WSSA Rules & Regulations

Rules & Regulations

• The World Sport Stacking Association serves as the governing body for sport stacking rules and regulations.
• The WSSA provides a uniform framework for sport stacking events.
• The WSSA sanctions sport stacking competitions and records worldwide.
• Our intent is to uphold the qualities of self-confidence, teamwork and good sportsmanship while providing a positive experience for all.
• At WSSA Sanctioned Tournaments, the officials and organizers are required to video record Finals competition for placement and record purposes. Only Finals competition will be video recorded. The WSSA does not accept, consider or review any third party video related or unrelated to our events and competitions. During our events, it is acceptable for spectators, parents and competitors to record videos for their own purposes but these videos will not be considered official and therefore cannot be used for judging or review purposes. We ask that spectators, parents and stackers refrain from asking judges or officials to review any third party video.

Promoting good sportsmanship

Sport stacking not only develops important physical skills, such as hand-eye coordination, quickness and focus; it also promotes self-confidence, teamwork and good sportsmanship. Our intent is to uphold these qualities and provide a positive experience for all.

Please understand that most everyone involved in sport stacking competitive events is a volunteer working hard to do the best job they can do. Like any athletic competition, decisions and judgments will be made-–most will be correct, some may be questionable—all will be sincere. We ask that all those taking part in a competition, including Stackers, Relay Team Coordinators, Officials and Spectators, do their best to work together, be good sports and positive role models, and have a terrific time! The WSSA follows the principles and guidelines as outlined by the Positive Coaching Alliance.

Official Rule Book

The Official Rule book is version 8.3 and is effective on September 1, 2024

Rule Book Changes

All recent rule changes will be posted here

• 2024-2025 Season // v.8.3 // Published: Sep 1, 2024
  • The Rule Book is now officially "Online". The new format is easily searchable and works well with printing and access from computers and/or mobile devices. The rules are also now grouped using "Sections" to make details easier to find.
  • Rule Change Section 6.1.7.1 // Hats have been removed from allowed apparel at 'On Deck' or 'Competition' tables. And text has been added that all stackers must also wear closed toed footwear while participating in the competition.
    "Stackers may not compete at the 'On Deck' or 'Competition' tables wearing any added clothing, accessories or equipment that is a distraction to the Judges or other Stackers as deemed by the Tournament Director and/or the WSSA. This includes, but is not limited to: hats, headphones, ear buds, ear plugs, sunglasses, blindfolds, gloves, tape, etc., unless medically necessary. (In the same regard, Stackers may not gain an advantage or distract fellow Stackers by purposefully blocking out sight, sound or touch.) All stackers must also wear closed toed footwear while participating in the competition."
  • Rule Clarification Section 7.1 // Added graphic showing an Official Sport Stacking Table
    
