Event
Floor exercise

Skill type
Dance

Value
B

Known as
Switch side
Johnson
Switch straddle
Switch leap 1/4

Named after
Brandy Johnson (USA) – 1988

About
Switch side is the colloquial name for a switch leap with 1/4 turn to a straddle position. Because you…switch legs and turn to the side. Switch side.

But also, the naming of this skill. This is one of the areas where the code of points has no idea what it’s up to. The code tells us that this skill is called the Johnson despite the fact that it does not actually appear in the named skills section of the code for anyone anymore.

On beam, this same element is also called the Johnson and is attributed to Kathy Johnson, even though she performed her side leap on beam without leg change. Meanwhile, Brandy Johnson did perform this skill on floor at the 1988 Olympics, but she was not exactly the first person to do a switch side on floor at worlds/Olympics. So whatever, I guess…?

In 2025, the drawing of this element was changed to reflect that two techniques are equally acceptable. Both the vertical-chest side split and the forward-chest straddle pike position can be performed without deduction (for that).