How is a rhythmic gymnastics group judged on moving together?
A · Advanced · Groups · 2 of 2In two places. The artistry judges look at the design: formations that vary in shape, size and place on the floor, and different ways of working together, such as all five in unison. The execution judges deduct each time a gymnast is out of time with the group, a line is ragged or two gymnasts or apparatus collide.
How it works
- Varied formations: in three ways: placement on the floor, design such as circles, lines and triangles and size from wide to closed.
- Too much of one shape: 0.30 in artistry for insufficient variety in the design of the formations.
- Too much of one size: 0.30 for insufficient variety in their amplitude.
- Keep moving: the group should not stay "for a long time in any place on the floor area".
- Collective work: the gymnasts relate to each other "primarily through their type(s) of movements and timing".
- Synchronisation: "Simultaneous execution of the same movement", by all five, for at least two seconds to be recognised.
- Other types: the code lists four types of collective work in all, and each exercise should contain several.
- Out of time: a lack of synchronisation between one gymnast and the group is an execution fault each time.
- Ragged lines: an imprecise line within a formation is an execution fault.
- Collisions: between gymnasts or apparatus, penalised with all their consequences.
- Rhythm: as for individuals, 0.10 each time the movement parts from the music, up to 2.00.
The glossary has the group exercise, the rhythmic artistry entry, the execution entry, the D, A and E scores entry and the judges.
Tricky cases
A group performs in a circle for most of the exercise. Is that penalised?
Yes. Over-using one shape compared with the others costs 0.30 in artistry.
One gymnast is half a beat behind in a unison section. Who deducts?
The execution judges, for lack of synchronisation. The size of the fault is in a table whose columns the text copy does not show.
Two hoops hit each other in the air and both are caught. Is there a penalty?
Yes. A collision between apparatus is an execution fault, and anything that follows from it is penalised as well.
Must all five always do the same thing?
No. Synchronised work is one of four types of collective work, and an exercise should contain various types.
Why the rule exists
A group can be judged as five individuals only up to a point. These rules add what belongs to a group alone: whether the floor pattern is designed and whether five people move as one. Splitting it between artistry and execution separates the plan from how well it was carried out.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Group artistry | Formations and collective work are judged | FIG RG Part 2, C 7; C 10 |
| Group execution | Synchronisation, formations and collisions | FIG RG Part 2, D 3.1 |
| Individual | Neither applies | FIG RG Part 1, C and D |
| Rhythm | 0.10 each time, up to 2.00, in both | FIG RG Part 2, C 9.2.1 |
From the rule book
Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique, Code of Points 2025-2028, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Part 2: section C, articles 7, 9 and 10; section D, article 3. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: 2025-2028 Code of Points, Rhythmic Gymnastics (PDF).