Sport Stacking Facts For Sleep

Rhythmic clattering and plastic cups might not scream “bedtime,” but the soothing repetition of sport stacking’s oddly competitive world just might. Ideal for insomniacs who find NASCAR too subtle, this episode stacks up nicely for sleep.

Transcript

Welcome to the I Can't Sleep Podcast,

Where I help you learn a little and sleep a lot.

I'm your host,

Benjamin Boster,

And tonight we have a sponsored episode by Shane Sutro about sports stacking.

Thanks to Shane for sponsoring the podcast.

Sports stacking,

Also known as cup stacking or speed stacking,

Is an individual and team sport that involves stacking nine to 12 specially designed cups in predetermined sequences as quickly as possible.

The cups are specially designed with holes to allow for air to pass through.

Participants of sports stacking stack cups in specific sequences by aligning the inside left lateral adjunct of each cup with that of the next.

Sequences are usually pyramids of three,

Six,

Or 10 cups.

Players compete against the clock or another player.

The governing body setting the rule is the World Sports Stacking Association,

WSSA.

Most sports stacking competitions are geared toward children.

While working for the Boys and Girls Club of Oceanside,

California in 1981,

Wayne Gaudinet came up with the idea for sports stacking.

When the children he was working with were tired of playing traditional sports,

He took paper cups and asked them to stack them as fast as possible.

The sport was well-received,

So Gaudinet decided to acquire plastic cups to be used by his club.

He quickly discovered that his new plastic cups would stick together,

So Gaudinet modified the cups by adding a hole in the bottom of the cups.

He formed his own company,

Kangaroo Cup Stack Co.

,

Which manufactured and distributed these modified cups in a variety of colors.

By the end of the decade,

Gaudinet estimated he had sold approximately 25,

000 sets of cups.

During the 1980s,

Gaudinet hosted the annual National Cup Stacking Championship in Oceanside.

One of the national champions was Matt Adame,

A member of Gaudinet's club,

The Professional Cup Stack Drill Team.

In November 1990,

Adame and his teammates were featured on The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson.

After the sport received national attention on The Tonight Show,

Bob Fox,

A physical education teacher from Colorado,

Introduced stacking to his students.

Fox's enthusiasm led to the creation of the annual Colorado State Tournament in 1997.

In 1998,

Fox,

Together with Larry Goers,

Created a line of proprietary sports stacking products,

Including the patented timing system known as the Stack Mat.

Fox started traveling across the country in 2000 to promote speed stacks full-time.

In 2001,

Fox founded the World Cup Stacking Association,

WCSA,

To formalize the sport's rules and sanction competitions worldwide.

As the sport began to spread to neighboring states,

The WCSA hosted the first Rocky Mountain Cup Stacking Championships,

Where Fox's daughter,

Emily Fox,

Broke her own world record by completing the cycle in 7.

43 seconds.

The next year,

The first WCSA World Championship took place at the Denver Coliseum and has since been held annually.

The WCSA formally titled the sport Sport Stacking and changed their name to the World Sport Stacking Association,

WSSA,

In 2005.

The WSSA cited the public recognition that stacking is considered a sport as the reason for the name change.

Official sport stacking cubs are specially designed to prevent sticking and to allow the competitor to go faster.

The cubs are reinforced with several ribs on the inside,

Which separate the cubs when they are nestled.

The exterior is slightly textured to allow better grip.

The insides are very smooth and slide past each other easily.

The tops of the cubs have one to four holes to allow ventilation so the cubs do not stick.

One special line of cubs has cups without tops to further decrease air resistance.

Stack mat timers are used for official tournament timing as well as casual play timing or practice timing.

Special weighted training cubs called Super Stacks are made from metal and are most commonly used directly before competing.

The added weight is intended to make the regular cubs feel lighter.

Jumbo Stacks are a bigger version of the original Speed Stacks cubs.

They are used more commonly in PE classes rather than at home.

There are three sequences stacked in official sport stacking events that are defined by the rule book handed out by the WSSA.

3-3-3 uses nine cubs.

This sequence consists of three sets of three cups each.

The three sets must be stacked going from left to right or right to left,

And then down stacked into their original positions in the same order as the up stack.

3-6-3 uses 12 cubs.

This sequence is similar to the 3-3-3 except a six stack replaces the three stack in the middle.

Each pile of cubs is stacked up from left to right or right to left,

And the down stack occurs in the same order.

Cycle uses 12 cups.

