A Beginners Guide to Trampoline Competitions

For those of you new to trampolining, and those of you whose children may have been involved for some time but you would like to know more, then I have attempted to demystify some of the technicalities surrounding competitions.

Competitions are arranged at both Regional and National levels (there are 13 regions).  These are arranged by committees; essentially organised by British Gymnastics or ‘BG’ (the Governing Body).  There are also Schools competitions, arranged by separate committees, largely organised through Schools and the British Schools Gymnastics Association or BSGA.

For this guide I will concentrate on competitions organised through BG.

For most children and their parents, the introduction to competitions will be at Regional level.  A competition pack is sent out to clubs before the start of the competition year (January to December).  Competitors are entered according to age and ability.  Competitors will need to be members of BG.  Your club will ensure your membership is kept up to date.  There will be a charge for this.  There is also a fee for competition entry.

Regional competition levels are: 7 to 3.  Some competitions will also have a Grade 8 Disabilities level.  National competition grades are 1 & 2, with 1 being the elite grade from which International competitors are selected.

Age groups at Regional level are:  Under 9, Under 11, Under 15, Under 17 and Over 17.  Usually boys and girls compete separately, but sometimes age groups will be combined in the event of a low number of entries.  The competitors’ age at 31 December will determine the age group he/she will compete in (e.g. If 15 in year of competition then will compete at Under 17, not Under 15).

Competitors are expected to wear competition attire.  Usually this will be a club leotard (and trousers for boys) and plain white socks or trampoline shoes.  Team members must wear identical clothing.  At Grades 7 and 8 a plain t-shirt and shorts or jogging bottoms may be worn, this may be permitted at Grades 5 & 6 at the discretion of the local organising committee.  Long hair will need to be tied back.  Jewellery and body piercing is not allowed.  Older girls in the lower grades may be allowed to wear matching shorts over their leotard; again this is at the discretion of the local committee.

Clubs will prepare children for entry to competitions.  Each competitor is required to perform both a SET routine and a VOLUNTARY (will be referred to as ‘vol’) routine.  The set routine is set out for all grades to under 15, and under and over 17 up to grade 4.  From Grade 3 to Grade 1, competitors must put together a ten-bounce routine with some skills specified.  The competitor and their coach usually put the Voluntary routine together and depending on ability may contain more difficult moves.  A voluntary routine attracts a TARIFF or difficulty mark (in the vol routine, a competitor can compete any ten bounce routine, each element is given an additional numerical value according to difficulty, e.g. a straddle jump will be worth less than a tuck back somersault), which is then added to the marks given by the form judges.

Progression through the grades is usually by ability and performance at competitions, but as they progress a qualifying score is introduced.  Once a competitor achieves this score they will be able to progress to the next grade, providing they can perform the required set routine.

Competitions are organised locally, with different clubs given the opportunity to run the competition.  A number of volunteers are required to run a competition successfully.  These will consist of both qualified and unqualified officials.  Each club is required to provide officials; the number of competitors a club enters determines the number of officials to be provided.  The names of officials have to be supplied along with the competitors’ entries.

There are usually four or five PANELS at each competition.  A Panel consists of two trampolines and a judging panel.  Competitors will be assigned to a panel.  Competitors may choose which trampoline to bounce on.  The officials on each panel are: Warm-up Marshal’s, Competition Marshal’s, Chair of Judges (or Superior), 5 Form Judges, Computer Recorder and Manual Recorder.  At Grade 1 & 2 competitions there will also be one or two tariff judges.

Here’s what they all do:

• Warm-up Marshal (unqualified).  They supervise competitors before the competition during the “warm up”.  Competitors give their warm up card (more about that later) in, and the Warm-up Marshal will ensure each competitor gets four warm ups, two for the set and two for the vol.
• Competition Marshal (unqualified).  Will call competitors before the competition and after the warm up.  Will check off everyone on list.  Will inform the Chair of any absentees or latecomers.  Will organise competitors into order and call each competitor for first their controlled warm up (more about this later) and then to compete.
• Chair of Judges (qualified).  Will inform Competition Marshal when ready to start competition.  Will check each competitor off on list when ready to compete.  Will watch routine and advise Form Judges of anything that may affect their marks.  Will ask judges for scores and announce to Recorders.  Will also Tariff judge at Regional competitions.
• Judges (qualified).  Will watch each routine and deduct marks for execution.  Will display score when asked to by the Chair.
• Recorders (unqualified).  Scores from the form judges will be recorded both manually and on computer.  These will be used to determine the final position of competitors.

