Something Very Important That You Need to Know:
In Sport Stacking, you always use your left and right hands alternatively.  Using this technique, you can build pyramids of different heights next to one another.  The pyramids are both built up and then down again in Sport Stacking. The simplest routine is the ‚3-3-3’ where three pyramids are built, each containing three cups. You can stack by yourself, with a partner or as part of a team.
 
Concentration ... Reaction Times ... Coordination
Sport Stacking helps the development of concentration, speed and coordination.  Furthermore, because of the alternating hand movement used in stacking, the left and the right brains are encouraged to work together.  Through this, new neurological connections (synapses) are created, similar to the kind of development observed when someone learns and plays the piano, where left and right hand coordination is also required.
Sport Stacking has also been show to aid in the improvement in the ability to concentrate, as well as an improvement of reaction times in general.  Hand-eye coordination has also been observed to improve markedly when people participate in Sport Stacking.
People suffering from varying arrays of physical disabilities can also benefit from participation in Sport Stacking.  The quality of life can be improved through not only the development of physical skills but also through the sheer enjoyment experienced when one participates in Sport Stacking.

Motivation
Although the main focus of Sport Stacking is in being the absolute fastest you can be, you have to also be as exact as possible.  If you aren’t exact and careful, the pyramids will simply tumble down and you have to start again.  Although this might sound dispiriting, it is quite the opposite.  The fact that Sport Stacking is simple to learn in the first place and that you can experience relatively quick success straight away, means that you are motivated to do more and more, trying always to get just that little bit quicker all the time.  The fact that the cups often tumble down is just part of the fun!

Take a look at how quick this all is! (video)

The basic rules – easy …
(based on the Rules and Regulations of the ISSF)

1. The cups must be stacked in the correct number and the correct order on the surface of a special mat (the FlashPad) e.g. 3-3-3 (photo). (is the flashpad compulsory??? When I asked this at a competition, I was told no….)

2. The left and right hands are used alternatively and only one pyramid may be stacked at one (be that either up or down).  At no time is the simultaneously stacking of two pyramids allowed.  This rule applies also to doubles and well as singles.

3. The ‘Up-Stack’ begins the moment the stacker removes his or hand (either the left of right) from the SportsTimer.  The removal of the hand from the Sportstimer sets the timer in action.  The timer is then stopped when the stacker has completed the discipline (both Up and Down-Stacking of the pyramids).  The stacker MUST use the same hand to stop the timer as was used to start the timer. THIS IS NOT CORRECT – the timer must be stopped with the hand that LAST TOUCHES THE CUPS.

4. The direction in which the pyramids are stacked (be that up or down) must always be the same: i.e. when the stacker starts the up-stacking from left to right, then the pyramids must be down-stacked in the same order, also left to right.

The Different Disciplines

3-3-3
Three sets of three cups (also known as a tower) are placed upside-down on the playing surface (FlashPad) at a comfortable distance to one another.  The towers are then stacked into pyramids (i.e. three pyramids, each consisting of three cups) starting either from left to right or right to left.  After the pyramids are ‘up-stacked’, they are then down-stacked in the same direction so that three towers are left standing on the playing surface.

3-6-3
Three sets of cups are placed up-side down on the playing surface: the left and right hand towers consists of three cups each, whereas the middle tower consists of six cups.  The towers should be at a comfortable distance apart from one another.  The cups are then stacked into three pyramids (starting with either the left tower or the right tower) and then down-stacked again into three towers (always in the same direction).

Cycle
The starting formation for the cycle is exactly as for the 3-6-3 (see above).  The cycle begins exactly like the 3-6-3 (i.e. three pyramids are up and then down-stacked).  After this, the cups are arranged in two towers, each with six cups.  These towers are then up-stacked into two pyramids, each consisting of six cups.  The pyramids are then down-stacked and the cups are made into one tower of twelve cups (always upside-down).  Two cups are removed from the tower of twelve and placed one to the left and the other to the right of the tower.  One cup is placed upside-down, the other cup is placed right-way-up.  The remaining ten cups are then stacked into one pyramid.  The two single cups are then tipped to touch the mat and then used to down-stack the large pyramid.  The cup formation should end with the cups standing as they did at the beginning of the routine i.e. 3-6-3. (see video).

Doubles
In doubles, two stackers perform the routine together, each only using one hand (i.e. one uses the left hand and the other uses the right).  The discipline is completed exactly as described as above.  Not only is ‘Doubles’ really fun to do, but it has an added extra degree of difficulty as well.

Relays
A relay team consists of four different stackers. The first stacker starts the timer and then each stacker performs the discipline, one after the other.  The last stacker then stops the timer.

One-Handed Stacking
One-Handed Stacking is a relatively new discipline and therefore there are not yet any existing World Records.  In One-Handed Stacking, the discipline is performed using only one hand, either the left or the right depending on the stackers choice.  At no stage is the other hand allowed to either touch the cups or help in any other way.

The Cups!  FlashCups!
Sport Stacking is a sport in which having the best possible equipment makes a huge amount of difference.  The better the cups, the faster you can stack!  The faster you stack, the more fun you have!  FlashCups are specially designed to maximise performance and minimise problems (such as the cups sticking together).  They are made from a special high performance material and are particularly robust.  FlashCups build very solid pyramids and wont break up even though they often go flying around the room where you might be stacking!

Click here for a short, illustrated introduction to Sport Stacking.

Worldrecords
You will find the actual worldrecords of the International Sport Stacking Federation (ISSF) on their official Homepage , www.issf.info.