Not quite sure how artistic gymnastics is scored? We’ve written a quick guide to help you understand how routines are evaluated. Gone are the days of the perfect 10, now it’s all about how difficult you can make your routine and how well you can execute it…
Who are the different judges and what are their roles?
In Artistic Gymnastics there are two types of judging panels;
- A ‘D-Score’ panel that consists of two judges assessing the difficulty of elements within a routine. Skills are rated from an A, which is the easiest (worth 0.1 points) right through to H (worth 0.8 points). The top ten skills for men and top eight skills for women in each routine are then added together to gain the difficulty value. The only exception is vault, where each vault has been assigned a specific points value. The ‘D-score is simply this value.
- An ‘E-Score’ panel that consists of five judges evaluating execution; technical errors such as falls, bent arms and multiple steps etc. All gymnasts start on an ‘E-score’ of 10 before execution faults are subtracted (if they don’t fulfil all basic requirements then the 10 is again deductible.)
How is the final score calculated?
The final D (difficulty) score and the final E (execution) are added together to give the final total score.
How do you know if a skill has been well executed or not?
The most obvious is when a gymnast falls, for this they receive at 1.0 deduction. There are various other deductions such as steps after elements (0.1 for each), bent arms, legs and many more! A good skill is one that is as near to perfect as possible, for example, if splits show anything other than a straight line (180 degrees) then they will be deducted.
Are there any bonus marks awarded?
Men and women get certain bonuses for linking one or more difficult elements, for example two release and catch moves on the bars.
Are there marks for artistry (dance/choreography)?
Women receive marks for artistry on the floor and on the beam. Routines need to be well thought out to suit the style of the gymnast. The judges are looking for an overall performance, which includes expression, confidence and personal style, with a varied tempo throughout the routine. The floor exercise has deductions for artistry of performance (0.50), composition/choreography and music (1.1) and musicality (0.9). The beam exercise has deductions for Artistic performance (0.40), composition and choreography (0.50) and tempo and rhythm in connections (0.10). There are no artistry scores for the men but they must work hard to stand out so elements are added into floor routines to wow the crowd and show originality and creativity.
What’s a strong score at international level?
To win medals at top international level, gymnasts need to score in the high 14’s into the 15’s.There will be the occasional 16 awarded for a world class routine, such as Max Whitlock’s gold medal winning pommel routine at the 2014 European Championships.