Which dives must a diver perform, and can the list be changed?
I · Intermediate · The competition · 5 of 7Women perform five dives from five different groups. Men perform six: from five groups on the springboard and from all six groups on the platform. No dive may be repeated. The list is handed in, signed, at least 24 hours before the preliminary, and may be changed before each later round within 30 minutes of the end of the one before.
How it works
- Women, springboard and platform: "five (5) dives from five (5) different groups without limit of degree of difficulty".
- Men, springboard: "six (6) dives from five (5) different groups".
- Men, platform: "six (6) dives from six (6) different groups".
- No repeats: "No dive of the same number shall be repeated".
- The statement: each diver gives the referee "a complete statement of the selected dives", signed by the diver and their representative, who are responsible for its accuracy.
- What it shows: for each dive in order, the number, the position, the height and the degree of difficulty.
- The deadline: no later than 24 hours before the preliminary. Up to three hours before, the referee may accept a late list with a fee of 250 Swiss francs.
- No list, no dive: a diver whose statement is not in on time is not admitted.
- Changes between rounds: allowed if the amended statement is lodged no later than 30 minutes after the end of the previous session. Otherwise the earlier list stands.
- The list rules: "The statement of dives shall take precedence over the indicator board and any announcement."
- Replacing a diver: another diver from the same federation may step in up to two hours before the preliminary.
The glossary has the statement of dives and the dive groups.
Tricky cases
Can a woman perform two dives from the same group?
No. Her five dives must come from five different groups.
The announcer calls the wrong dive. Which one counts?
The one on the statement of dives. It takes precedence over the board and any announcement, and the diver should tell the referee at once.
Can a diver swap a dive between the semi-final and the final?
Yes, if the new statement is lodged within 30 minutes of the end of the semi-final.
A man on the springboard has six dives and five groups. What is the sixth?
A second dive from one of the five groups, with a different number.
Why the rule exists
Requiring dives from different groups makes a competition a test of the whole range: forwards, backwards, towards the board and twisting. Fixing the list in advance means the judges know what they are about to see and can tell at once if something else is performed.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| World Aquatics rules | As above | DV 3.1 to 3.5; DV 4 |
| Synchronised diving | Five or six rounds, the first two at a fixed difficulty of 2.0 | DV 3.6 |
| Mixed team event | Six different dives from six groups, shared between the divers | DV 3.7.3 |
| The springboard groups | Armstand dives are platform only, so the springboard has five groups to draw on | DV 8.2.6 |
From the rule book
World Aquatics, Competition Regulations, Part Four: Diving Rules (in force as from 1 January 2025), Articles 3.1 to 3.5 and 4.1 to 4.11. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Aquatics Competition Regulations (PDF).