Latest Prep- Optional Girls Rules

Here are a few items that need clarification…

First, the judges and coaches need to know that the spirit of this level.  It is to give the benefit of the doubt if it is questionable, but to take the deduction if it is evident.  Here is an example of two items that happened this past season that were inconsistent.

In one competition the gymnast did an English handstand on beam and instead of stepping down she fell to the side and saluted – so instead of taking the deduction for a fall on that skill – the judge counted it as a unique dismount.  But then on bars – a girl jumped to the high bar and swung right into a ½ turn dismount (it wasn’t very high but it was a level 5 dismount)  and the judge took off .5 for having no dismount (saying it didn’t look like a dismount)  Well to me the spirit of this level would be to give the dismount in both cases and take a deduction for it.

• There was also some kids who did a round off rebound to a round off as a series on floor in the intermediate level.  This to me is not a connected series—if they did a cartwheel into a round off connected then it would be but landing on 2 feet  and then stepping out wouldn’t be a connection.  I think it should be treated like a series on beam would be treated – if you did a round off on beam then step forward cartwheel you wouldn’t get a series credit.   Most intermediates should aim for a round off back handspring as their first pass – but cartwheel round off  or front walkover round off are options for those who are not able to do a round off-ff yet.
• We changed the bonus for prep-optional intermediate on beam – side handstand twist off will not be given bonus any more but ANY handstand held for 2 seconds at vertical will be given bonus instead.
• Someone was unclear as to the bonus on advanced bars – it says any B skill or a flipped dismount and the coach was unclear as to whether that meant it need to be a flipped dismount that was a B.  It doesn’t need to be a B flipped dismount just a flipped dismount – same with the beam dismount and B skills on beam.
• Also on beam advanced optional – if the kid does the same acro skill for their connection but misses the connection, make sure they do a different trick to keep the special requirement.   So for example if they do back walkover big wobble, back walkover then they would need to get up and do an English handstand or a cartwheel so they have another acro skill that lands on the beam (so they don’t lose the.5 deduction)

If you have any other items that need clarification please let me know. 

We'll keep working together and increase the numbers in our gymnastics family. It's such a great sport, that everyone deserves an arena they can participate in.