NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS ASSOCIATION 

COMPETITION

COMPETITION LEVELS

NOR-CAL participates in the following levels:  Level One through Level Ten of the USA GYMNASTICS Junior Olympic Age Group Program and the USA GYMNASTICS Elite Program.

For the minimum requirements of the classifications and for Level Mobility regulations, please refer to the current edition of the USA GYMNASTICS “Rules and Policies.”

CHANGES DURING THE COMPETITIVE SEASON

No change in the competitive structure may occur after the beginning of the competitive season (August 1^st of each year).

PRELIMINARY MEETS

All gymnasts (Level 5-10) compete in sanctioned Preliminary Meets; preliminaries which may be held with anyone, anywhere, within the deadline specified.  The only requirements are that they must be 1) sanctioned by the USA GYMNASTICS/WC, and 2) judged by USA GYMNASTICS rated judges.  (See SANCTIONING.)  All scores from meets used for NOR-CAL qualification not sanctioned or not judged by rated judges will be disallowed.  Scores from meets where there is only one participation club will be disallowed.

As preliminaries occur, meet results are sent by the Meet Director to the NOR-CAL Master Scorekeeper and your Zone Representative (see Competitive Checklist in the APPENDIX).  It is your responsibility to make sure the NOR-CAL Master Scorekeeper and your Zone Representative receive an official copy of the results from each and every meet you attend.  Compulsory results received after Monday prior to the Zone Championships will be subject to a $25.00 per gymnast late fee payable to NOR-CAL prior to the Zone Championship.  Optional results received after the Monday two weeks prior to the State Championships will be subject to a $25.00 per gymnast late fee payable to NOR-CAL prior to the State Championship.  The NOR-CAL Master Scorekeeper will record individual scores on the Northern California Women’s Gymnastics Association Web Site at:  http://www.norcal-gymnastics.org 

If you have accepted an invitation to a preliminary meet (or qualified to a higher level meet), and later find your Club cannot attend, you must contact the Host Club as many weeks in advance as possible to advise cancellation.  As a member of NOR-CAL it is your responsibility to attend any meet where your Club participates, or at least send another employee-coach who is experienced in training-meet methods and has a professional USA Gymnastics number.

COMPETITION FLOW CHARTS 2007

MEET RULES AND PROCEDURES

MEET BIDS

MEET CALENDAR:  The NOR-CAL meet calendar shall be determined by the June meeting of each year and updated as needed periodically throughout the year.  The calendar shows all meets at the Zone Level and above approved by NOR-CAL plus all preliminary meets that have been properly submitted to the NOR-CAL Competitive Chairman.  Only those meets on this calendar can serve as qualifying meets to the next level of the competitive sequence (e.g. from Zone to State).

As NOR-CAL’s competitive season does not start until August 1^st, meets held for the coming season before August 1^st for compulsories and January 1^st for optionals cannot be used for qualification purposes.

PRELIMINARY MEETS:  Any NOR-CAL Registered club, and any skill level, may elect to host, with a USA GYMNASTICS Sanction, a preliminary meet.  A Bid Form is not required.

ZONE CHAMPIONSHIPS:  Host(s) for Zone will be decided during the Zone Meeting held during the June General Membership Meeting conducted by the Zone Representative.  In case there is more than one bid for this meet, the host will be decided by vote within the Zone.  Upon cancellation, the Zone Representative will find a new host. 

STATE MEETS:  Host(s) for State Championships will be decided from bids submitted during the General Spring Meeting conducted by the Chairman.  In case there is more than one bid for a meet, the Executive Board will award the meet host.  Upon cancellation, the Chairman will find a new host with approval of the USAG/WC State Chairman.

REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:  A Bid Form, along with any required deposit, is sent to the Region 1 Chairman for the USAG/WC, a copy to the USAG/WC State Chairman, and a copy to the NOR-CAL Chairman.

NATIONALS:  In addition to sending copies to those listed under ‘Regional Championships,’ the original Bid Form is sent to the National Director – USAG/WC.

