Juggling world records comprise the best performances in the fields of endurance and numbers juggling.
For ratification as a world record, the claimed record
Up until 2012 any record must have been proved by either of the two methods above or by video evidence, available to the members of the former Juggling Information Service Committee on Numbers Juggling (JISCON). [1] JISCON is no longer active.
Records begin where each object being juggled has been thrown and successfully caught at least once (e.g. 11 catches of 12 balls is not listed). This is known as a 'flash'. Where each object is thrown and caught more than once the term used is a 'qualify'.
Props must be thrown individually from each hand, and counting of catches commences once all props bar one have been thrown. Multiplexing (throwing more than one prop at a time from the same hand) is not allowed. Catches are counted only for throws made while no props have been dropped. According to JISCON definition, a drop is "a failure to catch an object that, as a result, hits the ground or any foreign object. A drop is considered to have happened at the moment the object should have been caught or touched, not when it hits the ground." [2]
| Equipment | Record | Juggler | Nationality | Year | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 beanbags | 14 catches | Alex Barron |  United Kingdom | 2017 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 13 beanbags | 15 catches | Alex Barron | United Kingdom | 2013 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 12 beanbags | 20 catches | Alex Barron | United Kingdom | 2017 | (Video on YouTube) |
| Tom Whitfield | United Kingdom | 2024 | (Video on YouTube) | ||
| 11 beanbags | 34 catches | Tom Whitfield | United Kingdom | 2022 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 10 beanbags | 40 catches | Tom Whitfield | United Kingdom | 2021 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 9 balls | 55 s | Anthony Gatto |  United States | 2006 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 8 balls | 1 min 18 s | Enzo Nicolás Agüero |  Argentina | 2023 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 7 balls | 16 min 25 s | Adolfo Esteban Cardenas |  Chile | 2019 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 6 balls | 30 min 46 s | Maximilian Kuschmierz |  Germany | 2023 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 5 balls | 3 h 44 min 46 s | Bence Ónodi |  Hungary | 2022 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 4 balls | 3 h 03 min 13 s | Chris Smith | United States | 2023 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 3 balls | 13 h 10 min | David Rush | United States | 2023 | [3] |
| Equipment | Record | Juggler | Nationality | Year | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 clubs | 11 catches | Eivind Dragsjø |  Norway | 2016 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 8 clubs | 18 catches | Moritz Rosner | Germany | 2023 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 7 clubs | 4 min 24 s | Anthony Gatto | United States | 2005 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 6 clubs | 7 min 38 s | Anthony Gatto | United States | 2005 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 5 clubs | 53 min 21 s | Thomas Dietz | Germany | 2005 | Verified by JISCON |
| 4 clubs | 2 h 7 min 17 s | Caio Stevanovich |  Brazil | 2023 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 3 clubs | 5 h 1 min 51 s | Alexandr Inozemtzev |  Russia | 2022 | (Video on YouTube) |
| Equipment | Record | Juggler | Nationality | Year | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 rings | 13 catches | Albert Lucas | United States | 2002 | [1] |
| 12 rings | 16 catches | Willy Colombaioni |  Italy | 2016 | (Video on YouTube), (Video on YouTube) |
| 11 rings | 21 catches | Lysenko Danila |  Ukraine | 2020 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 10 rings | 47 catches | Anthony Gatto | United States | 2005 | (Video on YouTube) [1] |
| 9 rings | 50 s | Anthony Gatto | United States | 2005 | (Video on YouTube), [1] |
| 8 rings | 1 min 17 s | Anthony Gatto | United States | 1989 | (Video on YouTube), [1] |
| 7 rings | 15 min 6 s | Anthony Gatto | United States | 2011 | (Video on YouTube |
| 6 rings | 6 min 37 s | Eivind Dragsjø | Norway | 2022 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 5 rings | 58 min 22 s | Caio Stevanovich | Brazil | 2022 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 4 rings | 1 h 20 min 55 s | Maximilian Kuschmierz | Germany | 2022 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 3 rings | 3 h 10 min 45 s | Maximilian Kuschmierz | Germany | 2022 | (Video on YouTube) |
Force Bounce
| Equipment | Record | Juggler | Nationality | Year | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 bounce balls | 12 catches | Alan Šulc |  Czech Republic | 2008 | (Video on YouTube), [4] |
