As I walked onto the competition floor at my first gymnastics meet I stared at the severe navy blue blazers of the judges. I had relentlessly practiced my routine, but here was a group of women on a mission to locate my every fault. I was terrified of them. I saluted then struggled to find the perfect starting spot on the floor. I could feel their judgmental eyes on me. The routine ended and my score flashed, a 9.25. I was happy with the score, but I had no idea where it came from. I knew a couple tenths had probably been deducted from my back handspring but as to where the rest of the .75 deducted had gone I was clueless. As I have spent more time studying judging, I have started to understand where my high and low scores have come from. My view of the role of judges has also changed greatly.
Many spectators view the place of judges in any sport as simply that of facilitating the ranking of athletes. In reality, the role of a judge has much more depth than this. In gymnastics where many different coaching techniques are present, judging provides regulation and consistency of not only scores but also coaching practices. Judges evaluate routines and score them based on whether or not the athlete met a set of requirements.
Through this ELI I have also learned that the safety of all athletes is the primary goal of a judge. Besides taking execution deductions (deductions taken for mistakes in the performance of a skill), judges also deduct for unsafe equipment and technique. An example of unsafe equipment would be failure to remove a springboard after the athlete has mounted during a bar routine, which in the event of a fall could mean that the athlete could fly back into the wood and metal of the springboard. An example of an unsafe technique would be failure to maintain contact with the beam before the body has broken the horizontal plane in the level 4 and 5 beam dismount. Before this deduction was present in the code, many gymnasts were taught to remove their hand from the beam during this part of the dismount. The technique occasionally causes athletes to have major falls which not only lowers their scores, but also threatens their safety. Deductions for improper matting and other safety concerns provide motivation for athletes and coaches to take these safety measures not only in competition but also in practice.
The USA Gymnastics judging system also facilitates a common foundation of skills between athletes. The system encourages the mastery of basic skills before attempting more advanced ones. This is not only important in keeping athletes safe but also sets gymnasts up for success. Gymnastics code (and judges as the practitioners of the code) provides a concrete incentive for coaches and athletes to use safe practices which result in better gymnastics and higher scores.
While at first I believed that deductions were randomly determined, I am now able to recognize the common themes and ideas behind the assignment of values in the code. For example, most dance elements have a value of four tenths and most tumbling elements have a value of six tenths. These values should provide the motivation for athletes to have a basic foundation for skills. This is seen in the squat-on in the level three, four, and five bar routines. While the squat-on is more advanced than the back-hip circle, the squat-on only has a value of two tenths and the back-hip circle has a value of four tenths. This is because the squat-on is the climax of the skill and (with the exception of some rare skills) will not be built upon in more advanced levels, whereas the back-hip circle, while arguably less complex than the squat-on, will be important in learning the clear-hip circle in the level five bar routine.
As I continue to learn more about judging, the depth and importance of this role is becoming more clear. The purpose of judges is not to elevate the talented and discourage the struggling. The goal is to create quality gymnasts and encourage safe practices on the path to the perfect 10.
~Rachel B.
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