Scoring & Rules

Start with the rules used at your meet.

• Start hereFIG Gymnastics Scoring Explained: D-Score, E-Score & Deductions
• Start hereGymnastics Scoring in the USA: A Guide to Each System
• Start hereNCAA Women’s Gymnastics Scoring: Individual and Team Scores
• FIG Men’s Gymnastics Scoring: D-Score, E-Score & Element Groups
• What Is Start Value in Gymnastics? A Beginner’s Guide
• How Start Value Is Calculated in USAG Gymnastics (Levels 6–10)
• How Start Value Is Calculated in Xcel Gymnastics (Bronze to Sapphire)
• D-Score vs. Start Value vs. Difficulty Value: What’s the Difference?
• What Is Xcel Sapphire Gymnastics? Requirements, Skills & Scoring
• MAG vs WAG Scoring: How Men and Women Are Judged Differently
• How Compulsory Gymnastics Is Scored: USAG Levels 1–5
• Olympic Gymnastics Age Rules: Minimum Ages and the LA28 Birth-Date Cutoffs
• Reading Scores at a Local Gymnastics Meet: Start Values, Totals and Rankings
• How Long Is a College Gymnastics Meet? Duals, Quads and Postseason
• Coming soonHow NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Scoring Works

  Explore the collegiate modifications alongside the men’s scoring framework.

• Coming soonHow USAG Men’s Gymnastics Is Scored: Compulsory and Optional Programs

  A guide to the scoring systems used in men’s domestic compulsory and optional programs.

• Coming soonNCAA Women’s Gymnastics Rule Changes for 2026–27

  A season-specific overview of the changes that affect college routines.

• Coming soonExhibition Routines in NCAA Gymnastics: Which Scores Count?

  Find out how exhibition performances differ from counting lineup routines.

• Coming soonHow Men’s Gymnastics Technical Sequences Are Scored

  Understand the separate purpose and assessment of men’s technical sequences.

• Coming soonHow Men’s Club Track Gymnastics Scoring Works

  Explore scoring in the men’s Club Track program.

How skills and combinations earn credit.

• From A to J: How Difficulty Values Shape the Gymnastics D-Score
• Start hereHow the FIG Gymnastics D-Score Is Calculated (WAG & MAG)
• A, B, C, D and E Value Parts in USAG Gymnastics Explained
• What Are the Special Requirements for USAG Levels 6–10?
• What Is Composition Credit in USAG Levels 8–10?
• What Are Composition Requirements in FIG Women’s Gymnastics?
• Element Groups in Men’s Gymnastics: Requirements by Event
• How Gymnasts Earn Bonus Points: Difficulty, Connections & Landings
• How Gymnastics Judges Decide Whether a Skill Gets Credit
• Connection Value in Gymnastics: How Connected Skills Earn Points
• How Gymnasts Build Routines for Higher Scores
• How Long Can a Gymnastics Floor Routine Last? Limits by Program
• Coming soonCan Gymnasts Repeat Skills? FIG Difficulty and Connection Rules

  Repetition rules, counting limits and connection exceptions.

• Coming soonComposition Credit in NCAA Gymnastics: How Routines Reach 10.0

  The event-specific credits that help NCAA routines reach a 10.0 Start Value.

• Coming soonShort Routines in FIG Gymnastics: When Too Few Skills Count

  Separate the loss of difficulty from additional short-exercise penalties.

• Coming soonRestricted Skills in USAG and Xcel: When Difficulty Costs Points

  Why a harder skill can be restricted and how it affects the score.

• Coming soonBeam Series Bonus Explained: When Three Connected Skills Earn Extra Credit

  See how eligible three-skill combinations can earn extra credit on beam.

• Coming soonDismount Bonuses in Gymnastics: FIG, USAG and NCAA Compared

  Compare dismount-related credit across international, USAG and college routines.

• Coming soonStuck-Landing Bonuses in Men’s Gymnastics: FIG and NCAA Rules

  Find out when a stuck landing earns a bonus in men’s gymnastics.

