The biggest change this season is the removal of evaluation of the judges from the hands of coaches to a panel of independent experts.  First off, there is a new "Supervisor of Officials" position and new video evaluation process that has been established.  A "SCORE" (Standardized Consistency and Officiating of Routine Evaluation) board of eight (8) paid judges will evaluate videos of routine scoring weekly, based on videos uploaded by all of the schools.  Two judges will be assigned to the score board per event.  Points will be awarded based on variance to the score range determined by the score board judges.  Each week, the evaluated judges will get feedback as well as a script of the score board judge evaluations. 

The goal is to make the scoring more uniform across the NCAA and reduce evaluation differences with the USA Gymnastics Development Program.  The Coaches' association also hopes it will empower the judges to take all the applicable deductions fairly, without outside pressure to give high scores.  Starting with the 2026, the Coaches' evaluations will no longer be used to determine post-season judging assignments (the 2025 assignments are already complete, based on last year's evaluations).  The supervisor and eight selected evaluators will not be allowed to judge meets.  However, they will be paid more than if they had actually judged the meets.  This will be a live and dynamic learning process, with a lot of stress for judges, coaches, athletes and fans as the scoring moves closer to a standardized level.      

In addition to the new score board and evaluation criteria, the range of allowable scores by individual judges has been narrowed.  First, the average of the scores is determined.  Then, their allowable range (high to low) will be assessed:

What really matters here is the first category, for average scores that land at 9.8 and above.  With a tightening of the range to 0.1, situations where one judge awards a 9.95 and the other a 9.8 can no longer occur.  This will trigger a higher number of judging conferences during the regular season. 

This year, the judges will flash not only their start value and scores, but whether UTL ("Up to the level") has been taken. 

For an incomplete routine with scoring out of range or with impossible start values, the chief judge has the ability to declare a Delayed Conference to allow the judges to complete the resolution of the score after the rotation has ended.  This will make the rotations more TV-friendly. 

Here are some additional changes per event:

Vault

No changes in vault start values have been made.  The NCAA Modifications have made some clarifications regarding the "guide lines" placed on the mat that help the judges evaluate direction deductions.  Deductions of up to 0.3 for direction can be taken. 

The Code of Points for the Women's Development Program guides the basic evaluation of execution in the NCAA.  A few changes have been made that impact vault and flow through to the NCAA.

• A small to medium step can be evaluated at 0.1 to 0.15 off.
• Underrotation can be taken on non-salto vaults as well.
• The deduction for a prescribed lateral axis turn starting too early is now up to 0.3 tenths
• The deduction for a squat below knee level is now clarified to be additive to any fall (along with other deductions like absences of extension and incorrect body posture).

Uneven Bars

The NCAA has raised the minimum require release difficulty to a D and a C.  Not meeting this requirement will result in a 0.2 deduction for missing a special requirement.  It was previously a C + C or D plus B.

The NCAA has also replicated the dismount difficulty requirement from an Up to the Level (UTL) deduction to a Special Requirement.  A gymnast must end with a C directly connected to a C dismount, or a D/E dismount, to avoid a deduction of 0.2 points.  This effectively raises this deduction from 0.1 to 0.2, while still maintaining the dismount difficulty as a necessary precursor to avoid the UTL deduction. 

The NCAA has also addressed the spread of routines that use the combination of a Maloney (toe-on Shaposhnikova) to a bail to handstand or Pak.  Rather than earning 0.2 in connection bonus, these combinations has been reduced down to 0.1 in bonus.  This is a middle ground proposal to more aggressive devaluation solutions proposed.  However, many gymnasts already connect these combinations with a toe-on to handstand and have 0.2 in dismount bonus, leaving them unaffected by this change.  The NCAA also raised the level of the true Shaposhnikova (clear hip entry) and Chow (Stalder entry) to E, up from D.

As with the other events, per changes in the USAG code, a medium step can now be assessed at 0.15 points and squats preceding a fall can be added to the fall deduction. 

Balance Beam

There are no significant changes on Balance Beam this season. 

As with the other events, per changes in the USAG code, a medium step can now be assessed at 0.15 points and squats preceding a fall can be added to the fall deduction.  In a slight modification, dismounts too close to the beam can incur a 0.1 deduction.

If the beam cap is kicked off the beam, it is no longer considered an equipment failure.  The NCAA has also clarified restrictions and deductions around the use of marks and tape on the equipment.

Floor Exercise

Rather than taking bold moves to address the proliferation of two-pass routines, the NCAA has chosen some tweaks directed at two pass routines.

There is a new special requirement (SR) that two across passes must be performed, on two different diagonals.  Not meeting this SR will result in a 0.2 point deduction. 

The additional bonus for D double flipping saltos in the last acro pass has been been eliminated for two-pass routines.  The two pass routine will now require a minimum of a D double-flipping salto in direct or indirect combination (or an E skill) in order to get the 0.1 bonus.  Three pass routines are not impacted.  A D double flipping salto or E skill skill in the last acro pass will still earn 0.1 in bonus in a three-pass routine. 

As with the other events, a medium step can now be assessed at 0.15 points and squats preceding a fall can be added to the fall deduction. 

Link: 2024-2025 Code Modifications (PDF)

Link:  USA Gymnastics Code of Points August 2024 Updates:  PDF