How is a gymnastics score worked out?
B · Beginner · Scoring · 2 of 6Two scores are added. The D score is the difficulty of what the gymnast did, and it has no upper limit. The E score is how well they did it: it starts at 10 and loses points for every error. Penalties for things such as stepping out of the floor area are then taken off the total.
How it works
- Two scores: the final score "will be established utilizing two separate scores, the D-Score and the E-Score".
- D: "the content of an exercise", set by the D jury.
- E: "the execution and artistry", set by the E jury.
- The sum: D plus E, "and if necessary, subtraction of penalties".
- The code's own example: a D score of 5.70 and an E score of 9.00 give a final score of 14.70.
- E starts at 10: deductions are taken from 10.00 in tenths.
- D is open-ended: the harder the exercise, the higher it goes.
- Penalties: neutral deductions for time, line, attire and behaviour come off the final score.
- Displayed: at FIG competitions the D score and the E score are both shown.
- Separate juries: the judges who count difficulty are not the ones who deduct for errors.
The glossary has the D score, the E score, the final score, the neutral deduction, the judges and the start value entry.
Tricky cases
What is a good score?
It depends on the apparatus and the level. Because the D score is open-ended there is no maximum. At the top level, final scores are usually in the range of 13 to 15.
Can a gymnast still score a perfect 10?
Only on the E score, by performing with no deductions at all. The final score would then be 10 plus the D score.
Does a harder routine always beat an easier one?
No. A higher D score can be lost again in execution deductions, and a fall costs a full point.
Who takes off the penalty for stepping out of bounds?
The D jury, from the final score, after the line judge reports it.
Why the rule exists
Until 2006 every exercise was marked out of 10, and once many gymnasts could reach the maximum difficulty the scale could not separate them. Splitting the score lets difficulty keep growing while execution is still judged against perfection. The price is that there is no longer a "perfect 10" to aim at.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Men | D and E on all six apparatus | FIG MAG 6.1 |
| Women | The E score also covers artistry on beam and floor | FIG WAG 6.2; FIG WAG 9.1 |
| Women's vault | The D score is the listed value of the vault | FIG WAG 7.1 |
| Rhythmic | Three scores: difficulty, artistry and execution | ../rhythmic/ set |
From the rule book
Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique, Code of Points 2025-2028, WAG sections 6, 7 and 9 and MAG articles 6.1 and 6.2. Checked 14 October 2026. Official documents: 2025-2028 Code of Points, Women's Artistic Gymnastics and Men's Artistic Gymnastics (PDF).