Artistic gymnastics – Five Rules to Know

• Apparatus
  Male gymnasts compete on six apparatuses: floor exercise, pommel horse, still rings, vault, parallel bars, and horizontal bar. Female gymnasts compete on four: vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise. Both men and women also compete in the All-around individual and All-around team event.
• Scoring
  Routines are evaluated based on difficulty and execution. The difficulty score accounts for the complexity and risk of elements performed, while the execution score starts from 10 and deductions are made for errors, such as poor form or balance checks.
  
• Composition Requirements
  Each routine must include specific required elements and demonstrate a balance of skills, including strength, flexibility, and artistry.
• Deductions
  Judges deduct points for mistakes such as falls, steps out of bounds, or improper technique. The total score is the sum of the difficulty and execution scores minus any deductions.
  
• Time Limits
  Certain routines have time constraints; for example, women’s floor exercises have a maximum duration of 90 seconds. Exceeding time limits can lead to penalties.

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