III. CLARIFICATIONS REGARDING SERIES

A. In an Acrobatic or a Dance series, the connection between the elements must be continuous. The landing leg or the free leg must be the take-off leg for the next element. If both feet land at the same time, the next element must take off from two feet.

1. Backward Acro Flight Series
a. A backward acro flight series is considered broken when there is a delay in the immediate take-off of the second element (deduct 0.50 for missing the Special Requirement, if applicable):
i. Arms moving as low as the thighs or further back will break the series
ii. A slow moving connection with one or more flight elements would be broken

2. Non-flight series (any direction), flight series with forward or sideward elements and counter acro flight series
a. If there is a lack of tempo/poor rhythm between the elements performed in a series, apply the specific execution deduction of lack of tempo between elements (up to 0.30). This refers to continuous, but slow.

3. Dance or Mixed Series
a. Lack of tempo/poor rhythm between the elements performed in a series; apply the specific execution deduction (up to 0.10). This refers to continuous, but slow.
b. If the body continues its movement, an arm circle does not necessarily break the connection

4. All series are considered broken if the following occurs:
a. A stop between the elements.
b. Loss of balance, causing a stop between elements
c. Repositioning of a support leg
d. Extra step, hop/jump between elements

B. Some elements are inherently “non-connectable”. The following is an example of an acro series that is considered Non-Connectable, regardless of how quickly the elements are connected:
Back Walkover (or Flic-flac step-out) to Round-off (or cartwheel)
In this example, the first element lands in a lunge on 2 feet. It cannot be connected to a 2nd element for acro series credit.
Note: The only way these two elements could connect legitimately is by landing the first
element on one leg and step through into the Round-off (or cartwheel).
• Performing a kick leading into the second element will break the series

C. Repetition of a failed series
Examples:
1. Gymnast performs a Flic-flac step-out and stops (or falls), then does a series of two connected flic-flacs. The Special Requirement is NOT met because the third flic-flac receives no Value Part.

2. At Level 7: Gymnast attempts a series of two Back Walkovers, but the second Back Walkover never lands on the beam (no Value Part credit)(A + 0).
If she then kicks up to a handstand and holds it for 2 seconds, then steps down to a Back Walkover (A + A), one part of the Acro Special Requirement has been met.
• If the Handstand is NOT held for 2-seconds, it will not receive A-Value Part credit and cannot be used to fulfill a Special Requirement.