5.3 DIFFICULTY


A. REQUIREMENTS :

All Categories:
A maximum of 10 difficulty elements from different families from the Element Pool (App.3) including 1 element from each Group. A maximum of 5 difficulty elements on the floor. A maximum of 2 difficulty elements from Group C landing in push up position A maximum of 2 difficulty elements from Group C anding in split position.  
Mixed Pairs and Trios:
All competitors must perform same elements at the same time or consecutively, in the same or different directions.  
Groups:
To validate the Difficulty Element Groups (A, B, C, D), all competitors must perform same elements at the same time or consecutively, in the same or different directions.

B. FUNCTION

The Difficulty judge is responsible for evaluating the difficulty elements of the exercise and determining the correct Difficulty score. The Difficulty judges are obligated to recognize and credit each element that is correctly performed according to the minimum requirements.
 
The gymnasts are expected to include in the routine, only elements that they can perform with complete safety and with a high degree of aesthetic and technical mastery and with perfect execution (see App. II for description).
 
Elements not meeting minimum requirements and/or elements with a fall, will not receive the value.
 
Elements performed with unacceptable execution will not be recognized and will not receive the value.  They will be severely deducted by the Execution judges.
 
In cases of doubt, the benefit of that doubt must be given to the gymnast.
The Difficulty Judges:
Record the whole routine (all difficulty elements) Count the number of difficulty elements and give the values. Apply Difficulty deductions.
The two judges must compare their scores and deductions to ensure that they are in agreement and then send one score. In the case of an irreconcilable difference, they will consult Chair of Judges Panel.
 

C. CRITERIA

Recording the difficulty elements: All difficulty elements performed must be written down using the FIG shorthand shown in Appendix III, (Difficulty Tables / Element Pool and Values), irrespective of whether or not the minimum requirements as described in App. II are met. At Senior International events, difficulty elements with the value of 0.1 and 0.2 will not be written down and counted.  
Evaluating the difficulty elements The value is set according to Appendix III, provided the element meets the minimum requirements as stated in Appendix II. A value is given only to the first 10 difficulty elements performed. Difficulty elements not meeting the minimum requirements and difficulty elements with a fall will valid the group but receive a value of 0.0,  
Combination of 2 elements Two elements from group A and C can be combined directly without any stop, hesitation or transition.  The 2 elements may be from the same or different groups (A & C), but must be from different families. They will be counted as 2 elements. These 2 elements cannot be repeated. If these 2 elements meet the minimum requirements:                   • the combination will receive the additional value of 0,1 point
                  • the group of the 2 elements performed will be validated
To receive the additional value of 0.1 point, these 2 elements must meet the minimum requirements. An element to be combined has to have a number and a value in the difficulty table. All competitors (MP, TR, GR) must perform the same combination of 2 elements at the same time.  

For GROUP Category:
If the competitors perform up to two different difficulty elements at the same time or consecutively, the element of the lowest value will receive the difficulty value. If the competitors perform up to two different difficulty elements at the same time or consecutively and then consecutively repeat the same 2 difficulty elements but with different members of the group, this will not be considered as a repetition and the group will be credited for both difficulty elements.  
Example: Competitors 1,2 and 3 perform a straddle jump and competitors 4 and 5 perform a free fall. Then immediately (without AMP, transition and / or link), 1,2,3 perform a free fall and 4 and 5 a straddle jump.
 
Difficulty elements in Lifts and Physical Interactions 1) All difficulty elements performed while in a lift will not be written down and counted.
2) If in Mixed Pairs, Trios and Groups, athletes perform a difficulty element while during physical interaction with another competitor, the difficulty element will NOT be counted.

Groups

Element Families

Base Elements

GROUP A
Dynamic Strength Elements

PUSH UP
EXPLOSIVE PU
EXPLOSIVE SUPPORT LEG CIRCLE
HELICOPTER

PU, WENSON PU
PLIO PU, A-FRAME, CUT
HIGH V, REVERSE CUT
LEG CIRCLE, FLAIR
HELICOPTER

GROUP B
Static Strength Elements

SUPPORT
V-SUPPORT
HORIZONTAL SUPPORT

STRADDLE SUPPORT, L-SUPPORT
V-SUPPORT, HIGH V-SUPPORT
WENSON SUPPORT, LEVER SUPPORT, PLANCHE

 

GROUP C
Jumps & Leaps Elements

STRAIGHT JUMP
HORIZONTAL JUMP
BENT LEG(S) JUMP
PIKE JUMP
STRADDLE JUMP
SPLIT JUMP
KICK JUMP
OFF AXIS JUMP
BUTTERFLY JUMP

AIR TURN, FREE FALL
GAINER, TAMARO,
TUCK, COSSACK
PIKE
STRADDLE, FRONTAL SPLIT
SPLIT, SWITCH, SCISSORS LEAP
SCISSORS KICK
OFF AXIS ROTATION
BUTTERFLY

GROUP D
Balance & Flexibility Elements

SPLIT
TURN
BALANCE TURN
ILLUSION
KICK

SPLIT, FRONTAL SPLIT, VERTICAL SPLIT WITH TURN,
TURN, TURN with LEG AT HORIZONTAL
BALANCE TURN
ILLUSION
HIGH LEG KICKS


Difficulty Deductions (-1.0 pt / each time):

More than 10 difficulty elements performed
For every difficulty element performed more than 10, a deduction will be made. All difficulty elements peformed, even if they receive a 0.0 value, will be counted in the total number.  More than 5 difficulty elements on the floor

Difficulty elements on the floor are difficulty elements of all groups  (A, B, C, D) which are performed or land on the floor (e.g. push-up, wenson and split positions, straddle jump to PU). More than 2 difficulty elements landing to push up and 2 difficulty elements landing in splits position

Difficulty elements landing to push up position or in split position are all difficulty elements from Group C Jumps & leaps, which land into a push up or split position.


Repetition of an element

All difficulty elements performed must be from different family groups
Examples:
• Group A: Explosive Push up, Leg circle, Helicopter…
• Group B: L-support, V support, Horizontal support…
• Group C: Vertical Jump, Horizontal Jump, Pike Jump…
• Group D: Turn, Balance turn, Illusion…


 Missing Group of the Element Pool
A deduction will be made for each missing group of the element pool not performed. Only the first 10 difficulty elements written down will be considered.


Deductions:

More than 10 difficulty elements                                         per additional element 1.0
  More than 5 difficulty elements on the floor                      per additional element 1.0
  More than 2 difficulty elements in landing to push up    per additional element 1.0
and  / or   to split position                                                      per additional element 1.0 Repetition of an element                                                      per element 1.0 
  Missing element group                                                         per missing group 1.0

SCORING

Difficulty elements will get a value according to their difficulty level. (see Appendix III, Difficulty Tables / Element Pool & Values)  
All difficulty elements and combinations that have received a value will be added together and the total will be divided by:  
2 points for IM, IW, MP, TR (men) and GR (men) 1,8 point TR (women or mixed) and GR (women or mixed)  
This will be the results in the difficulty score.
The score is therefore given in 3 decimal points.
 
All deductions made are added together.
The total will be divided by 2, resulting in the deductions of the difficulty judges.
The deductions are therefore given to two decimal points.


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