Competition format
INDIVIDUAL TRAMPOLINE
Before the first routine, the gymnast is obliged to submit a card detailing the skills he or she plans to perform, and in what order. If the gymnast does not follow the order defined on the competition card, he or she is deducted 0.1 for each change. The penalty for failing to perform a required element in the first routine is harsher: judges will deduct 1.0 per unperformed element.
Things get more complicated in the second exercise, where the gymnast racks up points by stringing together difficult elements, which, if performed successfully, bolsters his or her difficulty score. As with all Gymnastics disciplines, the gymnast’s challenge is to find a balance between risk, which leads to elevated Difficulty scores, and performing elements well, which leads to high marks in Execution and Time of Flight. Gymnasts also have to be careful of where they land: Their Horizontal Displacement, or how far from the absolute center of the Trampoline they land each element, is measured, resulting in a Horizontal Displacement score.
In the qualification round, the gymnast’s scores from their first and second routines are added together, forming a total qualifying score. At the World Championships, the top 24 gymnasts (maximum three per country) with the highest combined scores for their first and second routines in the first round of qualification, go forward to the semi-final (second round of qualification), where they perform one routine. The top eight gymnasts (maximum two per country) from the semi-final advance to the final, where they perform one routine. Highest score wins.
In finals, gymnasts perform in opposite qualifying order, meaning the gymnast with the lowest qualifying score performs first, followed by the gymnast with the second lowest qualifying score, and so on. Score-wise, all start with a clean slate. The final round is one-and-done: gymnasts perform their hardest routines, and the best score wins.
TYPES OF COMPETITION
1. Team competition
At the World Championships, teams are composed of four gymnasts in the qualification round. Each gymnast performs two routines. The best three scores for both the first and second routines are added together, generating the team score. The top five teams advance to the final. There, three gymnasts each compete a routine, with every score counting toward the team total. Highest team total wins.
2. Individual competition
At the World Championships, the top 24 gymnasts (maximum three per country) with the highest combined scores for their first and second routines in the first round of qualification, go forward to the semi-final (second round of qualification), where they perform one routine.
The top eight gymnasts (maximum two per country) from the semi-final advance to the final, where they perform one routine. Highest score wins.
CALCULATING TIME OF FLIGHT
A laser placed at the height of the trampoline bed calculates the time the gymnast spends in the air during an exercise. The time, rounded to the thousandth of a second, is transformed into a point total and added to the difficulty and execution scores, resulting in the final score for a routine.
THE HORIZONTAL DISPLACEMENT FACTOR
Horizontal Displacement is a measurement of the deviation from the center each time a gymnast’s feet touch the Trampoline. Horizontal Displacement judges watch the Trampoline carefully and see where a gymnast lands and deduct based on how far it is from the area near the center of the Trampoline.
These deductions are added up, averaged, and then subtracted from 10.0 in order to generate the Horizontal Displacement score.
WHAT IF THERE’S A TIE?
In case of a tie in the qualification round at the World Championships, the following criteria will be applied in the following order to break it:
1. The gymnast with the higher sum of the Execution scores for both routines prevails.
2. The gymnast with the higher sum of Horizontal Displacement scores for both routines prevails.
3. The gymnast with the higher sum of Time of Flight scores for both routines prevails.
If there is still a tie, the tie will not be broken.
In case of a tie in the semi-final or final round at the World Championships, the following criteria will be applied in the following order to break it:
1. The gymnast with the higher Execution score prevails.
2. The gymnast with the higher Horizontal Displacement score prevails.
3. The gymnast with the higher Time of Flight score prevails.
If there is still a tie, the tie will not be broken.
SYNCHRONISED TRAMPOLINE
Synchronised Trampoline gymnasts perform two 10-element routines in the qualification round: A “compulsory” exercise consisting of mostly simpler elements, designed to show off the gymnasts’ form and technical mastery of basic skills, and a more difficult “voluntary” exercise loaded with difficult elements. While difficulty is not even measured in the first exercise, it is very important in the second.
As in Individual Trampoline, a “stop and you’re out” principle applies. In the event of a fall or if one gymnast stops the routine, the routine is over and gymnasts are evaluated on the number of skills they have completed up to that point.
