A gymnast can stay on the Balance Beam for an entire routine and still lose points for small balance checks, incomplete splits, long pauses and weak choreography. Judges also decide which skills and connections receive difficulty credit.
FIG separates those decisions into a D-Score for difficulty and an E-Score for execution and artistry. Certain rule violations are penalized separately:
D-Score + E-Score − separate penalties = Final Score
This article covers women’s Balance Beam under the 2025–2028 FIG Code of Points, including published clarifications checked through September 14, 2026. For the wider scoring system, see how FIG gymnastics scores are calculated.
| Scoring feature | FIG Balance Beam rule |
|---|---|
| Counting difficulty | Up to eight eligible skills, including the dismount |
| Dance and acrobatics | At least three dance and three acrobatic elements within the eight; the remaining two may come from either category |
| Composition Requirements | Four requirements worth 0.50 each, for up to 2.00 |
| Connection Value | 0.10 or 0.20 for qualifying direct combinations |
| Series Bonus | 0.10 per qualifying series of three or more elements |
| Dismount Bonus | 0.20 for a recognized D-or-harder dismount performed without a fall |
| E-Score | Begins from 10.00; execution, artistry and composition deductions are subtracted |
| Fall | 1.00 execution deduction |
| Routine time limit | 90 seconds; overtime penalty applies at 91 seconds or more |
How the Balance Beam D-Score Is Built
Beam difficulty combines five parts:
Counting Difficulty Values + Composition Requirements + Connection Value + Series Bonus + Dismount Bonus
The difficulty judges, called the D-Jury, award these points according to the skills and combinations they recognize. An attempted skill does not automatically receive its planned value.
1. Eight Counting Skills Must Include Dance and Acrobatics
FIG assigns recognized elements letter ratings called Difficulty Values (DV). A C element is worth 0.30, a D is worth 0.40, and an E is worth 0.50.
The eight counting elements must include at least three dance elements and three acrobatic elements. The remaining two places can be filled by either category. The dismount counts as an acrobatic element and is included within the eight.
| Possible counting combination | Meets the dance/acro balance? |
|---|---|
| 3 dance + 5 acro | Yes |
| 4 dance + 4 acro | Yes |
| 5 dance + 3 acro | Yes |
| 2 dance + 6 acro | No |
The gymnast may perform additional skills, but judges cannot simply choose the eight hardest acrobatic elements and ignore dance. Repetition and recognition rules also affect which values count.
For the general calculation behind these choices, see how FIG difficulty is calculated.
2. Four Composition Requirements Add Up to 2.00
Composition Requirements (CR) ensure that the routine includes particular types of movement:
| Beam requirement | What the gymnast must show | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Dance connection | At least two different connected dance elements, including a qualifying leap or jump with a 180° split or straddle position | 0.50 |
| Turn or permitted alternative | A qualifying turn, or one of the specifically listed roll/flair elements | 0.50 |
| Acrobatic series | At least two connected flight elements, with at least one salto | 0.50 |
| Acrobatics in different directions | Forward or sideward acrobatics, and backward acrobatics | 0.50 |
| Maximum CR credit | All four requirements fulfilled | 2.00 |
A salto is a flip without hand support. The acrobatic series can also contain flight skills with hand support, such as a back handspring.
The dance connection, turn, acrobatic series and directional acrobatics must meet the on-beam conditions in the Code. A dismount cannot simply replace a missing on-beam requirement. The roll/flair alternative is limited to the listed elements and their specific conditions.
Missing a requirement removes 0.50 of available D-Score credit. It does not subtract 0.50 from execution.
The counting rules and requirements appear in Sections 12.2–12.3 of the FIG Women’s Code of Points.
3. Direct Connections Earn Extra Difficulty
Connection Value (CV) rewards qualifying skills linked directly together. Beam can award CV for acrobatic connections, dance connections and mixed connections combining the two.