This sequence involves a 3-6-3,

Which is then down stacked and then going into a 6-6 stack,

Which is down stacked again and finally stacked into a 1-10-1 and all down stacked back into how it started.

Proponents of the sport say participants learn cooperation,

Ambidexterity,

And hand-eye coordination.

A university study by Brian Utterman,

Currently at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse,

Confirms that stacking improves hand-eye coordination and reaction time by up to 30%,

Published in the scientific journal Perceptual and Motor Skills in 2004.

An EEG study by Melanie A.

Hart at Texas Tech University support the claim that cup stacking does use both sides of the brain.

During the left-hand condition,

Activity in the right hemisphere was larger than the left,

While for the right-hand stack,

The left hemisphere was greater than the right.

Their scientific poster on that topic got awarded by the AAHPERD.

On the other hand,

Hart couldn't get the same results as Utterman when studying improvement on reaction time.

Researchers at the State University of New York studied the effects on the reaction time and confirmed Utterman rather than Hart,

Stating that the results agreed with the claims made by speed stacks in which practicing cup stacking can improve reaction time.

They also state,

Even one hour of cup stacking practice can improve reaction time in young adults.

Speed stacking was also seen as helping people improve in other sports because it helps to improve hand-eye coordination.

The Department of Kinesiology at Townsend University studied the influence of participation in a six-week bimanual coordination program on grade five students' reading achievement with sports stacking being the bimanual activity.

In a pilot study,

A significant increase was found for the experimental group on comprehension skills,

Suggesting that sports stacking may improve students' reading comprehension skills.

In 2007,

Cup stacking was tested in a study at the University of Nevada,

Las Vegas,

Investigating learning as a pair and the advantages of practicing together,

Concluding that observation was of greater importance than conversation and learning from a partner.

These results are not restricted to cup stacking alone,

But reflect the scientific acceptance of the sport.

Most sports stacking competitions are geared toward children.

There are also divisions for special stackers,

Disabled competitors.

The WSSA has set the following protocol for the settings of world records.

One,

Must use WSSA-approved sports stacking cups.

Two,

Must use a stack mat and tournament display.

Three,

Must be videotaped for review and verification purposes.

Four,

Must use two judges,

One designated head judge,

To judge each try.

After each try,

The two judges confer.

The head judge will then designate with a color-coded card the outcome of that try.

Green,

Clean run.

Yellow,

Try and question,

Immediate video review.

And red,

Scratch.

Five,

A finals judge may not be a family member or the sports stacking instructor of the stacker.

The competition's divided into 14 different age divisions,

Ranging from six and under to seniors,

65 and up.

State,

National,

And world records are recorded on the WSSA website.

The global record for most people's sports stacking at multiple locations,

Recognized by the WSSA,

Stands at 746,

698 students,

Representing 2,

242 schools and organizations.

This was accomplished from November 14th through the 16th,

2023,

During the 2023 edition of the annual StackUp event held by the WSSA.

That concludes the article on speed stacking.

So let's learn about speed cubing.

Speed cubing,

Or speed solving,

Is a competitive mind sport centered around the rapid solving of various combination puzzles.

The most prominent puzzle in this category is the three by three by three puzzle,

Commonly known as the Rubik's Cube.

Participants in this sport are called speed cubers.

Speed cubers,

Or simply cubers,

Who focus specifically on solving these puzzles at high speeds to get low clock times.

The essential aspects of solving these puzzles typically involves executing a series of predefined algorithms in a particular sequence with eidetic prediction and finger tricks.

Competitive speed cubing is predominantly overseen by the World Cube Association,

WCA,

Which officially recognizes 17 distinct speed cubing events.

These events encompass a range of puzzles,

Including n by n by n puzzles of size varying from two by two by two to three by three.

To seven by seven by seven.

And other puzzle forms,

Such as the Pyraminx,

Megaminx,

Skewb,

Square One,

And Rubik's Clock.

Additionally,

Specialized formats,

Such as three by three,

Four by four,

And five by five blindfolded,

Three by three one-handed,

OH.

Three by three fewest moves,

And three by three multi-blind,

Are also regulated and hosted in competitions.

As of April 2025,

The world record for the fastest single solve of a Rubik's Cube in a competitive setting stands at 3.

05 seconds.

This record was achieved by Xuan-Yi Geng at the Shenyang Spring 2025 WCA competition event on April 13th,

2025.

Yeheng Wang also set the record for the average time of five solves in the three by three by three category with 4.

