2007-08 General Safety Rules for School and Youth Sports Teams

1. All pyramids and partner stunts are limited to two persons high. "Two high" is defined as the base (bottom person) having at least one foot on the ground. A base cannot assume a back-bend position. Participants are not permitted to move under or over a stunt or pyramid.

2. Use of mini-tramps, springboards, or any height increasing prop/apparatus are not allowed.

3. Free-falling flips and swan dives from partner stunts, pyramids or any type of toss are not allowed. Air-borne tosses to stomach catches are not allowed. (Exception: multi-base log rolls -- see rule #7)

4. Only vaults which do not involve head-over-heels rotation are permitted. All bases and/or posts in the vault must have one foot on the ground.

5. Toe and thigh pitches to a jump, flip or tumbling skill (including a suspended roll) are not permitted.

6. Tosses, basket or any other type, must be directed vertically, performed from ground level by no more than 4 tossers (including the person who may set or load the top person), and must be cradled by at least two of the original bases with an additional spotter in place at the head and shoulders area of the top person. The top person must not become inverted (head below waist). Tosses over, under or through any apparatus/prop, pyramid, stunt or individual are not allowed. Top person must not hold objects in his/her hands (exception: load-in tosses, also called "tosses into partner stunts" or "toss to hands") Bases and other similar multi-base tosses are permitted only on appropriate mats, grass, rubberized and soft-yielding surfaces.

7. The top person in a log roll with fewer than 4 catchers must begin and end in a face up, pike-cradle position. Top people in single base log rolls may not have contact with each other.

8. Fully-extended-arm partner stunts and pyramids are allowed. Bases of extended stunts must have both feet in direct weight-bearing contact with the performing surface. A spotter is required for each top person involved in a stunt where the base(s’) arms are fully extended. (The only exceptions are: the chair, Russian lift, triple base dead-man lift or sacrifice, split lift with post, triple-base extended split, torch and double base vertical T-lift.)

9. Triple-base straddle lifts/extended V-sits must have an additional head-and-shoulders spotter for the top person. Swedish Falls must have an additional head-and-shoulders spotter.

10. Cradles (including a "Humpty") from a single-base stunt must have a separate spotter at the head-and-shoulders area of the top person (Exception: the chair).

11. Cradle dismounts from multi-based stunts must have at least two catchers and a separate head-and-shoulders spotter.

12. All cradle dismounts which involve a jump, twist or other gymnastic skill require a spotter in addition to the original base(s).

13. Cartwheel dismounts are not permitted. Roll-down dismounts are only permitted if there is a separate spotter for the top person’s head/shoulders.

14. All dismounts from shoulder stand level and higher must be assisted down to the cheering surface. No skill without constant hand-to-hand contact shall be performed prior to landing on the cheering surface.

15. Cradle dismounts in which the original bases do not catch the majority of the top person’s weight (i.e. backward dismounts) require at least two catchers and a separate head-and-shoulders spotter.

16. Pendulum stunts are allowed from shoulder height or below with at least three catchers [not including base(s)]. The catchers must remain in their original position. No person/prop is permitted between the base(s) and the three catchers. All pendulums must have a separate spotter opposite the three catchers if finishing in a shoulder stand or extension. The base(s) on a pendulum shall have constant visual contact with the catchers and must remain stationary. If performing a full pendulum (front and back) there must be at least two bases. In a pendulum, only the top person may turn.

17. All cradle dismounts require catchers to have continuous eye contact with the top person.

18. When a stunt is bracing/touching another, one stunt must be at shoulder height or below (exceptions: extensions bracing/touching extensions are permitted provided the mounter(s) has both feet in both hands of their base(s). The following extended stunts may brace any other extended stunts: chair, multi-base dead-man lift, multi-base straddle lift. Double extended cupies are not permitted – cupies may not brace cupies.

19. A forward suspended roll is legal provided all of the following conditions are met: it begins from a stunt shoulder height or below, in multi-base stunts, the flyer maintains continuous hand-to-hand/arm contact with two bases or two posts, in single base stunts, the flyer maintains continuous hand/arm contact with two poste (the original single base cannot be considered a post), it does not go over an individual(s) or props(). The bases/posts must control the dismount to the performing surface or cradle. Any type of backward suspended roll, chorus line flips (including those from a cradle-catch) are prohibited. Suspended rolls from a basket toss position, pitch, or toss are illegal.

