How Free Is The Free Position?
In recent years the free position for twisting has become blurred. It appears that the acceptance level by the coaches and judges has been lowered in recent years. The High School Federation rulebook describes the free position as a combination of positions. There are coaches that accept almost anything as the free position. The execution of those dives that use the free position has become very liberal and that should not be the case. Lowering the standard, as seems to be the case, lowers the quality of dives that utilize the free position.
The free position for many dives would entail the use of the pike and straight positions. The pike is used upon somersault initiation for forward twisters and the completion of the somersault while the straight position is used for twisting. These dives have a history of using those two positions: 5122, 5124, 5126, 5132, 5134, 5136, 5223, 5225, 5233, 5235, 5323, 5325, 5333, 5335, 5422, 5432 and 5434. Over the years these dives have finished with a pike position. Bending the legs at the end of these dives is unacceptable from my perspective. The divers who bend the legs at the end of these dives do so because they can not finish the dive without it being failed. About ten years ago there was even a rule that if the knees bent on a 5132 D, it was an unsatisfactory dive and could score no higher than a 2. It has since disappeared from the rulebook. The degree of difficulty has been set accepting the pike and straight positions as the way to perform these dives.
As a judge you should be aware of the way a dive can be performed in order to give an accurate score. Some dives such as: 5152, 5231, 5251, 5331 and 5351 can be executed two different ways. The forward twister mentioned above (5152 D) can be executed similar to the start of 5132 D front 1 1/2 ss 1 tw. Once the twist is completed, the somersault can be continued in the pike or tuck position. Pike for this dive would be much more difficult. The other way would be for the diver to start a 1 and 3/4 somersault tuck, straighten out for the twist and then either tuck or pike for the end of the dive.
Dives such as 5231, 5251, 5331 and 5351 also can be executed two different ways. One is to start the back or reverse somersault straight, insert the twist and pike down for the finish of the dive. The other way is to execute a back or reverse dive, complete the ½ twist and get into the tuck position to complete the somersault rotation. It used to be called Back or Reverse ½ 1 ½ somersault, otherwise known as a back or reverse dive ½ twist 1 ½ somersault. With the improved equipment divers can perform the same technique and complete a 2 ½ or 3 ½ somersault. When the ½, ½, 1 ½ was popular back in the 50’s and 60’s, the rules stated that the straight position be held until the body was at least horizontal before the diver could tuck. This is similar to the flying position that is still in the rulebook today.
There has to be some uniformity when enforcing the rules with twisting dives. It is not only unacceptable but unfair to the diver that performs the dives as described above when judges score breaks in form without any penalty assessed. Coaches need to understand these distinctions so that their divers execute the dives properly. Judges need to understand the distinction to be accurate and fair when assessing scores.
Another article on this web site that touches on this topic is: http://www.oocities.org/woras.geo/NFHS.htm1 "Rule 9 Whatever?!"