IJA Numbers Championships 2021

The IJA Numbers Championships were established to advance the sport of “numbers juggling” and to provide a forum for competitors to challenge each other and the laws of gravity and physics. The purpose of these events is to showcase those who can successfully juggle the greatest numbers of balls, clubs, rings, and bounced balls for the most catches.

There are no restrictions based on age, gender, or nationality. Each competitor must submit the online Numbers Championships Entry Form. Competition will be by video submissions. Competitors will submit links to their online videos via the entry form.

The requirements for videos are as follows:

• Video may be recorded in either landscape or portrait view; we prefer landscape view, provided it includes the top of the pattern.
• Video must show the continuous run in one shot from one camera, including competitor’s face, hands, and ground/floor. Competitors should attempt to capture the top of the pattern to the extent that no one would question its authenticity.
• It is preferable that each video only contain one (best) run. If multiple runs are on the video, the video must not exceed three minutes in length (unless the best run is in progress at the end of the third minute).
• At the end of the best run, in a continuous shot, competitors must say “2021 IJA” or hold up a sign saying “2021 IJA.”
• Please do not make videos available to the public (e.g., Facebook or YouTube) prior to the IJA’s showing of the video during the online festival.
• If a competitor submits a video and later records a better run, a replacement video is allowed to be submitted prior to the deadline.
• All videos must be submitted no later than 11:59pm EDT on Monday, June 28, 2021.

The online Numbers Championships will include only the following events:

• Individual Balls
• Individual Rings
• Individual Clubs
• Individual Ball Bouncing

There is a minimum number of objects required to be juggled in any event. They are as follows:

• Individuals: 9 balls, 9 rings, 7 clubs, 9 balls bouncing

Balls must be roughly spherical objects, including beanbags. Clubs must be long, roughly cylindrically-shaped objects, including sticks or batons. Rings must be large, roughly flat objects, including plates and hoops.

No object may have significant aerodynamic lifting qualities, such as a flying disk, nor be so light as to be significantly affected by air resistance, such as a balloon or a feather.

Each competitor is responsible for providing their own equipment, including props being juggled or special surfaces on which to bounce juggle.

Each competitor may use one or more assistants to pick up dropped objects or provide other support. Assistants may in no way help with the start, progress, or finish of any attempted juggle.

The Numbers Directors will make final decisions regarding categorization and acceptability of props. (See the section, Authority of the Numbers Directors).

In the ball bouncing events, each ball thrown must bounce exactly one time before being caught.

Bounce jugglers are not required to actually grip each ball as it comes to a hand. Instead, they may simply push the ball slightly to redirect it to the floor. Since a stable pattern can be maintained in this way, any touch of a ball with a hand will be considered to be a catch in ball bouncing, provided that all other requirements are met.

A competitor may bring a special surface on which to bounce. Similarly, the juggler may bring a raised platform on which to stand or bounce. In bounce passing, multiple platforms of any heights may be used for standing or bouncing. If used, all such platforms may be raised at any height or angle, but they must be flat and firm.

To successfully qualify a given number of objects, a competitor (solo or team) must keep the pattern going without a drop long enough for each hand to make as many catches as there are objects being juggled. For instance, in solo juggling of eight balls, each hand must make eight catches before there is a drop; and in two-person passing of ten clubs, each hand must make ten catches before there is a drop.

A greater number of objects cannot be used to qualify a lesser number of objects. For example, 19 catches of 10 rings by an individual does not count as a qualifying run of 9 rings, even though nine of the ten rings were each thrown and caught twice. A qualifying run must be made with the actual number of objects that are being juggled.

Except for bounce juggling, a drop is a failure to catch an object which, as a result, hits the ground or any foreign object.

For bounce juggling, a drop is a failure to touch a ball which, as a result, hits the ground twice in a row or hits any foreign object.

Collisions among the objects being juggled are permitted and are not considered as hitting foreign objects.

The drop is considered to happen at the moment the object logically should have been caught or touched (not when it hits the ground).

Catches made after an object has been dropped will not be counted, even if made before the dropped object hits the ground. That is, the catches counted must be consecutive catches with no missed catch in between.

Catches made at the end of a run by “stacking up” or collecting multiple objects with the hands and body will be counted to the extent that such catches are made before any object is dropped. Any part of the body can be used to assist in catching or collecting, provided that the objects being juggled never touch the ground or a foreign object. Only throws made before collecting begins can have their subsequent catches counted. Competitors are not allowed to use pockets, nets, or other special clothing or apparatus to aid in catching or collecting. Collecting can only be used to end a run. Any object thrown after collecting has started is considered a drop at the moment of release of the throw.

