Since starting Judge’s Inquiry during the 2023 season, I’ve looked at all of the 10s each year and rated them based on how close the routines came to perfection. But what about the 10s that came before? Are the judges being more liberal with their 10s or is the gymnastics just better? I picked some memorable 10.0s from the 2020 to 2022 NCAA seasons to find out. My only disclaimer is that I assumed all of the gymnasts had their full difficulty and bonus, starting from a 10.0 under the code of points that was valid while they competed. Here’s a reminder of my scoring system:
⭐ This was clearly not a 10.0 routine (but still very good!)
⭐⭐ There was definitely a deduction there, but maybe the judges blinked?
⭐⭐⭐ 10.0 vibes, but not actually perfect
⭐⭐⭐⭐ It was a “college 10”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 100% a perfect routine
Vault
Maggie Nichols, Oklahoma (Jan. 19, 2020)
Shoulder Angle (-0.05)
Early Turn (-0.05)
Nichols had beautiful form in the air and a clearly stuck landing. However, her shoulders were slightly closed on the table, and she started to twist before she finished her block, which is also a deduction. These are rarely taken in NCAA, although I wish judges would use these…
