The USASF recently released the rules that will be used during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons. Spirit Post decided to list every change and give some insight into the impact each change will have. This article discusses the changes made to Level 5.
Restricted 1
Tumbling skills are allowed up to 1 flipping and 1 twisting rotations. In tumbling, twisting skills may ONLY be performed if immediately preceded by a back handspring(s) or round off. During a full-twisting tumbling skill, no trick other than the twist is allowed (including but not limited to: split fulls, hitch kick fulls, X-Fulls, Full-Xouts) and both feet must land and finish on the performing surface (i.e. no full twisting tumbling to seat, prone body landings or similar).
Clarification: All skills up to a full twist are also allowed. (example: half twists and Arabians) Additional tumbling skills may be performed prior to the round-off and/or back handspring.
This rule should have a small impact on Restricted. A back handspring or round off is now required immediately preceding a twisting skill, meaning no more standing fulls.
Restricted 2
No tumbling is allowed after the twisting skill. (Exception: A forward or backward roll is allowed after a twisting skill; however, no tumbling is allowed after the roll.)
Clarification: If any tumbling follows a forward or backward roll or forward or backward twisting skill, at least one step into the next tumbling skill must be included to separate the two passes. Stepping out of a twisting skill (i.e. Arabian) or forward roll is considered a continuation of the same tumbling pass. An athlete must take an additional step out of a twisting skill step out or a forward roll step out. However, if the athlete finishes the twisting skill or stands the forward roll with both feet together, then one step is all that is needed to create a new tumbling pass.
This rule should have small impact on Restricted. It bans immediately tumbling out of a twisting skill, making it so you cannot tumbling out of an arabian.
Restricted 3
Tosses may not exceed three tricks (i.e. hitch kick full, switch kick full, kick double)
This rule should have a small impact on Restricted. It separated Level 4, Restricted, and Level 5 tosses.
General Tumbling A
All tumbling must originate from and land on the performing surface.
Exception: Tumbler may [without hip-over-head rotation] rebound from his/her feet into a stunt transition. Rebounding to a prone position in a stunt is allowed.
Example: Round off handspring and then a bump or contact from a base or bracer straight into a back flip would break this rule for levels 1-5. A clear separation from the tumbling to the stunt is needed to make this legal. Catching the rebound and then dipping to create the throw for the rotation is legal. This would also be true if coming from just a standing back handspring without the round off.
This rule change should have little impact because the actual rule didn’t change, but the example was added to further point out there needs to be a clear separation between tumbling and stunting, unless going into a stunt transition without head over hip rotation.
General Tumbling D
Assisted or connected tumbling is not allowed. Clarification: Double cartwheels and double forward rolls are allowed because they will be interpreted as stunts, not assisted tumbling.The USASF Rules no longer restrict assisted tumbling. However, assisted tumbling may negatively affect your score at the Event Producer’s discretion. For Legality Judges, when an athlete supports another athlete above the performing surface, it is considered a stunt and ruled according to the appropriate level stunt rules.Example: If an athlete in L2 receives a spot on a back handspring, this would be considered illegal under L2 Stunt – Inversions L. 1.
Example 2: In L5 if 6 athletes did standing fulls, and 3 of them were spotted by other athletes, the judges should score only the 3 standing fulls and really give bad scores for 3 really bad inverted stunt.
This rule change should have some impact in Level 5. I don’t think this was done to encourage spotted back handsprings, tucks, and fulls, but instead to allow more stunt entries, transitions, and set outs, including some swing dance style moves and chorus line flips.
General Tumbling F
Jumps are not considered a tumbling skill from a legalities point of view. Therefore, if a jump skill is included in a tumbling pass, the jump will break up the pass.
This rule should have little impact in Level 5, since their aren’t any skills allowed in running tumbling that aren’t allowed in standing tumbling.
Stunts H
L5 Stunts-Release Moves
1. Release moves are allowed but must not exceed more than eighteen inches above extended arm level. Example: tic-tocks are allowed.
2. Release moves may not land in a
proneor inverted position. When performing a release move from an inverted position to a non-inverted position, the bottom of the dip will be used to determine if the initial position was inverted.3. Release moves must return to original bases. Clarification: An individual may not land on the performing surface without assistance.
4. Helicopters are allowed up to a 180 degree rotation and must be caught by at least 3 catchers, one of which is positioned at head and shoulder area of the top person.
5. Release moves may not intentionally travel.
6. Release moves may not pass over, under or through other stunts, pyramids or individuals.
This rule should have little impact on Level 5. The only change is release moves are now allowed to land in prone positions, opening the door to more visual dismounts.
Stunts I
L5 Stunts-Inversions
1. Extended inverted stunts allowed. Also, see “Stunts” and “Pyramids.”
2. Downward inversions are allowed from prep level and above and must be assisted by at least three bases, at least two of which are positioned to protect the head and shoulder area. Contact must be initiated at the shoulder level (or above) of the bases.
Clarification: Catchers must make contact with the waist to shoulder region to protect the head and shoulder area.
Exception: A controlled power pressing of an extended inverted stunt (example: needle or handstand) to shoulder level is allowed.
