What do trampoline judges take points off for?
I · Intermediate · The exercise and the score · 2 of 7Form in the air. For each element every execution judge takes off between nothing and 0.5: for arms away from the body, bent knees, feet or knees apart, toes not pointed, opening out of the shape too late and twisting right up to the landing. The two middle judges' deductions are added for each element.
How it works
- The range: each judge evaluates each element "in the range 0.0 to 0.5 points".
- Arms: 0.1 for opening the arms to stop a twist, elbows away from the trunk or holding the legs behind the knees. Arm faults add up to 0.1 at most.
- Legs: bent knees, feet apart, knees apart and toes not pointed. Leg faults add up to 0.5 at most.
- Opening: a tucked or piked element should be opened to straight by 1 o'clock on an imagined clock face.
- Late opening: 0.1 between 1 and 2 o'clock, 0.2 between 2 and 3, and 0.3 after 3 or never.
- Holding it: after opening, the body should stay straight until it is parallel to the bed. Piking down costs 0.1 or 0.2.
- Twisting late: an element still twisting at the landing loses 0.3.
- Six judges: "the sum of the two (2) median deductions" is the deduction for each element.
- From 20: the deductions, with those for the landing, are subtracted from the highest possible score.
- A missing mark: if a judge enters nothing, the average of the others' deductions is used.
The glossary has the execution entry, the trampoline scoring entry, the pike, the layout, the twist and the judges.
Tricky cases
Why is the execution mark out of 20 and not 10?
Because two judges' deductions are added for each element. Ten elements with nothing deducted leave the full 20.
A gymnast's toes are not pointed and their knees are apart. Is that 0.2?
Yes. Each is 0.1, and leg faults in one element can add up to 0.5.
A straight somersault never "opens". Is that penalised?
No. A straight element is not expected to open, because the body is already in the straight position.
Do the judges mark the last quarter of the somersault before landing?
No, for form. Form deductions are not applied after the body is parallel to the bed, because the gymnast must prepare to land.
Why the rule exists
Good form on a trampoline is also safe form: a body that opens early can see the bed and prepare to land. The clock-face rule turns "opened in time" into something judges can agree on. Taking the two middle marks of six removes the highest and lowest views of each element.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | Two middle deductions of six judges added. Maximum 20 | FIG TRA 17.2.3.2 |
| Synchronised | Three judges for each trampoline. Maximum 10 | FIG TRA 17.2.3.3; FIG TRA 18.1.2 |
| Some competitions | Four execution judges | FIG TRA 18.4 |
| Artistic gymnastics | Deductions of 0.1, 0.3, 0.5 and 1.0 from 10 | ../artistic/ set |
From the rule book
Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique, Code of Points 2025-2028, Trampoline Gymnastics, Trampoline, articles 17.2.3 and 20. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: 2025-2028 Code of Points, Trampoline Gymnastics (PDF).