Can a breaker use the same move twice, or copy someone else's?
I · Intermediate · Judging and penalties · 7 of 8Both are penalised. Repeating movements already shown costs 1.66 per cent with each judge who presses the repeat button, and it counts across the whole competition, from the first round to the final. A bite, which is a set of moves taken from another breaker, costs 2.34 per cent for each press.
How it works
- Repeat: judges value "a diverse range of movements throughout the competition, with minimal repetition".
- How far back it goes: "this applies throughout the competition, starting from the first Round to the Final".
- Its cost: 1.66 per cent for each press, taken from variety and creativity.
- Bite: "a phrase or set of moves, or a combination of moves, taken from another athlete".
- Its cost: 2.34 per cent for each press, taken from variety, creativity and personality.
- What judges can know: the manual accepts that "true ownership of a movement is difficult to ascertain", so judges "can only react to what is observed".
- One judge's view: like the crash button, these record an individual judge's assessment.
- Deductions only: these two buttons can only take away.
The glossary has the repeat, biting, variety and creativity.
Tricky cases
Can a breaker use a signature move in every battle?
Yes, at a cost. Each repeat a judge notices can bring a deduction, and repetition is counted across the whole competition.
Is every well-known move a bite?
No. A bite is material taken from another athlete. Foundation moves that everybody uses are the shared vocabulary of the dance, and the manual treats progress from the foundation as creativity.
Does a repeat or a bite lose the round by itself?
No. Each is a percentage deduction with the judges who press the button.
A breaker repeats a windmill several times in a row inside one set. Is that a repeat?
It depends on the judges. The manual notes elsewhere that moves like windmills "may often be performed in a repeating pattern". The penalty is aimed at using the same movements or patterns again.
Why the rule exists
A breaker who gets through to a final will have danced a dozen sets or more. The repeat rule asks for enough material to fill them, which is a test of depth. The bite rule protects the culture's oldest value: a move belongs to the person who made it.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| WDSF manual, version 4 | Repeat 1.66 per cent, bite 2.34 per cent | BRRM 4.5.1 |
| Later versions | Not read | Not checked |
From the rule book
World DanceSport Federation, Breaking Rules and Regulations Manual, version 4 (January 2023), sections 2.2, 4.5.1, 4.5.2, 4.6.1, 4.6.3 and 4.6.4. Checked 14 October 2026. This version has been superseded; check the current manual. Official document: WDSF Breaking Rules and Regulations Manual (PDF).