I didnt read the handbook to provide that info, that is just what I look for and how I personally do it, glad to know Im close the the AMA rulebook though.

Good luck on stick inputs, there are about 1,000 different ideas of how the actual snap portion of the maneuver should be performed. The little nuances of snaps are hotly contested.

Heres my take on how to get it done.

Negative snap is always inititated with down elevator and sticks go in opposite direction. Left negative snap sticks up and in, Right negative snap sticks up and out. But if you are in a downline you wont actually want to push the throttle up much in my opinion, more over and just enough throttle to get the look you want.

ALSO, that rudder input to to hold heading as you exit the snap would be right if you are flying right and left if you are flying to the left.

dont fly the downline fast, enter at a moderate speed to slower speed and try not to gain too much speed . Get out of the elevator as soon as you get the break and initiate the snap. The way I best hold the line coming out of the snap, is to snap left if you are flying right and snap right if you are coming left, in other words snap away from you. If you snap in towards yourself its a lot easier to see the plane coming in at the end of the snap than when it is going away unless you are really quick on the rudder.

Once again that momentary and sudden definite break in the nose given by down elevator just before you initiate all the inputs of the snap is crucial to getting a correct looking snap. But you have to get into the snap before the break changes your heading. That break in itself is THE most hotly discussed of all the aspects of a snap.

By the way, I can perform the maneuver, I just dont compete in advanced.... yet .