🏛️Official — Red Bull
Loading OpenSourceSports…
Water Sports
1 players
outdoor
board, diving suit
10 essential rules
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 execu...
Forward: facing water, rotating forward; Back: back to water, rotating backward; Reverse: facing water, rotating backward
Feet-first entry only (head-first prohibited from cliff-diving heights due to neck-injury risk); Vertical body alignment, minimal splash = highest scores
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
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)
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
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
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
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)
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
Cliff diving from 27 m involves ~85 km/h water entry — improper technique can cause severe injury (spinal compression, internal organ trauma, fractures). , Sisikon, Polignano).
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.
Absolute silence during a diver's platform preparation
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.
Don't debut an untrained dive in competition
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.
Particularly observed at Red Bull World Series level where the risk of an undertrained dive is extreme.
Ready to dive deeper?
Water read before diving an unfamiliar natural site
At natural cliff locations (as opposed to purpose-built platforms), it is expected that divers fully assess water conditions — depth, currents, submerged obstacles — before any practice dive. Skipping this step is seen as irresponsible both to oneself and to others who may follow assuming the site has been checked.
Most relevant during site scouting at new venues on the World Series tour.