How to Count Wins Correctly

There are currently six competitive baton twirling organizations in the United States: the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), Drum Majorettes of America (DMA), the National Baton Twirling Association (NBTA), Twirling Unlimited (TU), the United States Twirling Association (USTA), and the World Twirling Association (WTA).

Each of them defines an athlete’s skill level based on their own rules, all of which are based on the number of wins in a discipline. For example, solo wins are counted separately from strut wins. 

But here’s the catch, the maximum number of wins each organization allows for a level is different (Appendix A). And since this process still runs on the honor system in the baton twirling community, it’s up to individual parents and coaches to track results accurately and adhere to the following rules honestly. 

We can think about these rules from 3 different angles: cumulative wins, max-allowed wins, and number of wins that require an athlete to move up.

Here’s a table that shows the lower and upper limits of totalwins athletes can accumulate over time and still be eligible to compete at a given level. Levels marked “N/A” mean that level is not offered by that organization.

Let’s say an athlete has 4 wins total, all from the novice level. They are eligible to compete as a novice in NBTA and TU, but must compete at the beginner level for AAU, DMA, USTA, and WTA. 

This table displays how many wins an athlete can achieve in a single level and still be eligible to compete in it.

For USTA, an athlete can only achieve up to 4 intermediate-level wins and still compete in that division. After their fifth win, they’d have to move up to advanced (but only for USTA). They could remain an intermediate in NBTA, TU, and WTA until they have more than 7 wins. And they could still be intermediate for even longer in AAU and DMA, until they pass 8 and 9 wins, respectively.

Lastly, this table shows the nth win within a particular level that requires an athlete to move up.

Beginners in NBTA, TU, and WTA all become intermediates after their 5th beginner win. USTA beginners graduate earlier; and AAU and DMA beginners, later.

Truth be told, there’s more nuance to determining an athlete’s level than simply counting wins, as not every win from a contest actually counts. Organizations define eligible wins differently as well.

In NBTA, for example, preliminary and semi-final twirl-off wins do not count towards advancement ; only the final round win counts (Appendix B). NBTA, TU, and AAU also afford the use of “protection rules”, which allow the judge to award a first place without it counting towards the athlete’s level status wins (Appendix C-E). AAU only counts wins in “uncontested” divisions as ⅓ of a contested division win (an uncontested division has only one athlete competing)  (Appendix F), while USTA does not count uncontested wins at all (Appendix G). 

There may be other cases that I’ve missed, but these are the ones that stand out after reading each organization’s rule books.

I hope you've found this guide helpful and will use it to ensure fair, honest participation in the sport of baton twirling.

AAU

• Novice: An Athlete with 3 or fewer first place wins in this category.

• Beginner: An Athlete with 5 or fewer first place wins in this category

• Intermediate: An athlete with 8 or fewer wins in this category

• Advanced: An athlete with 12 or less wins in this category

• Elite: An athlete with 13 or more wins in the Advanced category.
  

DMA

• Newcomer: anyone who has never entered a particular event

• Special Beginner: athlete is allowed two wins in each event. Once you get your 2nd win you move to Beginner.

• Beginner: athlete is allowed eight wins (cumulatively) and then must move to Intermediate.

• Intermediate: athlete is allowed 18 wins (cumulatively), and then must move to Advanced

• Elite: athlete must have place in the top three 4 times at Nationals or Mini Nationals
  

NBTA

• Novice Class – A contestant will be a novice contestant until receiving five first-place Novice wins. 

• Beginner Class – A contestant is a beginner until receiving five first-place Beginner wins in a contest category. She or he then advances to the Intermediate class.  

• Intermediate Class – A contestant is an intermediate until receiving eight first-place Intermediate wins in a contest category. She or he then graduates to the Advanced class. 

• Advanced Class – A contestant has reached the highest and most prestigious competitive level.

TU

• Special Beginner: A contestant who has not won two first places in solo competition. 

• Novice: Contestant has not won three additional first place awards in solo twirling (for a total of 5) in any solo competition.

• Beginner: Contestant has not won five additional first place wins (for a total of 10) in any solo competition (i.e. open, visitors, or instate, combined).

• Intermediate: Contestant has not won eight additional first place wins (for a total of 18) in any solo competition.

• Advanced: Contestant who has won 8 first places at Level 4(Intermediate) or a total of 18 solo wins 

USTA

• Novice: A contestant who has won less than three (3) competitive first place awards in that event.

• Beginner: A contestant who has won less than five (5) competitive first place awards in that event.

• Intermediate: A contestant who has won less than ten (10) competitive first place awards in that event

• Advanced: A contestant who has won ten (10) or more competitive first place awards in a particular event.

WTA

• A Novice twirler must not have won more than three 1st place awards in Solo Twirling competition, regardless of what association or group sponsored such contests. Wins are cumulative.

• A Beginner must not have won over eight 1st place awards in Solo Twirling competition, regardless of what association or group sponsored such contests. Wins are cumulative.

• An Intermediate must not have won over fifteen 1st place awards in Solo Twirling competition, regardless of what association or group sponsored such contests. Wins are cumulative. 

• An Advanced twirler is designated as one who has won over fifteen 1st place awards in Solo Twirling competition, regardless of what association or group sponsored such contests

NBTA Rulebook [Part 4 RULES REGARDING STATUS LEVELS Section D]

COMPETITION STRUT-OFF/TWIRL-OFF - A Competition Strut-Off/Twirl-Off is an event that uses preliminary round(s) and a final to determine the winner of the national standard age and within the same skill level division. If there is a Novice, Beginner or Intermediate Strut-Off/Twirl Off offered at a competition, the preliminary round serves only as a qualifier and therefore does not constitute a win towards advancement. The final round placement "win" counts towards advancement.

NBTA Rulebook [Part 4 RULES REGARDING STATUS LEVELS Section B]

Should a Novice, Beginner, or Intermediate open, state, or regional (not national) solo, strut, 2-baton, etc. contestant not demonstrate first-place ability, the judge may use 1st place “Protection Rule” to prevent win from counting towards advancement. Protection Rule may be used in Individual pageant categories (solo, strut, and model) but not overall title. Awards will be presented as advertised. “1st Place Protection” must be clearly recorded on score sheet by judge and on results sheet by tabulator. Protection Rule may not be applied in advanced events. Contest directors will not instruct judges to use Protection Rule.

TU Online Rulebook

PROTECTION RULE: In each division, the judge must evaluate performances in terms of a standard and in terms of the twirler's capability to move to the next level and compete there.  He/she may then award a protection rule, if desired. In this case, the highest scoring twirler receives a 2nd place award and other twirlers follow below. A protection rule can be used in any division, even title events.  Judges are advised to consider this carefully in terms of what is best for the twirler and the integrity of a title. If a contestant receives a protection rule in 2 out of 3 pageant events, she will not be awarded the pageant title.

AAU Rulebook [General Competition Rules Part XII Advancement Section E]

Protection Rule (When an Athlete does not demonstrate first place ability) may be used at the judge’s discretion in the Novice, Beginner, and Intermediate individual status levels. The award for the place received will remain the same (example: if a protection rule is used for 1st place, the award will be a first place award).

AAU Rulebook [General Competition Rules Part XII Advancement Section C]

One athlete will be considered an Uncontested Division and will count toward advancement toward the next status level. Three (3) uncontested wins will count as 1 win.

2022 USTA Rulebook [Section 3 Individual Event Rules Part 4]

When counting first place awards to move from Novice to Beginner to Intermediate to

Advanced, only COMPETITIVE firsts (at least one other person in competition) are

Counted.