• Coming soonWhy the Same Gymnastics Skill Can Have Different Difficulty Values

  Compare the value assigned to a skill under different gymnastics rule systems.

• Coming soonHow to Read the Gymnastics Code of Points: Tables, Symbols and Updates

  Find skill tables, interpret symbols and identify the updates that apply.

• Coming soonDifficulty and Connection Bonus in USAG Levels 9–10

  Follow how difficulty and connections contribute to Level 9 and Level 10 Start Values.

• Coming soonRepeated Skills in USAG and Xcel: When They Count Again

  Find out when repeating a skill can earn value or satisfy a requirement.

• Coming soonHow NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Bonus Works: Difficulty and Connections

  See how difficulty and connections help college routines reach their Start Value.

• Coming soonNCAA Men’s Gymnastics Bonuses: Difficulty, Connections and Landings

  See how men’s college routines earn difficulty, connection and landing bonuses.

Understand where the tenths go.

• The Complete Gymnastics Deductions List: USAG, Xcel, NCAA & FIG
• Neutral Deductions in Gymnastics: OOB, Time & Other Penalties
• Artistry Deductions in Gymnastics: What Judges Look For
• Hop vs. Step on Gymnastics Landings: How Deductions Compare
• Why a Fall Can Cost More Than 1.0 in FIG Gymnastics
• Start hereHow the FIG Gymnastics E-Score Is Calculated (WAG & MAG)
• Out of Bounds on Gymnastics Floor: What Counts and How the Penalty Works
• Coming soonUneven Bars Handstand Deductions: FIG, USAG & NCAA Compared

  Angle examples showing execution errors and when handstand skills receive credit.

• Coming soonSplit Leap and Jump Deductions: When Does a Skill Lose Credit?

  Required split positions, execution deductions and skill recognition.

• Coming soonRing Leap and Jump Deductions: What Judges Look For

  The body positions that distinguish ring elements and affect their credit.

• Coming soonUnder-Rotated Turns and Twists: How Gymnastics Judges Award Credit

  Specific examples of incomplete rotations and the skill judges recognize.

• Coming soonStill Rings Hold Deductions: Time, Angles & Skill Credit

  How hold duration and body position influence execution and recognition.

• Coming soonCoach Spotting in Gymnastics: When Assistance Costs Points

  Distinguish permitted coach presence from assistance and its scoring effects.

• Coming soonBeam Wobbles, Pauses and Balance Checks: How They Affect the Score

  See how wobbles and pauses can affect balance deductions, rhythm and connections.

• Coming soonBent Knees, Bent Arms and Flexed Feet: Gymnastics Form Deductions

  Recognize common body-shape errors and how judges assess them.

• Coming soonLow Chest, Deep Squats and Hand Support: Landing Deductions Explained

  Distinguish low landings, deep squats and hand support from ordinary steps.

• Coming soonHeight and Distance Deductions: What Judges Look For in Flight

  See why the height and distance of a flight skill matter to its execution score.

• Coming soonExtra Swings on Bars: When an Empty Swing Costs Points

  Understand when extra or empty swings affect a bars score.

• Coming soonHitting or Brushing the Apparatus: How Judges Apply Deductions

  Distinguish brushing the apparatus from a hit or fall.

• Coming soonPommel Horse Execution Deductions: Stops, Leg Form and Falls

  Follow the judging of interrupted circles, leg form and falls on pommel horse.

• Coming soonStill Rings Execution Deductions: Swinging Rings, Straps and Body Position

  Understand body position, ring movement and strap contact during a rings routine.

• Coming soonMissing or Changed Skills in Compulsory Gymnastics: How Scoring Works

  See how missing, substituted or changed elements affect a compulsory routine.

• Coming soonCompulsory Routine Deductions: Text Errors, Rhythm and Choreography

  Understand prescribed text, rhythm and choreography deductions.

• Coming soonComposition Deductions vs. Composition Credit in USAG Gymnastics

  Separate deductions for routine construction from credit earned for composition.

