What is "siteswap"

n. 1 (cx uncountable English) A numerical notation used to describe juggling patterns, where each number represents the height and direction of a throw. 2 (cx countable English) A specific notation for a pattern.

Siteswap is a juggling notation used to describe or represent juggling patterns. It encodes the number of beats of each throw, which is related to their height, and the hand to which the throw is to be made: "The idea behind siteswap is to keep track of the order that balls are thrown and caught, and _only_ that." It is an invaluable tool in determining which combinations of throws yield valid juggling patterns for a given number of objects, and has led to previously unknown patterns (such as 441). However, it does not describe body movements such as behind-the-back and under-the-leg. Siteswap assumes that, "throws happen on beats that are equally spaced in time."

The numbers are as follows:

• 0 = "missing"/rest [empty hand]
• 1 = pass [between hands]
• 2 = hold [one hand/no toss]
• 3 = (3-ball) cascade toss [between hands]
• 4 = (4-ball) fountain toss [up and into same hand]
• 5 = high toss [between hands]

For example, a three-ball cascade may be notated "3", while a shower may be notated "5 1". The name siteswap comes from the ability to generate patterns from "swapping" numbers in preexisting patterns, such as 55500 and 50505 (or Flash and Snake).