Competitions
Competitions are a great way to show off new skills, meet new people, and compete against other universities as individual or part of Team Bath. Whether that is competing individually at one of our SUTL grades, or as a synchro pair with one of your friends, you are guaranteed to enjoy the experience no matter what your ability. It is important to remember you do not have to compete to enjoy competition days, and there are plenty of roles behind the scenes of competition day that can allow you to still be part of the team!
Competitions are held on weekends across the UK throughout the year, giving you the opportunity to mix with other Universities and make friends on the competition circuit at the post-competition social. The University of Bath Trampoline Club competes within the Southern University Trampoline League (SUTL), which involves all the major southern unis across the UK. Every year we also host our own competition, known as Bath Comp which is held in the STV, after our successful bid within the league to be hosts. From beginners to elite competitors, as a member of the University of Bath Trampoline Club you are welcome to compete in as many competitions as you wish by entering the category that suits your ability - just speak to your coach about which category suits you best! There is also a disability category for those who are not suited for mainstream competition levels.
How do competitions work?
All competitions follow a basic structure: competitors perform two routines consisting of ten moves each, a set routine and a voluntary routine. The set routine comes first which has required elements which must be completed; these requirements vary depending on what category you are in. Next up is the voluntary routine - this is your chance to show off your skills as you can make the routine up yourself (within the varying guidelines).
How is the score determined?
There is a panel of 6 judges, who are usually fellow students, that will score you based on your execution, difficulty and horizontal displacement, which is your movement on the trampoline throughout the routine. At the higher levels (S2-Elite), time of flight will be added to your overall score and contribute to your ranking points. So the higher you jump, the more difficult your routine, and the better you perform each skill, the higher your score will be!
What is synchronised trampolining?
We encourage you to enter synchronised trampolining, also referred to as synchro, with a friend - it can take the pressure off individual competitions and can be a great laugh! Both competitors perform the same routine at the same time, on two trampolines side by side. The scoring system is the same as the individual competition, with the addition of marks for synchronicity.
Southern Univeristies Trampoline League (SUTL)
There are several competitions through the year that all contribute to the league table at the end of the year, which scores are revealed at SUTL Ball which is a celebration of the league throughout the year.
British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS)
BUCS may be the competition format you are most familiar with - it is your opportunity to earn BUCS points for The University of Bath, alongside other sports that take place at the university. BUCS is a National event that takes place in Semester 2 and runs like any other competition with universities from across the country taking part - make sure to ask your coach or a commitee member more about it, it is a competition you definitely do not want to miss! Although the structure is a little more formal, everyone is invited to join us to enjoy the incredible experience of competing for your University.
Irish Student Trampoline Open (ISTO)
Trampolining goes on tour to the infamous ISTO every year: a long weekend of relaxed bouncing, socials, and games - a much less serious competition but an event not to be missed. If you're in doubt about coming to ISTO, just chat to anyone who has been before as you'll only hear good things!
Upcoming events
Competing in trampolining is a non-stop circuit with competitions to suit everyone all year round. Everyone is encouraged to get out there.
Please don’t hesitate to get in contact with commitee about any questions you may have about trampolining competitions. You can email August, our Chair (aes98@bath.ac.uk) or Lara (lc2578@bath.ac.uk) with any questions or drop us a message on Instagram! Don’t forget you can also talk to your coaches or other members of the club about their previous experiences of competitions and all the funny stories they have.