SANCTIONING

For the sanctioning procedure, please refer to the USA GYMNASTICS Rules and Policies.  All qualifying meets must be sanctioned by the USA GYMNASTICS.

  ENTRY FEES 

** Level 5 and 6 Zone entry fee shall not exceed $40.00  (this shall include the $2.00 per athlete State Subsidy fee to be sent to the USAG State Director).  State Entry fees shall range between $50-$60 (pending budget statement approval).  This shall include the $2.00 per athlete NOR-CAL State Team Subsidy to be sent to the NOR-CAL Treasurer. 

Level 7-10 State Entry Fee shall range between $55 - $75 (pending budget statement approval)  This shall include the $2.00 per athlete State Subsidy fee to be sent to the USAG State Director, a $2.00 per athlete State Team Subsidy to be sent to the NOR-CAL Treasurer, and a $3.00 per athlete Regional Subsidy fee to be sent to the USAG Regional Director.  The Level 8, 9 and 10 entry fees for State Championships will help to cover the cost of 4 judge panels.  NOR-CAL will cover any amount, up to $1,000.00, of the difference between ½ of the judge’s costs (minus the meet referee’s fees) and the $15.00 additional entry fees.

No Club is permitted to compete without payment of the Entry Fee (see Entry Deadline Chart).  Should a Club be allowed to do so, the Meet Host must complete the Financial Statement as if the Fee has been paid and the responsibility for future collection rests with the Host.  As all Entry Fees are paid in advance, should a club and/or gymnast not show for the meet, the meet host is not obligated to give a refund.

ADMISSION FEES:  Admission fees (for spectators) shall not exceed $2.00 per person per day for Zone, Sectional, and State competitions unless stated on Meet Bid form.

ENTRY FORMS must include the type of meet, date(s), warm-up times, meet starting time, location with map, type of competition, (compulsory and/or optional, etc.), Individual and Team entry fees, spectator admission fees, type of equipment, and entry deadline. Must also include a section for gymnasts’ birth date and USA GYMNASTICS/WC Registration number, and Coaches’ USA GYMNASTICS number.

NUMBER OF GYMNASTS COMPETING

Unless prior special arrangements have been made, the judging panel has the right to not judge the meet if the USAG guidelines are exceeded.  The host team does have the option to drop members of his team in order to conform to the above numbers.

If a judge arrives at the meet and the numbers are exceeded and not corrected, the judge may leave with pay and mileage (payment to be made by the meet director).  All meet fees for a meet so in question MUST be refunded to the clubs involved by the meet director if the meet is cancelled.

ENTRY DEADLINES
The entry deadline should be ten (10) days before the meet, and should an entry not be received by that date, a late charge of $5.00 per gymnast may be charged.  If entry fees are received less than five (5) days before the meet, you may refuse to allow them to enter.

Once an invitation has been extended to a Club, it cannot ethically be withdrawn.  If within seven (7) days of the meet, the meet is cancelled or changes are made from what appears on the entry form, notification of participating clubs will be by phone.  Where phone contact is not possible, notification must be by ‘Mailgram.’

If conditions change from what appears on entry forms mailed to participating clubs, it is your responsibility to call or write in an appropriate amount of time to allow the clubs to adjust to the change.  At Zone Level meets and above Entry forms are mailed to applicable clubs, the NOR-CAL Chairman and the USA GYMNASTICS/WC State Chairman, at least three weeks before the meet.  The date indicated on the NOR-CAL Calendar must be used unless changed with the prior approval of the NOR-CAL Chairman and the USA GYMNASTICS/WC State Chairman.  Deadlines and late fees will conform to the USA GYMNASTICS RULES AND POLICIES.

Meets involving a large contingent of one age group may be separated for the purposes of competition, but only if not restricted by the Competition Structure (see SEEDING).

JUDGES

JUDGES shall be paid the day of the meet, based on established rates and mileage allowances.  The Host Club must provide the judges with early morning coffee and snack, lunch if the meet is divided into two sessions, and refreshments during the competition if conditions warrant it.  In lieu of providing meals, a per-diem payment can be made in addition to their judging honorarium and mileage charges.

