What are the rules on where the coach is supposed to or can stand on each event? It's something like the coach can approach on skills but can't stand under the bar, but they can or are supposed to for the men's on high bar and rings? With the new code of points, they should alter the rules on this and allow more spot-ready coaching and maybe review the matting to ensure more safety. Kristen Maloney - 1997 Worlds Team Finals - Uneven Bars [youtube]2VCBJmSv8-4[/youtube] The coach approaches the bar for Kristen Maloney's geinger, then steps off the podium Kristen Maloney - 1999 Worlds Team Finals - Uneven Bars [youtube]5mB74JlSe-A[/youtube] Coach Carter runs off after Kristen's pirouetting skills Kristen Maloney - 1997 US Nationals Prelims - Uneven Bars [youtube]NW9RJGxCc5Q[/youtube] Coach Carter catches Kristen on her fall from her geinger. Highbar 2007 JO NAtionals Neil Damron [youtube]WdEpfAyiXjI[/youtube] He hits the bar on his dismount, the coach is right there and helps him on his landing. Region 1 2007 Level 10 JO Nationals Bars [youtube]wzeTDVD3Ds4[/youtube] Coach just approaches low bar for her Tkatchev Region 1 2007 Level 10 JO Nationals Bars 2 [youtube]oJcaSLBFQC8[/youtube] No coach standing close by. Cosmina Paulescu 2005 Romanian Nationals Uneven Bars Crash [youtube]bd-xS7Brbcs[/youtube] She hits her feet on the bar on the dismount too, the coach is too far to help with the landing; she can break the impact of the fall on her head/neck with her hands a bit, and doesn't have any serious injury At 2007 Chinese Nationals Wang Yan hits the high bar on the dismount too, but she wasn't able to put her hands down first to make the fall on her neck/head less: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/sports/2007-06/13/content_893064.htm [quote]Wang stumbled on the high bar on her dismount as she was trying somersaults on the uneven bars. As the on-spot teammates suggested, the whole body lost balance when Wang tripped over the bar on her dismount action. [/quote] [quote]"If Wang Yan could stretch her leg or arm to touch the cushion first, it might ease the wallop by a large margin, but it's the head down on bumping. The neck could not bear the collision at all." [/quote]

Perhaps the rules for the mens is more open to these things because there are less men gymnasts - same thing can be in club gymnastics too. Good idea to allow the coach stand where they want, etc. to be ready to spot, as they think is needed, with no time limit, etc. - that coach does seem in a hurry to leave the bar apparatus after being ready to spot the geinger just in case. It's kind of like how the insurance companies want to decide for doctors medical issues, such as what is needed, what should be done, etc...

I agree, it makes more sense to allow the coach to stand where they want, for how long they want etc., and the deduction should just be if they touch/spot the gymnast. The girls uneven bars high bar is high too, like the boy's high bar. Anyhow, at the same time coaches do teach gymnasts how you're supposed to fall, like roll out of the skill, etc. Falls do happen, mistakes do happen. Like these gymnastics bloopers: [youtube]tjNre1yI668[/youtube] I like Chusivitina's and her coach's dancing! :D It's kind of like Bela Karoyli's part in the At&T blueroom video, "This is an amazing sport, because this is the sport really the one makes you better, stronger, more confident, and most importantly you know everything about yourself" - you have to know where you are in the air, etc.

Good points on changing the rules on where the coach can stand, how long, how they would like to spot for safety, etc. Things that have already been changed to increase safety: change the vault to a vault table, ban this skill: "Banned Move" : [youtube]KqhfBYdETRk[/youtube] more banned skills: "Gymnastics - Banned Moves montage" : [youtube]ZyZz2y-x3Sk[/youtube]

In high school gymnastics, there has to be a coach standing there on vault for round-off entry vaults, and it is also allowed now for the coach to stand in between the board and vault table. Interesting stuff: [quote]SITUATION 12: A coach stands on two folded panel mats placed along the side of the vaulting table to serve as the required spotter for a round-off entry vault. RULING: Legal. COMMENT: The use of manufactured spotting block(s) or folded panel mat(s) for spotting on vault is now legal. However, a folded panel mat cannot be placed on top of a spotting block because it would be an unstable surface for a coach to stand on. (6-1-7) SITUATION 13: A coach stands between the board and the vault table, breaking the plane of the table but not touching the gymnast. Judges deduct 0.5. RULING: Incorrect procedure. COMMENT: There is no longer a deduction for the coach standing between the board and the vault table. If the coach spots the gymnast, a 0.5 deduction is taken for the spot. (6-5-2) SITUATION 14: A gymnast will be executing a round-off entry vault for the first time in competition. Her coach tells the acting judges that the gymnast will have a coach serve as a spotter in both the preflight and after-flight. RULING: Correct procedure. COMMENT: It is a requirement for all round-off entry vaults to have a coach as a spotter. It is legal to have two spotters. Although not required to alert judges to the use of two spotters, this courtesy helps avoid confusion and allows competition to proceed smoothly. (6-2-2) SITUATION 15: Throughout the vaulting competition in a large meet, the gymnasts have had a coach present to spot when executing round-off entry vaults. The last vault for a gymnast will be a round-off entry vault. Her coach has been called away for a problem and is not present to spot. The gymnast wants to proceed, but the judge will not permit her to vault until a spotter is present. RULING: Correct procedure. COMMENT: The spotter for the round-off entry vaults is required for risk minimization. Competition is not allowed if the requirement is not met. If the judge believes the team took too much time in getting the spotter in place, the superior judge may deduct 1.0 from the gymnast's average score for delay of meet. If for some reason the gymnast executed the vault due to the judge not realizing a spotter was not present, the vault is a void vault. It is the gymnast's and coach's ultimate responsibility to be certain all event requirements are met. (6-2-2; 6-2-5b)[/quote] 2006-07 Girls Gymnastics Rules Interpretations: http://www.nfhs.org/web/2006/10/200607_girls_gymnastics_rules_i.aspx

2008 UCLA vs Stanford Gymnastics - Tabitha Yim - UB [youtube]qZKDiVADing[/youtube] Coach standing in the middle of the bars for pak salto, then moves away, so allowed with no deduction. From USA JO: "Coach standing between the bars throughout the entire exercise 0.10" deduction. Same as standing next to the beam the whole time. Guess the coach could stand next to the bars the whole time as long as it is not in the middle of the bars. For men's high bar and rings, the coach actually has to or there's a deduction I believe. "Reminder: There is no deduction for coach standing between board and vault table for Round-off entry vaults." http://www.usa-gymnastics.org/publications/technique/1997/7/errata.html http://www.usa-gymnastics.org/publications/technique/2002/6/wtc-09jun02.html From post: "UCLA vs. Stanford" http://www.gymchat.com/messageboards/viewtopic.php?p=23874#23874

"this is why a gymnast work so hard" [youtube]Dwgoj9xKchk[/youtube] On the video around :45 'fake' spotting by the coach on her giants, and the girl just falls on her geinger release move, no catch attempted. Around 2:23 looks like Nastia Liukin and her dad/coach Valeria Liukin - why no catch? 1-arm peel off bar on a bad geinger release move. Could have broken elbow or injured on her fall. Not quick reflex moves? Unexpected mistake? Valeri is so close to her too. Better for the coach to always be ready, just watching is not enough. Have to be ready to spot. Coach Carter does a good catch for Kristen Maloney on her fall from her geinger, on the video posted by wtf. Related: (poll) Spotting and non-spotting clubs http://www.gymchat.com/messageboards/viewtopic.php?t=923 so far everyone goes to a spotting club and likes it!