Don’t know a “handspring”
from a “kip?” How about a “round-off” from a “salto?”
Well, here is a quick look at the sport to get you acquainted with the
basics.
THE COMPETITION In team competition, a total of six gymnasts compete on each of the
four apparatus. At least two judges on each apparatus score the gymnast’s
peformance, with the judges’ scores averaged to reach the athlete’s
final mark. The team score is comprised of the five best scores per event.
The overall meet score is the combined team score of the four apparatus.
THE APPARATUS The four events in which each team competes are vault, uneven parallel
bars, balance beam, and floor exercise. Each round of competition is called
a “rotation.” A set rotation for each team is drawn before the
meet begins.
• VAULT Composed of a runway 78 feet long, a springboard
and a vaulting horse measuring just under 49 inches tall. Unlike the
other events, vault has no specific requirements and each vault has
its own start value. Gymnasts perform complicated vaults in different
body positions such as tucked, piked or stretched. Judges watch for
proper body alignment, form, quick repulsion, the height and distance
traveled, as well as the number of “saltos” and twists.
Generally, the more “saltos” (a flip or somersault) and
twists, the higher the difficulty value of the vault. In addition,
gymnasts strive to "stick" their landings by taking no extra
steps.
• UNEVEN PARALLEL
BARS Often a crowd favorite, the uneven bars demand
excellent upper-body strength, split-second timing and an aggressive
approach. The routine should flow from one movement to the next without
pauses, extra swings or additional supports. Three release moves are
required: one that goes from the low bar to catch the high bar, one
that goes from the high bar to catch the low bar, and a third that
releases and catches the same bar. Several other elements are required
in the routine, including moving the gymnast's center of gravity in
toward the bar. Perfect form, straight body lines in the vertical
position and a stuck landing are essential.
• BALANCE BEAM Just four inches wide, the beam challenges athletes
because they must execute routines that give the impression that they
are performing on the floor. The routine may not exceed 90 seconds
and must cover the entire length of the beam. Gymnasts must use acrobatic
and dance movements to create high points in the exercise, consisting
of two or more elements performed in a series. Gymnasts also complete
several requirements other than the acrobatic and gymnastics series.
For example, she must complete a turn of at least 360 degrees on one
foot or knee and she must perform a leap or jump with 180 degrees
forward split of the legs. Not completing one of the requirements
means a 0.2 deduction.
• FLOOR EXERCISE The floor exercise gives gymnasts the chance
to express their personalities through their music choice and choreography.
Gymnasts often get energy from the crowd and they usually welcome
audience participation in clapping to the beat. Throughout the routine,
the gymnast must harmoniously blend these elements while making versatile
use of the 40-foot by 40-foot floor space, changing both the direction
and level of movement.
The quality of grace may be disguised by movements of playful theatrics,
but look for a dancer-like command of music, rhythm and space. The
gymnastics elements should flow freely into each other while the leaps
cover impressive distances and the turns add excitement to the music.
The floor routine is choreographed to music, lasting no more than
90 seconds and covering the entire floor area. There are several special
requirements, such as an acrobatic series with at least two “saltos”
and one dance direct connection with a minimum of two leaps, each
taking off of one leg.
SCORING
The judges work from a base score, or start value, from which to evaluate
each gymnast’s performance. Depending on the difficulty of the routine
(for example, combining difficult skills in succession), bonus points
can be awarded to the gymnast’s score.
Routines are composed of different elements that vary in level of difficulty,
ranging from A (easy) to E (most difficult). Certain events require specific
levels of difficulty or numbers of routines from a specific difficulty.
The team score for each round results from adding the top five individual
scores on the apparatus, with a perfect score being 50 (however scores
of 47-49.000 are more realistic). The four scores are then combined for
the final team meet total, with a perfect score equalling 200 (usually
195-198.000).
The athlete’s scores for the all-around are computed by adding each
of their scores on the apparatus, with a perfect score of 40.00 (usually
37-39.000).
DEDUCTIONS
For every bonus point that can be earned during a routine, there can also
be deductions from a gymnast’s score for various mistakes. Some common
examples include:
Fall from an apparatus – 0.5
Step out of bounds (floor exercise) – 0.1
Heavy brush of feet/hand touch on floor exercise – 0.3
Presentation to judge omitted (before or after routine) – 0.1
Intermediate swing (uneven parallel bars) – 0.3
Concentration pauses longer than 2 sec. – 0.1
Exceeding/finishing under time limits – 0.2
Other deductions can be taken for such items as bent arms or legs or separation
of legs when not a part of a specific skill. These deductions will usually
not be more than 0.3 points.
ED. NOTE:Cal State Fullerton would like to thank Brian Eaton
at USA Gymnastics for use of their apparatus descriptions/information.