• Coming soonNCAA Gymnastics Structure Deductions: Bars, Beam and Floor

  Deductions for routine construction, separate from execution and Composition Credit.

• Coming soonNCAA Women’s Landing Rules: Sticks, Steps and the Finish Position

  Compare sticks, steps and the finish position in women’s college gymnastics.

• Coming soonNCAA Women’s Team Deductions: When Penalties Affect the Total

  Distinguish penalties to a college team total from individual routine deductions.

• Coming soonAfter a Fall: Recovery Time and Remount Rules in Gymnastics

  Compare recovery and remount procedures after a fall.

• Coming soonGymnastics Competition Warm-Ups: Touch Times and Penalties

  Understand competition touch warm-ups and the rules governing their timing.

• Coming soonExtra Mats and Springboards in Gymnastics: What Competition Rules Allow

  See how competition rules govern extra mats and springboard use.

Follow the judging on each apparatus.

• Start hereGymnastics Vault Scoring Compared: USAG, Xcel, NCAA & FIG
• Men’s Floor Exercise Scoring: Current FIG Rules
• How Women’s Vault Scoring Works in FIG Gymnastics
• How Uneven Bars Scoring Works in FIG Gymnastics
• How Balance Beam Scoring Works in FIG Gymnastics
• How Women’s Floor Scoring Works in FIG Gymnastics
• How Pommel Horse Scoring Works in FIG Gymnastics
• How Still Rings Scoring Works in FIG Gymnastics
• Men’s vs. Women’s Floor Exercise: Key Differences Explained
• Gymnastics Vault Equipment: Table Height, Springboard, Runway and Mats
• Coming soonHow Vault is Scored in Gymnastics: A Complete Guide

  The existing introductory vault-scoring article.

• Coming soonHow Men’s Vault Scoring Works in FIG Gymnastics

  An event-by-event explanation of difficulty, required content and execution deductions.

• Coming soonHow Parallel Bars Scoring Works in FIG Gymnastics

  An event-by-event explanation of difficulty, required content and execution deductions.

• Coming soonHow High Bar Scoring Works in FIG Gymnastics

  An event-by-event explanation of difficulty, required content and execution deductions.

• Coming soonUSAG Optional Vault Start Values: Levels 6–10 Explained

  Compare the vault values and conditions used in women’s optional levels.

• Coming soonUSAG Optional Scoring Changes for 2026–2030: What Parents Should Know

  See how the new optional Code changes routine construction and scoring.

• Coming soonHow Xcel Vault Scoring Works: Bronze to Sapphire

  Compare Xcel vault scoring across the six divisions.

• Coming soonHow Xcel Uneven Bars Scoring Works: Bronze to Sapphire

  Follow Value Parts, Special Requirements and deductions on Xcel bars.

• Coming soonHow Xcel Beam Scoring Works: Bronze to Sapphire

  Understand routine requirements and execution deductions on Xcel beam.

• Coming soonHow Xcel Floor Scoring Works: Bronze to Sapphire

  See how tumbling, dance and routine requirements affect Xcel floor scores.

• Coming soonNCAA Women’s Vault Scoring: Start Values and Deductions

  Understand the assigned value and execution deductions for a college vault.

• Coming soonHow NCAA Women’s Uneven Bars Scoring Works

  Follow the requirements and deductions in a women’s college bars routine.

• Coming soonHow NCAA Women’s Beam Scoring Works

  See how skills, connections and execution shape a women’s college beam score.

• Coming soonHow NCAA Women’s Floor Scoring Works

  Understand women’s college floor requirements, bonus and deductions.

• Coming soonHow USAG Men’s Compulsory Routines Are Scored: Levels 3–6

  Understand prescribed routines and scoring in the men’s compulsory program.

• Coming soonHow USAG Men’s Optional Gymnastics Is Scored: Levels 7–10

  Follow difficulty and execution in the men’s domestic optional program.

Who decides, and how decisions are reviewed.

