Men’s artistic gymnastics uses an open-ended scoring system, so a gymnast does not simply “start from 10.”
Instead, judges separate difficulty from execution. The difficulty portion is called the D-Score, while the E-Score measures how well the routine was performed.
Under the current FIG 2025–2028 Code of Points, a men’s score is generally built from:
D-Score + E-Score + possible Stick Bonus − Penalties = Final Score
Men’s artistic gymnastics, often shortened to MAG, includes six events: Floor Exercise, Pommel Horse, Still Rings, Vault, Parallel Bars and Horizontal Bar. The same basic scoring idea applies to all six, although Vault calculates difficulty differently.
Men’s Gymnastics Scoring at a Glance
| Part of the Score | What It Measures | How It Works |
|---|---|---|
| D-Score | Difficulty and routine content | Built from credited skills, Element Groups and applicable connection points |
| E-Score | Execution | Starts from 10.0 and deductions are taken for mistakes |
| Stick Bonus | Controlled landing | +0.10 when the current MAG conditions are met |
| Penalties | Certain rule violations | Subtracted separately |
| Final Score | Overall result | D + E + bonus − penalties |
For example:
| Score Component | Example |
|---|---|
| D-Score | 5.800 |
| E-Score | 8.300 |
| Stick Bonus | +0.100 |
| Penalty | −0.100 |
| Final Score | 14.100 |
The important distinction is that only the E-Score starts from 10.0. The D-Score is added on top, so an elite men’s final score can be well above 10.
For the broader international system used in both men’s and women’s gymnastics, see how FIG gymnastics scoring works.
How Is the Men’s D-Score Calculated?
The D-Score, short for Difficulty Score, rewards the difficulty and construction of the routine.
On Floor Exercise, Pommel Horse, Still Rings, Parallel Bars and Horizontal Bar, it is generally built from:
Difficulty Values + Element Group Credit + applicable Connection Points and Bonuses
Vault is different because each vault already has a fixed Difficulty Value.
Eight Elements Count
One of the biggest changes in the 2025–2028 MAG Code was reducing the number of counting elements from 10 to 8 on every apparatus except Vault.
On Pommel Horse, Still Rings, Parallel Bars and Horizontal Bar, the counting content generally consists of seven eligible elements plus the dismount.
Floor also counts eight elements, but it has four regular Element Groups rather than a separate dismount group. (Gymnastics)
Reducing routines from 10 counting elements to 8 makes every skill more important. There are fewer opportunities to build difficulty, so a mistake on one major element can have a greater effect on the routine.
For a more detailed breakdown, see how the FIG D-Score is calculated.
Difficulty Values Run From A to J
Recognized MAG skills receive a letter value based on difficulty:
| Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|
| A | 0.10 |
| B | 0.20 |
| C | 0.30 |
| D | 0.40 |
| E | 0.50 |
| F | 0.60 |
| G | 0.70 |
| H | 0.80 |
| I | 0.90 |
| J | 1.00 |
A D skill therefore adds 0.40 in Difficulty Value, while a J skill is worth 1.00.
Judges do not simply add every skill performed. Only eligible counting elements contribute to the D-Score, and repeating the same recognized element generally does not earn the Difficulty Value again.
For more on the letter system, see the FIG A–J Difficulty Value system.
What Are Element Groups?
Difficulty is not only about performing eight hard skills.
FIG also requires men to show different types of gymnastics within a routine. These categories are called Element Groups.
For example, Horizontal Bar includes groups for long-hang work, flight elements and in-bar skills, while Still Rings requires both swing and strength content.
Element Groups prevent a gymnast from building most of the routine around only one type of skill.
Element Groups by Event
| Event | Main Types of Content |
|---|---|
| Floor Exercise | Non-acrobatic work, forward acrobatics, backward acrobatics, twisting saltos |
| Pommel Horse | Scissor work, circles/flairs, travel elements, dismount |
| Still Rings | Swing work, strength/holds, swing-to-strength work, dismount |
| Parallel Bars | Upper-arm, support and hang-based elements, dismount |
| Horizontal Bar | Long-hang swings, flight elements, in-bar/Adler work, dismount |
| Vault | No Element Group requirements |
Floor has four regular Element Groups.
Pommel Horse, Still Rings, Parallel Bars and Horizontal Bar use three Element Groups plus a Dismount Group. Vault has no Element Groups because each vault already has its own fixed Difficulty Value.
How Much Is an Element Group Worth?
The skill used to satisfy an Element Group can affect how much credit the gymnast receives.
For most groups:
- an A, B or C element earns 0.30
- a D or harder element earns 0.50
Element Group I has a special rule and can receive 0.50 with an eligible counting element regardless of its letter value.
This gives gymnasts an incentive to use harder skills for some requirements: the gymnast receives the element’s own Difficulty Value and may also earn more Element Group credit.
Two routines with the same eight counting elements can therefore have different D-Scores depending on both which skills are performed and which Element Groups they satisfy.
Dismount Credit Changed in 2026
There is one important update for the current cycle.
The original 2025 rules allowed Dismount Element Group credit to increase with the difficulty of the dismount. For example, an F dismount could receive 0.60 in Element Group credit.