  • Rule Change Section 8.1 // Added 8U to divisions that are allowed to be combined.
    "For tournaments, separate "Male" and "Female" divisions are mandatory for age divisions 9-10 through 17-18 and optional for 8U, Collegiate, Masters and Seniors divisions, depending on the size and scope of the tournament."
  • Rule Change Section 8.5.4 // Added 8U to divisions that are allowed to be combined.
    "Tournaments: Separate "Male" and "Female" divisions are mandatory for age divisions 9-10 through 17-18 and optional for 8U, Collegiate, Masters and Seniors divisions depending on the size and scope of the tournament."
• 2023-2024 Season // v.8.2 // Published: May 12, 2023
  • Rule Change Section 2.1 // Shorties added to list of cups that cannot be used in WSSA Sanctioned competitions.
    "(Note: Speed Stacks brand Super Stacks® (metal) training cups, Mini Speed Stacks®, Super Minis, Jumbo Stacks, and Shorties are not recognized as “official” WSSA sport stacking cups for use in WSSA competitions.)"
  • Rule Change Section 8.1 // Added clarification on gender.
    "All stackers must compete in the division of their biological gender. Specifically, male-to-female transgender stackers may not compete in Female divisions and female-to-male transgender stackers may not compete in Male divisions."
• 2021-2022 Season / v.8.1
  • Rule Change (page 3, "Stacking Surface" section)
    • The previous definition of the “stacking surface” included both the mat and the timer. Now the stacking surface is only considered the mat. Cups cannot be on top of the timer, otherwise an infraction will occur. All other old rules pertaining to the stacking surface still apply.
  • Rule Clarification (pages 2 & 3, "StackMat" section)
    • The Rules Committee wanted to clarify the way stackers can start the G5 timer. We have seen stackers starting like this and wanted to clarify that this is allowed. The rule book has been updated to make that clearer.
    • As a reminder, stackers must still use their left thumb to activate the left thumb pad and their right thumb to activate the right thumb pad when starting the timer.
• 2021-2022 Season / v.8.0
  • The G5 timer must be attached to the mat with both buttons and in the correct orientation.
  • Stackers cannot use a single hand to activate more than 2 pads on the timer.
  • Stackers must start the timer with fingers on the top pads, right thumb on the right thumb pad, and left thumb on the left thumb pad.
  • Stackers must stop the timer with both hands.
  • Stackers can touch cups when starting and stopping the timer, but they cannot hold cups.
  • The G5 timer and mat must be used at all WSSA sanctioned competitions, but older versions of the timer and mat can be used in Online and Recreational tournaments.
  • Stackers in the standard divisions must use 4-pad mode at all WSSA sanctioned competitions.
  • Stackers in the Special Stacker divisions will use 2-pad mode at all WSSA sanctioned competitions (unless an individual chooses to stack in 4-pad mode).
  • Side judges are no longer needed for individual and doubles finals.
  • Judges are no longer required to say the stacker's name, division, and event to the camera in order for a potential record to be verified. They may do so if they like, but it is not needed to identify the stacker.
• 2019-2020 Season / v.7.8.2
  The area of concern is the transition between the 6-6 and the 1-10-1. In practice, stackers have blended this transition in a way that we allow, but is in conflict with the current rulebook. So we have updated the language to align with how this transition is performed by stackers today, and how we judge this transition. Our intent is for these changes to be more permissive to stackers. Here is a summary of the changes that stackers and coaches should be aware of:
  • Rule Clarifications (page 5, #9)
    • The previous wording of the rules stated that the placement of the single cups and the formation of the column of 10 had to happen in a certain order. We have eliminated those words to allow for the single cups to be placed in any order. An example of what is now allowed would be that stackers can place one single cup, then form the 10 column, then place their second single cup.
    • The down stacking phase of the 6-6 has also been redefined: it is complete once the cups are in the formation of a 1-10-1 with the 10 stack in column form. Then the up stacking phase of the 1-10-1 can begin. By officially allowing the placement of single cups to happen in any order, we had to find a point where the up stacking and down stacking phases will not conflict with one another.
  • Rule Change (page 6, #4d)
    • Today, many “hands on two stacks” scratches occur in the 6-6 to 1-10-1 transition in the Doubles event when one stacker’s hand is still placing a single cup on the mat and the other stacker’s hand is touching the column of 10 at the same time. To eliminate the number of scratches in this area, we have changed the rule to allow for hands to be touching both a single cup and the 10 column, however the up stack of the 10 stack cannot begin until both hands have released from the single cups.
• 2019-2020 Season / v.7.8
  • In the up stacking phase, stackers must perform individual stacks with two hands. While most are doing this anyway, the previous rules allowed for stackers to have the option to up stack with one hand. This option was removed to align with how sport stacking is taught – by using two hands. Of course, allowances are still made for stackers who have a disability that would prevent them from using both hands.
  • The definition of a Special Stacker was updated to be more inclusive and to allow for certain accommodations to be made at the competition table. Divisions for Special Stackers are also clarified.
  • Rules around citizenship and residency are updated and clarified.
  • A description of when the down stacking phase begins during the 1-10-1 part of the cycle is clarified.
• 2018-2019 Season / Cup Printing Rule Guidelines.
• 2018-2019 Season / Stackers sometimes take their hands off the Timer too quickly - before the green light comes on, which indicates that the Timer is armed. The section on Equipment Failure was updated to clarify that stackers are responsible for making sure the Timer is armed before they start stacking. Stackers who start stacking without first arming the Timer will sacrifice the attempt.
• 2018-2019 Season / Testing the Timer before and between attempts is now explicitly permitted, as long as no stacking occurs during the test.
• 2018-2019 Season / The definition for Foot Fault was amended to clarify that “both feet” of the waiting stacker must be in contact with ground.
• 2018-2019 Season / Some stackers have been abusing the process of fixing their fumbles by doing unnecessary stacking, in an attempt to gain more warm-up time. This is now explicitly prohibited and will result in the loss of the next attempt.
• 2018-2019 Season / To reduce problems with absenteeism, Timed 3-6-3 and Head to Head Relay Teams may now have up to 6 stackers. Only four stackers compete in each race, but substitutions may be made between races.
• 2018-2019 Season / The Masters age divisions were expanded and adjusted to accommodate the growing number of adult stackers competing in these divisions.
• 2018-2019 Season / A clarification was added to the Apparel rules to allow medically necessary apparel that would otherwise be disallowed.
• 2017-2018 Season / Removed centerline rules for Timed 3-6-3 Relay ( September 22, 2017 )
• 2016-2017 Season / Gen3 and Gen4 Timer usage ( January 13, 2017 )