A Very Basic Overview of Gymnastics Judging
Hi,
There are times when a gymnastics judging panel's decision leaves us scratching our heads and wondering if they just watched the same performance we did.
So let's shed a little light on the mystery of gymnastics judging.
Whenever your gymnast attends a meet, be it regional,
local, or otherwise, as you know, he or she is
being judged on his or her performance.
You may or may not like how the panel rates your child’s
routine, but rest assured that the gymnastics judging staff is
there as an impartial and fair group which works together to
offer unbiased scoring - we hope.
This is where the playing field of the competition is at its
most level. Granted, gymnastics judging is not a science,
and there can be mistakes made. This is why it is always
good to have an idea of what the judges are looking at when
they make their decisions.
I'm here to help!
First, judges take a look at whether or not your gymnast has
followed the rules of attendance. Each meet may have a
different dress code, but most typically, associations will
ask that long hair be tied back close to the head, that
jewelry be removed, and that all clothing that may prove a
safety issue be removed. If your gymnast is not in
accordance with these rules, his or her participation may
be interrupted until the issue can be resolved.
Barring that, the judges’ rating is based entirely upon the
gymnastic performance, yet there is little doubt the choice of gymnastics leotard has some effect on the judges, albeit subconciously. Since there are so many different
disciplines within both artictic and rhythmic gymnastics, we’ll just give you the basics in
common to all of them.
To begin with, what judges usually look at is overall
difficulty. In other words, a gymnast attempting
a more advanced gymnastics routine, will start off with
more points than someone who is attempting a beginner’s
routine. The more somersaults, vaults, flips, and so forth
used, the better chance of a good score; also, the more
difficult a position he or she uses for somersaults (piked
or straight versus tucked), the higher the difficulty
rating will be.
Also, consideration is given to the gymnast who makes
use of more complex movements (usually
termed ‘segments’ or ‘elements’); these are typically
looked at in terms of degrees (180, 360, etc). The more
twists and turns a gymnast does, the more complicated the
routine.
Beyond complexity, the judges look at execution. Something
that is full of twists and turns but poorly executed will
score lower than something that is simpler but perfectly
executed.
The criteria for measuring this aspect of
gymnastics include:
- Stability (Did he or she waver in the terminus of the segment? Did he or she take an extra step or falter with any element?) and
- Landings (Did he or she stumble? Did he or she hold position for no less than three seconds at the end of the routine?).
Instability in any part of a routine can be disastrous - not only in terms
of judging, but, indeed, in terms of safety. Most gymnasts
learn, with time, to be very measured and precise. If they
stumble when coming to a stop, they appear not to have the
last bit of polish that gives their routine the extra
‘oomph’ it needs to pass with the judges. Then, of course,
if a gymnast doesn’t hold the typical arms-up final
position for more than three seconds at the end of the
routine, points are deducted. These are just things to
keep in mind.
Finally, when all is said and done, total points are
calculated. Depending upon the type of routine your
gymnast has performed, he or she will be given a base
number of points, from which the raw score is computed.
Each misstep - and each flourish - weighs on the raw score.
Typically, additions and subtractions are made in the form
of fractions of a point - .1, .2, .3, .4, .5, and so on.
Sometimes, judges are limited in the amount of points they
can deduct for a single mistake (in other words, sometimes
the subtractions are limited to .5 points at a time).
Of course, every gymnast dreams of scoring a “10”, to do so in an open womens gymnastics event can be the highlight of a young athletes career.
In any case, lots of encouragement is deserved by your
gymnast.
If something should go unfavorably during the judging
process, at the very least you will have an idea of what
happened. Keep in mind that gymnastics judging is not a
science and mistakes can be made. Your little one should
not bear the burden of politics; he or she is a champion
regardless of whether or not a perfect score is attained.
Until next time, remember, be the best gymnastics parent you can be, your child deserves nothing less.
Thanks,
Murray
