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Men's Gymnastics
Open Optional Rules - 2003

Mission Statement: Open Optional Competition Rules

1. The Open Optional Competition system is a modification of the Junior Elite 1 & 2 Rules. Differences are minimal, and do not involve any change in either method or content for a judge recording a routine. The only difference is in how the elements of the evaluation add up to reach a final score.

2. The Open Optional gymnast ranges from beginning Class 4 and 5 skill development up through good, strong optional routines that should prepare the gymnast to move to the Junior Elite level, similar to high level High School competition routines. It must serve both gymnasts who will never compete at a higher level, as well as those who, with time, hard work, and encouragement, may someday be successful at the Junior Elite and Elite levels.

3. The system rewards learning and accomplishment, as opposed to the punitive system that rewards high difficulty over developing a broad base of essential skills.

General Comments                                                                                     

This system is simple to apply, because it requires no change in the way the judge records information, and very little change in determining the final score. Event Presentation and Event Requirements are unchanged. Bonus is based ONLY on whether the gymnast has 7 recognized parts; a flat value of 1.0 is awarded to every routine that has 7 or more parts. Difficulty is recorded the same as always, but now it is just a totaling of the values of all recognized skills without a preset formula. As always, extra difficulty does not allow the gymnast to earn more than the maximum value allowed, in this case, 2.8. It is possible to reach a 10.0 start value with a routine containing as few as 1 B and 5 C parts, or as many as 13 A and 5 B parts. In these extreme cases, however, the likelihood of picking up more deductions or bigger deductions is increased, either by the concentration of difficulty or by the sheer length of the routine.

This system has been tried with a number of different routines that would be fairly typical of the rather broad skill and ability level represented in Open Optional Competition. It has worked well in every scenario tried; using a broad enough range of scores to differentiate between the varying levels of performance.

Modified Junior Elite Rules

Event Presentation:                                                                         5.0 value

There will be no changes in the Event Presentation rules.

Event Requirements / Skill Categories                                              1.0 value

There will be no changes in the Category rules. 

Bonus                                                                                               1.0 value

Every routine of 7 or more parts receives an automatic bonus of 1.0.

Difficulty                                                                                            2.8 value

1.    All difficulty values are unchanged. A=0.1, B=0.3, C=0.5.

2.    If the gymnast performs a D, E or Es part, they are also worth 0.5 (just as they normally are if they are used to count for difficulty).

3.    Every skill can be recognized twice for value (JE3 repetition rule).

4.    The gymnast’s difficulty score will be the total value of all recognized value parts, up to a maximum total of 3.0.

Performance Bonus                                                                           0.2 value

Performance Bonus (listed in the JO Manual) is awarded only AFTER the primary start value has been determined.

1.    Stick the landing on a C or better dismount                       – 0.10

2.    Total exercise presentation deductions of 0.5 or less                    – 0.10

Changes from the Original Rules               

1.    Maximum difficulty value is 2.8.

2.    Virtuosity Performance Bonus is eliminated. GPA and stick bonus remain, but there is no possibility of a start score above 10.0

Judging Guide

During the 2001-2002 season, there were many questions and some confusion on the part of the judges as to the method of determining scores for open Optionals. The following judging guides show how to compute Open Optional scores, whether a judge normally works from a Start Value or adds component parts to determine a final score.