Basic Overview Of Sport

[MayDay]

I know how other sports work, but have no idea how gymnastics 'works' as far as competing and meets.

I'll just move on to my questions..(located in the US)

Is gymnastics scored 1-10?
Do gymnasts have to compete all four events?
Do you make up your own routines?
How are you judged? (skill level, poise, etc)
I know about 'levels' and such, do high school gymnastics follow the same scoring and meet style?
What about college gymnastics?
And Olympics? Like, are the olympics judged the same way high school and college gymnastics is judged?
What is an optional gymnast?
When on a competitive team, do you practice all year? Is there a gymnastics season, lol?
Do you do competitive team and 'fun' classes?


Sorry for all the questions! Thanks so much in advance for any help!

 

[GymGran]

WOW! We are relatively new to this sport too; GD has been involved for only 3 years. She is 6y/o L4.
Sitting through hours of practice, listening to coaches and parents, attending meets, watching televised events, and having sites like this, have all contributed to a better understanding of the sport. For anyone to answer all your questions, WOW, it'd take some time, and fill volumes.........I can guarantee that the experience gained while exploring gymnastics is invaluable. The most important answer to a question that you didn't ask is that this sport is a marathon, not a sprint. Take your time, enjoy the journey.

 

[MayDay]

I just don't know how it works! I would just like very basic answers. My main question is, do gymnasts compete all four events?

I know how soccer, baseball, football, hockey, etc. work, but I don't know what is all involved in gymnastics. I had to look up what events girls even did, and didn't even know about half of the men's events! We just do a class for fun, but I would like to know what she would do if she continued to participate, competitively or not.

 

[ejgymmom]

I'll answer the ones I know, but I know there are others on here who have been around the sport for much longer than I have and can give more in depth answers.

Is gymnastics scored 1-10? I believe only for USAG JO levels (1-10). The rest of the world, elite and boys programs use the FIG (?) scoring system which combines two separate scores (artistic and technical maybe? I don't know.) I REALLY don't understand that system.

Do gymnasts have to compete all four events? I think most would in the JO levels. Not entirely sure on this one.

Do you make up your own routines? In the USAG JO program levels up through 6 (compulsory) have set routines that are the same for everyone. Levels 7 and up (optionals) get to make their own routines. There are some other gymnastics programs (AAU is one) where all levels get to design their own routine...but I believe those are a bit more low-key generally than the USAG JO program.

What about college gymnastics? I believe college gymnastics is scored with the FIG system that goes above a 10, but I could be wrong.

What is an optional gymnast? Levels 7-10 are considered optionals. They get to design their own routines.

When on a competitive team, do you practice all year? Is there a gymnastics season, lol? I think probably 99% of the gyms in the USA practice year round (for team, maybe not for rec). There seems to be a fall season for meets which starts in September and goes through November or December and then a spring season that goes from January to maybe May. Some gyms compete both, some only one and it probably depends on the level. We were at a gym that did mostly spring meets and now we're at one that does both seasons.

Do you do competitive team and 'fun' classes? No, I think once you do team you no longer do rec classes. Team should still be a fun experience though!


Hope that helps!

 

[Iwannabemargo]

I know its different in the US but ther is a great guide to GB gymnatics here
Link Removed

it gives a good basic guide

'Margo

 

[bogwoppit]

Is gymnastics scored 1-10?

Yes in the USAG womens system the scoring is out of 10. I hope never to see a 1 at a meet! In International levels in the USA FIG scoring is used. This scoring is open ended and therefore you can see scores like, 16.25. The quality of the rtouine is scored on 10, the other part of the score comes from the skills and the diffuculty of the skills. This system is commonly used world wide at all levels.

Do gymnasts have to compete all four events?

In USAG in the lower levels girls tend to compete all four, or All Around. However a gymnast might "scratch" and event, as in salute the judge but not compete. If she is too injured for it or not quite ready. In the higher levels you do see some specialisation as some girls get older and simply are not progressing on some events.

Do you make up your own routines?

Under the USAG system levels 1-6 use identical compulsory routines and music. The optional levels 7-10 have their own routines that have required skills in them.
There are other systems in the USA that gymnasts get their own routines at lower levels, these systems typically train less hours than USAG.
Usually a choreographer makes the routines. Gymnasts usually have some input on music etc.

How are you judged? (skill level, poise, etc)

All parts of the routine are judged. Skills, dance, poise, the way the skills fit with the music. Landings, turns, body position, bent legs, pointed toes. You name it, there is a deduction for it. BAsically under USAG you start with 10 points and every thing the gymnast does wrong is deducted from the 10. A lot of small mistakes can add up to some really big deductions.

I know about 'levels' and such, do high school gymnastics follow the same scoring and meet style?
What about college gymnastics?

College gymnastics uses the 10 scoring system, but there are some differences. You will see many routines with almost perfect scores, that do not look as perfect as you would expect. College gymnastics is some of the most fun to watch.

High school gymnastics varies massively all over the USA, so I won't even touch that one.

And Olympics? Like, are the olympics judged the same way high school and college gymnastics is judged?
What is an optional gymnast?

AS I said above the Olympics, and all international meets, use the FIG scoring system.

When on a competitive team, do you practice all year? Is there a gymnastics season, lol?
Do you do competitive team and 'fun' classes?

Most teams practice year round. Once you are on team, you only do team courses. But there is always some fun in team courses, just maybe not the whole course.

We all learned somewhere, don't be afraid to ask. Though some stuff you will just learn as you go along.

 

[MayDay]

Oh, thank you guys so much! This information really is helpful.

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

In terms of the "season", we practice year-round but only compete for part of the year. It varies depending on where you live. For example, where I live the lower level (4-6) gymnasts compete in the fall and the upper level (7-10) gymnasts compete in winter/early spring. However, at the internationally competing level (elite), they have no season. This is one of the most difficult things for girls going from level 10 to elite: they have to compete all year round and so their routines always have to be ready to go.

 

[Kiwi]

The rest of the world, elite and boys programs use the FIG (?) scoring system which combines two separate scores (artistic and technical maybe? I don't know.) I REALLY don't understand that system.

There is a difficulty score (D) and an execution score (E), which are basically added together to get the final score. The execution score is out of 10 and there are deductions for each flaw (for example 0.1 for unpointed toes, 0.3 for a wide leg separation, etc.) Most of the deductions are technical, but there are also deductions for things like dynamics, rhythm, artistry and presentation. The difficulty score can vary depending on the skills in the routine. In the New Zealand STEPs program, which is based on FIG with some modifications, the compulsory levels have a D score of 5.0, so the total score is out of 15. If the gymnast does not meet the technical requirement of a skill, its value will be deducted from their D score. At the optional levels, the D score is much more complicated.