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Scoring In Gymnastics

Rules that govern gymnastics scoring are made by the "FIG" (Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique). These rules are modified by USA Gymnastics for NCAA competition. Each of the judges arrives at a score independently. The high and low scores are discarded while the remaining scores are averaged.

Judging Criteria
For each routine, the gymnast begins with a base score of 9.500. Judges make deductions for flaws in execution and for any missing requirements in the composition of the exercise.

The judge may award bonus points, up to .5. Thus, the perfect routine, including bonus points added, is awarded a score of 10.00.

Gymnastics skills are divided into five levels of difficulty. Levels range from "A," which is the easiest, to "E," the most difficult. Each routine must have a minimum number of parts dependent upon the level of competition.

Olympic Competition Order
The international competition order is decided by the FIG. Olympic order for women is: vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise.

How are gymnasts scored?
With the exception of vault, where each vault is assigned a value, all women's routines are scored from 9.50 points. A gymnast can earn an additional .5 points by showing special combinations, connections, and/or extra D- or E-rated elements, for a maximum start value of 10.

Are the gymnasts required to do any specific moves?
Yes, we'll have more details on this soon.

My favorite gymnast was over/underscored. Why?
Because gymnastics has highly complex rules, what may not look like a mistake to the untrained eye may actually cause the gymnast to lose bonus points. If this happens, look at the gymnasts' start value. If it's below a 10.0, something like this probably contributed to the low score.

Do gymnasts submit a routine ahead of time to the judges?
A gymnast does not submit her routine in advance. Judges are no longer allowed to watch the gymnasts warm-up. They must score as they see.

How do judges remember what a gymnast has done when he scores a routine?
The FIG has created a shorthand system so the judges can easily "write down" a routine while it is being performed. From there, the judge can quickly review and score a routine. We'll have an example of this up soon.

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