8/19/2015

Publisher's Note:  The National Federation of State High School Associations is the only source of official high school interpretations.  They do not set aside nor modify any rule.  They are made and published by the NFHS in response to sitatuions presented.  Robert B. Gardner, Publisher, NFHS Publications 2015.

CORRECTIONS TO RULES BOOK:

Page 10 - Swan Dive definition should be shaded - revised definition.

Page 15 - SITUATION B should read as follows:  *2-3-3 SITUATION B: While stunting, the hair of a: (a) base is in a ponytail; (b) top person is in a long, high ponytail that falls forward over her eyes.  RULING:  (a) legal; (b) illegal.  COMMENT:  Hair must be worn in a manner that does not interfere with the safe execution of stunting or tumbling.  Long hair that is not secured or that restricts vision presents significant risk during partner stunts, pyramids, tosses and airborne tumbling.

Page 37 - Tumbline Situations on page 30 should also be listed on page 37 and were adjusted for Dance.

*3-5-1 SITUATION A: The top persons in two preps are facing each other and holding hands.  Another participant executes a forward roll below their connected arms.  RULING:  Illegal

*3-5-1 SITUATION B:  A participant executes:  (a) a forward roll over a person lying on the floor; (b) a cartwheel by placing his/her hands on either side of a person lying on the floor; (c) a cartwheel by placing both hands on the thighs of a person lying on the floor; (d) an aerial cartwheel over a person lying on the floor.  RULING:  (a) and (b) legal; (c) and (d) illegal.

*3-5-1 SITUATION C:   A participant executes the following over a small prop on the floor;  (a) front walkover; (b) a front handspring.  RULING:  (a) legal; (b) illegal.

*3-5-2 SITUATION:  A participant who is holding poms executes:  (a) an aerial cartwheel; (b) a back handspring; (c) a backward roll; (d) a one handed cartwheel with poms in the free hand.  RULING:  (a) and (b) illegal; (c) and (d) legal. 

*3-5-5 SITUATION:  During a tumbling pass on the gym floor, a participant executes:  (a) a series of back handsprings; (b) an aerial cartwheel; (c) a single twisting back flip.  RULING:  (a) and (b) legal; (c) illegal.  COMMENT:  Some twisting tumbling skills are allowed only on mats, grass or rubberized tracks.  NOTE:  See Situation 3.1.5 for footwear restrictions on running airborne tumbling skills.

Page 30 & 38 - Shushunova is misspelled.  

Page 49 - Exception should be moved to top photo on page 51.

Page 51 - Bottom picture is illegal.

Page 58 - Bottom picture EXCEPTION should read:  A non-braced tick-tock that begins at or below shoulder level is allowed.

 

Resources that you may find helpful throughout the year:

 

SITUATION AND RULINGS:

SITUATION 1:  During a game:  (a) a cheerleader who is dressed in street clothes comes out of the stands and stunts with the game cheerleaders; (b) alumni cheerleaders participate on the sidelines; (c) children are cheering on the sidelines; (d) children perform with cheerleaders during a halftime routine.  RULING:  (a), (b), (c) illegal; (d) legal.  (Rule 2-1-2 Situation)

SITUATION 2:  Participants execute extensions and back handsprings:  (a) while the gymnasium lights are off except for a spotlight on players being introduced: (b) on a wet track: (c) on concrete; (d) close to a wall.  RULING:  All are illegal.  (Rule 2-1-5 Situation)

SITUATION 3:  A spirit team crosses the free throw lane extended:  (a) as players are running down the court; (b) while players are setting up for a free throw; (c) during a time-out. RULING:  (a) and (b) illegal; (c) legal.  (Rule 2-1-12 Situation)

SITUATION 4:  A base is on his/her hands and knees.  Another participant:  (a) steps onto the base's back; (b) executes a leapfrog over the base by placing his/her hand on the base's back.  RULING:  Both are legal.  (Rule 2-4-1 Situation A)

SITUATION 5:  A participant in a prep grasps the hands of a post who is standing in front of the stunt and executes a suspended forward roll over the post, landing in the hands of new bases who were involved in a suspended roll immediately prior to moving in front of the post to catch the cradle.  RULING:  Illegal.  COMMENT:  Catchers of suspended rolls who end in a cradle must be in place when the roll is initated.  (Rule 2-5-2 Situation B)

