Springboard Configuration

Clarifications from USAG

Dated January 22, 2017 from Tom Koll

From: Tom Koll <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>

Date: Sunday, January 22, 2017 at 5:37 PM

Dear USA Gymnastics Leaders,

It was brought to my attention that there has been a misinterpretation of the rule regarding the number of springs allowed/required in the spring board.  I have discussed this issue with the National Technical Chair as well as the National Xcel Chair and we all agree with the explanation below:

The statement listed in the Rules and Polices (below) is quite accurate; however, there have been others who have not interpreted it in the way it was written.

P. 55 (Xcel chapter) and P. 91 (JO chapter) “All Meet Directors must arrange to have boards that accommodate gymnasts of varying weight.  Any boards brought in to a competition must be assigned to an event and must be available to all gymnasts in that session for warm-up and competition.  The following 3-4 spring configurations for the springboard have been approved and may be utilized in USA Gymnastics sanctioned competitions:”

Here are the two issues which have arisen:

1.       Interpretation that the board must ONLY be used with 3 or 4 springs and some judges have informed the coaches they must take out additional springs to ONLY have 3 or 4 springs and that using more than 3 or 4 springs is a deduction.  Please refer people to the following sentence:    ”…springboard have been approved and may be utilized in USA Gymnastics sanctioned competitions.”  It does not say MUST be utilized in that manner.

2.      Coaches do not want to take the back springs out of the board to accommodate the illustrations in the Rules and Policies.  Only the 3 illustrations for a 3-4 spring board are allowed for the use of 3 or 4 springs in a springboard.  The coach is not allowed to come up with a different configuration that suits his/her needs.  This would result in a deduction of  0.30 that will be taken for using incorrect apparatus specifications. (P. 7 of the Code of Points)

Thank you in advance for assisting in passing along the correct interpretation of this rule.

Tom Koll, NJOCC, Cheryl Hamilton, NTCC, Claudia Kretschmer, NXCC