Date: Jan 07, 2020
Version 7.8.2 of the WSSA rulebook has been posted and includes an important change and clarification regarding the Cycle stack. These rules take effect immediately.
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:
- 2019-2020 Season / v.7.8.2
- Rule Clarifications (page 5, #9)
- The old 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.
- Rule Clarifications (page 5, #9)