ryan:

the arrows on rolling figures refer to the roll direction relative to the radius of the circle, but they do not specify left or right. since cross box figures may be flown towards or away from the flightline, two pilots could fly the same figure with opposite entries, one rolling right, the other rolling left.

the direction of a second roll element is determined by the sequence writer, subject to the rules of the FAI catalog, which defines when we can and can't link rolls with the same or opposite direction. While it is true that in the lower classes the majority of unlinked rolls will be opposite, in the upper classes an entire sequence could have same (or opposite) direction unlinked rolls.

this is well beyond what anyone needs to know for Basic, but understanding the catalog is the foundation of understanding sequence construction.

P