The videos and scripts were published by the NAWGJ and NACGC-W as part of an education effort aimed at improving the consistency of judging evaluation across the nation.  The videos show former gymnasts of all ability levels, and then provides scoring evaluations for each.  The scripts were developed last summer by a panel of judges.  

The first thing you'll notice is that the scores awarded in these evaluations may be lower than you expect.  The scores and level of judging scrutiny applied to these example routines may be more stringent than you have seen in the past.  Also, a word of caution.  The scripts associated with each video are written using the type of judging shorthand that many non-judges likely do not know.  However, it's easy enough to figure out.  Each mark corresponds to a skill of value (or nonvalue requirement) and is marked with a letter from A to E.  By looking for the big skills and checking the score sheets for these D and E skills, you can quickly determined which other skills may be collecting deductions.  Deductions on each move or transition is noted next to the shorthand mark for each.  General deductions, such as for artistry or a special requirement, are noted when they are taken.   

So what are some of things you might notice?  Let's take a look at some of the highlights per event:

Vault

On vault, the deductions are clearly called out in simple terms, and some trends emerge.  The height of the vault is a frequent deduction, taken on nearly every vault.  "Body Position" faults are called out for errors made prior to landing, in particular for an early pike down.  Even some very powerful vaults were deducted for slight pike positions before landing.   "Body Posture" is also an area of big concern.  Landing with the body bent over is a fault caught in many of the evaluations.  "Dynamics" is another area that is frequently cited, and one that may be unfamiliar to many.  A number of forward entry vaults were also docked for body position in the preflight, in addition to higher deductions for lack of post-flight height.    

Uneven Bars

Interpreting the scoring sheets on UB is a bit more difficult for the average fan.  However, a few trends and surprises are apparent in the scoring sheets.  The big skills and dismounts do generate a number of deductions, as you might expect.  These are easily seen in the scoring sheets.  You are also probably famliar with deductions for handstands.  What may be surprising is the number of deductions taken for skills that pirouette or circle up to a handstand.  And, comparatively safe mounts are often deducted, as are simple skills like kips and giants.   Relatively "stock" routines and routines with repeated skills are tagged as possible "variety" deductions (e.g., "four long hang kips to cast handstand" in UB#7). 

Balance Beam

On Balance Beam, you can see a wide variety of areas where deductions can be taken, but not all are as obvious as wobbles, flexed feet or bent legs.  In these routines, you can also see where artistry deductions might be taken.  Also, concentration pauses prior to flight series and dismounts are a frequent error, as are problems with slow connections between elements.  Single C dismounts without a connecting move are also flagged for a 0.05 deduction, such as the gainer layout full off the side.  Some gymnasts also have problems with their routine structure, for example with no moves low to the beam or the lack of a forward skill.  Deductions on leaps, for various execution faults, are nearly as common as deductions on difficult acrobatic skills.  Showing the correct body position, with the right form and height, are key points to execution.  You will also notice a number of deductions on turns.  Skills such as full turns need to be performed in high releve (on the ball of the foot) or a deduction can be taken.  This is a new deduction this year.       

Floor Exercise

On the Floor Exercise, a variety of styles and tumbling abilities are presented, including one very famous FX set from a Florida graduate.  A number of the athletes are missing a "Dance Passage", a relatively requirement on the event (to be fair, this requirement may not have been in place when the athlete was actually competing this routine).  This requirement specifies a connected passage of leaps that contains one leap that takes off from a single foot and includes a 180 degree split.  Speaking of splits, this position is often a subject of deductions, usually in leaps.  You'll also notice that deductions can even be taken when no skill of value is being done.  Besides landing faults in tumbling, you'll see a number of deductions for improper body shape (excessive arch, for example) in the air or upon landing (chest low, failure to open prior to landing).  Front layouts frequently are the cause of these deductions.  Finally, the judges are recommending that 0.05 is deducted when there is an uneven distribution of value skills in the routine.  In some cases, this appears when there is a middle tumbling pass with no C+ bonus skill and no other skills of value in the middle portion of the routine.   

Happy viewing!  You can go to the NAWGJ NCAA page here.