• How Gymnastics Score Inquiries Work Under FIG Rules
• Start hereWho Judges Gymnastics? The Officials Behind the Score
• How Do Gymnasts Get a Move Named After Them?
• Coming soonHow to Read a Gymnastics Score Sheet: Scores, Symbols & Abbreviations

  An annotated guide to results, score labels and common abbreviations.

• Coming soonHow Gymnastics Judges Are Trained, Rated and Evaluated

  Judging qualifications, ratings and evaluation.

• Coming soonHow NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Score Inquiries and Video Reviews Work

  Follow the women’s college process for score inquiries and video reviews.

• Coming soonHow USAG and Xcel Score Inquiries Work: A Guide for Parents

  Learn which club scores may be reviewed and how a coach submits an inquiry.

• Coming soonHow AI Helps Gymnastics Judges: FIG’s Judging Support System

  How technology assists element recognition and review while judges make official decisions.

• Coming soonHow Judges’ Scores Are Averaged in Gymnastics: Ranges and Conferences

  See how judging panels combine scores and handle disagreement.

• Coming soonNCAA Routine Summaries vs. Score Inquiries: What Is the Difference?

  Distinguish feedback about a college routine from a request to review its score.

• Coming soonWhat Happens When a Gymnastics Routine Is Interrupted? Restart Rules Explained

  Understand how equipment, music and other interruptions affect a routine.

• Coming soonZero Scores, Scratches and Withdrawals in Gymnastics: What’s the Difference?

  Distinguish a zero score from a scratch or withdrawal in meet results.

Read the rankings and follow the competition.

• All-Around vs. Event Finals in Gymnastics: What’s the Difference?
• What Counts as a High Score in Gymnastics?
• What Is the Highest Possible Score in Gymnastics?
• How High Can Gymnastics D-Scores Go? Top Scores, Skills and Vaults
• Start hereHow Gymnastics Team Scores Are Calculated
• USAG Women’s Mobility Scores: Requirements for Moving Up
• Gymnastics Qualification Explained: Moving Up, Reaching Championships and Entering Elite
• Team vs. Individual All-Around in Olympic Gymnastics: What’s the Difference?
• Coming soonHow Ties Are Broken in Gymnastics: FIG, NCAA & USAG

  Why equal scores may produce different rankings or shared places.

• Coming soonHow NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Rankings Work: NQS Explained

  How season results contribute to team and individual rankings.

• Coming soonNCAA Men’s Team Scoring: Lineups and Counting Scores

  Follow a men’s college lineup from individual routines to the team total.

• Coming soonHow NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Rankings Work

  Understand how men’s college results contribute to rankings.

• Coming soonHow Teams and Individuals Qualify for NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championships

  Follow team and individual qualification for the men’s college championships.

• Coming soonHow Teams and Individuals Qualify for NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships

  Follow the postseason path for teams and individual gymnasts.

• Coming soonMobility Scores vs D-Score: How Difficulty Supports Level Advancement

  How qualifying scores relate to advancement between levels and divisions.

• Coming soonHow Xcel Gymnasts Qualify for State and Regional Championships

  Understand the Xcel qualification framework and where local rules differ.

• Coming soonNational Xcelebration Explained: Qualification, Format and Awards

  Explore the eligibility, competition format and awards at National Xcelebration.

• Coming soonHow Level 9 Gymnasts Qualify for Eastern and Western Championships

  Follow qualification for the Level 9 Eastern and Western championships.

• Coming soonHow Level 10 Gymnasts Qualify for DP National Championships

  Understand the routes to the women’s Level 10 national championships.

• Coming soonHow USAG Men’s Gymnasts Qualify for Regional and National Championships

  Follow qualification in the men’s domestic program, with the applicable track and season identified.

• Coming soonGymnastics Age Groups and Awards: Why Placings Differ Within a Level

  See why gymnasts at the same level can compete in different award groups.

• Coming soonMixed-Team Gymnastics Explained: Competition Formats and Scoring

  Explore confirmed mixed-team formats, keeping Dakar and LA28 rules distinct.