A Canadian coach was frustrated at the last meet after her kids had done a good job of STICKING landings:
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Interestingly enough, we found that in order not to take a step, it was often necessary to lower ourselves down in order to gain more stability. The result however, was not a higher score – in fact, in some cases, the score went DOWN. Why?
After inquiring about the E-Score (which we can do in Canada), we learned that judges were taking the 0.3 body posture deduction, even though we had ‘stuck’ our landings. …
I’ve seen College gymnasts stick vault, and yet get a low score for the same reason. Yet as a coach I saw no fault biomechanical nor technical in how the force was absorbed.
The score was unjust.
… But there might be an upside to this mistake in the women’s judging rules. (Men’s judges are far more reasonable.)
Keith Russell has many times speculated on what would happen if we allowed one step or hop on landing … WITHOUT deduction. He feels the number and severity of injuries would decrease.
That step / hop is tremendously effective in attenuating the force of landing. It’s much safer.
My advice for that coach, therefore, is to train the kids to do a small hop (not step) with the required posture. Also, to have them train landings up on to high mats … so that the timing of the rotation will allow a ‘kick out’ and, thus, a more vertical position with the torso.
… If the girls happen to stick with vertical posture, consider that a bonus.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 