How gymnastics scoring works (for parents)

By the gymnast.me editorial team · Updated 2026-10-29 · Part of Bleacher Parents

If you've ever sat in the bleachers wondering why a routine that looked perfect scored a 9.125, you're not alone. Gymnastics uses two different scoring systems depending on the level, and the numbers mean different things in each. Here's what parents need to know.

The two systems at a glance

*Rough guide only; "good" depends on level, age and event.

Start value: where a routine begins

At USA Gymnastics compulsory levels, every gymnast performs the same routine, so if all the required elements are there, the routine starts from 10.0. At optional levels and in Xcel, gymnasts choose their own skills, but they must meet Special Requirements and Value Part requirements. In Xcel, Bars, Beam and Floor each have four Special Requirements worth 0.50 each, so a missing requirement lowers the start value before the routine even begins (USA Gymnastics Xcel Code of Points).

Not every level starts at 10.0. Xcel Sapphire starts at 9.60 and can earn up to 0.40 in bonus (Xcel Code of Points). Higher optional levels such as Level 9 and Level 10 also start below 10.0 and gymnasts earn bonus with harder skills and connections; one gym's summary lists Level 9 at 9.70 and Level 10 at 9.50 (Emeth Gymnastics). Ask your coach for the current figures for your daughter's level, because USA Gymnastics updates the rules.

Deductions: what judges take off

Judges deduct in tenths (0.05 and 0.10 up to larger amounts) for things like:

• Form: bent knees or arms, flexed feet, legs apart.
• Amplitude: skills not high enough or not reaching required positions (for example, a cast below horizontal).
• Landings: steps, hops, low chest. A fall is a large deduction (0.50 at USA Gymnastics levels; 1.0 in elite).
• Rhythm and artistry: pauses on beam, lack of expression on floor.
• Neutral deductions: stepping out of bounds on floor, going over time, coach on the podium where not allowed.

When there are two or more judges, their scores are averaged. If they're far apart, the meet referee may ask them to confer.

Elite and Olympic scoring: D-score + E-score

Since 2006, international gymnastics has used an open-ended system run by the FIG (World Gymnastics). In the 2025–2028 Women's Code of Points, the final score is D-score + E-score − penalties (FIG WAG Code of Points 2025–2028).

• D-score (difficulty): on Bars, Beam and Floor it counts the 8 highest-value skills (A = 0.10 up to J = 1.00), plus composition requirements and connection value. On vault it's the value of the vault from the Table of Vaults.
• E-score (execution): starts at 10.00. Each judge adds up execution and artistry deductions and subtracts them from 10. With 5 or 7 judges, the middle 3 scores are averaged.

The FIG's own example: a D-score of 5.700 plus an E-score of 8.666 gives a final score of 14.366.

All-around, event finals and team scores

A women's all-around score is the four event scores added together (vault, bars, beam, floor), so a 36.5 AA is an average of about 9.125 per event. Men compete on six events. Team scores depend on the meet format, so check the meet packet.

Scores and moving up

Scores also decide when a gymnast can move up. For example, to move from Xcel Gold to Platinum (and Platinum to Diamond, Diamond to Sapphire), the 2023–24 Xcel update set mobility at a 32.00 all-around or 8.50 on an individual event (USA Gymnastics 2023–24 Xcel Update). The Development Program has its own mobility scores for Levels 4–10; Levels 1–3 have none (USA Gymnastics Development Program). State, regional and national qualifying scores are set each season by your state and region.

Tips for reading the scoreboard

• Compare your gymnast to her own past scores, not to teammates at different levels.
• A 0.1 difference often comes from a single step on landing.
• Ask the coach after the meet (not during) what the biggest deductions were. That's the most useful feedback.

Next: learn meet etiquette for parents and what to pack using our meet checklist.