Why do some jump rope tricks have many names?

In the history of the sport, a lot of skills (both foundational and high-level) have been conceptualised in different parts of the world at the same time independently of each other. Before the internet and social media connected us all, these localised names would stick around. The classic example is the foundational leg cross, Crougar, invented by Carla Crougar circa 1977-1978, which also goes by the name of Leg Over.

Another example is the jump rope handstand, which gained the names Frog and Donkey Kick independently from each other on two continents. It wasn’t until the international governing bodies for the world championship necessitated consistent naming conventions that one name - The Frog - became the dominant name.

Language is something which is always evolving. So new ways to communicate and describe the things around us will naturally arise, usually out of convenience and to reduce the friction in certain parts of the dialect. This happens all the time in normal conversation, as technologies evolve and new communities develop. As the world of jump rope has become more connected, it has become increasingly important that the way we communicate skills remains clear and un-confusing for newcomers to the sport. This shouldn’t however, be at the expense of the culture.

In all the resources on this website such as the Tricktionary, skill names have been provided with a focus on consistency as well as respect for the sport’s culture. Some skill names and naming conventions have been adapted for the sake of clarity.