Have you ever wondered why your favorite gymnast can’t seem to get above a 9.9 on an event, no matter how well they perform? They may have some built-in deductions–deductions that are related to technique rather than how well they can perform the skill on a specific day. Whether or not the judges consistently take these deductions is a different story, but in this article, I’ll highlight some common built-in deductions on popular NCAA skills. It’s important for judges to take these deductions so those who can perform these elements with proper technique are rewarded for executing them perfectly.
Vault
Leg Separation (up to 0.2), Tsuk Entry (1/4 to 1/2 twist on)
Unlike a Yurchenko entry vault where it’s almost impossible to see the leg separation coming onto the table, it’s very obvious in the Tsuk-entry style since the athlete is turning. A Tsuk full starts from a 10.0, and the Yurchenko full from a 9.95, so perhaps this was considered when the Tsuk entry was valued higher than the Yurchenko.
0.05
0.05 to 0.1
0.1 to 0.15
Pike Down (up to 0.3), Yurchenko Full
Vault is very much a “cause and effect” event, where a mistake early on often cascades into more deductions later in the skill. Similarly, landing deductions…