| 10 bounce balls | 10 catches | Alan Šulc | Czech Republic | 2008 | (Video on YouTube), [4] |
| Henrik Veres | Hungary | 2013 | (Video on YouTube) | ||
| Tony Garcia |  Spain | 2014 | (Video on YouTube) | ||
| David Enoch Sosman |  Denmark  France | 2021 | (Video on TikTok) | ||
| 9 bounce balls | 98 catches | Alan Šulc | Czech Republic | 2016 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 8 bounce balls | 4 min 12 s | Alan Šulc | Czech Republic | 2011 | (Video on YouTube), [4] |
| 7 bounce balls | 2 min 15 s | David Nayer | United States | 2015 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 6 bounce balls | 5 min 48 s | David Nayer | United States | 2016 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 5 bounce balls | 59 min 30 s | David Nayer | United States | 2015 | (Video on YouTube) |
Lift Bounce
| Equipment | Record | Juggler | Nationality | Year | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 bounce balls | 12 catches | Eden Zak |  Israel | 2014 | |
| 10 bounce balls | 51 catches | Mathias Ramfelt | Norway | 2017 | (Video on Vimeo) |
| 9 bounce balls | 40 s | Mathias Ramfelt | Norway | 2017 | (Video on Vimeo) |
| 8 bounce balls | 1 min 14 s | Tyron Colombaioni | Italy | 2016 | (Video on Facebook) |
| 7 bounce balls | 11 min 20 s | Tyron Colombaioni | Italy | 2016 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 6 bounce balls | 6 min 43 s | Philippe Dupuis |  Canada | 2016 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 5 bounce balls | 56 min 09 s | Liam Ryan-O'Flaherty | United States | 2019 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 4 bounce balls | 2 hour 0 min 01 s | Bill Coad | United States | 2019 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 3 bounce balls | 3 hours 45 min 13 s | Bill Coad | United States | 2019 | (Video on YouTube) |
When passing, only the props thrown between two separate jugglers are counted. In some patterns (ultimates or one-count) all the throws are caught by the opposite juggler but in other patterns each juggler makes some throws to themselves. The reason for excluding self throws is that two jugglers could make a single pass to their partner and then go on to juggle solo patterns for as long as they wanted therefore undermining the record for 'passing'.
| Equipment | Record | Juggler | Nationality | Year | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 22 balls | 22 passes | Tom Whitfield & Dan Wood Tom Whitfield & Dave Leahy | United Kingdom | 2018 2019 | (Video on YouTube) (Video on YouTube) |
| 21 balls | 21 passes | Dave Leahy Dan Wood | United Kingdom | 2014 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 20 balls | 27 passes | Tom Whitfield Dan Wood | United Kingdom | 2019 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 19 balls | 25 passes | Tom Whitfield Dan Wood | United Kingdom | 2019 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 18 balls | 29 passes | Tom Whitfield Dave Leahy | United Kingdom | 2019 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 17 balls | 39 passes | Tom Whitfield Dave Leahy | United Kingdom | 2019 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 16 balls | 47 passes | Peter Kaseman Doug Sayers | United States | 2015 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 15 balls | 91 passes | Peter Kaseman Doug Sayers | United States | 2012 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 14 balls | 22 seconds (195 passes) | Peter Kaseman Doug Sayers | United States | 2012 | (Video on YouTube), [nb 1] |
| 13 balls | 54 seconds (475 passes) | Ori Roth Ofek Snir | Israel | 2016 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 12 balls | 1 min 38 s (475 passes) | Daniel Ledel Luca Pferdmenges |  Austria Germany | 2017 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 11 balls | 5 min 5 s (1506 passes) | Daniel Ledel Luca Pferdmenges | Austria Germany | 2018 | (Video on YouTube) |
| Equipment | Record | Juggler | Nationality | Year | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 clubs | 15 passes | Kaito Tanioka Kento Tanioka |  Japan | 2021 | (Video on Instagram) |
| 14 clubs | 32 passes | Dominik Harant Manuel Mitasch | Austria | 2020 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 13 clubs | 31 s (102 passes) | Dominik Harant Manuel Mitasch | Austria | 2022 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 12 clubs | 28 s (101 passes) | Daniel Ledel Manuel Mitasch | Austria | 2016 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 11 clubs | 1 min 17 s (246 passes) | Julius Preu Daniel Ledel | Germany Austria | 2022 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 10 clubs | 4 min 00 s (808 passes) | Dominik Harant Daniel Ledel | Austria | 2017 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 9 clubs | 7 min 1 s (1392 passes) | Christoph Mitasch Manuel Mitasch | Austria | 2007 | (Video on YouTube) [1] |
