The NCAA has released the 2025-2026 Rules Modifications for NCAA women's gymnastics, and the resulting changes are perhaps the most inconsequential in the decades.  As the result, absent something like the SCORE board initiative, scoring records could be in danger again this season.  

Sometimes, there are changes to the underlying code from the Women's Development Program Code of Points.  However, this season, those changes are minor as well, as this is the last year of the four year cycle of changes to the Code.  There are some clarifications and changes on the NCAA side, but they are mostly new procedures and clarifications, with no changes on the events.

The most major change is the fact that a Panel Judge can call for a judging conference when an "impossible" score is identified.  This is due an obvious flat execution deduction that was not applied (like a fall or grab of the apparatus or extra swing) or a composition deduction was not applied, and yet the counting scores are within range and/or the Start Values are the same.  

There were no notable changes on vault.

On UB, they clarified situations in which a combination leading to a fall is repeated.  

On BB, a clarification was added to show movement/choreography in all directions, and that movements at any level (low, semi-low, standing). 

On FX, the definition of a salto was clarified to include elements that take off from two feet and land on one or both feet, or lower in control to the knee.  Aerials nor saltos that land in a sitting, prone is sit-split qualify as an Acro pass.  As per the prior regulation, at least one salto must be a C value salto.  The NCAA also further clarified that the routine must include two acro passes performed on two different diagonals.        

The document also provides changes on injury assessments, video reviews and various aspects of meet operations, including the rotation and placement of judges. 

On the underlying Women's Development Program (WDP) Optional Code of Points, the changes are also minor and are moving closer to the NCAA guidance.   Here are some of the changes for this season:  

• Several skill values have been raised to align with the NCAA values.  
• The deduction for small or medium steps on landing are 0.1 or 0.15.  
• The hips must below knee level to get up to a 0.3 deduction on landing (level with knees has been stricken out).
• The deduction for failure to dismount of 0.3 has been deleted.
• On Vault, deductions of up to 0.3 can be taken when a lateral axis turn is taken too early.  
• Certain leaps and jumps will no longer be downgraded for severe undersplit (e.g., 134 degrees or less) but execution will be taken.  Similarly, wolf and tuck jumps will be awarded value part credit if the position is greater than 130 degrees at the hips and 90 degrees at the knee.     

Clarifications are in bold font, changes are highlighted in blue.

Link:  2025-2026 Women's NCAA Rules Modifications (PDF)

Link:  2022-2026 Women's WDP Optional Code of Points Update (PDF)

Ball State has hired Kim Hermansen as an assistant coach.  She was previously the Team Director at Bare Foot Gymnastics in Utah and has extensive club coaching experience.  

Link: Release

Michigan (W) has hired Quest Hayden as an assistant.  He was previously an assistant at Ohio State, and before that, at Iowa and UNC.  He also was a volunteer assistant at PSU and Michigan.  He was formerly a standout at PSU and a member of the US National Team.  

Link:  Release

Denver has hired former Cal assistant coach John Carney as their new assistant.  Prior to that, he had coached at Missouri and Oregon State.  

Link:  Release

Taylor Spears has stepped away from her role as the Associate Head Coach at Arizona.  The former OU standout is stepping away completely from collegiate gymnastics.

Link:  Insta

Olympian Helzy Rivera, an LSU commit, won her first US Senior Women's AA title with a strong day 2 performance, posting a 56.4 to win with a two day tally of 112.0.  Florida grad Leanne Wong was 2nd while Arkansas' Joscelyn Roberson was 3rd.  UCLA signee Ashlee Sullivan was 4th while Florida commit Simone Rose was 5th.  Close behind was clubmate and fellow future Gator Jayla Hang, who bounced back after problems on Day 1.  Florida commit Dulcy Caylor was 8th, UCLA signee Tiana Sumanasekera was 9th.  

Rivera won BB, FX and tied for 1st on UB with Florida's Skye Blakely.  Wong won the VT.  

All of the above plus recruitables Garbrielle Hardie (2029) and Claire Pease (2027) were named to the US Senior National Team.  

Link: USA Gym

Stanford's Asher Hong won his first US senior Men's AA title, with a dominant performance.  He won the AA competition with a combined 170.02, nearly an eight point difference over the runnerup, Michigan's Frederick Richard.  He also won national titles on VT, FX and Rings, and placed 2nd on PB.  Richard bounced back from a rough first day to take second at 162.565.  OU's Fuzzy Benas was just behind in 3rd at 162.31  Air Force's Patrick Hoopes won the PH while former Stanford star Brody Malone won the PB.  Stanford' grad Taylor Burkhart won the HB.  

Joining Hong on the Men's World Championships team are Illini Brandon Dang, Hoopes, Malone, former Buckeye Kameron Nelson and Donell Whittenburg.   Burkhart is a non-traveling alternate.  

Also named to the Men's Senior National Team were Benas, Michigan's grad Crew Bold, Stanford's Jun Iwai, PSU grad Josh Karnes, former Cardinal Riley Loos, Dante Reive (2026), and former Cardinal Colt Walker.  

Link:  USA Gym

Stanford's Asher Hong took a large lead after Day 1 of the senior men's division at the US (Xfinity) Championships.  He notched a strong 85.585 to best OU's Fuzzy Benas (81.105) and former Cardinal Colt Walker (81.058).  Hong was also first on VT and 2nd on R, FX and PB.  Walker had the top mark on PB.  Air Force's Patrick Hoopes had the top spot on PH, while former Buckeye Kameron Nelson was first on FX.  Stanford grad Taylor Burkhart had the top mark on HB.

Link:  USA Gym

Cal signee Tonya Paulsson, representing Taiwan, was 3rd AA and 2nd on BB.  She was also 4th on the FX.  Clemson commit Emma Malewski won the bronze on BB.    

In the Men's competition, Air Force's Patrick Hoopes won bronze on the PH.  Stanford grad Colt Walker placed 6th in the AA while Stanford's Kai Uemura was 18th.  Illinoi's Tate Costa was 7th on the FX.  OU Sooner Ignacio Yockers, representing Spain, was 9th AA and 4th on PH.  Nebraska grad Ioannis Chronopoulos, representing Canada, was 11th AA.      

The US only sent a men's delegation.  They placed 8th in the team final.  Japan won the men's and women's titles by a large margin.  

Link:  All Results and USA Gym Release 2 and 3

Claire Pease won the AA and VT titles at the US Classic, the final precursor to the US Championships.  Florida commit Simone Rose (2026) was 2nd and Arkansas' Joscelyn Roberson was 3rd.  UGA signee Brooke Pierson was 4th.  UCLA signee Ashlee Sullivan was 6th AA and 1st on BB while Stanford commit Alicia Zhou (2026) was tied for 8th AA.  UCLA incoming frosh Jordis Eichman was 10th.  Florida commit Dulcy Caylor was 11th was LSU commit Hezly Rivera and UCLA commit Nola Matthews tied for 12th.  LSU commit Annalisa Milton was 14th.

Individually, Michigan's Myli Lew won the UB.  2027 recruit Reese Esponda posted the top mark on FX.  A total of 29 athletes were slated to compete, including 23 in the AA.  Florida grad Leanne Wong competed two events while 2026 Florida commit Jayla Hang competed the same two events.  

Link:  USA Gym