Acrobatic Gymnastics

The rules and regulations for the Acrobatic Gymnastics are governed by the International Federation of Gymnastics (“FIG”) are mentioned below -

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

1. Competitors perform 3 types of exercises: Balance, Dynamic and Combined, each with their own characteristics.

2. All exercises must be performed to music on a sprung gymnastics floor 12 x 12 meters that complies with the FIG Apparatus Norms.

3. Exercises must start from a static position, be choreographed throughout and end in a static position. These static positions cannot be part of an element of difficulty.

4. The structure of an exercise is part of its artistry.

5. There are Special Requirements (“SR”) and restrictions for the structure of each exercise. All Special requirements must be met within the declared elements on the Tariff Sheet.

Exception: If a different element is performed to that declared for difficulty on the Tariff Sheet by the coach, the gymnasts will not receive the difficulty value of this element but the element will count for Special Requirements.

LENGTH OF EXERCISES

1. All Balance and combined exercises have a maximum duration of 2 minutes 30 seconds; the Dynamic exercises have a maximum duration of 2 minutes. There is no minimum duration.

2. Timing relating to all exercises (start of exercise, exercise duration) will be done in one second increments before the Chair of Judges Penal (“CJP”) penalty is applied.

3. The first note of the music indicates the beginning of the time of the exercise (not the beep).

4. The end of an exercise is the static position of partners, which must coincide with the end of the music.

COMPOSITION OF EXERCISES

1. All exercises are composed of pair/group elements characteristic of the exercise.

2. Balance Exercises must demonstrate strength, balance, flexibility and agility.

3. Dynamic Exercises must demonstrate flight from throws, boosts, pitches and flight before catches.

4. Combined Exercises must demonstrate elements characteristic of both the Balance and Dynamic Exercise.

5. The number of elements for difficulty is limited to a maximum of 8 pair/group elements in all exercises.

6. There is Special Requirements (“SR”) for the composition of each exercise.

7.  In all exercises, the pair or group must perform the required number and type of partner elements characteristic for the particular exercise.

8. In all exercises, individual elements may be performed for difficulty credit. However, they are not required. They must be selected from the Tables of Difficulty.

9. In all exercises the maximum number of individual elements that may be performed for difficulty credit by each partner is three. Individual elements with a static hold (e.g. arabesque or handstand) must be unsupported by partners to be considered for difficulty value. These elements must be held for 2 seconds.

10. Individual elements can be performed separately or in a series, but they cannot overlap .E.g. back-walkover cut to splits, then a hold in splits, count as one element, not two separate elements.

11.  In all exercises, performance of a forbidden element will result in a penalty of 1.0 for each violation. A forbidden element does not count for Difficulty and Special Requirements.

12. In one exercise, identical elements or links (pair, group or individual) are credited for difficulty only once. Repeated identical elements are not considered for fulfillment of Special Requirements. To be considered as “identical”, the element must be identical in all aspects.

Clarifications for Pairs

1. Static Hold of the Top + Base position.
2. Mount (including the static hold of the top and the base position).
3. Motion of the Top + Static Hold of the Top + Base position.
4. Start position of the Top + Motion of the Base + Static Hold of the Top + Base position.
5. Start position of the Top + Motion of the Top + Motion of the Base + Static Hold of the Top + Base position.
6. At the end of a motion on the floor by the base, e.g. to sit or to splits, a hand or hands used to assist the motion must be lifted from the floor for the static hold. If the hand remains on the floor during a static hold, a technical penalty of 0.5 is taken for additional support.