Event
Floor exercise
Skill type
Dance
Value
C
Known as
Switch ring
Change-leg ring leap
Named after
That thing where you switch the rings right before a wedding and ruin the whole thing
About
The switch ring is among the most popular of all the dance elements on floor because of its C-value skill—nearly every gymnast is comfortable counting a C dance element on floor—and because it is relatively straightforward to run out of. That’s important because it means the switch ring can be used as the first element in fulfilling the passage of dance requirement, which is nearly always where we see it used in floor routines.
While the switch ring is an excessively risky prospect on beam because of the head release, you don’t have to worry about falling off the floor during a switch ring. That’s why the questions around skill credit for the beam switch ring over sufficient head release and foot height don’t extend to floor as often because gymnasts are more comfortable going for the full ring position.