SITUATION 6:  A top person in a handstand on a base drops one leg/foot to a spotter and is then transitioned to a liberty.  During the transition, the top person is braced by a person in a prep without a spotter.  RULING:  Legal.  COMMENT:  All aspects of non-release stunt Rule 2-6 are being followed.  (Rule 2-5-3 Situation A)

SITUATION 7:  A top person in a pryamid is popped from a handstand on a base to an awesome while maintaining contact with a bracer.  Both the bracer and the top person have spotters.  RULING:  Legal.  COMMENT:  All aspects of the release stunt Rule 2-7-5 are being followed.  (Rule 2-5-3 Situation B)

SITUATION 8:  The top person in a braced flip is assisted by:  (a) one bracer in a double-base prep and one person on the floor; (b) two bracers in single-base preps; (c) two bracers in double-base preps.  RULING:  (a) and (b) illegal; (c) legal.  (Rule 2-5-4 Situation A)

SITUATION 9:  An inverted top person with her hands on a single base's thighs performs a cartwheel to the performing surface.  The base supports the top person's torso during the cartwheel.  RULING:  Legal.  (Rule 2-5-5 Situation A)

SITUATION 10:  A participant in a handstand on the performing surface is supported around the waist by a single base and lifted to an upright position on the floor.  RULING:  Legal.  (Rule 2-5-5- Situation B)

SITUATION 11:  Two participants are:  (a) standing back to back with their arms hooked together.  The base leans forward as the top person does a backward roll over the base's back and lands upright on the performing surface; (b) facing each other; the top person performs a handstand over the shoulder of the spotter into a loading position.  While assisting the top person during the transition, the spotter does not turn around until the top person is in the loading position.  RULING:  (a) illegal; (b) legal.  COMMENT:  By facing away from the inverted top person, the base or spotter is not considered to be in a position to protect the head/neck.  (Rule 2-5-5- Situation C)

SITUATION 12:  A top person in a straddle sit at waist level rotates forward into an inverted position, and then back up to the same position.  A base/spotter maintains contact on the top person's upper body.  RULING:  Legal.  COMMENT:  All inversions that begin and remain below prep level require one hands-on base/spotter to maintain contact.  (Rule 2-5-5 Situation D)

SITUATION 13:  A top person is based by two persons at waist level.  She is transitioned to a prep position, and then cartwheels to her feet on the performing surface with:  (a) one spotter maintaining upper body contact; (b) two spotters maintaining upper body contact.  RULING:  (a) illegal; (b) legal.  COMMENT:  All inversions that begin or pass through prep level must have two bases or spotters maintaining upper body contact.  (Rule 2-5-5 SITUATION G)

SITUATION 14:  A top person in a handstand on the performing surface is lifted to a prep while holding a sign.  RULING:  Legal.  (Rule 2-5-6 Situation B)

SITUATION 15:  The top person in a double-base prep falls forward and is caught on her upper body by the two original bases:  (a) while a spotter/post maintains contact with the top person's ankles; (b) after being released so bases/spotter can catch higher on the top person's body. RULING:  (a) legal; (b) illegal.  (Rule 2-6-4 Situation A) 

SITUATION 16:  A participant on the performing surface is quick-tossed to:  (a) a chair; (b) a full extension; (c) interlocked hands/wrists of the bases in preparation for a basket toss; (d) suspended splits at shoulder height.  RULING:  (a), (b) and (c) legal; (d) illegal.  (Rule 2-7-4 Situation A)

SITUATION 17:  A participant on the performing surface holds the hand of a bracer.  She is quick-tossed to a double base prep and is immediately popped to a liberty.  RULING:  Legal.  (Rule 2-7-4 Situation B)

SITUATION 18:  A team executes a single-base, non-braced tick-tock that begins:  (a) at should lever; (b) above shoulder height.  RULING:  (a) legal; (b) illegal.  COMMENT:  Non-braced tick-tocks that begin at shoulder level do not require the top person to maintain contact with a bracer when performed with a single base or with multiple bases.  (Rule 2-7-5 Situation C)

SITUATION 19:  A top person is held in a face-down position between two bases.  Each base holds one hand and one ankle.  The top person's torso is suspended below her arms and legs.  RULING:  Illegal.  (Rule 2-8-6 Situation)

