2006-2008 MAJOR GIRLS GYMNASTICS RULES CHANGES

Rule 1 Safety Collar - Manufactured mat that goes around the front and side of a vaulting board.  It is the responsibility of each team to provide the safety collar for its own gymnasts.
Rationale: The safety collar is required for all round off-entry vaults. It is important to clarify who is responsible for providing this mat.

2-1-5 Judges shall not use cell phones or other electronic devices in the competitive area.

Rationale:  This rule change removes a potential interference beyond the control of the competitor during her performance.

3-1-3  The rules were changed to simplify matting specifications.

7-1-3 The working and landing area shall have nonslip matting at least 5 inches

8-1-3 thick.  The maximum total matting including a sting mat shall not be more than 16 inches thick. The top mat including a sting mat shall not be wider than any mat underneath it except for a mat at least 4 inches thick on top of a base mat.  A manufactured safety mat (“safety collar”) may be used around the front and sides of the board.
Rationale:  Simplifies the description of minimum and maximum matting specifications, and clarifies that a manufactured safety collar may be used on vault, bars and beam.

3-3-5  A properly secured head covering and/or long tights or gymnastics pants may be worn for religious reasons provided a request is made in writing to the state association.  The letter of permission from the state association should be shown to the meet referee prior to the start of the meet.
Rationale:  Addresses a situation that is occurring more often in high school athletics.

4-1-2E  Bonus was changed to specify 0.1 for one or a series of superiors/

7-3-5 high superiors/bonus high superiors OR an entire routine with full

8-3-5 difficulty to the ultimate technique and execution (0.5 or less deducted

9-3-5 under Execution); 0.1 for an extra high superior or back-to-back superior; up to 0.4 for bonus high superiors (0.2 for one and 0.4 for two if they are  different; up to 0.2 for back-to-back superiors (0.1 each).
Rationale:  Places the awarding of back-to-back superiors into the Bonus category and clarifies that a gymnast receives 0.2 for one bonus high superior and another 0.2 for a second, different bonus high superior.

5-1-4 The written inquiry or the verbal intent to inquire must be given to the meet referee no more than five minutes after all scores for that team are recorded for that individual event.
Rationale:  Provides flexibility when there is a direct conflict with the coach being able to file the written inquiry within five minutes.

5-1-6e There is a 1.0 team deduction for a coach or gymnast using a cell phone or electronic device in the competitive area (after one warning).
Rationale:  Risk minimization by removing this potential interference beyond the control of the competitor during her performance.

6-1-1 Note A state association may not permit the use of a vaulting horse.

Rationale:  The vault table is a safer piece of equipment, and the vaulting horse is obsolete.

6-1-3f One manufactured sting mat may be placed on the runway (but not on the board) for any vault provided it is not more than 2 inches thick.

Rationale:  Main use is to reduce the sting of the repulsion from the hands on the round off-entry vault.

6-2-2  On a round off-entry vault:

a.   A coach shall be present as a spotter before the gymnast may vault;

b.   A manufactured safety mat (“safety collar”) shall be placed around the front end and sides of the board;

c.   Judging begins with the takeoff from the board.

Rationale:  Round off-entry vaults are safer skills performed with a vault table than a vaulting horse.  Although round off-entry vaults are not required, the rule change allows a gymnast who has only learned a round off-entry vault to perform it in high school competition.

6-2-4 A round off-entry vault is void if it includes a salto and twist in afterflight.

Rationale:  Risk minimization.

6-2-6 The stoop vault was deleted, and each round off-entry vault has the same value as the equivalent handspring-entry vault.
Rationale:  Not an appropriate vault over the vault table.

Rules 6, 7, 8 & 9 A deduction of up to 0.3 is taken for landing in a deep squat.

Rationale:  Clarifies how to deal with this execution error on landings.

6-5-2 For handspring vaults only

· Spotter facilitates the gymnast in preflight, 1.0 and/or

· Spotter facilitates the gymnast in afterflight, 1.0

Rationale:  Encourages beginning gymnasts to try a handspring vault while minimizing the risk of injury.

7-1-2 Host management shall mark the minimum setting in black and maximum setting in red on the competition bars.
Rationale:  Clearly identifies the minimum and maximum settings on the bars being used in competition.

7-1-3 The matting between the bars shall be 7½ feet wide.

Rationale:  Provides appropriate matting consistent with manufacturers’ specifications.

7-3-3 A deduction of up to 0.1 for lack of direction change (excluding mount and dismount) replaced “uniqueness of choreography,” and  “lack of tempo change” was deleted under Composition.

Rationale:  Placing the deduction for lack of direction changes under choreography is more appropriate, and judges are looking for continuity and flow of a bar routine rather than tempo changes.

7-4 Made the following changes to difficulty on bars:  sole circle to handstand with ½ twist = HS; flyaway (tuck/pike) = S, layout flyaway/flyaway (tuck/pike) 1/1 twist = HS; layout flyaway 1/1 twist = BHS; from handstand on HB, back salto dismount = HS; delete clear back hip circle or giant to back salto dismount from BHS list.
Rationale:  Part of a process to maintain continuity with trends in gymnastics without having rules that unnecessarily discourage beginning high school gymnasts.

9-1-3 There is no longer a deduction for an individual inadvertently stepping into the competitive area of floor exercise to place/remove a sting mat or skill cushion near the boundary line.
Rationale:  This situation is not likely to cause any interference to the gymnast’s performance, and is consistent with other gymnastics rules codes.

8-3-3 Artistic presentation replaced “uniqueness of choreography” under Composition.
9-3-3

Rationale:  The rule change reflects a more appropriate requirement under Composition for beam and floor.

8-4 Made the following changes in difficulty on beam:  series of front walkovers/tinsicas = BHS; gainer back salto dismount = HS; gainer back salto with ½ twist dismount = BHS; Arabian salto dismount = HS.

Rationale:  Part of a process to maintain continuity with trends in gymnastics without having rules that unnecessarily discourage beginning high school gymnasts.

9-4 Made the following changes in difficulty on floor:  Jump 1/1 Schuschunova = HS; Arabian dive roll = M; Arabian layout dive roll & dive roll 1/1 twist = S; layout dive roll 1/1 twist = HS; one-arm cartwheel and dive cartwheel = M.

Rationale:  Part of a process to maintain continuity with trends in gymnastics without having rules that unnecessarily discourage beginning high school gymnasts.