The USASF recently released the rules that will be used during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons. Spirit Post decided to list every change and give some insight into the impact each change will have. This article discusses the changes made to Level 2.
General Tumbling A
All tumbling must originate from and land on the performing surface. Exception: Tumbler may [without hip-over-head rotation] rebound from his/her feet into a stunt transition. Rebounding to a prone position in a stunt is allowed.
Example: Round off handspring and then a bump or contact from a base or bracer straight into a back flip would break this rule for levels 1-5. A clear separation from the tumbling to the stunt is needed to make this legal. Catching the rebound and then dipping to create the throw for the rotation is legal. This would also be true if coming from just a standing back handspring without the round off.
This rule change should have little impact because the actual rule didn’t change, but the example was added to further point out there needs to be a clear separation between tumbling and stunting, unless going into a stunt transition without head over hip rotation.
General Tumbling D
Assisted or connected tumbling is not allowed.
Clarification: Double cartwheels and double forward rolls are allowed because they will be interpreted as stunts, not assisted tumbling.The USASF Rules no longer restrict assisted tumbling. However, assisted tumbling may negatively affect your score at the Event Producer’s discretion. For Legality Judges, when an athlete supports another athlete above the performing surface, it is considered a stunt and ruled according to the appropriate level stunt rules.Example: If an athlete in L2 receives a spot on a back handspring, this would be considered illegal under L2 Stunt – Inversions L. 1.
Example 2: In L5 if 6 athletes did standing fulls, and 3 of them were spotted by other athletes, the judges should score only the 3 standing fulls and really give bad scores for 3 really bad inverted stunts.
This rule change, removing the assisted tumbling ban, should have little impact. I don’t think this was done to encourage spotted back handsprings, tucks, and fulls, but instead to allow more stunt entries, transitions, and set outs. Unfortunately I can’t think of any examples for Level 2.
General Tumbling F
Jumps are not considered a tumbling skill from a legalities point of view. Therefore, if a jump skill is included in a tumbling pass, the jump will break up the pass.
This rule addition should have little impact in Level 2 because of other restrictions.
Stunts F
No stunt, pyramid, or individual may move over or under another separate stunt, pyramid or individual.
Example: shoulder sits walking under prep
Exception: An individual may jump over another individual.
This rule change should have little impact on Level 2. It clarifies the only time a stunt, pyramid, or individual may pass over a separate stunt, pyramid, or individual is if an individual jumps over another individual. An individual may not push off the individual they are jumping over as they would if playing leap frog.
Pyramids B
Top persons must receive primary support from a base.
Clarification: Anytime a top person is released by the bases during a pyramid transition, the top person must land in a cradle or dismount to the performing surface and must follow the L2 dismount rules.
This rule should have little impact. It will stop tricks from being performed while dismounting from pyramids.
Dismounts A
Cradles from single based stunts must have a separate spotter with at least one hand/arm supporting the waist to shoulder region to protect the head and shoulder area through the cradle.
This rule should have little impact because it just further defines the region the spotter must catch when cradling.
Dismounts B
Cradles from multi-based stunts must have two catchers and a separate spotter with at least one hand/arm supporting the waist to shoulder region to protect the head and shoulder area through the cradle.
This rule should have little impact because it just further defines the region the spotter must catch when cradling.
Dismounts C
Dismounts to the performing surface, from above waist level, from stunts and pyramids must be assisted by an original base. Bases may not intentionally pop, move or toss an athlete to the performance surface. Straight drops or small hop offs, with no additional skills, from waist level or below are the only dismounts allowed to the performing surface that do not require assistance.
Clarification: An individual may not land on the performing surface from above waist level without assistance.
This rule change should have a significant impact. Teams were often called for not assisting the top person to the ground after doing a smoosh down from a stunt, but letting the top person go after getting them to the smoosh. It seemed this was done so the bases could get to their next spot quicker, but was called because the top wasn’t assisted to the ground. Teams were also often called on this in dances in which they performed a thigh stand and the top person jumped off or they performed a minor lift and let the top person go. This does not allow you to toss a person out of a cradle or allow a top person to take a big jump off a stunt.
Dismounts F
No stunt, pyramid, individual, or, prop may move over or under a dismount, and a dismount may not be thrown over, under, or through stunts, pyramids, individuals, or props.
This rule should have little impact. I haven’t seen many dismounts of this type.
Tosses C
Flipping, twisting, inverted or traveling tosses are not allowed.
This rule should have little impact, but clearly states twisting is not allowed.
Tosses G
Top persons in separate tosses may not come in contact with each other.
This rule should have little impact, but will stop high five baskets. This rule does not include the word “intentional” so please space your tosses properly.
Tosses H
Only a single top person is allowed during a toss.
This rule should have little impact and is self explanatory.
Andre J. Carter 
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