How is artistic swimming scored?
B · Beginner · Judging and results · 3 of 4A routine's score is the elements score plus the artistic impression score, less any penalties. Five judges mark the execution of each element from 0 to 10, and each mark is multiplied by that element's degree of difficulty. Five other judges give three marks for the routine as a whole. There is no maximum score.
How it works
- Two panels: "Two (2) panels of five (5) judges must officiate in all routines: one for Elements and one for Artistic Impression."
- The marks: 0 to 10 in steps of 0.25. Ten is perfect, 8 to 8.75 very good, 6 to 6.75 competent.
- Elements panel: each judge gives "one (1) score for the execution of each Element", whether required or free.
- Per element: the highest and lowest of the five marks are cancelled. The other three are averaged, and the result is multiplied by the element's degree of difficulty.
- Elements score: the sum for all elements, less the synchronisation errors and other penalties.
- Artistic impression panel: each judge gives three marks: choreography and musicality, performance and transitions.
- Per mark: the highest and lowest are cancelled and the other three are added.
- Routine score: "the sum of the Elements score and Artistic Impression scores less any penalty deductions".
- Technical controllers: they do not mark. They check the declared difficulty and count the synchronisation errors.
- Posted is fixed: judges' scores cannot be changed once shown on the scoreboard. They become official when the Referee signs them.
The glossary has the elements score, artistic impression, execution, the degree of difficulty and the judges' panels.
Tricky cases
Is 100 the top score?
No. Each element is multiplied by its own difficulty, so a routine with more difficulty can score more. The total has no fixed ceiling.
A judge falls ill and gives no mark. What is used?
The average of the other judges' awards, calculated to the nearest 0.25.
Do the judges decide how difficult an element was?
No. The difficulty is declared beforehand on the coach card and checked by the technical controllers.
Is synchronisation marked by the judges?
No, not as a mark. Three technical controllers count the errors, and the total is deducted from the elements score.
Why the rule exists
Separating what was attempted from how well it was done lets a team choose its own level of risk. The difficulty is a number fixed in advance and the execution is a judge's mark. Multiplying the two means that a hard element done badly can be worth less than an easy one done well. Dropping the top and bottom marks limits the effect of one judge.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Routines | Marks in steps of 0.25 | AS 17.1 |
| Figures | Marks in tenths, one panel of four to six judges | AS 10.1; AS 9.1 |
| Weighting | World Aquatics manages the final difficulty values and may apply factoring | AS 19.1 |
From the rule book
World Aquatics, Competition Regulations, Part Seven: Artistic Swimming Rules (in force as from 1 January 2025), Articles 16.1 to 16.5, 17.1, 17.2 and 19.1 to 19.2. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Aquatics Competition Regulations (PDF).