When the setup in which a call is to be performed is larger than 8 people due to the presence of phantoms, some modifier is usually required in order to acknowledge the existence of the phantoms' spots. The rules governing the use of such modifiers are not very precisely defined, but Sd attempts to follow accepted usage.
These modifiers are not required if some concept has been applied that takes a setup larger than 8 people and forms virtual setups of 8 or fewer people. Examples of such concepts are `triple boxes', `parallelogram', and `split phantom waves'. They are also not required for certain calls that can be done in a setup of any size, such as `press', `truck', and `counter rotate'.
They are required whenever a call that is not one of the special ones needs to be extended to more than 8 people, or a setup of more than 8 people needs to be split in order to execute a call in smaller setups.
As an example of the former case, consider offset waves, that is, a 3x4 matrix
with the outer waves not fully occupied. If we use a concept like `offset
waves', `triple waves', or `triple waves working forward', we can use
a call directly. However, if we want to call a 12-person call like
`circulate' or `motivate', we need to legitimize the phantom spots.
By saying 12 MATRIX circulate or 3x4 MATRIX circulate, we
indicate that the phantom spots actually count, and that we want a 12-person
version of `circulate'. If we are in parallelogram waves, that is, a
2x6 matrix, we can also say 12 MATRIX circulate or 2x6 MATRIX
circulate. (In this case there are 3 concentric circulate paths of 4
people each.) One could also say 12 MATRIX in roll circulate from
some 2x6 matrices. Exactly what large setups a call can be done from
depends on the call.
Also, some calls, like `circulate', can be used with either `12 MATRIX'
or `3x4 MATRIX', while other calls require `12 MATRIX'.
For example,
12 MATRIX motivate is legal, but 3x4 MATRIX motivate is not.
The rationale is that `12 MATRIX' and `16 MATRIX' are call
modifiers; 12 MATRIX circulate and 12 MATRIX motivate are
calls that have definitions in this setup. Concepts like `3x4 MATRIX',
`4x4 MATRIX', `2x6 MATRIX', and `2x8 MATRIX' simply state
how big the setup is. The call `circulate' is defined in such a way
that it can be executed in a wide variety of sizes and shapes, simply by knowing
the size and shape. `Motivate' is more restricted. There are calls
12 MATRIX motivate and 16 MATRIX motivate, but there is no
general rule for all matrices.
The other case in which a matrix size modifier must be given arises when the setup must be split. In setups of 8 or fewer people, it is well accepted that splitting occurs automatically when required. For example, facing lines are split into facing couples when `flutter wheel' is called. This phenomenon does not automatically happen when the setup is larger than 8 spots.
For example, from parallelogram columns, you can't just say 2x1 transfer
the column. You must legitimize the phantom spots by giving a concept such
as `12 matrix' or `2x6 matrix'. The setup will then be split into
two end-to-end 2x3's, in each of which the call will be performed.
These concepts all have the additional property that they can expand a smaller setup as required, so, for example, `12 MATRIX circulate' is legal in normal (2x4) columns. It expands the setup to a 2x6 by placing pairs of phantoms on the ends. (Special case: in a 2x4 setup, the `16 MATRIX' call modifier doesn't know whether to expand to a 4x4 or a 2x8, so you may need to use `4X4 MATRIX' or `2X8 MATRIX' explicitly. In other cases, the expansion is clear.)
Explicit matrix concepts can also be used to dictate the precise formation with phantoms when using tandem or as-couples concepts. For example, from two-faced lines, the concept `2X8 MATRIX AS COUPLES' leads to virtual 2x4 lines (in which the ends are all phantoms), `4X4 MATRIX AS COUPLES' leads to virtual 2x4 columns (this happens to be the same as `PHANTOM AS COUPLES' in this setup), and `4X4 MATRIX BOXES WORK SOLID' leads to a virtual 2x2. `2X8 MATRIX BOXES WORK SOLID' leads to a virtual 1x4. From twin diamonds in which each diamond has all 4 people facing the same way, `16 MATRIX OF PARALLEL DIAMONDS DIAMONDSOME' leads to a virtual 1x4 in which both ends are phantoms. `DIAMONDSOME' leads to a virtual 1x2.
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