To provide a rectangular-sheet protection mat for short-track speed staking.

This self-standing protection mat 1 is formed by covering a shock absorber 12, which is formed of soft polyurethane foam having the hardness of not less than about 50 N and not more than about 160 N and having the impact resilience coefficient of not less than about 15% and not more than about 50%, with an external sheet 10 composed of a rectangular-sheet shaped bag having an approximately planar front face 2 and a back face 3 and having a predetermined thickness. This constitution, when a skater collides thereon, can prevent the skater from being injured by coming into contact with a link outer circumferential wall 21 or bouncing therefrom to collide with another skater, thereby properly and surely protecting the skater.