20. Helicopter tosses are only permited if: the rotation in the horizontal plane is not greater than 180 degrees, the top person does not twist, the top person stays in a face-up position and there are at least four bases who serve as both tossers and catchers. At least one of the tosser/catchers must be in position to support the head, neck and shoulder area of the top person.>

21. A forward roll is illegal from an airborne position (i.e. jump or dive). Tumbling over, under or through any person or apparatus is not permitted.

22. A flip/twist performed on the floor shall not exceed one complete rotation around the horizontal axis or involve more than one complete rotation around the vertical axis. Double full twists and double backs are not allowed.

23. A top person in a partner stunt or pyramid may not be in or pass through an inverted (head below the waist) position, with the exception of a legal suspended roll or during a mount that begins from an inverted position on the performing surface to a non-inverted stunt shoulder height or below. A base or spotter who protects the head/neck/shoulder area of the flyer is required. Arching back during a toss to a head below the hips position is not allowed.

24. A free-from-contact flip into a mount or cradle is not allowed.

25. Knee, seat, thigh and split/jump-split drops are not permitted unless most of the weight is first borne on the hands/feet to break the impact of the drop. Front or back handspring/flip over to the seat is not permitted.

26. Landing for all jumps must bear weight on at least one foot. (ex. a toe touch to a push-up position or to the seat or knees is prohibited)

27. Single-base split catches are not allowed.

28. Split stunts are allowed. The top person in suspended splits shall have both hands in constant contact with the base(s) or bracers. In suspended split transitions there must be a total of 4 bases that slow the momentum of the top person by supporting under the mounter’s thigh/leg before the full split position is achieved. The top person shall have both hands in contact with a base(s) or bracers upon reaching the full split position. Tosses to split position are not allowed.

29. Tension drops or front drops from an airborne position to a horizontal face-down position (on cheering surface) are not permitted.

30. Hanging pyramids are permitted but must remain stationary, have spotters for each shoulder stand, and the suspended person must be lower than the shoulder stands.

31. A swinging stunt involves a flyer being swung between two or more bases. A swinging stunt in an upward direction is permitted. A swinging stunt in a downward direction is not permitted. The top person in a swinging stunt cannot be in a face-down position.

32. A twist performed to a cradle must not involve more than two complete rotations, except when dismounting to a cradle from a side facing stunt.

33. Tosses into stunts are allowed; however a toss that re-lands down into a loading position for another stunt or toss is not permitted. A cradle catch or straddle catch (i.e. "Humpty") is considered the end of a stunt and therefore not a loading position.

34. A transitional stunt involves a top person moving from one stunt to another. In transitional stunts, physical contact must be maintained between the top person and the base(s) (Exception: see Rule #35). The main base in control of the transition must be able to visually verify that the transition will happen safely or be able to release the top person and spot them down to the ground.

35. In transitional stunts involving a braced flyer, physical contact must be maintained between the flyer and the bases, except when all of the following conditions are met: the braced top person does not become inverted, the braced top person has at least two bases (exception: single-based tic toc) and a spotter/catcher, there is a spotter for each bracer, the loss of contact with the bases is a continuous up and down movement that is momentarily supported by and does not place undo weight on the bracer(s), does not pause at the top and the top person is not released to a toss.

36. Wearing jewelry is prohibited, except religious or medical medals, which shall be taped to the body under the apparel. Glitter that does not readily adhere (brushes off) is not permitted. Glitter woven into fabric that will not brush off is legal. A participant wearing a cast (excluding a properly covered air cast) shall not be involved in a stunt. Supports, braces, etc. which are hard and unyielding or have rough edges or surfaces must be appropriately covered.

Definitions:

Tumbling

Rolls (forward, backward), inverted skills (i.e. cartwheel, handstand, walkover, front/back handsprings and flips, etc.)

Stunt

Any tumbling, mount, pyramid or toss.

Base

Defined as having direct weight-bearing contact with the cheering surface at all times. Provides primary support for a mounter.

Toss

Defined as the top person being free of continuous contact from the base(s).

Bracer

A top person who stabilizes or touches a stunt by direct contact with a top person.  The stunt would remain stable without the bracer.

Spotter

The person primarily responsible for protecting the head-and-shoulders area of the person being spotted.  Spotters may help control, but may not provide primary support for a pyramid or stunt.  Spotters must maintain visual contact with the person being spotted.

7/19/07