Gymnastics judges award difficulty for the skill that was actually performed, using the technical requirements in the Code of Points. Attempting a difficult element does not guarantee its intended value.
A skill may receive full difficulty credit, receive a lower value, or receive no difficulty value. That decision is separate from the deductions for how well the gymnast performed it.
This article explains those decisions in FIG women’s and men’s artistic gymnastics, using the 2025–2028 Codes and current supporting rules. USAG, Xcel and NCAA use their own recognition rules and modifications.
What Does It Mean for a Skill to Get Credit?
Most non-vault FIG elements have a letter rating and a corresponding Difficulty Value, often shortened to DV. For example, a C element is worth 0.30, a D is worth 0.40 and an E is worth 0.50.
Judges identify the element and check whether the gymnast completed the features that define it. These may include a particular amount of rotation, body position, catch or hold.
| Technical outcome | Possible difficulty decision |
|---|---|
| The element meets its recognition requirements | Award its normal Difficulty Value |
| The performance meets the definition of another element | Award the value of that element |
| A specific rule requires a reduction | Award the reduced value prescribed by the Code |
| An essential recognition requirement is missing | Award no Difficulty Value |
Commentators often describe the middle two outcomes as a downgrade. However, the rules distinguish between recognising a different element and reducing an element by one difficulty grade. That distinction can matter if the gymnast repeats a skill later. See WAG Section 7.2.
For the rating scale itself, see how FIG difficulty values work.
Who Makes the Decision?
The D-Jury, or difficulty judges, determines which skills, requirements, connections and applicable bonuses receive credit. Those decisions build the D-Score.
The E-Jury, or execution judges, evaluates the quality of the performance. Execution deductions reduce the E-Score, which begins from 10.0.
A gymnast can receive the full 0.40 for a D element while losing execution points for bent knees, separated legs or an uncontrolled landing. Full difficulty credit does not mean the skill was performed perfectly.
Equally, a serious technical error may cause both lost difficulty and an execution deduction. The judges are evaluating different consequences of the same performance.
What Technical Details Do Judges Check?
There is no universal recognition test for every gymnastics skill. The relevant apparatus rules and element description determine what the gymnast must show.
Rotation, body shape, handstand angles, hold duration and the way a skill finishes are common deciding factors. The following examples show why a visible error sometimes costs only execution points and sometimes changes the difficulty awarded.
Turns and Twists Must Meet Their Own Rules
In women’s gymnastics, turns on one leg and turning leaps or jumps have different recognition rules.
For turns on one leg, judges assess the completed rotation using the position of the shoulders and hips. The Code awards these turns in 180° increments on Beam and 360° increments on Floor, subject to the listed element and its required shape.
If a turn requires the free leg to remain in a particular position, that shape must be maintained throughout the turn. Completing the rotation while dropping the leg can cause judges to recognise another element.
For leaps, jumps and hops with turns, WAG Section 8.2.2 states that under-turning by more than 30° leads to recognition as another Code element when applicable. That 30° provision should not be applied to every one-leg turn or twisting salto. See WAG Section 8.2.
The practical question is therefore both how much rotation was completed and which type of skill the gymnast performed.
An Imperfect Split Can Still Receive Credit
For elements covered by the general WAG split rule, a shortfall from the required split is evaluated as follows:
| Missing split angle | General treatment |
|---|---|
| More than 0° through 20° | Small execution error: 0.10 |
| More than 20° through 45° | Medium execution error: 0.30 |
| More than 45° | Recognise another element or award no Difficulty Value |
These thresholds come from WAG Section 8.2.3. Selected dance elements also have their own shape requirements.
For example, a leap that should show a 180° split but reaches 165° is 15° short. Under this general rule, that produces a small execution deduction; the split error alone does not remove its intended difficulty.
Other faults may still apply. A ring leap, for instance, must satisfy requirements beyond leg separation, including its characteristic body position.
Body Shape Can Change the Element
A tucked salto, piked salto and stretched salto are different versions of an acrobatic skill. Their body positions help determine which element judges recognise.
The same principle applies to dance elements. A ring position or a raised free leg can be part of what distinguishes one element from another.
A minor form error does not automatically change the skill’s identity. Judges use the specific technical rules to decide whether the gymnast has shown the required shape or performed something different.
Uneven Bars Has Specific Handstand-Angle Rules
The women’s cast to handstand provides a precise example. Under the FIG rule, it must finish within 10° of vertical to receive Difficulty Value. Finishing more than 10° away receives no DV for that cast to handstand.
A cast finishing 15° short can therefore lose its difficulty credit even though it looks fairly close to vertical. That does not establish the execution deduction: the E-Jury uses its own criteria.
Other circle, flight and turning elements on Bars have different recognition provisions. The cast rule should not be treated as a single cutoff for every Bars skill. See WAG Section 8.4.
Men’s Swinging Elements Also Have Angle Limits
Under the general MAG rule for swinging elements that pass through or end in handstand, a deviation of more than 45° results in a large execution deduction and non-recognition. Apparatus-specific provisions, including those on High Bar, must also be considered.
Smaller deviations can receive execution deductions while the element retains its difficulty. This illustrates why an angle error and a lost skill are not automatically the same thing. The general rule appears in MAG Article 9.2.
A Short Hold Is Different From No Hold
Many men’s strength and balance elements require a two-second hold. The timing begins once the gymnast reaches a complete stop in the position.
The general MAG hold-duration rule distinguishes between a hold that is too short and an element with no stop:
| Hold performance | Treatment for duration alone |
|---|---|
| Required position held for at least 2 seconds | No hold-duration deduction |
| Clear stop, but held for less than 2 seconds | 0.30 execution deduction; difficulty can remain |
| No stop | 0.50 execution deduction and no recognition |
Body position and other technical requirements must also be satisfied. Holding an incorrect shape for two seconds does not guarantee difficulty credit.
