Rules
One Gladiator faces one contender, and on the whistle must race up the first pole using the climbing struts attached. Both participants are attached to safety harnesses to prevent injury from falling. Upon reaching the top, they must stand upright and sway their pole in order to cross over to the next pole. Upon reaching the last pole, the participant must sway their pole in order to group a hoop hanging from the ceiling. The first participant to grab the hoop wins, ending the game. 10 points are awarded for a contender win. If a participant falls off, then they forfeit the event. There is no time limit to the event. A contentious issue with Vertigo is the 'back swing rule' in which both participants must swing their pole back before moving onto the next pole rather than instantly leaning towards the next pole. By not back swinging, the participant has an unfair advantage over their opponent in that it takes them half the time to complete the course. Referees have been haphazard in disqualifying participants for not swinging back. During the British run, a Gladiator was disqualified for not swinging their pole back, yet in other episodes, contenders had been shown to not swing their pole back, thus winning the event, and not face disqualification. In Australia, a contender was seen to not back swing, even though the commentator had previously mentioned the back swing rule. In America, Gladiator Phoenix was seen completing the event without a back swing and was not disqualified. Whether the back swing rule is present in America is currently unknown. A back swing onto the hoop at the end is not needed, with participants being allowed to lean towards it as soon as they are on the final pole.
Read more about this topic: Vertigo (Gladiators)
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