How is synchronised diving judged?
I · Intermediate · The competition · 7 of 7Two divers from one federation perform the same dive at the same moment. Eleven judges mark it: three for each diver's execution and five for how well the two match. The highest and lowest mark in each group are cancelled. The five that remain are scaled and multiplied by the difficulty. The first two rounds have a fixed difficulty of 2.0.
How it works
- The event: "two competitors diving simultaneously from the springboard or platform", judged on how each performs and on how they synchronise.
- The same dive: in each round the two "must perform the same dive (same dive number and same position)".
- How many rounds: five for women and for mixed pairs, six for men, from five different groups.
- Required rounds: the first two rounds have "an assigned degree of difficulty of 2.0 for each dive regardless of the formula".
- Running approach: on the springboard, every forward-facing dive must be done with a running approach. If not, it is a failed dive.
- The panel of eleven: five judge synchronisation, three the execution of one diver and three the execution of the other.
- Cancelling: the highest and lowest execution mark for each diver and the highest and lowest synchronisation mark are cancelled.
- The sum: the five remaining marks are added, divided by five, multiplied by three and then by the degree of difficulty. In the rule's example, marks adding to 35.5 give 21.3, and 21.3 times 2.8 is 59.64.
- What the synchronisation judges look at: the starting position, approach and take-off, including the height; the timing of the movements in flight; the angles of the two entries; their distance from the board; the timing of the entries.
- Staying in their own job: execution judges mark one diver's technique only. Synchronisation judges mark only how well the two match.
- Failed: if either diver performs a different dive or position, or if one enters the water before the other has left the board.
- Restart: 2 points off every judge's award.
This is the glossary's synchronised diving.
Tricky cases
The two divers perform beautifully but one enters a moment after the other. Who marks that down?
The synchronisation judges. The coordinated timing of the entries is one of their five factors.
One diver does the dive in tuck when pike was announced. What happens?
It is a failed dive for the pair. Both divers must perform the same dive number and position as announced.
Why do the first two dives look so simple?
Because they are given a fixed difficulty of 2.0 whatever dive is chosen, so there is nothing to gain from a hard one.
Can the two divers come from different countries?
No, not at the Olympic Games or World Aquatics events. Both must be from the same federation.
Why the rule exists
Two average dives perfectly together, or two fine dives out of step, should not win. Splitting the panel means some judges watch only how good each dive is and others only how alike the two are. The two easy required rounds show synchronisation at its plainest before the difficult dives begin.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| World Aquatics rules | As above | DV 3.6; DV 5.2.1; DV 7.6; DV 7.8; DV 9 |
| Nine judges | Two for each diver's execution and five for synchronisation, used outside the top events | DV 5.2.2; DV 7.7 |
| Mixed synchronised diving | One man and one woman, five rounds | DV 3.8 |
| Individual diving | Seven judges, all marking the one dive | DV 5.2.1 |
From the rule book
World Aquatics, Competition Regulations, Part Four: Diving Rules (in force as from 1 January 2025), Articles 3.6, 3.8, 5.2, 7.6 to 7.8 and 9. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: World Aquatics Competition Regulations (PDF).