Quick answer: a double nine is a pike-style jump in which one leg and the arm on the same side extend straight out in front, parallel to the floor, while the other leg and arm bend in towards the straight ones. The bent limbs each form the shape of a "9" against the straight ones - two nines, hence the name.
What Does It Look Like?
At the peak of the jump:
- one leg is fully straight out in front of the body, parallel to the floor, toes pointed - like half of a pike jump;
- the arm on the same side is also straight out in front, parallel to the floor, above the straight leg;
- the other leg bends at the knee at roughly a right angle, reaching in towards the inside of the straight knee;
- the other arm bends at the elbow in the same way, reaching in towards the inside of the straight arm.
Seen from the side, the straight leg with the bent leg against it looks like a "9", and the straight arm with the bent arm against it makes a second "9".
Double Nine vs Front Hurdler
Both jumps have one leg straight in front and one bent. In a front hurdler, the bent knee points down at the floor. In a double nine, the bent leg folds across towards the straight leg at about hip height, and the arms copy the legs' shape - that mirrored arm-and-leg shape is what makes a double nine.
How Common Is It?
The double nine is less common in modern routines than core jumps such as the toe touch, herkie and hurdler, and descriptions vary somewhat between gyms and regions. You're most likely to see it in school and sideline cheer, in jump drills, or as a variety jump in a sequence.
Common Mistakes Judges Notice
- A low straight leg that doesn't reach parallel with the floor.
- Arm and leg shapes that don't match - the defining feature of the jump.
- The bent leg dropping towards a hurdler shape.
- A collapsed chest as the athlete reaches forward.
- Inconsistent sides across the team.
Level Context
Jumps aren't restricted by level in USASF All Star rules. Connecting a jump directly into a back handspring counts as tumbling and is first allowed at Level 3.
Related Jumps
See the pike jump, hurdler, or the full jumps overview.