Cliff Diving (Red Bull) Rules Explained

OpenSourceSports

⌘K

OpenSourceSports

⌘K

Loading OpenSourceSports…

Cliff Diving (Red Bull) Rules Explained | OpenSourceSports

Full Rulebook(10 sections)

Plain-English summary drawn from the official rulebook — great for getting started. For competitive or formal play, see the Complete Rulebook. Hover any rule to see its source sentence.

Overview

Individual athletes compete in the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, an annual championship held since 2009 at iconic natural and architectural venues worldwide. Competitors perform multi-rotation dives from 27 m (men) or 21 m (women) platforms, reaching ~85 km/h on impact. The series is the world's premier cliff-di…

How to win

Each judge scores 0-10 in half-point increments (typical range 5-9 at elite level); Drop high + low scores; sum middle …
Each judge scores 0-10 in half-point increments (typical range 5-9 at elite level)
Drop high + low scores; sum middle 3
Multiply by dive's degree-of-difficulty (DD typically 3.0-6.0)
Sum 4 dives = total competition score

The game

Men's field: typically 14 permanent divers + 2 wildcard entries per event; Women's field: typically 12 permanent divers…
Men's field size — Typically 14 permanent divers plus 2 wildcard entries per event.
Women's field size — Typically 12 permanent divers plus 2 wildcard entries per event.
Officials on deckHead referee, 5 judges, technical officials, safety divers, and boat marshals.

Cultural norms — not in the rulebook. These are widely understood traditions and expectations among experienced Cliff Diving players. Not enforced by referees; enforced by the game’s community.

🚨 Cardinal Rule— Serious violation — may trigger retaliation or social exclusion

Never pressure a diver to commit who is hesitating on the platform
— If a diver pauses, steps back, or signals they are not ready, no coach, official, or fellow competitor applies verbal pressure to hurry them. At heights where a poorly committed dive can cause serious injury, forcing someone through hesitation is considered dangerous and disrespectful.[1]

⚠️ Strong Expectation— Most experienced players will take notice and be upset

Absolute silence during a diver's platform preparationProfessional play
— When a diver steps onto the platform and begins their physical and mental preparation, all competitors, coaches, and on-site officials maintain complete silence. The noise of the crowd is accepted, but those inside the competition zone go quiet. Disturbing a diver's focus at 27m is considered a serious breach.(Applies at Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series and equivalent elite events.)[1][2]
Don't debut an untrained dive in competitionProfessional play
Attempting a dive in competition that has not been thoroughly trained and landed in practice is considered reckless and disrespectful to the sport's safety culture. At 27m, an undertrained dive risks serious injury and reflects poorly on the diver's professionalism. Elite divers are expected to only compete with dives they genuinely own.

Section 1: Introduction

The Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series is the world's premier high-platform diving competition, contested annually since 2009 at iconic natural and architectural locations: Mostar (Bosnia), Polignano a Mare (Italy), Sisikon (Switzerland), Krabi (Thailand), Boston (USA), and others. Athletes execute multi-rotation dives from 27 m (men) and 21 m (women) platforms — heights at which divers reach ~85 km/h impact velocity. The Red Bull World Series is the most prominent cliff-diving competition globally and serves as the de-facto international championship, complementing the World Aquatics-sanctioned High Diving framework (which uses 20m permanent platforms and is itself returning to the Olympic program).

Section 2: Equipment

Swimwear: form-fitting suit (men: brief; women: one-piece); World Aquatics-approved textile materials
No goggles or accessories carried during dive
Cap (optional, decorative or aerodynamic)
Pre-dive: athlete-selected warm-up routine; chalk for hand-grip on the platform

Section 3: Playing Area

Platform: 27 m for men, 21 m for women (vs World Aquatics High Diving's permanent 20m platforms)
Platforms positioned over deep open water (minimum 5-7 m depth required)
Platform width: 1.5-2 m typical
Wind/wave conditions monitored pre-event; competition delayed if conditions unsafe
Spotter boats + safety divers stationed in landing zone

Section 4: Players & Officials

Men's field: typically 14 permanent divers + 2 wildcard entries per event
Women's field: typically 12 permanent divers + 2 wildcard entries per event
Officials: head referee + 5 judges + technical officials + safety divers + boat marshals
Judges score 0-10 per dive; high + low scores dropped; middle 3 averaged then multiplied by degree-of-difficulty (DD)

Section 5: Rules of Play

Event Format

Single round = 4 dives per athlete
2 dives in Round 1 (lower DD), 2 in Round 2 (higher DD)
Athletes pre-submit dive list specifying take-off + somersault + twist combinations
Dives must be completed within 1 minute of being called

Dive Categories

Forward: facing water, rotating forward
Back: back to water, rotating backward
Reverse: facing water, rotating backward
Inward: back to water, rotating forward (most difficult takeoff)
Armstand: from handstand position (men only at 27 m)

Entry

Feet-first entry only (head-first prohibited from cliff-diving heights due to neck-injury risk)
Vertical body alignment, minimal splash = highest scores

Section 6: Scoring

Each judge scores 0-10 in half-point increments (typical range 5-9 at elite level)
Drop high + low scores; sum middle 3
Multiply by dive's degree-of-difficulty (DD typically 3.0-6.0)
Sum 4 dives = total competition score
World Series: round points → annual king/queen of the World Series title

Section 7: Violations & Penalties

Failed dive (no entry, head-first attempt at full speed, balking on platform): 0 points for that dive
Different dive than declared: may receive zero or judge-discretion lower score
Late on the platform (no dive within 1 minute of call): failed dive
Unsportsmanlike conduct / refusing to compete after entering: DQ
Anti-doping: Red Bull World Series anti-doping policy + WADA-aligned testing for participating elite athletes

Section 8: Safety Considerations

Cliff diving from 27 m involves ~85 km/h water entry — improper technique can cause severe injury (spinal compression, internal organ trauma, fractures). Red Bull World Series requires: mandatory pre-event medical screening (orthopedic + cardiac + neurological), required minimum-experience credentials to compete on the World Series circuit (athletes must have prior elite high-diving or platform-diving background), safety divers in water at landing zone for immediate extraction, spotter boats with medical extraction equipment, on-site ambulance + medical team, AED at venue, helicopter evacuation plan for remote venues (e.g., Sisikon, Polignano). Weather-stop protocol: wind speed > 15 km/h or wave height > 0.5 m typically halts competition. Pre-dive warm-up dives required from lower platforms. Concussion + neck-injury protocol per Red Bull medical guidelines + nearest hospital partnership.

Red Bull

About

Related Sports