The sound of a 10.0 is instantly recognizable on a broadcast. The team comes alive with joy, embracing their teammate in celebration of perfection. Fans watching from home often listen for a flawless routine’s score to be met with the screams of overjoyed gymnasts. They’re even egged along by the “10 Watch Cam” that ESPN uses to capture the gymnast’s reaction— if their routine were to be perfect. This has often ended in disappointment. Only two gymnasts received perfect scores this January, compared to 20 in January of 2024. Data editors Jenna King and Emma Hammerstrom analyzed score distributions through week six and compared them to prior seasons to answer the current hot-button topic in NCAA: Are scores really getting tighter? Former NCAA judge Rhiannon Franck joins us to provide insight from a judging perspective on why scores may be tighter this season.
Data editor Jenna King compiled all scores of the first six weeks of the past four seasons (2022-2025). The editors chose to limit analysis to only the first six weeks to keep conclusions in the context of the first half of the season. After the season concludes, this analysis can be revisited to see if the same trends hold through the second half of the season. Data editor Emma Hammerstrom…
