Long Jump is an individual sport where participants sprint down a runway and jump as far as they can off of a wooden board, into a pit filled with sand. The person with the longest distance is the winner.

Long jump sounds easy, right? Just jump...far. Well, it's a bit more complicated. Since its creation by the ancient Greeks, long jump has required athletes to master a combination of different skills in order to make the perfect jump. Speed, pacing, trajectory, momentum and balance all must come together in perfect harmony. Long jump can be found at all track meets, with the height of competition found at the Summer Olympic Games.

Jump for a maximum amount of distance.

The distance of approach is at the discretion of the jumper. Most approaches range between 12 and 22 strides. No part of a jumper's toe or foot may cross the take-off line. Any crossing results in a foul. Three fouls disqualify a jumper from competition. Jumpers must fall forward upon landing, as all measurements are taken from the landing spot closest to the line. The jumper with the longest jump is the winner.

An event in the ancient Olympic Games, the long jump stands as one of the world's oldest sports. At that time, long jumpers carried halteres in their hands while jumping. These were swung forward while in the air to increase forward momentum. Long jump was an event at the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. Women's long jump became an Olympic event in 1928. Today long jump remains a popular sport in the track and field cannon, with the highest level of competition found at the Summer Olympic Games.

Shoes

Long jump is a safe sport due to a lack of physical contact with other competitors. Injuries can occur however, due to the many different muscles that are used in long jumping. Common injuries include muscle pulls and strains, and torn ligaments.

Success in long jumping requires a competitor to adhere to a regiment of jumping, over-distance running, weight training, plyometrics and bounding.

Halteres - stone weights carried in each hand by ancient Greek long jumpers

Hang - in-air technique of body control where the jumper lengthens the body to make it as efficiently long as possible

Hitch Kick - in-air technique of body control where the jumper "climbs" or "runs" to counteract rotational velocity

http://www.ehow.com/how_2057813_learn-rules-long-jump.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_jump