My son plays sports where consistent foot position from competition to competition is critical. This folding rule is perfect for our needs. It has withstood almost daily abuse from a teenager for over a year and still works well. If you only need to use the ruler partially extended, make sure you buy a ruler with the measurements pointing in the right direction. We're fine, but we've seen others in our sport get their metrics going the wrong way, so they couldn't get their rulers straight.