Objectively evaluating an inherently subjective sport like women’s gymnastics is not a new challenge. From the most experienced international brevet judges chosen to evaluate Olympic gymnasts to the first-time judge reviewing a six-year-old’s first competition, judges throughout history have struggled to accurately and consistently grade the artistic and athletic performances of gymnasts of all levels.
In NCAA gymnastics, the pressure to break records, keep fans engaged, and receive a good evaluation from coaches can make consistency even more difficult. This is especially true when fans and analysts have the advantages of multiple camera angles and instant replays while judges have one angle and one chance to catch everything.
When Florida’s Chloi Clark scored a perfect 9.95 from one judge with a clear landing deduction in February 2023, gymnastics fans, judges, and coaches alike seemed to hit a breaking point. It was clear that gymnastics judging needed new quality control measures, but what would that look like and could it work?
In response, the Women’s Collegiate Gymnastics Association (WCGA) created the Collegiate Judging Issue (CJI) working group to develop a judges evaluation system “to create a level playing field of scores across the country,” as…
