CoP - Tip of The Month

Lately on floor I've been noticing many gymnasts quickly doing an extra dance jump out of another turning leap. This new trend really helps the gymnast to get her difficult leaps credited.

The November 2014 code update states: "When there is a jump/hop, or leap with turn directly connected to another element from the COP and in the first element the turn is not completed exactly (but the gymnast is able to continue into the next element), the first element will NOT be devalued or recognized as another DV from the COP."

An Example would be split leap with 3/2 (1.5) turn + split jump 1/2. Basically if the split leap 3/2 was not fully rotated but the gymnast was able to directly link it to another jump/hop or leap then the split leap 3/2 will be recognized as D element.

Video Example:

Ksenia Afanasyeva - split leap 3/2 + split jump 1/2 split leap 3/2 is credited

MyKayla Skinner - switch leap 1/1 + sissone switch leap 1/1 is credited

*My personal opinion is that I dislike this new rule. A lot of leaps has become so unrecognizable and unattractive. But difficulty is the name of the game.

CoP - Tip of The Month

In WAG the top 8 difficult skills will be counted into the D-score. It is possible to do more difficulty but only 8 skills will count. On vault there are no maximum or minimum requirement. A difficulty has already been determined for one element. Example, Yurchenko 2/1 (5.8) or Amanar (6.3). It is fairly easy to determine the difficulty of vaults.

On bars it is pretty easy too. Basically the top 8 highest difficult elements will be counted. Bars doesn't have dance or acro (max/min) but they do have set of compositional requirements that has to be meant. Counting the top 8 skills on bars is fairly easy. Dismount element is always counted into the top 8 skill.

On BB and FX it can get more difficult to count the top 8 skills. There is a maximum of 5 aco skills that a gymnast can count and 3 minumum dance skill a gymnast can count. Dismount elements will always be counted into the top 8 difficulty. It is possible to count 4 acro and 4 dance skills or 3 acro and 5 dance skills. The rule does not always have to be 5 acro 3 dance. Often that is why there are possibilities for 3 pass routines on FX. Some jam their routines with difficult dance elements vs acrobatic elements.

Example Victoria Moors 2013 American Cup counts 4 acro & 4 dance.

 

CoP - Tip of The Month

One of the CR (compositional requirements) on floor exercise is to show a dance passage worth 0.5. It must be composed of two different leaps or hops from the CoP. According to the code, "the objective is to create a large flowing and traveling movement pattern." This can be done directly or indirectly. Most of the times gymnasts will do it indirectly and take some extra runs into their second leap/hop. This can get boring and redundant.

Here are some examples of indirect dance passages done with some flair.

Deng Linlin 
Mai Murakami 
Marta Pihan-Kulezsa

What not to do Alicia Sacramone. She practically stopped and broke her indirect leap passage.

Example of direct dance passage by Yulia Belokobylskaya. I really like how she doesn't have to run into her second leap.

CoP - Tip of The Month

The allowed time for WAG floor exercise is 90 seconds (1:30 min). Exceeding the time limit will be 0.1 penalty.

Sometimes I forget that the rules states that the timing will start when the gymnast makes her first movement. Not when the music starts. Here are some examples of gymnasts not starting with their music.

McKayla Maroney
Mai Murakami

CoP - Tip of The Month

So what happens when a gymnast falls on her release move off bars? Well in section 11.7 of the WAG code she will be credit full difficulty for the element if both hands grasps the bar with momentary hang or support. If only one hand grasps the bar or none at all then no difficulty for the element will be awarded.

What if that element was a connection and she fell? Will that credited fall element get connection value? The answer would be no. There would be no connection value points for the fall.

For example the infamous fall from Nastia Liukin's 2012 routine will receive credit for the Gienger (D) element but she would not receive any connection points from her difficult Ono 1/2 (E). By the way I like that connection.

CoP - Tip of The Month

CR- Compositional Requirement on BB (balance beam)

On beam gymnasts are required to link, "one connection of 2 different dance elements, one being a leap, jump or hop with 180 degree split (cross or side), or straddle position. Awarded 0.5CR.

