the athlete with the highest total score at the end of the competition wins.

IMPORTANT ➔ The IAAF Combined Events Scoring Tables are completely independent from the World Athletics Scoring Tables, which are used to compare performances across different disciplines. A score of 900 points in combined events is not equivalent to 900 points in the WA tables.

Competitions

Combined events are contested both outdoors and indoors, with different formats and events for men and women. The most common competitions include:

• Men's Decathlon

  Day 1

  1. 100m
  2. Long Jump
  3. Shot Put
  4. High Jump
  5. 400m

  Day 2

  6. 110m Hurdles
  7. Discus Throw
  8. Pole Vault
  9. Javelin Throw
  10. 1500m

• Women's Heptathlon

  Day 1

  1. 100m Hurdles
  2. High Jump
  3. Shot Put
  4. 200m

  Day 2

  5. Long Jump
  6. Javelin Throw
  7. 800m

• Men's Heptathlon - Short Track

  Day 1

  1. 60m
  2. Long Jump
  3. Shot Put
  4. High Jump

  Day 2

  5. 60m Hurdles
  6. Pole Vault
  7. 1000m

• Women's Pentathlon - Short Track

  Day 1

  1. 60m Hurdles
  2. High Jump
  3. Shot Put
  4. Long Jump
  5. 800m

These are the most common formats used in official championships. However, other variations exist depending on gender, category and federation, such as the octathlon or nonathlon.

How Performances Are Scored

Points for each performance are calculated using one of three mathematical formulas, depending on whether the event is a track event, a jump or a throw. These formulas use three event-specific constants: a, b and c.

Official Parameters by Event

The values of a, b and c are fixed constants for each event and are the same for all athletes. If an event is contested indoors (Short Track), the same formula applies.

Official Competition Rules

The following rules apply to all combined events:

• Only Three Attempts

  In the long jump and all throwing events, each athlete has only three attempts, regardless of their position in the event. No additional attempts are allowed. This differs from individual events, where extra attempts are usually granted.

• Rest Between Events

  Whenever possible, there must be at least 30 minutes between the end of one event and the start of the next for each athlete.

• Rest Between Days

  When the competition spans two days, there must be at least 10 hours between the last event of the first day and the first event of the second day.

• False Starts

  In track events, only one false start per race is allowed without disqualification (yellow card). Any athlete responsible for an additional false start in the same race will be disqualified (red card). Additionally, a yellow card carries over throughout the combined event, meaning that any further false start in another race will result in immediate disqualification.

• Bar Increments

  In vertical jumps, the bar must be raised uniformly throughout the competition: increments of 3 cm in the high jump and 10 cm in the pole vault.

• Scores Announced

  Points for each individual event and the cumulative total must be announced to all athletes after each event.

• Retirement

  Any athlete who does not attempt to start or record a performance in an event will not be allowed to continue in subsequent events and will not be included in the final classification. Athletes who decide to withdraw must inform the combined events referee immediately. If an athlete records three fouls in an event, they may continue competing, but will score zero points for that event.

Tie-Breaking Rules

If two or more athletes finish with the same total score, the following procedure is applied in order:

1. If two athletes are tied, their performances are compared head-to-head across all events. The athlete who has more event wins (higher points in each event) ranks higher.
2. If still tied, the athlete with the highest individual event score ranks higher.
3. If the tie persists, the second-best performance is compared, and so on.
4. If the tie remains after all comparisons, the result is declared a tie.

Note: The first step does not apply when more than two athletes are tied.