Dear WRRC Members, National Federations, Officials, Coaches and Competitors,
As the 2026 competition season is now underway, the WRRC Observer Group held season beginning meeting , in coordination with the WRRC Sport Commission and WRRC Judging Commission, and wishes to address a number of important topics that have been identified during the past seasons. The goal of this communication is to ensure consistent, fair, and transparent conditions for all participants at every WRRC competition throughout 2026.
We kindly ask all National Federations to distribute this newsletter to their coaches, team managers and competitors without delay.
1. ACROBATIC PROGRAMS SUBMISSION – DEADLINES AND PROCEDURES
All acrobatic programs for couples and formations must be entered into the WRRC Registration System before the announcement of couple/formation is made to a specific competition and can be changed no later than 48 hours before the start of that competition. No changes to acrobatic programs will be accepted after this deadline for specific competition.
Please note the following key points:
- National Federations have the ability to create Acrobatic Coach accounts within the WRRC Registration System. Once a coach account is created by the national administrator, the coach may independently submit and manage the acrobatic programs for their couples and formations. We encourage all National Federations to make use of this option in order to ensure timely and accurate submissions.
- For both the 5-acrobatic program and the 6-acrobatic program, it is possible to enter two program for each acrobatic program per couple/formation in the system.
- The first entered program is always considered the primary program and will be automatically loaded into the competition system.
- If a couple or formation wishes to compete with the second (alternative) program, this must be announced to the Supervisor before the preparation of the round in which the program is to be performed. The Scrutineer will then carry out the change, but only if the announcement is made before the preparation of the relevant round. No changes will be possible after the round preparation has started.
We kindly remind all coaches and team managers to plan ahead and to be fully aware of which acro program is announced as primary before the competition.
2. VERIFICATION OF NEW ACROBATIC ELEMENTS
If a couple or formation intends to perform an acrobatic element that requires verification by the relevant WRRC bodies, the video material for that element must be submitted by email from national federation to WRRC Office for review at least 2 weeks before the competition at which the element is planned to be performed.
This deadline is necessary in order for the WRRC Sport Commission and the relevant bodies responsible for verification to review the submission and confirm or deny the possibility of performance in sufficient time.
Please be aware that submissions received after this deadline cannot be processed in time and the element will not be considered as verified for that competition.
Additionally, by submitting video recordings of acrobatic elements for approval, the submitting party automatically consents to the use of that material by the WRRC for educational purposes and public distribution. A publicly accessible database of all verified and rejected acrobatic elements, including relevant video examples, is currently being developed and will be made available on the WRRC website in due time.
3. SPECIFIC ACROBATIC ELEMENTS – IMPORTANT CLARIFICATIONS
The following clarifications are based on situations observed during the previous seasons. Coaches and competitors are asked to review these points carefully.
3a. MCCS – Combination 2 acros: Front Straight (from the floor) + landing on shoulders + Back Straight (from shoulders)
In this combination it is essential to note that the first element – Front Straight (from the floor) must not include a rolling motion (i.e., contact of the chest/abdomen with the partner during the entry or flying phase).
If a rolling motion is present in the first element, the performed acrobatic element no longer corresponds to the declared Front Straight. In such cases, the Observers will assess the element as actually performed and the value of the combination will be reduced accordingly, as the announced acrobatic was not executed.
3b. MCCS – Rolling Dive vs. Rolling Up to a Pose with Dive
Attention is drawn to an important distinction in the MCCS acrobatic catalogue:
- “Rolling Dive” (as defined in the WRRC acrobatic catalogue) is not the same element as “Rolling Up to a Pose” followed by a Dive.
- The combination of Rolling Up to a Pose followed by a Dive (in Contact Style) is explicitly forbidden under the current rules.
If a couple announces “Rolling Dive” in their acrobatic program but performs “Rolling Up to a Pose with Dive”, this constitutes both an incorrect announcement and the performance of a forbidden acrobatic element. In such cases, the Observers will assign a value of 0 (zero) to that acrobatic element and issue the appropriate card in accordance with WRRC regulations.
Coaches are strongly advised to review the relevant definitions in the WRRC Acrobatic Catalogue and the Code of Points to ensure their couples are fully compliant.
3c. MCFS – Last Acrobatic in a Combination Performed as Contact Style
If the last acrobatic element in an MCFS combination is announced as an MCFS acrobatic but is performed as MCCS, the Observers will automatically reclassify the element as an MCCS acrobatic. The value of the entire combination will be corrected accordingly, in line with the applicable MCCS rules and values.
Coaches and competitors are reminded that the style of execution must correspond to the announced acro. Performing a Free Style acrobatic in Contact Style variant will result in a lowering of the combination’s value.
4. OBSERVER REPORTS AND COMMUNICATION
In order to improve the flow of information between the Observer Group, the WRRC Sport Commission, the WRRC Judging Commission and all other relevant WRRC bodies, the following procedure is in effect for the 2026 season:
- After each competition, Observers are required to submit a joint written report to the WRRC Office. The report must include all relevant remarks, observations, and any mistakes or irregularities noted during the competition.
- The WRRC Office will redistribute the information from these reports to all relevant WRRC instances.
- This process is essential for ensuring consistent standards across all competitions and for identifying issues that may require further action or clarification.
Observers are kindly asked to ensure their reports are submitted promptly after each competition.
5. GENERAL REMINDER
We would like to take this opportunity to remind all participants of the importance of thorough preparation and careful review of the applicable WRRC rules and regulations before each competition. Coaches and team managers bear responsibility for the correctness of announced acrobatic programs and for ensuring that their couples and formations perform only the elements that have been properly announced and, where required, verified.
If you have any questions regarding any of the points covered in this newsletter, please do not hesitate to contact us.
We look forward to a successful, consistent, and well-organized 2026 competition season.
Yours sincerely,
On behalf of the WRRC Observer Group and WRRC Office
Denis Lilih
WRRC Vice President for Sport
Contact: +385 916 530 338