Usually you'll see the typical split jump + wolf jump, sissone + split jump etc. Pretty standard and boring. Some gymnasts have come up with some interesting ways to make this often boring CR interesting. In the '08 code I did recall Pavlova/Liukin doing sissone/split + sheep jump but that didn't really appeal to me. I do like Zeng Siqi's switch ring leap + sheep jump but what really got me noticing with the dance CR was when Amelia Racea did the sissone + full turn. I don't know if she was the first gymnast to perform that series but she was the first gymnast that I have ever saw do it. I like the originality.

(Source: n-liukin)

I also liked Grishina's full turn + split jump but really I like her whole Onodi + illusion + full turn + split jump. That is one of my favourite connection on beam.

 (Source: gymnasticsgifs)

CoP - Tip of The Month

In section 7.2.1 of the WAG code of point "Arabian elements are considered forward elements". Skills such as:

Patterson (Dbl Arabian Tuck dismount on BB)
Dbl Arabian's on FX
Standing Arabian on beam etc.
Onodi's are also considered fwd elements. This skill confuses me at times. Is it bwd or fwd? Apparently it's a fwd element.

 (Source: gymnasticsgifs)

Failure to do a bwd and fwd or Swd element is 0.5 deduction from the compositional requirement. Technically a gymnast doesn't have to do a fwd element as long as she has a swd element or vice versa. Bwd elements must always be included in a routine. Beam dismounts do not count for bwd and fwd/swd CR.  

CoP - Tip of The Month

In WAG floor exercise a gymnast must include a minimum 360 turn on one foot. 360 is a full turn. Also gymnasts who shows insufficient use of the entire floor area will be deducted 2 tenths. The deductions for insufficient use of the entire floor area are:

• Insufficient use of straight lines, curves and changes of directions. 0.1 deduction.
• Missing movement touching the floor (including truck/thigh or head). 0.1 deduction. This requirement is usually referred to as low floor choreography. Most gymnasts would do this requirement since getting deducted for 1 tenth is not worth it. Every tenths counts.

The deduction for not having a full turn is 3 tenths. I often get mixed up with these requirements because they are not part of the D-score's 2.5 CR (compositional requirements). The execution panel will take out these deductions not the D panel.

CoP - Tip of The Month

On uneven bars D+D both flight elements on the same bar can receive 0.2 connection value.

I was checking the CoP and it seems I can't find the D+D both flight element for 0.2. I know the code states D+D or more is 0.1 but those are for skills such as Stalder 1/1 + Tkatchev, inbar 1/2 + Jaeger etc.

The D+E both flight elements is in the code. Usually you'll see those skills be used as Piked Tkatchev + Pak or most recently Mustafina's Seitz + Pak.

D+D 0.2CV examples: Markelov + Gienger (e.g Tweddle) or Tkatchev + Gienger (e.g Shang)

CoP - Tip of the Month

Compositional requirements (CR) are requirements that must be included in a routine. When one CR has been met the gymnast will receive 0.5. The maximum CR a gymnast can receive is 2.5. Each apparatuses will have different CR.

For example uneven bars CR are:

1. Flight element from HB to LB 0.5
2. Flight element on same bar 0.5
3. Different grips (no cast, MT, DMT) 0.5
4. Non flight element with min. 360 degree turn (no MT) 0.5
5. Dismount

• No dismount, A or B element no CR awarded
• C element 0.3
• D element or higher 0.5     

If a gymnast successfully does all the CR then she will be awarded 2.5 CR. If she misses two CR then she will only be awarded 1.5. For dismounts, if a gymnast only does a C element dismount she will only receive 3 tenths instead of the 5 tenths. Sometimes you'll see CR calculated like this 2.3.

 

Abbreviations:
HB - High bar
LB - Low bar
MT - Mount
DMT - Dismount
360 degree is a full turn

CoP - Tip of the Month

I have decided to make a monthly post about the CoP (code of points). I got this idea because maybe some of my readers want to know more about the gymnastics rules. I'm not an expert but I do know a lot. If I ever make a mistake or if you guys have questions just type a comment and tell me what's on your mind.

My first tip of the month is kind of random but I hope it helps you guys learn a little bit about the CoP. And by the way I will focus mainly on WAG code.

Tip- For balance beam dismount connections, gymnasts will only be rewarded 0.1 series bonus (SB). A gymnast must perform three skills to get the SB. The three connected skills must be B+B+C or higher to receive 0.1 SB. There are no other bonus points awarded. This means a beam dismount in connection can only get maximum of 0.1 bonus and nothing more. In the old CoP they were allowed 0.1 - 0.2 maximum.