03 seconds.

At Xi'an Cherry Blossom 2025 on April 5th,

2025.

Speedcubing is organized by numerous countries that hold international competitions throughout the year.

The widespread popularity of the Rubik's Cube has led to an abundance of online resources,

Including guides and techniques.

Aimed at assisting individuals in solving the puzzle.

The Rubik's Cube was invented on May 19th,

1974 by Hungarian professor of architecture,

Erna Rubik,

Born July 13th,

1944.

In 1979,

Rubik partnered with Ideal Toy Company to garner widespread international interest in the cube.

On June 5th,

1982,

The first world championship of speedcubing was held in Budapest,

Hungary.

19 people competed in the event and the American Minh Thai won with a single solve time of 22.

95 seconds,

Which was at the time,

The fastest Rubik's Cube solve ever recorded.

Other attendees include Jessica Friedrich and Lars Petrus,

Both of whom later contributed to the development of new solving methods and the speedcubing community.

The Rubik's Cube waned in popularity after 1983 as there were no official competitions held.

But with the advent of the internet,

Online websites began to surface to discuss the cube.

With these websites facilitating the renewed popularity of the cube,

A new generation of speedcubers arose.

Those prominent in the online speed solving community,

Such as Ron van Bruchem,

Taiso Mao,

Chris Hardwick,

And Tan Denenbroek,

Eventually wanted to create an organization where cubers from around the world could meet and compete against each other.

In 2003,

They organized a championship in Toronto,

Ontario,

Followed by another competition in the Netherlands later that same year.

This revival of competition sparked a new wave of organized speedcubing events,

Which included regular national and international competitions.

There were 12 competitions in 2004,

58 more from 2005 to 2006,

Over 100 in 2008,

And over 1,

150 in 2018.

Since Budapest's 1982 competition,

There have been nine further world championships traditionally held every other year.

This new wave of speedcubing competitions has been and still is organized by the World Cube Association.

Since the rise of speedcubing's popularity,

Numerous entrepreneurial ventures have been founded,

Specializing in making or selling speedcubes,

Creating competition between these brands and Rubik's.

Dozens of cube manufacturers,

Such as GonCube,

MoYu,

YJ,

And QiYi,

Have begun improving their speedcubes.

They are improving the cube's technology by creating speedcubes to allow for smoother turning and faster solving.

This has helped to facilitate the eventual rise of the Rubik's Cube as not just a toy,

But also a lucrative business.

The World Cube Association is a nonprofit organization which organizes speedcubing competitions and ratifies results.

They consist of the WCA Board,

WCA Committee,

And the WCA Council.

The WCA Board is the head or leader of the entire WCA,

And is responsible for fulfilling tasks not completed or done by the WCA Committee and WCA Council.

The WCA Appeals Committee is responsible for ensuring right and fair decisions in accordance with the WCA regulations.

This committee is also responsible for reviewing and resolving appeals regarding the decisions of other WCA staff members.

The WCA Council is a special type of team that serves as an advisory role to the WCA,

And consists of community members,

And not WCA staff members.

These WCA staff members are part of a cubing community,

Which consists of organizers who organize and manage cubing competitions,

And delegates who help in managing competitions,

And help competitors who are unfamiliar with the competition environment,

And to decide whether a competitor's solve should be penalized or not.

WCA regulations are required to be followed by competitors,

And can be found on the official WCA website.

The standard 3x3x3 can be solved using several methods.

The most commonly used methods for speed cubing are CFOP,

ROO,

And ZZ,

Which are generally considered to achieve the fastest times.

The CFOP method is used by the majority of cubers,

And employs a layer-by-layer system with numerous algorithms for solving the final layer.

The method starts by creating a cross on any side of the cube,

Followed by F2L,

Where four corner edge pairs are inserted into the cross,

Followed by OLL,

Orientation of the last layer,

Where the top side is solved in one of 57 algorithms,

And finally,

PLL,

Permutation of the last layer,

Where you do one of 21 algorithms to solve the rest of the cube.

ROO,

The second most popular method,

Which starts by forming a 3x2x1 block on both sides of the cube,

And solves the middle layer last using fewer algorithms.

ZZ uses a unique step called edge orientation to improve the ergonomics of turning by removing the amount of rotations during a solve.

Other notable methods include PETRUS,

Which has been popular at times in the past.

However,

It is now considered suboptimal to CFOP and ROO,

And was abandoned due to its unfavorable finger tricks.

