To newcomers, a rhythmic gymnastics score like 28.650 looks like magic. It isn't — every score is the sum of two open panels of judges, minus penalties. Here's the FIG system, decoded.
Two judge panels, two numbers
- Difficulty (D) panel — counts what the routine contains: body difficulties (leaps, balances, rotations), apparatus difficulties, dynamic elements with rotation ("risks"), and full apparatus handling. The D-score is open-ended — there is no maximum, which is why top routines keep pushing content.
- Execution (E) panel — starts from 10.00 and deducts for every fault, both technical (bent knees, imprecise catches, traveling on balances) and artistic (poor music connection, monotone choreography). Deductions run from −0.10 for small blemishes to −0.50+ for a dropped apparatus.
The formula
Final score = D + E − penalties. Penalties come from the line and time judges: stepping off the 13×13 m carpet, exceeding 1:30, apparatus leaving the floor area, or attire violations (see our attire rules guide).
What separates a 24 from a 30?
At high level, execution is the battleground: elite gymnasts perform similar difficulty content, so medals are decided by tenths lost on catches and lines. A clean, slightly easier routine routinely beats an ambitious one with a drop — the drop alone can cost over a point between deduction and the lost difficulty.
Group scoring differences
Groups are judged on the same D + E structure with one addition: exchanges — the signature simultaneous throws between all five gymnasts — carry their own difficulty value, and collaboration elements reward the group working as a single organism.
Watching like a judge
Next competition, watch for three things: does the apparatus ever stop moving (it shouldn't), does the gymnast catch without adjusting her feet, and does the routine hit the music's accents. You'll predict the E-score within a few tenths. For how routines are built around the music itself, see our music guide.