New season, new rules. Earlier this month, the NCAA released its updated Rules Modification Document with all the changes it has adopted for the upcoming college gymnastics season, and earlier this summer, it updated its annual report with some noticeable changes to championships. We break down all the notable modifications and how they will affect the 2024 season.
Failure to Hold Finishing Position
In the latest attempt to eliminate the infamous college stick, gymnasts must hold their finishing position on vault, uneven bars, and balance beam for at least one second or incur a half-tenth deduction. Whether the gymnast sticks the landing or takes a step or two, we will see an increased effort from gymnasts to pause before saluting, making this the most visible change fans will notice this season.
Interpretation from former judge Rhiannon Franck:
Although I haven’t seen any official clarification, if an athlete does a “college stick” and doesn’t hold the finishing position and takes a small adjustment, the judges will likely still only deduct half a tenth. It’s unlikely that athletes will be deducted for both adjustments and failing to hold finishing position.
Vault Landing Line Positioning
Teams will now be hit with deductions for not properly…
