Rule 3 – the Handedness Rule: when you change a throw’s handedness, you change its crossedness.

Take for example: (6,4x)(6x,2)(4,2). Let’s swap the red and the blue throws: (6,4x)(6x,2)(4,2). These throws are made on the same beat, so their height will be unchanged by swapping them. However the blue throw changes from a right hand throw to a left hand throw, so it changes from a self throw to a crossing throw. Also the red throw changes from a left hand throw to a right hand throw, so it changes from a crossing throw to a self throw. The resulting pattern is: (4,6x)(6x,2)(4,2). 

Here’s another example. Let’s swap the red and the blue throws: (4,6x)(6x,2)(4,2). In this case both throws will change from self throws to crossing throws. The resulting pattern is: (4,6x)(6x,2)(2x,4x). This new pattern, (4,6x)(6x,2)(2x,4x), contains a crossing 2, written 2x. This is not a hold, it is very different! It’s a very fast, very low, almost horizontal throw from one hand to the other. Synchronous patterns can also have crossing 0 throws, written 0x. A crossing 0 is a ball that is caught by one hand and transferred to the other hand on the same beat. The other hand then throws it on the next beat. I think it’s like throwing a 1 in a synchronous pattern.

Rule 4 – the Two Up, Two Down Rule: to swap any two throws in a synchronous pattern, the throw that moves to the right decreases by two with each bracket, and the throw that moves to the left increases by two with each bracket. A throw may not move if it would decrease below zero.

Using rule 4 you can swap throws from one bracket to another. Take for example: (4,6x)(6x,2)(2x,4x). Let’s swap the red and the blue throws: (4,6x)(6x,2)(2x,4x). The blue throw moves two brackets to the right, so it decreases by four, while the red throw moves two brackets to the left, so it increases by four. The resulting pattern is: (6x,6x)(6x,2)(0,4x). 

Rule 4 works because the throws move, but the catches stay in the same place. Throws in one bracket are made two beats before the throws in the next bracket, so if a throw moves to the previous bracket, it is in the air for two more beats. If a throw moves to the next bracket it is in the air for two fewer beats.

Rules 3 and 4 can be combined. Take for example: (6x,4x)(2x,4x)(4,4). Let’s swap the red and the blue throws: (6x,4x)(2x,4x)(4,4). The blue throw changes from a right hand throw to a left hand throw, so it changes from a crossing throw to a self throw, according to rule 3. Also it moves one bracket to the right, so it decreases by two, according to rule 4. The red throw changes from a left hand throw to a right hand throw, so it changes from a self throw to a crossing throw, according to rule 3. Also it moves one bracket to the left, so it increases by two according to rule 4. The resulting pattern is: (6x,4x)(6x,4x)(4,0).

The circular rule also applies to synchronous patterns. Using rule 2 you can transform (6x,4x)(2x,4x)(4,4)(2x,4x)(4,4)(6x,4x)(4,4)(6x,4x)(2x,4x).