Each Judge shall be furnished with a meet program, rotation schedule, scratch paper, judging forms and pencils.  Judges chairs should be placed, whenever possible, away from the audience and waiting competitors.

Level 8, 9 and 10 Championship Meets will have Open scoring and flashing of Start Values, and timed Optional Floor Exercise and Balance Beam routines.  All competitions shall have timed Balance Beam routines.  Timers are provided by the Host Club.  The timers should be consistent throughout the session and should be adults or mature gymnasts.

SCORES

SCORES are calculated and rounded off to the nearest 1/100^th of a point.  Final (average) scores should be flashed as soon as possible after each competitor.  An official tabulation of scores should be posted, in an easily accessible location, as the meet progresses to aid in rectifying mistakes as they occur.

MEET ETIQUETTE

All competitors must wear a leotard, no tights are allowed, and foot covering is optional.

No coach or gymnast may approach, block the view of, or look over the shoulder of a judge while he or she is judging an event.  Gymnasts who are not competing should remain out of the competition area.  Where possible, a roped-off area is recommended.

Gymnasts or coaches must not disturb the head table or any scoring table.

Excessive loud cheering, yelling and screeching for a gymnast by her teammates must be stopped by her coach.  The audience should be encouraged, by the Meet Director, to follow this rule.

A Coaches/judges meeting should be held before the start of warm-ups for any last minute announcements, instructions, notification of scratches, and distribution of packets.

PROTESTS

PROTESTS are NOT allowed at any NOR-CAL meet.  However, a Team’s Coach (only) may present the Meet Director with properly completed “USA GYMNASTICS Score Inquiry Form” within five minutes of the completion of squad competition on that event.  The Meet Director will present the Inquiry Form to the Meet Referee (or the event’s Head Judge where there is no Referee). 

Neither the coach nor the Meet Director can be involved in the judges discussion.  The results of the Inquiry will be communicated to the Team Coach by the Meet Director.

SEEDING

See the USA GYMNASTICS Rules and Policies.

The Olympic order of events (Zone and above) is:  VAULT – BARS – BEAM – FLOOR EXERCISE.  Competition rotation MUST follow this sequence.

See the USA GYMNASTICS Rules and Policies for quantity and type of equipment required for ZONE level meets and above.

Base Scoring may be allowed but it must not involve a competitor in the meet.  The first gymnast on each event is there usually by random draw, and CANNOT be permitted to repeat the event later in the competition.  However, in the case of the malfunction during the routine of a piece of equipment associated with the event, any gymnast may be given the opportunity to repeat.

NOR-CAL AWARDS SYSTEM

TIES:  Gymnasts tying on an event will be announced as winning the same place and take the same place on the awards stand, however, the award will be given according to their AA score.  For example, in a three-way tie for 2^nd place, all gymnasts are announced as 2^nd place winners, however, one gymnast gets the 2^nd place award, one the 3^rd place award, and the last the 4^th place award based on their AA rankings.  Ties in the All Around are decided by highest event score.  The appropriate number of places following the tie are skipped.  Ties in last place are awarded equally with one gymnast receiving the award – the others will receive their award after they are ordered.

THE NOR-CAL TEAM AWARDS SYSTEM (SEE ‘TEAM COMPETITION’).

AWARDS:  Awards are based on the number of gymnasts competing per age group:

 
MEET RESULTS FORMS 

Meet results forms must include the gymnast’s full name, USA GYMNASTICS number, club affiliation (if club initials are used, a table must be included clarifying the initials), scores and places (see Awards – Places) for each competitor for each event, the name of the hosting club, type of meet, and a list of judges.  Event heading, across the page, must follow the Olympic order.

For all Preliminary Meets and ZONE Championship meets and above, results must be available immediately following the meet.  Results must be sent to your Zone Representative, and a disk with meet results needs to be sent to the NOR-CAL Master Scorekeeper within 3 days after the meet.  Results sent after 3 days following competition must be accompanied by a $50.00 late fee.  Results should also be sent to the USA GYMNASTICS/WC State Chairman.

