to support athlete aspirations

U.S. PreTrials program evolving to support athlete aspirations

The U.S. PreTrials program was designed to prepare athletes, coaches, and judges for the rigors of the U.S. Trials program, and ultimately, international competition. With the advent of the International Baton Twirling Federation (IBTF), the IBTF New Judging System for Freestyle, and the addition of Rhythmic Twirl to the U.S. Trials and the World Championship, the U.S. PreTrials program is being expanded to provide pathway for athletes who aspire to compete in those disciplines at national and international levels.

Starting this season, the U.S. PreTrials program will include:

PreTrials Elite – offered at the Juv., Jr., and Sr. Elite levels

• Purpose: To provide a transitional pathway for AAA athletes moving into Elite Freestyle and for athletes who have not yet achieved the qualifying scores necessary to compete at the World Elite level.
• Participation:
  • This discipline is intended for athletes transitioning from AAA to the Elite level, as well as athletes who wish to continue competing in traditional Freestyle, including the Short Program, without the additional requirements of the New Judging System. It provides a structured pathway for athletes to develop their skills, gain competitive experience, and prepare for progression to the World Level.
  • There are no restrictions on who can enter this category
• Competition Format and Judging:
  • Athletes will perform a Short Program based on the criteria established for the Junior division.
  • No accessory material is permitted.
  • Athletes will perform elements only, choreographed to the designated Short Program music.
  • Freestyle will be judged under the current judging system, using Technical Merit and Artistic Expression.
• This category will provide athletes with an opportunity to develop their Elite-level skills and gain competitive experience within a familiar judging framework before progressing to the World Elite level.

World Elite – offered at the Jr. and Sr. Elite levels

• Purpose: To provide experienced Elite athletes with the opportunity to compete under the IBTF New Judging System and continue preparing for international competition.
• Participation:
  • This category is intended for athletes who have successfully competed at the US Trials and/or World Championships, as well as athletes seeking to gain experience with the New Judging System and its required elements. It provides an opportunity for athletes to further develop their competitive skills and advance their proficiency within the Elite-Level Freestyle discipline.
  • There are no restrictions on who can enter this category.
• Competition Format and Judging:
  • Athletes must follow the established criteria and requirements of the IBTF New Judging System.
  • Athletes are required to submit a Fiche and perform the required elements.
  • Certified Master Judges will judge the competition.
  • Athletes must enter a regional PreTrials competition for critique and feedback before advancing to the U.S. PreTrials at Nationals. There is no required qualifying score for advancing to the U.S. PreTrials.
• The World Elite category will provide continued exposure to the New Judging System, helping athletes and judges strengthen their technical performance and prepare for future international competition.
• The winner of the World Elite category at Nationals will be crowned the 2027 Freestyle Champion.

Rhythmic Twirl – offered at the Juv., Jr., and Sr. A-Elite levels

As previously announced, the USTA Technical Committee and the USABT International Technical Committee both approved incorporating Rhythmic Twirl into the PreTrials program in alignment with the existing PreTrials Freestyle structure, while also maintaining consistency with the IBTF Rhythmic Twirl discipline.

This change will benefit Rhythmic Twirl athletes who aspire to compete in the World Freestyle and Rhythmic Twirl Championship by creating a logical and recognizable progression for athletes, from the A Level to the Elite Level:

• A Level → PreTrials Rhythmic Twirl
• AA Level → PreTrials Rhythmic Twirl
• AAA Level → PreTrials Rhythmic Twirl
• Elite Level → PreTrials Rhythmic Twirl
• Elite Level → IBTF Rhythmic Twirl

This structure will allow athletes to build competitive experience within the discipline while advancing to the Elite level. PreTrials Rhythmic Twirl will follow the same age categories, time limits, and general rules of engagement established for PreTrials Freestyle. It will also have a qualifying score for advancing from the Regional PreTrials to the U.S. PreTrials.

The content restrictions for A, AA, and AAA Rhythmic Twirl in PreTrials will be modified to reflect the specific requirements of the Rhythmic Twirl discipline. In particular, the Rhythmic Twirl rules will recognize the no gymnastics/acrobatics requirement of the discipline.

For additional information about the U.S. PreTrials program, including these changes, please see the 2027 U.S. PreTrials Manual, which will be available soon on the USTA Member Portal (opens in new tab) under Documents.