On Rings, passing through an iron-cross position therefore differs from establishing the position briefly, which in turn differs from completing the full hold. See MAG Article 9.2.15.
Does a Fall Automatically Remove Skill Credit?
No. Judges must determine whether the gymnast completed the element’s recognition requirements before or during the fall.
In women’s gymnastics, the general salto-landing rule distinguishes between landing feet first and failing to do so. A recognised salto landed feet first can retain its DV even if the gymnast subsequently falls. Without a feet-first landing, the salto receives no DV under that rule. See WAG Section 8.1.3.
On Uneven Bars, completing the airborne movement is not enough if the required catch is missing. The WAG Help Desk explains that grasping the bar with both hands and showing a momentary hang or support can establish difficulty credit. A release that misses the bar has a different outcome. See the WAG Help Desk’s Uneven Bars notes.
Men’s apparatus rules likewise consider whether the gymnast reached the required finishing position. The result depends on the skill and how the fall occurred.
The standard FIG fall deduction is 1.00. Losing difficulty does not remove that execution consequence, and receiving difficulty does not remove the fall deduction. Connections and bonuses may also have conditions that prohibit credit when a fall occurs.
Vault needs particular care because an invalid vault can receive zero for the entire attempt. It is not always handled like one uncredited element within a longer routine.
Why a Correctly Performed Skill Might Not Add Difficulty
Skill recognition is only one stage in building the D-Score. Judges must also apply the rules governing which elements may contribute.
Only a Limited Number of Elements Count
The current senior FIG system counts up to eight Difficulty Values on women’s Bars, Beam and Floor, and on the five men’s non-vault events, subject to the relevant construction rules.
A gymnast may perform more than eight recognised skills. A lower-valued element can be left out of the difficulty sum without being technically invalid.
That distinction matters when hearing that a skill “didn’t count.” It may have failed recognition, or it may simply have been outside the final counting set. Those are different explanations.
Repetition and Apparatus Restrictions Also Matter
Repeating the same recognised element generally does not earn its individual Difficulty Value again. Apparatus rules can also limit skills from particular families or positions.
A routine can therefore contain a well-executed element that adds no further difficulty because the gymnast has already used the available credit.
Downgrades can complicate repetition. If an attempted skill is recognised as an element the gymnast also performs elsewhere, judges must apply the Code’s chronological and repetition rules. Performing a skill again does not automatically recover the intended points.
For the complete selection process, see how the FIG D-Score is calculated.
How Lost Credit Changes the D-Score
A skill may contribute its own value and also help fulfil a requirement, satisfy an Element Group or create a connection. Losing recognition can affect several parts of the difficulty calculation.
A Worked Example: More Than One Tenth Lost
Suppose a male gymnast plans to use a D element to fulfil Element Group II, but judges recognise it as a C element from the same group.
Assume it remains a counting element and no other counting skill restores the higher group credit:
| Contribution | Planned D element | Recognised C element |
|---|---|---|
| Individual Difficulty Value | 0.40 | 0.30 |
| Element Group II credit | 0.50 | 0.30 |
| Combined contribution | 0.90 | 0.60 |
The D-Score loses 0.30, even though the element’s individual rating fell by only one tenth. This example uses the group-credit rules in MAG Article 7.2.
The exact loss is not automatic. Another eligible skill might satisfy the group, or the counting set might change. Judges recalculate the routine from what receives credit.
Both Skills Can Count While the Connection Does Not
A gymnast may complete two skills successfully but pause or lose balance between them. Both elements can retain their individual values while their planned connection earns nothing.
For example, a Beam sequence planned to earn 0.10 in connection credit might lose that tenth because of a balance adjustment. The balance error may also receive an execution deduction.
There is no universal “broken connection deduction.” The difficulty loss depends on the connection that was available and whether any other requirement also depended on it.
The guide to gymnastics bonus rules explains how connection credit fits alongside other bonuses.
Why the Planned and Awarded D-Scores Differ
A planned D-Score assumes that the intended skills, requirements and connections receive credit. The awarded D-Score reflects the actual performance and the applicable counting rules.
Comparing the two totals can describe how much difficulty was lost. However, judges build the official D-Score from the points earned; they do not treat every missed skill as a fixed execution-style deduction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Skill Receive Full Credit and Still Look Imperfect?
Yes. Recognition allows some technical deviations while execution judging accounts for mistakes. The gymnast can receive the skill’s Difficulty Value and still lose execution points.
Does Every Downgrade Cost 0.10?
No. An element may lose one difficulty grade, be recognised as a substantially different skill, or receive no DV. Requirements, connections and the final counting set can also change.
Can a Coach Ask for the Difficulty Decision to Be Reviewed?
Yes. FIG permits a D-Score inquiry submitted by the gymnast’s designated federation representative under the official procedure. The review can increase, reduce or leave the score unchanged.
A D-Score inquiry does not review ordinary execution deductions. See Article 8.5 of the FIG Technical Regulations.
Do USAG, Xcel and NCAA Use These Exact Recognition Thresholds?
Not necessarily. The general distinction between skill credit and execution is useful across programs, but their technical requirements, permitted skills and scoring consequences differ. FIG thresholds should not be transferred automatically to a domestic meet.
Why Recognition Matters
A difficult skill is most useful when the gymnast can perform it clearly enough to receive the intended credit. Judges must identify the element, apply its recognition rules and then determine how it contributes to the routine.
That is why a small-looking change in a turn, hold or body position can affect more than the execution score, and why an imperfect skill can sometimes keep its full difficulty value.