SITUATION 20:  A top person in a single-base prep is popped and executes:  (a) a twist to the floor with the assistance of the base and a spotter; (b) a toetouch during the dismount with the assistance of the base and a spotter.  RULING:  Both are legal.  COMMENT:  Assistance is required on dismounts to the ground involving a skill that begins from shoulder level or above.  (Rule 2-9-3 Situation)

SITUATION 21:  The top person is in a hitch pyramid with one foot in the bracer's hands.  The bases pop and release the top person as the bracer continues to hold onto the top person's foot and signifiantly increases the height as she dismounts to a cradle. RULING:  Illegal.  (Rule 2-9-10 Situation)

SITUATION 22:  A participant:  (a) jumps backward from a standing postion, landing on his/her hands and shoulders and immediately kips up to a standing position on the performing surface; (b) rolls backwards onto her hands and shoulders and immediately kips up to a tuck position on the performing surface.  RULING:  (a) illegal; (b) legal.  (Rule 2-10-7 SItuation)

SITUATION 23:  A participant remains in contact with the performing surface as she drops:  (a) to her knees, brushing the floor with her fingers at the same time her knees land; (b) to her thighs by spiraling downward before landing on the floor.  RULING:  Both are legal.  COMMENT:  (a) This drop is legal because the participant is not airborne before dropping to her knees.  (Rule 2-11-1 Situation B)

SITUATION 24:  A participant:  (a) leans forward and lands in a push-up postion on the performing surface; (b) springs from a crouch to a push-up postion on the performing surface: (c) jumps into the air and lands in a push-up position on the performing surface.  RULING:  (a) and (b) legal; (c) illegal.  (Rule 2-11-2 Situation)

SITUATION 25:  A participant executes a front handspring and lands: (a) in a tuck position with weight on one foot and the other leg extended in front of her; (b) with weight on her seat with one leg extended in front of her. RULING:  (a) legal; (b) illegal.  (Rule 2-11-4 Situation)

SITUATION 26:  Team members wearing dance paws execute: (a) back walkovers; (b) a thigh stand; (c) a full extension; (d) running tumbling.  RULING:  (a) and (b) legal; (c) and (d) illegal.  COMMENT:  Dance paws are not appropriate footwear for extended stunts in which the feet of the top person are in the hands of bases or for running airborne tumbling.  Footwear for these activities must have adequate support and a non-slip sole.  (Rule 3-1-5 Situation)

SITUATION 27:  A top person dismounts from a prop by leaning into the arms of two posts who support her in a layout position that is approximately waist high. She then executes a walkover to the performing surface. RULING:  Legal.  COMMENT:  When a person leaves the surface of a prop and is supported by other participant(s), applicable stunting rules in Rule 2 apply.  (Rule 3-4-1 Situation C)

SITUATION 28:  A top person executes a forward suspended roll to the floor from a prop.  She is assisted by:  (a) one post who is holding both hands of the top person and no spotter is present; (b) one post who is holding both hands of the top person and a spotter is present; (c) two posts each holding one hand of the top person.  RULING:  (a) and (b) illegal; (c) legal.  COMMENT:  Suspended roll dismounts from a prop require two posts. (Rule 3-4-2 Situation)

SITUATION 29:  A participant:  (a) jumps backward from a standing position, landing on his/her hands and shoulders and immediately kips up to a standing position on the performing surface; (b) rolls backwards onto her hands and shoulders and immediately kips up to a tuck position on the performing surface.  RULING: (a) illegal; (b) legal.  (Rule 3-5-7 Situation)

SITUATION 30:  A participant remains in contact with the performing surface as she drops:  (a) to her knees, brushing the floor with her fingers at the same time her knees land; (b) to her thighs by spiraling downward before landing on the floor.  RULING:  Both are legal.  COMMENT:  (a) This drop is legal because the participant is not airborne before dropping to her knees.  (Rule 3-6-1 SItuation B)

SITUATION 31:  A participant:  (a) leans forward and lands in a push-up position on the performing surface; (b) springs from a crouch to a push-up position on the performing surface; (c) jumps into the air and lands in a push-up position on the performing surface.  RULING:  (a) and (b) legal; (c) illegal.  (Rule 3-6-2 Situation)

SITUATION 32:  A participant executes a front handspring and lands:  (a) in a tuck position with weight on one foot and the other leg extended in front of her; (b) with weight on her seat with one leg extended in front of her.  RULING:  (a) legal; (b) illegal.  (Rule 3-6-4 Situation)