General:

• Attire - Solid black shorts (small manufacturer’s branding allowed) are allowed to be worn over OR under the leotard.
• A Meet Referee may watch a video at ANY sanctioned event (if available) prior to the submission of an inquiry to determine if the inquiry should move forward.
• If an athlete falls due to equipment failure, judging will resume at the point of interruption or the series / combination when equipment failure occurred.
• Fall time (45 seconds) begins when the gymnast is on her feet: IF an injury occurs, fall time begins once medical assessment is complete.
• Squat on landing (hips lower than knees – up to 0.30) for landing positions on Vault, UB/BB dismounts, and BB/FX Acro elements.
• A medium step deduction has been added and is 0.15.
• Short routine - Termination of an exercise due to injury: if gymnast performs 1/2 or less of exercise and does not continue, give credit for elements performed (do not score from 10.0). Award a score of 1.00, if the routine results in a score of 1.00 or less.

Vault:

• A small "junior board" / preschool-type board is NO LONGER allowed for all DP levels. Levels 1-3 may use an alternative (tramp-type) springboard.

Bars:

• Chalk or water may NOT be added to the rails or mats once the exercise has begun / while the athlete is on the competitive equipment.
• No deduction for the coach standing between the Bars throughout the exercise.
• Level 3 dismount is a squat OR pike on, jump off.  The L5 athlete may perform the L4 dismount and start from a 9.5 SV so don't forget your SV charts!
• In the past compulsory cycle, the L4 and L5 TAP SWING was ONLY allowed to tap once the feet passed the low bar (LB). In this cycle, the athlete may tap ABOVE the LB without deduction, and this is an acceptable technique according to USAG. 
• The L4 / L5 Counterswing technique - "The intended technique is to show a hollow chest position with a rounded hip angle. The hips should not open to an extended or arched position with the feet OVER THE LOW BAR with the toes pointing upward above horizontal DURING THE COUNTERSWING." That is dangerous and was discussed at length by Tom Koll & Brad Harris while we attended the Florida compulsory symposium. The feet/heels may go above the low bar as long as the feet are pointing DOWNWARDS. The flat deduction of .30 for body arching or hips opening to an extended position is only taken during the counterswing, not the tap swing.
• Level 5 Bars- LONG HANG PULLOVER -- Gigi emailed a Dropbox of videos for GREAT examples of this element being performed.
  • The performance of the back hip circle out of it, usually means they are doing it correctly and need to slow their circle down before the underswing, counterswing….PLEASE RECOGNIZE THIS AS GOOD!
    • This is NOT the instance where you would take the 1.00 for performing a back giant circle.
    • This is what the progression should be to learn proper swing technique.
    • If it is a true Giant Circle to handstand, then, and only then, would you take the 1.00.

Beam:

• Supplemental matting: If available (not required): maximum of 9 inches using Sting mats, 4-inch throw and / or 8-inch skill cushions may be placed on top of allowable CLM’s in ALL matted areas (under the Beam and / or dismount area).

Floor:

• Allow either a tuck or pike entrance into the backward roll progressions in the Level 1-5 Compulsory Floor Exercises. Also, amend the text to describe the option of a pike entrance and change the wording for the 0.30 deduction for “hands placed on the floor during the squat phase prior to rolling backward” to “hands placed on floor during the “sit” phase prior to rolling backward.