LSA Diving Rules Summary

Dive Requirements

Six and Under Requirements (6&U) – 3 dives
Required Dive (101/201/301/401 – any position)
Required Dive (101/201/301/401 – any position but may not repeat a category)
Optional Dive

• 6&U divers may substitute forward and back jumps for required dives using a 0.5 degree of difficulty
• 6&U receive no penalty for a balk (restart)
• 6&U after second balk receive an automatic score of ½ from each judge
• If a coach steps onto the board to help a 6&U, the diver will receive an automatic score of ½ from each judge.

Eight and Under Requirements (8&U) – 3 dives

Required Dive (101/201/301/401 – any position)
Required Dive (101/201/301/401 – any position but may not repeat a category)
Optional Dive

• 8&U divers may substitute forward and back jumps for a required dives using a 0.5 degree of difficulty
• 8&U receive no penalty for a balk (restart)
• 8&U after second balk receive an automatic score of ½ from each judge

Ten and Under Requirements (10&U) – 3 dives

Required Dive (101/201/301/401 any position)
Required Dive (101/201/301/401 – any position but may not repeat a category)
Optional Dive

Twelve and Under Requirements (12&U) – 4 dives

Required Dive (101/201/301/401 – any position)
Required Dive (101/201/301/401 – – any position but may not repeat a category)
Optional Dive
Optional Dive (may not repeat a category)

Fourteen and Under Requirements (14&U) – 5 dives

Required Dive (101/201/301/401 – any position)
Required Dive (101/201/301/401 – – any position but may not repeat a category)
Optional Dive
Optional Dive (may not repeat a category)
Optional Dive (may not repeat a category)

Eighteen and Under Requirements (18&U)

Required Dive (the LSA Dive board will choose a required dive at the beginning of the season and it should be the first dive listed on each 18&U diver's list of dives)
Optional Dive
Optional Dive
Optional Dive
Optional Dive

- the 18&U age group must complete dives in four of the five diving categories (forward, back, reverse, inward, twisting). A category may be repeated once.

PLEASE NOTE: The required dive for the 18&U age group for the 2019 season is a BACK DIVE.

Summary of Important Rules and Deductions

• Any diver may choose to use a standing take off on any forward facing dive. The judges must take into account this take off when awarding a score and deduct from the overall award.
• The diver must not bounce on the board or rock the board excessively before the take-off, each judge may deduct between ½ to 2 points depending on how they feel it affects the overall impression of the dive, and safety of the diver.
• In any dive, the take off must include an armswing and push off the board. If there is no armswing or push it is considered an unsatisfactory dive and should not receive a score greater than a 2.
• If, according to the referee, the twist is deviated by more than 1/4 turn when the last part of the body enters the water, the dive will be declared a failed dive. If the referee does not declare a fail dive and an individual judge believes that it was incomplete, that judge has the option to give the dive a score of 0.0.
• If the diver enters the water with one or more arms above the shoulders on a feet first entry the dive is considered deficient and the referee shall instruct the judges that the dive shall not receive a score higher than a 4.5.
• If the diver enters the water with one or more arms below the shoulders on a head first entry the dive is considered deficient and the referee shall instruct the judges that the dive shall not receive a score higher than a 4.5.
• All divers may change any dive prior to the execution of the dive.

Specific Rules for the 6&U and 8&U age groups:

• No penalty for restart (balk)
• Second failed attempt is an incomplete dive
• All failed or incomplete dives receive a score of 1/2 from each of the judges.
• 6&U and 8&U divers may substitute forward and back jumps for required dives using a 0.5 degree of difficulty

Judging Scale

A judge shall award from 0 to 10 points for a dive according to his overall impression within the following criteria:

Excellent 10
Very Good 8.5 – 9.5
Good 7.0 – 8.0
Satisfactory 5.0 – 6.5
Deficient 2.5 – 4.5
Unsatisfactory 0.5 – 2.0
Completely failed 0

Jumps and Line Ups Available to 6&U and 8&U Age Groups (All DD’s 1.0)

100A – Forward Jump Straight
100B – Forward Jump Pike
100C – Forward Jump Tuck
200A – Back Jump Straight
200B – Back Jump Pike
200C – Back Jump Tuck