| Equipment | Record | Juggler | Nationality | Year | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 rings | 19 passes | Dominik Harant Manuel Mitasch | Austria | 2015 | (Video on YouTube). |
| 17 rings | 21 passes | Dominik Harant Manuel Mitasch | Austria | 2020 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 16 rings | 32 passes | Dominik Harant Manuel Mitasch | Austria | 2020 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 15 rings | 52 passes | Thomas Dietz Dominik Harant | Germany Austria | 2018 | Video on Instagram |
| 14 rings | 59 passes | Dominik Harant Manuel Mitasch | Austria | 2013 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 13 rings | 23 seconds (171 passes) | Thomas Dietz Dominik Harant | Germany Austria | 2015 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 12 rings | 1 min 22 seconds (300 passes) | Dominik Harant Manuel Mitasch | Austria | 2020 | (Video on YouTube) |
| 11 rings | 2 min 44 s (1201 passes) | Thomas Dietz Dominik Harant | Germany Austria | 2015 | (Video on YouTube) |
Juggling is a physical skill, performed by a juggler, involving the manipulation of objects for recreation, entertainment, art or sport. The most recognizable form of juggling is toss juggling. Juggling can be the manipulation of one object or many objects at the same time, most often using one or two hands but other body parts as well, like feet or head. Jugglers often refer to the objects they juggle as props. The most common props are balls, clubs, or rings. Some jugglers use more dramatic objects such as knives, fire torches or chainsaws. The term juggling can also commonly refer to other prop-based manipulation skills, such as diabolo, plate spinning, devil sticks, poi, cigar boxes, contact juggling, hooping, yo-yo, hat manipulation and kick-ups.
In toss juggling, a cascade is the simplest juggling pattern achievable with an odd number of props. The simplest juggling pattern is the three-ball cascade, This is therefore the first pattern that most jugglers learn. However, although the shower requires more speed and precision, "some people find that the movement comes naturally to them," and it may be the pattern learned first. "Balls or other props follow a horizontal figure-eight [or hourglass figure] pattern above the hands." In siteswap, each throw in a cascade is notated using the number of balls; thus a three ball cascade is "3".
In the cascade, an object is always thrown from a position near the body's midline in an arc passing underneath the preceding throw and toward the other side of the body, where it is caught and transported again toward the body's midline for the next throw. As a result, the balls travel along the figure-eight path that is characteristic of the cascade.
Siteswap, also called quantum juggling or the Cambridge notation, is a numeric juggling notation used to describe or represent juggling patterns. The term may also be used to describe siteswap patterns, possible patterns transcribed using siteswap. Throws are represented by non-negative integers that specify the number of beats in the future when the object is thrown again: "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. 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 fountain is a juggling pattern that is the method most often used for juggling an even number of objects. In a fountain, each hand juggles separately, and the objects are not thrown between the hands, thus the number of balls is always even since any number of balls in one hand is doubled by the same number in the other hand. To illustrate this, it can be seen that in the most common fountain pattern where four balls are juggled, each hand juggles two balls independently. As Crego states "In the fountain pattern, each hand throws balls straight up into the air and each ball is caught in the same hand that throws it."
In toss juggling, Mills' Mess is a popular juggling pattern, typically performed with three balls although the props used and the number of objects can be different. The pattern was invented by and named after Steve Mills. It is a well-known trick among jugglers and learning it is considered somewhat of a milestone, "a mind-boggling pattern of circling balls, crossing and uncrossing hands, and unexpected catches."
Juggling clubs are a prop used by jugglers. Juggling clubs are often simply called clubs by jugglers and sometimes are referred to as pins or batons by non-jugglers. Clubs are one of the three most popular props used by jugglers; the others being balls and rings.
In toss juggling, a flash is either a form of numbers juggling where each ball in a juggling pattern is only thrown and caught once or it is a juggling trick where every prop is simultaneously in the air and both hands are empty.
