CIF approves changes to gymnastics rules

The CIF San Diego Section’s Board of Managers approved several changes to the rules for high school gymnastics within the section.

The changes approved June 3 will be effective for the spring 2009 season. The CIF Board of Managers unanimously approved the proposal brought forth by the CIF’s Gymnastics Advisory Committee.

“We’re just hoping to get more kids in there and feeling confident about what they’re doing,” said Mount Carmel coach Monique Lamphiere-Tamayoshi, who chairs the Gymnastics Advisory Committee.

Two of the changes stipulate requirements to compete as an optional performer for gymnasts who have reached certain levels during club gymnastics.

Since Level 7 is an optional gymnast in club competition, any gymnast who has competed at Level 7 during the preceding high school season or during the current club season must compete at the optional level during the current high school season.

Another change requires any gymnast who has ever competed at Level 10 or higher (the elite level is the only level in club gymnastics higher than Level 10) to compete as an optional gymnast.

A third change lowers the qualifying score to compete at the CIF meet for optional gymnasts. An optional competitor will be able to qualify for an individual event with a score of 8.6 points during a meet or in the all-around with a meet score of 33.0.

The lower qualifying requirement is intended to decrease the ratio of compulsory qualifiers to optional qualifiers at the CIF meet.

The other two changes involve beam dismounts. At the junior varsity level, the beam dismount will be changed from a cartwheel to a side handstand, allowing junior varsity gymnasts a better transition to the varsity routine.

“JV girls are ready to do that dismount,” said Fallbrook High School gymnastics coach Debbie Mericle. “They’re all excited about it.”

The varsity dismount rule was changed to allow for an alternative dismount, specifically a side handstand with a hold for two seconds and a quarter-turn, with a deduction of 0.6 points. The reduced deduction will prevent gymnasts from losing too many points due to deductions on the dismount alone.

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