Age Divisions & Events
(For both Tournaments - US·Texas OPEN & World Championships)

Should there be too small a number of competitors in certain age divisions of either the US·Texas OPEN or WORLD Championships, the WSSA may choose to combine OPEN and WORLD stackers together to maximize the tournament experience for all involved.
Note: U = "and under", + = "and over"

Age Division Information:

Note: Refer to the WSSA Rule Book for more specific information.

• A Stacker's Age Division for Individual events coincides with their age on April 17th, the second day of the tournament. (Note: The WSSA reserves the right to request proof of age for any Stacker.)
• Doubles Teams - 7U to 18U compete in division of oldest stacker on team; 19+ to 60+ compete in division of youngest stacker on team.
• Child/Parent Doubles Division - "Child" must be 18 or younger and is limited to one team. A "Parent" is defined as a child's: parent, step-parent, legal guardian, grandparent or step-grandparent and may compete with each "child" in their immediate family.
• Stackers 18 and younger may not compete in any of the Age Divisions that are 19 and older.
• Relay Teams may be made up of Stackers of multiple ages. Each team must compete in the Age Division of the oldest Stacker on the team. (e.g., A Relay Team with Stackers of ages 7, 10, 11 and 12 will compete in the 12U division for the Relay events.) Stackers on Teams are limited to competing with only one Team throughout a single event.
• Special Stackers Division - A Special Stacker is defined as a stacker that has a diagnosed physical and/or mental disability that would impede with the normal functioning necessary to perform a variety of sequential physical skills, specifically sport stacking. A Special Stacker must be identified by a school or licensed psychologist or medical professional as having one of the following diagnoses:
  1. Intellectual Disability (formally known as mental retardation): A person with a significantly below average mental ability or intelligence and has limited ability to function in independent daily activities.
  2. Traumatic Brain Injury: Someone who has acquired a brain injury which has resulted in total or partial functional disability affecting cognition, memory, problem solving and motor abilities.
  3. Orthopedic Impairment: Physical problem or disorder a person has had since birth that may include cerebral palsy, bone tuberculosis and amputations.
  4. Health Impairment: Having limited strength or alertness caused by chronic health problem including spinal bifida and Tourettes syndrome.
  5. Visual Impairment: Legal blindness.
  6. Specific Learning Disability: Significant difficulty in processing information and sequencing in one or more learning areas.
  7. Multiple Disabilities: Having 2 or more of the identified disabilities.
  Special Stackers competing in SS18 and younger divisions are students who require specially designed instruction and are served in a self contained classroom for 80-100% of their school day. Special Stackers competing in the SS19+ Division are adults who require assistance and/or support to access the workplace and employment. Special Stackers compete in one of two "levels" in their age division based on their average 3-6-3 time (except for Doubles and the Timed 3-6-3 Relay as noted). The average time for Level 1 is 7.99 seconds or below. The average time for Level 2 is 8.00 seconds or above. Special Stackers in the 15-18 Age Division may 'play up" to the SS19+ Division for the Doubles and Timed 3-6-3 Relay events.

Event Information:

Note: Refer to the WSSA Rule Book for more specific information.

Stackers may compete in all or a portion of the events available to them. In order to have a "complete" Sport Stacking experience, we encourage ALL participants to compete in ALL events! That means joining a Relay Team! If you need help finding a Relay Team, indicate that on your Individual / Doubles Registration Form and we will help to match you up with a team!

There are 8 Events available for each Stacker to participate in!

6 Timed Events:
• 3 Individuals (3-3-3, 3-6-3, Cycle)
• 2 Doubles (Age Division & Child/Parent)
• 1 Timed 3-6-3 Relay

2 Head-To-Head Relay Events:
• 1 H-T-H 3-6-3 Relay (3-3-3 for 6U*) - Double elimination
• 1 H-T-H Cycle Relay (3-6-3 for 6U*) - Single elimination
*Note: 6U Relay Teams who wish to compete in the H-T-H 3-6-3 and Cycle Relays may "play up" into the 7U division.

Relay Team Competition

• A Relay Team consists of no less than 4 and no more than 5 Stackers as well as a Relay Team Coach, usually a parent. A Relay Team can be of single or mixed genders.
• Relay Teams must field a complete roster of 4 Stackers to compete! Teams with less than 4 Stackers will be disqualified. Teams of 5 Stackers are allowed as a way of assuring participation in case a team member is absent, but only 4 members may compete in any given race.

Doubles Team Competition

• Two Age Division Doubles Teams are typically formed from one Relay Team.
• Most Stackers also compete on a Child/Parent Doubles Team (at no extra charge for the parent).
• Special Stackers Doubles Teams do the 3-6-3 stack. All other Doubles Teams do the Cycle stack.
• On a Doubles Team, one Stacker must only use their right hand and their partner must only use their left hand.
• Partners can choose to switch places between tries.
• Doubles rules are the same as Individuals rules with the following addition: each individual stack of cups, in both the up stacking and down stacking phases, must be handled by both Stackers with one exception - when down stacking the last "3" in the transition from the 3-6-3 to the 6-6, that "3" may be handled by only one of the two Stackers.

Individual Competition

More information to come.

Timed Events

• There are 6 timed events: 3 Individual events (3-3-3, 3-6-3, Cycle), 2 Doubles events (Age Division, Child/Parent), and 1 Timed 3-6-3 Relay event
• 2 "Warm-ups" and 3 "Tries" in each Event. (Exception: no warm-ups in Timed 3-6-3 Relay.)
• Prelims - preliminary competition whereby Stackers get there "best times" in each Event/Age Division. (Note - Individual events are done back-to-back-to-back and in this order: 3-3-3, 3-6-3 and Cycle.) Stackers may only compete once in each Prelim Event. Top qualifiers from Prelims move to Finals as follows:
  • Individual events: Top 10
  • Doubles: Top 5
  • Timed 3-6-3 Relay: Top 4
• Finals - final competition in each Event/Age Division. Top qualifiers from Prelims compete in order, from lowest to highest. New "best time" is established for each Stacker. Stackers are ranked/placed by new "best times" and Awards are presented.

Timed 3-6-3 Relay

More information to come.

Head-To-Head Relays

More information to come.