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How do you score points in artistic gymnastics?
BBC Sport has published an explainer on how points are awarded in artistic gymnastics, timed to Team Scotland's strong start at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, where Reuben Ward won the nation's first ever gold medal in the men's all-around and England took bronze in the women's all-around team event. Gymnastics is one of only two events at the Games, alongside boxing, decided purely by judges applying a scoring scale, so understanding the system helps explain how medallists are separated from the rest of the field as more individual events take place this week.
Scores combine a Difficulty (D) score, which starts at zero and rises without an upper limit based on how challenging a routine is, and an Execution (E) score, which starts at a perfect 10 and has points deducted for errors, ranging from 0.1 for minor balance loss to 1.0 for falls. Men and women compete on different apparatus, with men judged across six all-around events and women across four; women also receive additional marks for "artistry" on floor and beam. Difficulty values are set out in the FIG Code of Points, from 0.1 points for basic A-grade skills up to 0.8-1.0 for the most complex H-J grade moves, with Ward's gold-winning all-around score standing at 79.650.
In short
- BBC explains gymnastics scoring after Scotland's Reuben Ward won historic gold
- Scores combine a Difficulty score (uncapped) and an Execution score (starts at 10)
- Men and women compete on different apparatus with separate judging criteria
Explained simply
Artistic gymnastics is decided by judges rather than objective measurements like time or height. Gymnasts perform choreographed routines that trained judges assess against set rules. This makes gymnastics unique among sports, and understanding how judges score routines helps explain how competitions work.
Every routine receives two scores that combine for the final mark. The Difficulty score begins at zero and increases based on how challenging the moves are, with no upper limit. The Execution score starts at a perfect 10 and has points deducted for errors ranging from balance loss to falls.
The difficulty of each skill is assigned a fixed value by the sport's international governing body, ensuring judges apply consistent standards across competitions. Execution deductions also follow set rules, ranging from 0.1 points for minor mistakes to 1.0 for falls. Additionally, women compete on different apparatus than men and receive extra marks for artistry on certain events, meaning the scoring adapts to each competition.
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