Selected formulas show how the conditions vary:
| Connection | Important condition | CV |
|---|---|---|
| C + C acrobatic flight elements | Rebounding connection | 0.10 |
| C/D + D or harder acrobatic flight elements | Rebounding connection | 0.20 |
| B + D acrobatic flight elements | Both travel backward, in this order, with the required rebound | 0.10 |
| B + D acrobatic flight elements | Both travel forward, with the required rebound | 0.20 |
| C + C dance elements | Valid direct dance connection | 0.10 |
| B + D mixed connection | Acrobatic element has flight; valid direct connection | 0.10 |
| D + D or harder dance/mixed connection | Valid direct connection; any acrobatics must have flight | 0.20 |
These two-element formulas exclude dismounts. They are examples rather than the complete CV table.
For acrobatic CV, the required rebound uses the landing of one element to drive immediately into the next. A sequence that looks smooth can still fail to meet that technical condition. Dance and mixed combinations follow their own connection standards.
A back handspring → layout step-out illustrates another distinction. With proper recognition and connection, the B + C series can fulfill the acrobatic Composition Requirement. That pair does not, by itself, match a two-element acrobatic CV formula.
4. Series Bonus Rewards Longer Combinations
A qualifying sequence of at least three elements, starting from B + B + C in any order, can earn 0.10 Series Bonus (SB).
The series may be acrobatic, dance or mixed. Both rebounding and qualifying non-rebounding acrobatic sequences can earn SB. If the dismount forms part of the series, it must be at least C-rated.
For example, back handspring → back handspring → layout step-out can meet the B + B + C standard when the full series satisfies the rules. The permitted repetition helps create the series, but the same back handspring does not receive its individual Difficulty Value twice.
One series can earn both CV and SB. However, its Series Bonus remains capped at 0.10, regardless of how many additional elements it contains. Separate qualifying series can each earn SB under the repetition rules.
The WAG Help Desk’s Beam section illustrates the difference between rebounding CV and Series Bonus.
5. A Qualifying Dismount Adds 0.20
A recognized D-or-harder dismount performed without a fall earns 0.20 Dismount Bonus. Its own Difficulty Value still counts among the eight elements.
The bonus does not require a stuck landing. A small landing step can receive an execution deduction while the bonus remains available. A fall prevents the bonus.
How Execution Deductions Affect the E-Score
The execution judges, called the E-Jury, begin from 10.00 and subtract for performance errors. On Beam, that includes body form, balance, preparation, landings, artistry and certain composition faults.
Common Beam Deductions
| Error | FIG deduction |
|---|---|
| Bent arms or knees | 0.10, 0.30 or 0.50, depending on severity |
| Unpointed or relaxed feet | 0.10 |
| Insufficient height | 0.10 or 0.30 |
| Additional movements to maintain balance | 0.10, 0.30 or 0.50 |
| Unnecessary adjustment steps or movements | 0.10 each |
| Excessive arm swing before a dance element | 0.10 each |
| Pause lasting two seconds or more | 0.10 each |
| Poor rhythm in a connection | 0.10 each, under the applicable rule |
| Extra support of the leg against the side of the beam | 0.30 |
| Grasping the beam to avoid a fall | 0.50 |
| Fall from or onto the apparatus | 1.00 |
A small balance correction and a major struggle to stay on the beam are not necessarily the same deduction. Judges evaluate the size and nature of the movement.
A pause can also cost points even when the routine finishes within 90 seconds. The pause deduction concerns the performance; overtime is a separate timing violation.
Grasping the Beam Is Different From Falling
An unexpected grasp used to save the routine costs 0.50. Planned hand support in a back handspring or another recognized skill is part of that element and does not receive this penalty.
Judges do not automatically add every possible balance deduction to the grasp. In the Help Desk’s examples, a 0.30 balance error followed by a 0.50 grasp within the same element results in 0.50 for that balance-and-grasp incident. The grasp takes precedence.
Other applicable errors, such as landing posture, are evaluated under the combination and maximum-deduction rules. An actual fall onto the apparatus can receive 1.00 even if the gymnast never reaches the floor.