Solving larger cubes,

Such as 4x4x4 and 5x5x5 is most often done by reducing them to 3x3x3 and solving them like so,

While 2x2x2 can be solved with the same or similar methods as 3x3x3.

However,

Specialized 2x2x2 methods are quicker and are regarded as superior to 3x3x3 methods.

These methods include ORTEGA,

CLL,

And the EG method.

Which can allow users to plan the entire solution during inspection.

The CFOP,

Abbreviation for Cross F2L OLL PLL method,

Also known as the Friedrich method,

After one of its inventors,

Jessica Friedrich,

Who finished second in the 2003 Rubik's Cube World Championships,

Is the most commonly used method in speedcubing today.

Its origins are credited to David Singmaster,

Who was one of the first to publish a layer-by-layer method of solving in 1980,

And Kroos Razu Schultz,

Who built upon this and developed a more efficient system for the first two layers,

F2L.

Jessica Friedrich then finished developing the method and published it online in 1997,

An event that was very influential in the revival of competitive speedcubing.

The first step of the method is to solve a cross of edge pieces on the first layer.

The remainder of the first layer and all of the second layer are then solved together in what is referred to as corner edge pairs,

Or slots.

Finally,

The last layer is solved in two steps.

First,

All of the pieces in the layer are oriented to form a solid color,

But without the individual pieces always being in their correct places on the cube.

This step is referred to as orientation,

And is usually performed with a single set of algorithms,

Known as OLL,

Orientation of the last layer.

Then,

All of those pieces are permuted to their correct spots.

This is also usually performed as a single set of PLL,

Permutation of the last layer algorithms.

OLL and PLL use 57 and 21 algorithms respectively.

The CFOP method can be used as a less advanced method by dividing the steps into more steps,

Reducing the number of algorithms that need to be learned,

But sacrificing time.

It is usually known as the beginner method or layer by layer,

LBL.

Most people start learning CFOP with 4LLL,

Four look last layer,

Which is a less advanced,

Slower,

And algorithm reducing from 78 algorithms to 16 way to learn CFOP.

The four steps are divided into edge orientation,

Corner orientation,

Corner permutation,

And edge permutation,

Which can be called EO,

CO,

CP,

And EP.

Later on,

Full OLL,

Which has 57 algorithms,

And full PLL,

Which has 21 algorithms,

Can be learned.

An average CFOP user that solves with full LL and PLL,

Along with an efficient cross,

Which takes eight moves at maximum,

And efficient F2L,

Which takes almost 30 moves,

Consists of 55 to 60 moves,

Which means that it has a higher move count than RU and ZZ.

However,

Finger tricks and algorithms are more researched with CFOP than any other method,

Which explains why the majority of the fastest speedcubers use CFOP as their main speedcubing method.

The CFOP method is the most widely used speed solving method.

It is a more efficient version of the layer-by-layer method.

It is very popular due to the vast amount of resources that teach and improve upon the CFOP method.

Many top speedcubers,

Including two-time world champion,

Felix Zemdegs,

And world record holder,

Max Park,

Learn additional sets of algorithms for the last slot and layer,

Such as Corners of Last Layer,

COLL,

Which orients and permutes the corners when the edges are oriented,

Or Winter Variation,

Also known as Vulc Last Slot,

Or VLS,

Which finishes OLL while inserting the last pair,

And ZBLL,

Which combines the solving processes of OLL corner orientation and PLL in only one algorithm,

Provided the last layer edges are oriented.

Pseudo-slotting is a technique that allows advanced CFOP solvers to be more creative with efficient solutions.

It is an alternative method to F2L,

Where instead of creating and inserting pairs with matching colors,

The bottom layer is intentionally misaligned to allow different pieces to be paired together.

This provides more freedom while pairing pieces during F2L.

Pseudo-slotting is similar to another technique called Keyhole,

In which the bottom layer is misaligned to allow a piece to be inserted independently of its solved counterpart.

It is widely believed that Timon Kolashinsky,

Who holds the European record for a 3x3x3 single with 3.

66 seconds,

Is the best speedcuber who uses pseudo-slotting.

After solving many times,

It becomes muscle memory,

And most speedcubers just have to look,

And then they instantly know what to do,

And the rest is done by muscle memory.

Reviews

Never heard of this. Interesting and boring at the same time 😴

I had never heard of this before but still didn’t keep me awake. 😂
Thanks Benjamin! 😻