ABOUT THE CHAMPIONSHIPS…..

CHAMPIONSHIPS, What are criteria for scoring?

In accordance with Code of Points regulated by FIG, multiple judges score each gymnast’s performance with regard to difficulties, aesthetics, dynamism, and stability, etc. Gymnasts compete over the ranking calculated from such scores.

What kind of apparatus and disciplines exist? 
Men: Floor, Pommel Horse, Rings, Vault, Parallel Bars and High Bar（six apparatus）
Women: Vault, Uneven Bars, Balance Beam and Floor (four apparatus)

Note: Some formats are not applied to the national competitions

The more difficulty the performance has, the higher score it can gain?
The final score of an exercise is calculated by addition of D-score which evaluates contents of exercise such as difficulties, and E-score which evaluates execution of performance. (Please see the figure below.) 　Therefore, even if a gymnast frequently performs elements with high difficulty rating, if the performance does not have aesthetics and dynamism which are essential qualities of gymnastics, the execution score will be deducted. As a result, the gymnast will not be able to obtain high score. In this context, gymnasts are expected to perform more difficult elements which are appropriate for their abilities in a way that they can execute more beautifully and dynamically.

How does judges’ scoring determine the final score of gymnasts?
Nine judges in total are in charge of scoring which include two of D-judges (one for coordinator); five of E-judges and two of R-judges (reference judges). Two D-judges evaluate difficulty of exercise (difficulty value, connection value). By doing so, they determine a D-score. Five of each E-judge evaluates execution of performance by deduction for errors from full points of ten. The highest and the lowest points from those five are eliminated and the average of remaining three points will become one E-score. Each of two R-judges (reference judges) also determines E-score by deduction for errors from full points of ten. Points determined by two R-judges are averaged and compared with E-score established by E-judges. If the difference of the two scores between E-judges and R-judges is within a certain criteria, the score which is established by E-judges will be the final E-score. While the difference is outside the criteria, the final E-score will be determined in consideration of the score established by R-judges. The final score of a gymnast is determined by deducting penalties, if there are some, after adding E-score and D-score as described previously. In principle, all of calculation is processed by computer system and the score will be displayed after the process. Also, the coordinator of D-judges is in charge of governing calculation of the final score.

Note: Some contents are not applied to domestic competitions. In some cases, penalties are imposed by head judges.

[Calculation of D-score]
D-score is calculated by adding “difficulty value”, “element group value” for men, “compositional requirement” for women, and “connection value” which is given to special connections between elements depending on apparatus.

Difficulty value is defined as follows;

Not all elements performed are subject to addition as difficulty value. Difficulty values of the maximum ten elements including dismount for men and the maximum eight elements for women are selected and added to the respective difficulty values. Also, considering the specialty of each apparatus, “element group points” for men and “compositional requirement points” for women are added to respective D-scores when gymnasts include special elements and/or special composition of exercise in their performance. In addition to that, connection points are added to D-score for sequence of difficult elements depending on apparatus. Conditions for obtaining connection points are provided only for floor and high bar for men and uneven bars, balance beam and floor for women. Other than these apparatus, there are no connection points.
Note: D-score for each element of vault is already determined.

[Calculation of E-score]
E-score is composed of full points of ten and evaluates the presentation of performance primarily by deduction including deviation from the end position, falls, and making movement by force instead of which has to be made by swing. Compositional deduction such as not to use four corners of the floor during exercise and artistic aspect deduction for women’s exercise are subject to the deductions of E-score.

The criteria for E-score are as follows.

Following the above procedure, the highest and the lowest score of five E-judges are eliminated and remaining three scores are averaged to determine E-score.
Note: There is a deduction category of -0.8 for women’s

What kind of penalties is there?
The most well-known penalties are line and time violations. Line violations are applied to floor and vault exercises for men and women and time violations to floor exercise for men and women and balance beam for women.

[Line violations for Floor Exercise]
For the floor exercise, lines are drawn for the 12m square and inside the lines is the area for exercise. Gymnast may step onto the line, but not over the line. If they step over the line, the penalty will be imposed (-0.1, -0.3, -0.5).

[Line violations for vault]
Two lines are drawn from the starting point of running toward a vault in order to judge the deviation from the extended axis of the vault at the time of landing. (Inside the lines is a landing area)
Men: (To judge gymnasts overstepping the lines after they landed on the floor until their movements stop completely.)
Women: (To judge positions of gymnasts at the time of landing. The center line is a criterion to decide the degree of deduction.）

Time violations: Men’s Floor (Duration of the Floor Exercise is within 70 seconds)
Duration of the exercise is verified by a timer twice
between 60 seconds and 70 seconds from the start.
Duration of exercise exceeds 70 seconds but ends
within 72 seconds. (-0.1)
Duration of exercise exceeds 72 seconds but ends
within 75 seconds. (-0.3)
Duration of exercise exceeds 75 seconds. (-0.5)

Time violations: Women’s balance beam (Duration of the exercise is within 90 seconds)
Duration of the exercise is verified by a timer twice between 80 seconds and 90 seconds from the start.
Duration of exercise exceeds 90 seconds. (-0.1)

Time deductions: Women’s Floor (Duration of the Floor Exercise is within 90 seconds)
Duration of exercise exceeds 90 seconds. (-0.1)

Would that be possible to include simple elements only because of free exercise?
It is possible. Gymnasts perform in line with their own abilities and obtain scores appropriate to their performance. Considering mastery of technique and difficulty rating, gymnasts, in some cases, it is one of their strategies to win the competition by changing their component of exercise from the one they were supposed to perform to the simpler one.

Tell me about men’s apparatus rules briefly

Tell me about women’s apparatus rules briefly.