CAUTION:  A USA GYMNASTICS/WC SANCTION REPORT FORM (SEE USAG R & P) MUST BE SENT TO THE APPROPRIATE USA GYMNASTICS/WC OFFICIALS WITHIN 24 HOURS AFTER EVERY SANCTIONED MEET OF ANY KIND.  FAILURE TO DO SO MAY RESULT IN THE SANCTION FOR THAT MEET BEING PULLED, AND ANY SCORES, FOR ANY CLUB AT THE MEET, BEING DISALLOWED FOR QUALIFICATION.

BUDGET AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS are required on any ZONE Level Championship and above.  Statements for other preliminaries are NOT required.  Budget and Financial Statements are to be sent to the Zone Representative (for Zone Championships only), NOR-CAL Treasurer, to the NOR-CAL Chairman, and to the USA GYMNASTICS/WC State Chairman.  A check for the awards should be made out to NOR-CAL and mailed to the NOR-CAL Awards Chairman.  The Budget Statement must be submitted within 30 days of receiving the meet bid.

As shown on the Financial Statement Form (See APPENDIX), income you must report is all entry fees, admission fees, program fees, and donations, but only entry fees are used to reconcile expenses.  All competitors must pay the entry fee, including the Host Club.  Should a club be allowed to compete without paying, the Financial Statement is filled out as if they had paid.  Collection of their fees, later, is solely the responsibility of the host club.

Only those expenses shown on the Financial Statement, and those pre-approved by the NOR-CAL Chairman, are allowed.  Non-allowable expenses would be any equipment purchases, award stands, or other items considered a capital investment for the Host Club.  Expenses for telephone, announcer(s), postage, computer, custodial and supplies are covered under the “operational expense” line item.  Expenses such as equipment moving, purchases of special equipment, etc. require prior approval by the NOR-CAL Chairman and the USA GYMNASTICS State Chairman.  Broken or stolen equipment may not appear on the Financial Statement, but a letter may be written to the Executive Board explaining the circumstances behind the incident and requesting replacement from NOR-CAL.  As a general Association policy, a Host Club is solely responsible for any lost or stolen equipment, in-house or borrowed.  As such, the Board is not obligated to grant the request.

All funds collected in entry fees on a NOR-CAL sponsored meet are not to be considered Host Club funds, until a complete Financial Statement has been filed with the NOR-CAL Treasurer within the 10 day deadline specified on the Statement.  When funds due NOR-CAL for services or goods (such as awards) are not paid when specified, an interest penalty of 1 ½ % per month, prorated daily, may be levied.

As all NOR-CAL Meets, ZONE and above, are priced with entry fees ‘To Cover Costs’ and should not exceed preset limits.  (See Entry Fees).

Profits from Regional Level meets and above will be handled as described in the USA GYMNASTICS RULES AND POLICIES. 

For equipment specifications please refer to the USA GYMNASTICS RULES AND POLICIES.

The Zone Representative for the area in which the meet takes place has the authority to review equipment, equipment placement, and mat protection, and require any corrections before the meet can begin.  Should any Host refuse, or be unable to make the corrections, the Zone Representative is empowered by the Board to cancel the meet.

FIRST AID STATION:  Inform local fire department or paramedics of the meet and describe quickest access.  There should be, on hand, phone numbers for local hospitals, paramedics, and fire departments; also ice, gallon-size plastic bags, blankets, pillows, towels, athletic tape, scissors, crutches, etc.  State Championship competitions should have a qualified athletic trainer present.

NOR-CAL STATE TEAMS

The Northern California Women’s Gymnastics Association will form two Level 6 All State Teams (the top 12 finishers at State Championships regardless of age groups), and one team of top 6 finishers from each of the Level 7 – 10 State Championships.  The All State Team will be announced during the State Meet awards, and recognized with apparel furnished by NOR-CAL.