When a competitor arrives at the competition venue, they will receive a “Warm Up” card from one of their coaches.  This will show the competitors name, age group, grade, competition panel and will have four spaces (or boxes) to mark off the pre-competition warm ups.  It is ESSENTIAL they do not lose this or they will be unable to compete!  The competitor must ensure they arrive at the competition at least 30 minutes before the scheduled time in case the competition starts early.

The Warm-up Marshal will call the competitors to their panel.  If you are late you may not get all your warm-ups!  The competition will normally start when all competitors on that panel have completed their warm ups and the judges are in place.  The Competition Marshal will then take over.  The first five competitors will then get their controlled warm up.  Then the first competitor will compete their set routine.  The sixth competitor will then be called to do their controlled warm up.  The competition will then continue; compete, warm up, until all have competed their set routine.  Voluntary routines will follow on straight away without a break, in the same format as for the set routines.  There will be a final round only for Grades, 1, 2 and 3.  Only the top eight competitors (or two thirds) will compete in the final.  At all levels of competition, the score for each competitor is taken by discounting the highest and lowest marks and adding together the three remaining marks displayed by the form judges.  The set routine is marked on form only.  The tariff is added to both the voluntary and final routines.

Trophies are awarded to the top three places in each age/grade and also to top three teams.

Coaches are able to supervise competitors from their club and also to provide Spotters (usually team mates or other competitors; one stands near each corner of the trampoline to assist should the bouncer fall).  Apart from counting a competitor in, no one is allowed to talk to the competitor during his or her performance.  To do so would result in marks being deducted.

All officials are required for the duration of the competition.  If for any reason an official has to leave early then the club must provide a replacement.

As mentioned before, Grades 1 and 2 are National grades, and competitions are organised by BG.  Competitions will be held all over Britain and Northern Ireland.  Competitors are able to enter as many competitions as they wish.  Grade 1 & 2 competitions have slight changes to the age groups.  There is no Under 9 group.  There are Under 19 and Over 19 age groups, plus at Grade 1 there is ‘Mens & Ladies’.  Grade 2 competitors have the opportunity to qualify for the Grade 2 National Finals.  Competitors need to achieve the qualifying score to enter this competition.  The Finals are held in November each year.  At Grade 2 competitions you will also find ‘Validation’ panels.  Any Grade 2 competitor who wishes to compete at Grade 1 must compete on a validation panel.  They are required to achieve a minimum set score and an overall score.  If this is achieved the competitor may progress to Grade 1 competitions.  You cannot compete on both validation and competition panels at the same competition.

At Grade 1 competitions, competitors aim to qualify for the British Championships.  They can qualify for their age group, and also ‘Mens & Ladies’ from the year in which they reach their 16^th birthday.  To be eligible for ‘Mens & Ladies’, the competitor must first qualify for the British Championships in their age group.  They can then enter ‘Mens & Ladies’ at any of the Grade 1 qualifying events.  If they achieve the qualifying marks then they are eligible to enter the British Championships in both the age group and ‘Mens & Ladies’.  These are held each July at the NIA in Birmingham.

To remain at either Grade 1 or 2 each competitor must achieve a ‘retaining’ score.  If that is not achieved in the competition year, the competitor must downgrade.  They cannot compete at the lower grade in the same competition year.

Judges must be qualified.  They must also be members of BG.  There are several levels of judges, starting with Club Judge.  Prospective judges must complete a two day course, and take an exam which has both practical and theory papers.  Judges will be eligible (if they wish) to take the next level course up after officiating at 8 regional graded competitions.

These are:

• County Judge
• Regional Judge
• Zonal Judge
• National Judge
• International Judge

At National Grade 1 & 2 there will also be either one or two tariff judges in addition to the five form judges.  Tariff judges will hold a minimum of the County Judge qualification.

And finally, if you wish to use a camera at a competition, you MUST register it before the competition.  If you don’t you won’t be able to use it!  Make sure you tell the competition secretary at your club.