Just a coincidence?

[superflipgirl]

Okay, this is kind of a technical issue, but it doesn't really have to do with scoring of USA gymnastics, so I'm just posting it here. You see, I am in rec optional. It's like prep optional, but much less strict. No requirements, and no real judges, just coaches or other people who are judging, so the scoring is generally easier. And it isn't a USA gymnastics program, it is just for people who don't want to be on the competitive team and only a few gyms in my state have it. Now on with the issue. You see, instead of a state meet, we have a "Recreational championship" at the same gym every year. My first year competing rec optional was two years ago, and at the championships that year, the judges were so tough! I got first place on bars, and I only got an 8.8. They were actually giving a lot of 7s and I barely ever see those given at rec meets. I placed higher than lots of girls who had scored lots of 36s or higher during that season, and my all around score was only a 34.6. I saw lots of girls going home so upset because of their scores. Well anyway, before I competed in the championships the year afterward, I saw some videos from the recreational championship the year before my first year. And the judges were so easy! They were giving scores that were too high, one girl fell on floor and she still got a 9.650! Now I wondered why they were so easy that year, and so tough the year after. Well, when I finally competed in the championships my second year, you won't believe it. The judges were so easy again. On some events I realized the judges weren't really thinking, they just watched the routine and quickly decided on a score. I didn't see anything lower than an 8.5. One girl fell off beam and got a 9.35! Of course, this wasn't upsetting, I was very happy with my scores for I had all my personal bests. Why I'm concerned is because the judges were so easy 1 year, than so tough the next year, and then they were so easy again the year after. I'm afraid that they're going to be tough again this year, if it really follows a pattern! Do you think this is just a coincidence that it has been a pattern for the past 3 years, and does anyone have any Idea WHY the judges might have scored differently every year! Help is appreciated!

 

[GetaGrip]

That seems to happen a lot with judging. It depends on the judge who is judging the routine, and how strict they are.

At my first level 7 meet, they scored really high. I ended up getting a 9.35 on vault and an 8.85 on beam, even with pretty bad split jumps and with a big step out of my dismount.
At the next meet, I only got an 8.7 on vault and an 8.2 on beam. I saw a lot of really low scores there too. One of my teammates got a 4.5 on bars!!!
In my first level 6 meet, I got an 8.35 on beam. At first I was really disappointed, but then I ended up winning first place!

However, it sounded like that was a pretty odd scoring system. A 9.65 on floor with a fall? I'm pretty sure that's not possible. It's a .5 deduction for a fall, and from a 10.0 SV she only got .35 taken off at most. I don't know about your system though. Is it a .5 deduction for a fall?

-Lauren

 

[superflipgirl]

No, rec judges don't usually take off the .5 for the fall. But I'm sure they did that year where the judges were really tough. I know there must be something going on with the judging!

 

[superflipgirl]

Any one else have an opinion on this?

 

[Gymdad2]

IMO placement is more important than scores. I think the most imporant things that judges can do is be consistant. As long as they take the same deductions for everybody, the meet is going to be judged fairly.

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

The scoring the OP is talking about is obviously not practiced, competetive judging. She says that they don't have "real judges" judging the routines, so that makes me think the "judges" are just kind of throwing out scores. If the judges are coaches, the order of gymnast may be correct in terms of placement, but the scores are not. I'm hoping this is a "fun meet" atmosphere as opposed to a serious competetive atmosphere, because you can't really judge yourself meet to meet if the scoring isn't consistent. If the judges don't always deduct for a fall, then what's going on? A fall is the easiest, non-debate-able deduction possible! I wouldn't worry about meets, scores, and placing, if I were you, superflipgirl, because if the judging isn't real then there's no point except to perform and have fun doing gymnastics!