by site editor Rick McCharles
My New Year’s day wish …
It’s almost the same as a request by IG Magazine’s Dwight Normile of the FIG Women’s Technical Committee:
E-scores in the 9.0s again.
A good rule of thumb: “If it doesn’t detract from the artistry, it shouldn’t draw a deduction.” Personally, it doesn’t bother me if a pirouette is completed more than 10 degrees past vertical, as long as it doesn’t interrupt the flow of the routine. A better evaluation tool might be to reward gymnasts who happen to finish a pirouette at vertical. But don’t deduct. (That goes for the men, too.)
come back Kathy on the IG Forum posted the highest Execution scores from the last World Championships in London:
9.175 USA Kayla Williams – Vault
8.900 CHN He Kexin – Bars
9.100 USA Rebecca Bross – Beam
8.750 AUS Lauren Mitchell – Floor
This would be no problem, if those same judges were willing to give 3.0s and 4.0s for the worst routines. To create a fair “range” of scores.
They don’t. The scores are “boxed”. There’s a huge incentive for judges not to throw a score too high, nor too low. They try to punch in a “safe” score, not necessarily the most accurate one.
The MAG judges are more confident to throw a score they know will be out-of-range. Canadian judge Chris Grabowecky was the last to award a “perfect 10” in a FIG competition (old code). On Pommel Horse. After discussion with the panel, his score was not changed.
What WAG judge would have the guts to do that?
Women’s judges are far more guilty, too, of taking deductions on skills that all coaches would agree are well done. Double layout on Bars jumps to mind. Many WAG judges deduct for “insufficient height” if it’s not done as high as a full twisting double tuck.
That’s simply wrong. Ask any trampoline coach how high double layout should be relative to a tucked fliffus.
Most WAG judges never trained double layout off Bars. Some don’t understand the biomechanics. WAG judges are getting better, but I still feel they are not nearly as technically up-to-date as the MAG judges.
They are more trained, but less competent.
Why aren’t there more judging blogs to discuss judging issues?
Someone should be launching GymnasticsJudging.com. (I own that domain name. Contact me if you want to go for it.)
Leave a comment if you have ideas how FIG can “fix” the problem of “boxed” Execution scores.
Otherwise the difficulty score will decide the medals in 2012.
related post: best bars double layout ever?
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