3. Downward inversions must maintain contact with an original base.
Exception: In side rotating downward inversions, the original base may lose contact with the top person when it becomes necessary to do so (example: cartwheel-style transition dismounts).
4. Downward inversions from above prep level:
may not be caught and/or land in an inverted position.
Clarification: Top person may not be caught or land with their shoulders below their hips.a. May not stop in an inverted position. (example: a cartwheel roll off would be legal because the top person is landing on their feet)
b. May not land on or touch the ground while inverted.
Clarification: Prone or supine landings from an extended stunt must visibly stop in a non-inverted position and be held before any inversion to the ground.
This rule should have some impact on Level 5. Part 2 clarifies where a catcher must make contact with the inverted top person and add a handstand to the list of body positions that may be held during a controlled power press. Part 4 appears to be trying to stop some of the poorly executed pancakes performed last season, that stopped with the top person still being inverted.
Pyramids E
L5 Pyramids-Release moves w/ braced inversions
1. Pyramid transitions may involve braced inversions (including braced flips) while released from the bases if contact is maintained with at least 1 person at prep level or below. Contact must be maintained throughout entire transition with either the top person(s) or the base(s).
Clarification: Top person(s) bracing the inversion must show a concerted effort to maintain contact with the inverted top person until they are safely caught by the bases.
2. Braced inversions (including braced flips) are allowed up to 1-1⁄4 flipping rotations and 1⁄2 twisting rotations.
3. Braced inversions (including braced flips) that exceed 1⁄2 twisting rotations are only allowed up to a 3⁄4 flipping rotation provided release is initiated from an upright, non-inverted position, doesn’t transition past a horizontal position (i.e. cradle, flatback, prone) and doesn’t exceed one twisting rotation.
Clarification: LEGAL – An athlete tossed from an upright, non-inverted position (i.e. basket toss or sponge) performing a full twist and a backward 3⁄4 rotation to a prone position while in contact with one bracer.
4. Inverted transitional pyramids may involve changing bases.
5. Braced inversions (including braced flips) must be in continuous movement.
6. All braced inversions (including braced flips) must be caught by at least 3 catchers.
Exception: Brace flips that land in an extended upright position.
a. The 3 catchers must be stationary.
b. The 3 catchers must maintain visual contact with the top person throughout the entire transition.
c. The 3 catchers may not be involved with any other skill or choreography when the transition is initiated.
7. All braced inversions (including braced flips) that land in an extended upright position require at least one base and 2 additional spotters.
a. The base(s) and spotter(s) must be stationary.
b. The base(s) and spotter(s) must maintain visual contact with the top person throughout the entire transition.
c. The base(s) and spotter(s) may not be involved with any other skill or choreography when the transition is initiated.
8. Braced inversions (including braced flips) may not travel downward while inverted.
This rule should have a significant impact. Part 2 makes twisting 180 degrees while flipping with only 1 brace legal, when last season any twisting while flipping required 2 braces. Parts 6 and 7 make it so rewind liberty, stretch, and cupie pyramids are legal with one catcher as long as there are 2 spotters. This allows coed teams to do real rewind pyramids.
Part 3 confuses me and the more I try to figure it out, the more confused I get. I’ll update this once I understand what it is saying.
Dismounts A
Cradles from single based stunts must have a separate spotter with at least one hand/arm supporting the waist to shoulder region to protect the head and shoulder area through the cradle.
This rule should have little impact because it just further defines the region the spotter must catch when cradling.
Dismounts B
Cradles from multi-based stunts must have two catchers and a separate spotter with at least one hand/arm supporting the waist to shoulder region to protect the head and shoulder area through the cradle.
This rule should have little impact because it just further defines the region the spotter must catch when cradling.
Dismounts C
Dismounts to the performing surface from stunts and pyramids must be assisted by an original base. Bases may not intentionally pop, move or toss an athlete to the performance surface. Straight drops or small hop offs, with no additional skills, from waist level or below are the only dismounts allowed to the performing surface that do not require assistance.
Clarification: An individual may not land on the performing surface from above waist level without assistance.
This rule change should have a significant impact. Teams were often called for not assisting the top person to the ground after doing a smoosh down from a stunt, but letting the top person go after getting them to the smoosh. It seemed this was done so the bases could get to their next spot quicker, but was called because the top wasn’t assisted to the ground. Teams were also often called on this in dances in which they performed a thigh stand and the top person jumped off or they performed a minor lift and let the top person go. This does not allow you to toss a person out of a cradle or allow a top person to take a big jump off a stunt.
Dismounts E
No stunt, pyramid, individual, or, prop may move over or under a dismount, and a dismount may not be thrown over, under, or through stunts, pyramids, individuals, or prop.
This rule should have little impact. I haven’t seen many dismounts of this type.
Tosses F
Top persons in separate basket tosses may not come in contact with each other.
This rule should have little impact, but will stop high five baskets. This rule does not include the word “intentional” so please space your tosses properly.
Tosses G
Only a single top person is allowed during a basket toss.
This rule should have little impact and is self explanatory.