Any object dropped after being collected is considered a drop at the moment of errant release and no subsequent catches will be counted in that run.

While an object is touching any part of the body, it is considered to be in the hand that last caught it, or otherwise “should have” last caught it, in the normal pattern. For example, an object held between your legs or under an arm counts as being in a hand (the hand by which it “should have” been caught). Holding an object with the body in any way and then catching another object in the “same” hand results in collecting, and can only be used at the end of a run.

Multiplex (“squeeze”) catching is considered collecting and is only permitted at the end of a run. If any hand, or hand and body combination, catches or touches one object while already holding another object, the competitor is considered to be collecting and ending a run.

A bobbled object will be counted as caught, provided it is caught before the first drop. A bobble will not be counted as more than one catch. In particular, two consecutive catches by a given hand must always be of two different objects; the second and subsequent consecutive catches of the same object by the same hand will not be counted as catches but will be considered parts of a bobble (at most one catch).

Catching a ring and placing it over the head (pull-down) or dropping a ring onto an arm are acceptable, but these actions do not constitute additional throws or catches. Body catches only count when used in lieu of a hand catch.

The competitor’s score comes from their qualifying run(s) that used the greatest number of objects that the competitor was able to qualify. Of those run(s), the one with the most catches represents their final score.

Competitors are not required to hold all of the objects in their hands at the start of a run. The start may be achieved partly by picking up, kicking up, and/or lowering any of the objects from a balance. For instance, objects can be pulled from holsters, prop stands, or the hands of assistants. However, each object not initially held in the hands must be at rest (not moving) at the time a competitor first encounters it. Objects cannot be thrown or catapulted into the pattern by an assistant or a device. An object must be thrown from a competitor’s hand to count as a catch.

A competitor can choose to achieve a pattern by first juggling a lesser number of objects and then picking up or kicking up additional objects. However, in all cases, no catches will be counted while any object remains to be picked up or kicked up. Furthermore, no catches will be counted at the beginning of the pattern while any hand contains more than one object.

An object which is kicked up, picked up, lowered from a balance, or taken from a prop stand or from an assistant only counts as a catch once it has been thrown from a hand. Assuming that all objects initially held in the juggler’s hands are thrown first, and followed by the object(s) to receive such special handling, the catch (when thrown from a hand) of the final such object is counted as catch N (where N equals the number of objects being juggled).

Multiplex throws are not allowed.

In each event, the winner is the competitor with the qualifying run of the greatest number of catches of the most objects.

If no competitor in an event successfully achieves a qualifying run, then no awards will be given.

If two or more competitors have successfully juggled the same highest number of catches of the greatest number of objects, then a tie will be declared.

A gold medal will be awarded to the winner of each event. There will be no cash prizes. Even if a run surpasses an existing IJA Numbers record, it will not be counted as a new IJA Numbers record.

At the conclusion of the Numbers Championships each year, all gold medalists’ names will be entered into a drawing for one free festival event package for use at a future festival. If someone wins more than one event, their name will be entered multiple times. If an event ends in a tie for gold, each tied winner’s name will be entered in the drawing on an equal basis with others who won without a tie.

Numbers judges will be selected by the Numbers Directors from the general membership of the IJA for their knowledge of and attention to numbers juggling, and for their ability to accurately observe and record the Numbers Championships. The Numbers Directors may serve as Numbers judges.

Due to the objective nature of the Numbers Championships, Numbers judges are allowed to have a personal or professional relationship with any competitor.

Any Numbers judge is permitted to enter any Numbers event but is not allowed to judge an event in which he/she is competing.

In the Championships, there will be at least two judges for each Numbers event. Their tasks are to count and record the number of catches made during each attempt. The judges will consult with each other to determine the total number of catches.

All competitors will conduct themselves with good sportsmanship (fair and respectful behavior and treatment of others). The Numbers Directors have the discretion to disqualify any competitor who displays poor sportsmanship.

The Numbers Directors are the final authorities on interpretation of these IJA Numbers Championships Rules and will exercise discretion in handling circumstances which may arise that are not addressed in these Rules. The Numbers Directors have the authority to disqualify a competitor who does not abide by these rules.

Numbers Directors for 2021:
David Cain
Scott Cain
Merry Spahr
numbers@juggle.org

sc, 4/29/2021