This is a question about Arabian 1 & 3/4. Mike Burns, Brian Meeker, and I have been having a little discussion about the techniques and judging credit of Arabian 1 & 3/4. First a definition: an Arabian style somersault is one that starts rotating in one direction (we'll say backwards for the purposes of our conversation but it could just as well be forwards) and does an immediate half spin before the flip reaches a 90 degree rotation (gets upside down) and rotates the other way. That was the long way of saying that an Arabian front somersault takes off backwards and immediately twists so it becomes a front somersault. 

Now the question about Arabian 1 & 3/4. Would you still credit it as an EG 4 skill if the "Arabian" happens in the second flip (I realize there are not two complete flips, but you know what I mean)? If you need a video of this go to www.gymnast.com and the first thing that will come up is Paul Hamm's Winter Cup FX routine where he does this skill layed out. One argument in favor would be that the Arabian style twist is still happening because the gymnast would have rotated one back somersault and then literally does an Arabian dive roll. Going against that would be the fact that taking that skill a little further and rotating the flip completely to the feet would almost certainly be a back tumbling skill, right? Also arguing against this view would be that the descriptions in the FIG Code of Points go like this: "jump backward with 1/2 twist to 3/2 salto forward tucked, piked, or stretched." One final caveat, the pictures in the code get confusing. In the C valued version of this skill (tucked or piked), it shows this skill performed like an Arabian double front with the immediate half twist. But in the D valued version (layed out) it shows it performed with the late half twist like Paul Hamm does it. 

So what I'm really after is: How should this skill be done for an EG 4 credit?
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3albeuUiIM&NR=1
Here's a link to a video of it being done the other way (with the immediate half turn).

This has always been an ongoing discussion and I understand the differing opinions. I do know that the response I have recieved from the FIG or judges at an international event is that the 1/2 turn must occur prior to the vertical to recieve element group 4 credit and if the turn is late it becomes a element group 3 skill.