DSA ‘RULES OF DANCESPORT’ - RECREATIONAL PARTNERING Amendments – June, 2018
We’ve had feedback on our earlier decision to restrict participation in the recreational division to recreational registrants only, designed to prevent unfairness where recreational competitors were allowed to partner with unregistered individuals and with accredited DSA members. This has led to reported unintended consequences in recreational participation and in some studios’ operations. The following DSA Rule amendments - effective 1st June, 2018 - will alleviate the principal participation issue and clarify some related areas that were previously not well defined.
These changes better define rules which permit non-accredited people to partner competitors in Recreational Division events. The principal still holds that all participants in registered Dancesport events must be registered with DSA, with exceptions for novelty and other specifically exempted events. Additionally, it was found that the current rules make no provision for “Individual” events in the Recreational Division – i.e. Best Boy / Girl / Male/ Female and similarly titled events. As a consequence, these events have been seen as being in the Coach / Student category, and, whilst the Coach/ Student category of events has gained acceptance since its introduction, the initial rules (Rule 24) did not match the intended outcomes.
Thus, the below changes to DSA’s ‘Rules of DanceSport’ have been introduced with effect from 1st June, 2018. Please note also that DSA Policy No CR 017.1 – ‘Pro / Am and Coach / Student Guidelines’ is withdrawn, where the foregoing (and earlier) rule changes make this ‘guideline’ redundant.
Rule 12 – Recreational and Amateur Division Events.
A new clause has been inserted as 12.1 a) to define who may partner ‘individual’ recreational competitors.
12.1 (a) – Events in the Recreational Division can be conducted as being for either
i) Couples – Regulations relating to “Couples” apply, or
ii) Individuals – The competitor may be partnered by any person registered in the Amateur or Recreational Division who does not hold a DSA Accreditation.
- Note 1: In these events, it is the competitor that is being adjudicated.
- Note 2: These events are not classified as Coach / Student events (refer to Rule 24).
- Note 3: Individual events include titles such as Best Girl / Boy / Female / Male or other similarly designated events.
Rule 10 – Competition Division.
Rule 10.2 a) has been amended to better define ‘competitors’ in the Recreational Division.
10.2 a) Competitors in events in the Recreational Division are restricted to competitors who have not competed in the Amateur Division, competitors in the Amateur Division are restricted to competitors who have not competed in events in the Professional Division and who are not otherwise excluded under these rules from competing in events in the Amateur Division. Open Division may include both Amateur and Professional Division competitors.
Rule 24 – Coach Student Events.
Rule 24.1 has been amended to read - -
Coach / Student events can only be conducted in the following categories according to the organisers’ requirements for program management.
- a) Coach / Student – where the Student is defined in the DEFINITIONS of these Rules.
- b) Coach / Amateur – where the Student is registered in the Amateur Division.
- c) Coach / Recreational – where the Student is registered as a Recreational competitor (note Recreational Dress and Syllabus rules apply to Coach / Recreational).
Rule 24.6 – A dot point has been added – “Individual events in the Recreational Division”.
Rule 24.6 now reads –
24.6 The following events are not included in the Coach / Student category of events-
- Pro / Am events – as defined in Rule 7
- Coach / Medallist events
- Individual Events in the Recreational Division