It is an understatement to say that gymnastics has changed over the past ten years. With the London Olympics less than a year away, it made me think about how much has changed.

 

The greatest change, of course, was the revising of the Code of Points in 2006 from the perfect 10 scoring system to the open ended system. Judges now take what the gymnast does (the A Score or the Start Difficulty) and add that to the Execution Score (the B Score). The Execution Score is still based out of a 10.0. When it comes to vault, Start Difficulty is already set.

 

Let's say that a gymnast does a beam routine. Skills are now ranked A through G. An A skill is worth 0.1, a B skill is worth 0.2, a C skill is worth 0.3 all the way to G at 0.7. Judges will count the eight most difficult skills and add them together.

 

Example:

Skills in the beam routine: D C D D E F E C B A D D D A G

 

The judges who are responsible for the Start Difficulty will take the D,D,D,D,E,E,F,G and add up their values to get 3.9. If the gymnast has fulfilled all the basic requirements of leaps and dance elements, etc., they get an automatic 2.5 added to their skills total (each requirement is worth 0.5 and there are five to fulfill on uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise). Gymnasts also get combination bonus for connecting different skills together. So let’s say this gymnast gets 0.4 in bonus. 3.9+2.5+0.4= 6.8.

 

The gymnast's Start Difficulty is 6.8. The judges responsible for the Execution Score will deduct from the 10.0 based on how well the gymnast performs the skills. Each score is added together to get the final score.

 

This is how the score breaks down:

 

A Score: 6.8

B Score : 9.250

Final Score: 16.050

 

The judges now use instant video replay to review routines if there is any concern such as making sure a gymnast completed a twist.

 

The new Code not only brought the sport to a new level is terms of amazingly difficult skills, but we also saw an increase in the amount of deductions. Until the new code, sitting down or putting hands down when landing was a five tenth deduction. The same deduction was taken on balance beam by grabbing ones legs on an element to keep from falling and putting ones hands down on the beam itself, acting like a fall. Now, a fall from an apparatus, putting hands down on beam and sitting or putting hands down on landings is a full point deduction. Grabbing of the legs on beam is still five tenths.

 

With the exception of the 1993 to 1996 Code which allowed countries to have seven gymnasts on a team, the FIG allowed six members to a team. Starting in 2001, the format for team preliminaries was still 6-5-4 (six gymnasts on a team, five gymnasts compete on each apparatus and the top four scores count). But for the team final, they went to the more competitive 6-3-3 format, also known as three up, three count (six gymnasts on a team, three gymnasts compete on each apparatus and all three scores count). However, for the upcoming London Olympics, the FIG changed the rules, allowing only five gymnasts per team. This will make selecting a team that much more challenging and will leave one less spot for Olympic hopefuls. The new team lineup will change that format as well in the preliminaries, making it a 5-4-3 format (five gymnasts on a team, four gymnasts compete on each apparatus and the top three scores count) . The three up, three count format will still apply to the team final. The rule has been implemented to increase the competitiveness, much like introducing the three up, three count format in 2001.

 

For the women, the only apparatuses to have major changes are vault and floor exercise. In 2001, the vaulting horse was replaced by the vaulting table. Not only is the table safer than the horse, but it allows for gymnasts to perform incredibly difficult vaults. Until 2002, gymnasts were allowed to perform two vaults in the team preliminaries, team final and the all around. Each vault’s score was averaged and added to the team total with the exception of 1993 to 1996 when the average was taken in the all around and event final only. However, in 2003, the two vault rule was changed and the gymnasts were allowed one vault. If a gymnast wants to qualify to the vault event final, they will perform two vaults from different families (or styles) during prelims, and have the scores averaged to qualify.

 

On floor exercise, gymnasts had to perform a minimum of three tumbling passes and a maximum of four from 1993 to 2005. From 2006-2008, the number of passes was changed to a minimum of four to a maximum of five. Since 2009, it has gone back to a minimum of three and a maximum of four. Gymnasts also can no longer perform a major element twice. For example, if their opening pass is a round off, back handspring, two and a half twist into a front layout, they cannot perform the two and a half twist or front layout again. If they do, it is a deduction. One change was made regarding floor music in 2009. Gymnasts are now allowed to use music with voice as long as there are no lyrics. Landing, hopping or stepping out of bounds was only a one tenth deduction until 2006. Now, stepping out of bounds with one foot and landing with one foot out of bounds is one tenth off, landing, hopping or stepping out with two feet is three tenths off and landing with both feet out of bounds is five tenths off.

 

At both Worlds and Olympics, the number of teams that compete in the team final has gone from six to eight starting in 2001. Starting in 2003, the number of gymnasts who could qualify to the all around went from three to two gymnasts per country, making it twenty four gymnasts instead of thirty six. For event finals, gymnasts are no longer allowed to have a one touch warm up. They are presented to the judges and the final immediately begins.

The FIG also implemented tie-breaking at the Olympics starting in 2004. Ties are still allowed at World Championships.

 

We will see all of these changes in London next year. Some may feel that these changes hurt the sport. Others like the changes and think it moves the sport in the right direction. Either way, that is the state gymnastics is in ten years into the new millennium.

Below are examples of how vault, floor exercise and judging have changed for the women.

Svetlana Khorkina on vault at the 2001 Goodwill Games during the All Around when vaults were averaged. 

McKayla Maroney at the 2011 World Championships during the team final under the one vault rule.

Tasha Schwikert at the 2002 Pacific Alliance Championships on floor excercise when gymnasts were allowed to lunge out of landings.

Mattie Larson on floor at the 2010 U.S National Championships, landing without lunging. 

Aliya Mustafina at the 2010 World Championships using floor music with voice. 

 

Shawn Johnson on vault at the 2008 Olympics and an example of the judges using instant video replay to determine a gymnast's score.