Dismount Landing Deductions
| Landing error | Deduction |
|---|---|
| Extra step or slight hop | 0.10 each |
| Very large step or jump | 0.30 each |
| Lack of balance | 0.10 or 0.30 |
| Landing posture error | 0.10 or 0.30 |
| Deep squat | 0.50 |
| Supporting the body with the hands on the mat, or falling to the knees or hips | 1.00 |
When there is no fall, the general landing deductions are capped at 0.80. That is not a cap on all deductions for the dismount or the entire routine. For example, performing the dismount too close to the apparatus is a separate 0.30 fault outside the landing cap.
A gymnast can hold her feet still and still lose points for low flight, poor posture or form errors before landing. The FIG execution-score guide explains the broader deduction framework.
How Artistry and Composition Are Judged on Beam
Beam is evaluated as a complete performance. Dance, acrobatics and transitions should form a routine with varied movement and rhythm, rather than a sequence of isolated skills separated by preparation.
Artistry and composition deductions reduce the E-Score. They are not another score added alongside difficulty and execution.
| Artistry or composition problem | Deduction |
|---|---|
| Poor overall posture of the head, shoulders or trunk | 0.10 or 0.20 |
| Movements that lack sufficient range or amplitude | 0.10 |
| Insufficient involvement of the body in the choreography | 0.10 |
| Small or insufficient leg swings and kicks | 0.10 |
| Poor footwork: unpointed, relaxed or turned-in feet | 0.10 |
| Poor work in relevé, the raised-heel position | 0.10 |
| Insufficient rhythm variation or disconnected movement | 0.10 or 0.20 |
| Missing sideways movement | 0.10 |
| Missing the required combination close to the beam | 0.10 |
These are separate listed criteria, not a single automatic “artistry deduction.” Judges assess the faults that occur.
What Counts as Working Close to the Beam?
The routine needs a qualifying combination of movements or elements close to the beam, with prescribed body contact such as the torso, thigh, knee or head.
The Help Desk gives options involving two elements, an element plus a choreographic movement, or two choreographic movements with the required contacts. A pose alone is not enough. A simple arm circle also does not replace the required movement combination.
Sideways movement similarly requires more than a token step and close. The gymnast must show movement in the side position with appropriate body involvement.
Does Fast Gymnastics Automatically Earn Better Artistry?
No. The Code calls for variation in rhythm and tempo, not one constant speed. Judges look for movement that connects the routine naturally, with clear changes in pace and sufficient expression through the body.
A deliberate choreographic moment is different from standing still to prepare for a difficult skill. Sections 12.5–12.6 of the WAG Code and pages 80–81 of the WAG Help Desk set out these distinctions.
How Technical Errors Can Change Difficulty
Some mistakes only reduce execution. Others also change the skill or connection judges can recognize, creating an additional effect on the D-Score.
Incomplete Split Positions
For elements subject to the general 180° split requirement, FIG distinguishes a small shortfall from a position that no longer qualifies for the intended skill:
| Missing split angle | General treatment |
|---|---|
| More than 0° through 20° short | Small fault: 0.10 |
| More than 20° through 45° short | Medium fault: 0.30 |
| More than 45° short | Recognize another listed element or award no Difficulty Value |
For example, a 165° split is 15° short, placing it in the small-fault range. A 150° split is 30° short, placing it in the medium-fault range.
These are the split faults alone. Other requirements still apply to the skill. A ring leap, for instance, must also show its prescribed upper-back, head and rear-leg positions.
A split deduction does not automatically mean the gymnast loses the element or its Composition Requirement. A larger technical failure can affect those credits, depending on what judges recognize.
Incomplete Turns and Missing Positions
Turns must meet the required rotation and body-position rules. For one-leg turns, the shoulders and hips help determine whether the turn is complete. Where a particular free-leg position is required, it must be maintained as prescribed.
A turn that finishes short or drops the free leg may be recognized as a different element. Likewise, an attempted ring element may become a split element if the defining ring position is absent.
Judges then reassess any connection or requirement that depended on the original skill. They do not automatically award the planned difficulty and apply only a form deduction. The recognition standards appear in Sections 8.2–8.3 of the WAG Code.
Broken Connections Can Affect Several Parts of the Score
Suppose a gymnast completes two recognized acrobatic skills but stops between them. Their individual values may remain, while planned CV or Series Bonus is lost.
If that was her only qualifying acrobatic series, she may also lose the 0.50 Composition Requirement. Another valid series elsewhere in the routine could preserve that requirement.
A balance error can add an execution deduction as well. The total loss therefore depends on which credits were available and what actually happened; there is no universal fixed penalty for every broken series.
Time Limits, Falls and Other Penalties
Beam has both a routine clock and a separate fall-recovery clock. They measure different parts of the performance.
The 90-Second Routine Limit
The routine clock begins when the gymnast takes off from the springboard or mat to mount. It stops when she touches the landing mat at the end of the exercise.
Warning signals sound at 80 seconds and 90 seconds. The overtime deduction is 0.10, applied when the exercise lasts 91 seconds or more.
Skills performed after the time limit can still receive difficulty credit and execution evaluation. The gymnast does not lose the value of an otherwise recognized dismount merely because it is late; the separate overtime penalty is applied.
Falls and the 10-Second Recovery Period
A fall costs 1.00 from execution. Whether the skill retains its Difficulty Value depends on how the gymnast returned to the beam:
| What happens | Difficulty treatment |
|---|---|
| The gymnast lands on one or both feet, or in the prescribed position, on the beam before falling | The element can retain its Difficulty Value |
| The gymnast does not land on the beam in the required position | The element receives no Difficulty Value and may be repeated to earn credit |
After a fall, the gymnast normally has 10 seconds to remount. Timing starts once she is back on her feet. The recovery period is timed separately and does not count toward the 90-second routine limit.
Exceeding the permitted recovery time and continuing can bring a separate 0.30 penalty. If she has not resumed within the 60-second limit, the exercise is terminated.
The fall period ends when she takes off from the mat to remount. The routine clock resumes with her first movement to continue the exercise after remounting.
Mount and Dismount Problems
A permitted second running approach for a mount carries a 1.00 separate penalty. Whether it is allowed depends on whether the gymnast touched the springboard or apparatus on the first attempt.
Finishing without attempting a dismount can bring a 0.50 no-dismount penalty, a fall deduction and no dismount difficulty. An attempted salto dismount that fails to land feet first is treated differently: it receives no difficulty credit and the fall is deducted.
These rules appear in Sections 12.1 and 12.6–12.7 of the Code. The guide to separate penalties in FIG gymnastics explains how these losses differ from ordinary execution deductions.
A Complete Balance Beam Scoring Example
Suppose judges recognize a hypothetical routine with the following eight counting skills. Its construction meets all four Composition Requirements, and the dismount is completed without a fall.
| Counting skills | Number | Difficulty total |
|---|---|---|
| Dance: D, C, C | 3 | 1.00 |
| Acrobatics on the beam: E, E, D, D | 4 | 1.80 |
| E-rated dismount | 1 | 0.50 |
| Total | 8 | 3.30 |
The dismount brings the total to five acrobatic elements, alongside three dance elements. The judges then add the other difficulty credits:
| D-Score component | Credit |
|---|---|
| Counting Difficulty Values | 3.30 |
| All four Composition Requirements | 2.00 |
| Qualifying Connection Value | 0.50 |
| Series Bonus from two qualifying series | 0.20 |
| Dismount Bonus | 0.20 |
| D-Score | 6.20 |
Now suppose the combined E-Jury evaluation produces 1.50 in execution deductions and 0.30 in artistry/composition deductions:
E-Score = 10.00 − 1.50 − 0.30 = 8.20
If the routine lasts 91 seconds, the final score includes the 0.10 overtime penalty:
6.20 + 8.20 − 0.10 = 14.300
This is an arithmetic example, not an actual competition routine. The skill letters alone do not prove that a real routine fulfills every connection and construction rule.
Each execution judge evaluates independently. With seven E-judges, FIG removes the two highest and two lowest deduction totals and averages the middle three; smaller panels use their applicable averaging procedure.