The goal of every Synchro pair is to complete their routines without a fault. Given the height gymnasts bounce, this doesn’t always happen. One miscalculation in the air can cause a gymnast to land on the padded sides of the Trampoline or even completely off the apparatus on the floor mats below. In Synchronised Trampoline, once either gymnast fails to land back on the Trampoline, the routine is over, no exceptions.
Before the competition begins, each synchro pair submits a card to the judges naming the elements that they plan to perform in their routines. If they deviate from the plan in the first routine, they will receive a deduction.
Gymnasts’ scores for the first and second exercises are tallied to give the final score for the qualification round. The top eight synchro pairs advance to the final round, where the voluntary exercise is performed again. Highest score wins.
WHAT IF THERE’S A TIE?
In case of a tie in the qualification round at the World Championships, the following criteria will be applied in the following order to break it:
1. The pair with the higher sum of the Execution scores for both routines prevails.
2. The pair with the higher sum of the Synchronisation scores for both routines prevails.
3. The gymnast with the higher sum of the Horizontal Displacement scores for both routines prevails.
If there is still a tie, the tie will not be broken.
In case of a tie in the final round at the World Championships, the following criteria will be applied in the following order to break it:
1. The pair with the higher Execution score prevails.
2. The pair with the higher Synchronisation score prevails.
3. The gymnast with the higher Horizontal Displacement score prevails.
If there is still a tie, the tie will not be broken.
TUMBLING
Tumblers perform two routines, or “passes” during a competition. The choice of elements is left up to the gymnast, but with the exception of basic elements like roundoffs, handsprings and whip backs, no element in either pass can be repeated. However, somersaults will not be considered repetitions if they are preceded by a different element each time.
TYPES OF COMPETITION
1. Team competition
At the World Championships, teams are composed of four gymnasts in the qualification round. Each gymnast performs two passes. The best three scores for both the first and second passes are added together, generating the team score. The top five teams advance to the final, where three gymnasts compete another two passes, with every score counting toward the team total. Highest team score wins.
2. Individual competition
At the World Championships, the top eight gymnasts with the highest combined scores for their two passes advance to the individual Tumbling final, where they perform another two passes. Highest combined score for the two final passes wins.
THE TWO-PER-COUNTRY-RULE
Only the top two gymnasts per country can qualify to the final round. If there are three or more gymnasts from one country who finish in the top eight in the qualification round, only top two from that country will advance to finals, as will the gymnast who finished 9th, provided he or she is not from a country that has already qualified two into the final.
WHAT IF THERE’S A TIE?
In case of a tie in the qualification or final round at the World Championships, the following criteria will be applied in the following order to break it:
1. The gymnast with the higher sum of the E-scores of both passes prevails.
2. The gymnast with the higher E score for the second pass prevails.
If there is still a tie, the tie will not be broken.
DOUBLE MINI-TRAMPOLINE
Competition in Double Mini-trampoline involves four “passes” or runs. In the qualification round, each gymnast performs two passes of different elements. The top eight gymnasts with the highest sum total for their passes advances. In the final, gymnasts perform another two passes, again with differing elements. Highest total score wins.
TYPES OF COMPETITION
1. Team competition
At the World Championships, each gymnast performs two passes in the qualifying round. The best three scores for both the first and second passes are added together, generating the team score. The top five teams advance to the final, where three gymnasts compete another two passes, with every score counting toward the team total. Highest team score wins.
There is no team competition at The World Games.
2. Individual competition
At the World Championships, the top eight gymnasts with the highest combined scores for their two passes advance to the individual Double Mini final, where they perform another two passes. Highest combined score for the two final passes wins.
THE TWO-PER-COUNTRY RULE
Only the top two gymnasts per country can qualify to the final round in individual competition at the World Championships. If there are three or more gymnasts from one country who finish in the top eight in the qualification round, only best two from that country will advance to the final.
WHAT IF THERE’S A TIE?
In case of a tie in the qualification or final round at the World Championships, the following criteria will be applied in the following order to break it:
1. The gymnast with the higher sum of the E-scores of both passes prevails.
2. The gymnast with the higher E score for the second pass prevails.
If there is still a tie, the tie will not be broken.