FIG changed this beginning January 1, 2026. Dismount Element Group credit is now capped at 0.50, matching the maximum credit available from the other groups.
| Dismount | Difficulty Value | Dismount Group Credit |
|---|---|---|
| C | 0.30 | 0.30 |
| D | 0.40 | 0.40 |
| E | 0.50 | 0.50 |
| F or harder | 0.60+ | 0.50 maximum |
The gymnast still receives the full Difficulty Value of the dismount itself. Only the additional Element Group credit is capped.
This update matters when comparing current routines with 2025 routines because the Element Group rule changed during the same 2025–2028 Code cycle.
What About Connection Points and the Stick Bonus?
Some MAG events allow gymnasts to increase the D-Score by directly connecting difficult elements.
These connection points are event-specific. Floor and Horizontal Bar, for example, can reward certain difficult combinations, while other apparatus use different rules.
A gymnast normally has to perform the connected elements successfully for the bonus to count; a connection involving a fall does not receive connection credit.
The 0.10 Stick Bonus
The 2025–2028 Code also introduced a 0.10 bonus for sticking the landing under specific conditions.
For most apparatus, sticking a qualifying dismount of at least C difficulty can add 0.10. The bonus can also apply to Vaults containing a salto.
Pommel Horse is the exception and does not receive the stick bonus.
At the 2025 World Championships, Daiki Hashimoto received:
| Component | Horizontal Bar Qualification |
|---|---|
| D-Score | 6.200 |
| E-Score | 8.100 |
| Stick Bonus | +0.100 |
| Final Score | 14.400 |
World Gymnastics listed the stick bonus separately from the D- and E-Scores.
That is why the most complete current MAG scoring formula is better shown as:
D + E + Stick Bonus − Penalties
when a stick bonus applies.
How Is the E-Score Calculated?
Difficulty tells judges what the gymnast performed.
The E-Score, or Execution Score, evaluates how well he performed it.
Every routine begins with:
10.00
Judges then subtract execution and technical errors.
| Error | Typical Deduction |
|---|---|
| Small error | 0.10 |
| Medium error | 0.30 |
| Large error | 0.50 |
| Fall | 1.00 |
Errors can include poor body position, bent arms or legs, insufficient amplitude, technical mistakes, steps on landings and loss of control.
A difficult skill does not receive more generous execution judging simply because it is hard. A gymnast can receive the Difficulty Value for a skill while also losing execution points for performing it poorly.
Consider two hypothetical routines:
| Gymnast | D-Score | E-Score | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 6.2 | 7.7 | 13.9 |
| B | 5.9 | 8.5 | 14.4 |
Gymnast A performs the harder routine, but Gymnast B wins because the execution advantage is much larger than the difference in difficulty.
For the full deduction system, see how the FIG E-Score is calculated.
How Does Scoring Differ Across the Six Men’s Events?
The overall D + E system stays the same, but what creates difficulty changes dramatically from event to event.
| Event | Where Difficulty Mainly Comes From |
|---|---|
| Floor Exercise | Tumbling, twisting, multiple saltos and connections |
| Pommel Horse | Circles, flairs, travels and continuous horse work |
| Still Rings | Swing elements, strength positions and holds |
| Vault | One vault with a fixed Difficulty Value |
| Parallel Bars | Swing, support, upper-arm, hang and flight elements |
| Horizontal Bar | Giant swings, releases, in-bar work and connections |
A 6.0 D-Score on Rings and a 6.0 on Horizontal Bar therefore have the same numerical value, but the skills used to create those scores are completely different.
Why Vault Is Different
Vault is the main exception to the normal MAG D-Score calculation.
There are no eight counting elements or Element Groups. Instead, each vault has a predetermined Difficulty Value.
FIG reduced every men’s vault value by 0.40 at the start of the 2025–2028 cycle. A vault previously worth 6.0, for example, became 5.6.
The physical vault did not become easier. FIG changed the numerical scale, partly bringing Vault scores closer to those on the other events.
For qualification, final and two-vault rules, see how gymnastics Vault scoring works.
What Changed for Men’s Scoring in 2025–2028?
The current Code made several changes that are especially noticeable to viewers.
| Change | Previous Cycle | Current Cycle |
|---|---|---|
| Counting elements | 10 | 8 |
| Men’s Floor time | 75 sec. | 70 sec. |
| Highest MAG difficulty | Below current J ceiling | J = 1.00 available |
| Vault Difficulty Values | Previous values | All reduced by 0.40 |
| Stick bonus | No current-style bonus | +0.10 on qualifying landings |
| Dismount Group credit | Initially open-ended in 2025 Code | Capped at 0.50 from Jan. 1, 2026 |
The reduction from 10 counting elements to eight is the biggest overall structural change. It puts more weight on each individual element and reduces the amount of difficulty that can be accumulated simply by adding more skills.
Men’s Floor was also shortened from 75 to 70 seconds, while all Vault Difficulty Values dropped by 0.40. Several especially difficult skills on Floor, Rings, Parallel Bars and Horizontal Bar were upgraded.
The later 2026 dismount-credit cap is particularly important because it changed a rule introduced at the start of the cycle.