In toss juggling, columns, also known as One-up Two-up, is a juggling trick or pattern where the balls are thrown upwards without any sideways motion, distinguishing it from the fountain. The simplest version involves having three balls, with two going up simultaneously on either side, followed by one going up in the middle. One way to accomplish this is to juggle 2 balls in one hand and one ball in the other, so one hand has to move faster and further than in a regular pattern (cascade), whilst the other remains almost stationary. The hand juggling the center ball can alternate with each repeat to make the pattern symmetric.
Passing is the act of juggling between two or more people. It is most commonly seen as a subset of toss juggling.
In toss juggling, Rubenstein's Revenge is a 3-ball juggling pattern named by George Gillson after its inventor, Rick Rubenstein. Along with Mills' Mess and Burke's Barrage, it is one of three well-known named juggling patterns that involve complex carries and crossed arm throws. Rubenstein's Revenge is usually considered the most involved and difficult of the three.
Toss juggling is the form of juggling which is most recognisable as 'juggling'. Toss juggling can be used as: a performing art, a sport, a form of exercise, as meditation, a recreational pursuit or hobby.
In toss juggling, the shower is a juggling pattern for 3 or more objects, most commonly balls or bean bags, where objects are thrown in a circular motion. Balls are thrown high from one hand to the other while the other hand passes the ball back horizontally. "In the shower pattern, every ball is thrown in a high arc from the right hand to the left and then quickly passed off with a low throw from the left to the right hand ." The animation depicts a 3-ball version. Siteswap notation for shower patterns is (2n-1)1, where n is the number of objects juggled. The circular motion of the balls is commonly represented in cartoons as the archetypical juggling pattern, somewhat at odds with reality, where the cascade is more common. By constantly reversing the direction, the box pattern can be formed.
The art of juggling has existed in various cultures throughout history. The beginning is uncertain. The first depictions were found in ancient Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome, as well as medieval and modern societies.
Juggling practice has developed a wide range of patterns and forms which involve different types of manipulation, different props, numbers of props, and numbers of jugglers. The forms of juggling shown here are practiced by amateur, non-performing, hobby jugglers as well as by professional jugglers. The variations of juggling shown here are extensive but not exhaustive as juggling practice develops and creates new patterns on a regular basis. Jugglers do not consciously isolate their juggling into one of the categories shown; instead most jugglers will practice two or more forms, combining the varieties of juggling practice. Some forms are commonly mixed, for example: numbers and patterns with balls; while others are rarely mixed, for example: contact numbers passing. Many Western jugglers also practice other forms of object manipulation, such as diabolo, devil sticks, cigar box manipulation, fire-spinning, contact juggling, hat manipulation, poi, staff-spinning, balancing tricks, bar flair and general circus skills.
Juggling notation is the written depiction of concepts and practices in juggling. Toss juggling patterns have a reputation for being "easier done than said" – while it might be easy to learn a given maneuver and demonstrate it for others, it is often much harder to communicate the idea accurately using speech or plain text. To circumvent this problem, various numeric or diagram-based notation systems have been developed to facilitate communication of patterns or tricks between jugglers, as well the investigation and discovery of new patterns.
Knife juggling is a variant of toss juggling using blunt knives as props which are thrown and caught. Although knives are sometimes juggled recreationally, it is generally a performance art. Knife juggling is typically seen performed by street entertainers as part of a routine, or at art or historical festivals.
Juggling balls, or simply balls, are a popular prop used by jugglers, either on their own—usually in sets of three or more—or in combination with other props such as clubs or rings. A juggling ball refers to any juggling object that is roughly spherical in nature.
Juggling rings, or simply "rings", are a popular prop used by jugglers, usually in sets of three or more, or in combination with other props such as balls or clubs. The rings used by jugglers are typically about 30 centimetres (12 in) in diameter and 3 millimetres (0.12 in) thick.
A juggling pattern or juggling trick is a specific manipulation of props during the practice of juggling. "Juggling, like music, combines abstract patterns and mind-body coordination in a pleasing way." Descriptions of patterns and tricks have been most common in toss juggling. A juggling pattern in toss juggling is a sequence of throws and catches using a certain number of props which is repeated continuously. Patterns include simple ones such as the cascade and complex ones such as Mills mess. A juggling trick in toss juggling is a throw or catch which is different from the throws and catches within a pattern. Tricks include simple ones such as a high throw or more difficult ones such a catch on the back of the jugglers neck, as well as the claw, multiplex, and pass. Systems of juggling notation have been created to describe juggling patterns and tricks. One of these is siteswap notation.
Juggling terminology, juggling terms:
