What do the artistry judges mark in yogasana?
A · Advanced · The artistic and rhythmic events · 3 of 4Two artistry judges mark out of 20: 1 for costume, 1 for theme and music, 3 for character and expression, 10 for rhythm and artistic steps and 5 for use of the floor. Deductions come in steps of 0.25. Touching or crossing the boundary line costs 1 mark each time, and so does each acrobatic move that is not allowed.
How it works
- Costume: 1 mark.
- Theme and music: 1 mark.
- Character and expression: 3 marks.
- Rhythm and artistic steps: 10 marks. In the rhythmic pair event this heading includes synchronisation.
- Use of floor: 5 marks.
- Deductions: in multiples of 0.25.
- Not using the whole floor: up to 3 marks off.
- The boundary: touching or crossing the line costs 1 mark each time, and an A judge raises a red flag.
- In the air: passing over the line without touching the floor is not penalised.
- Acrobatics allowed: front walkover, back walkover, cartwheel, front roll and back roll.
- Acrobatics not allowed: somersaults, air jumps and others, at 1 mark each.
- Steps: classical, folk or traditional steps may be used.
The glossary has the A judges, the use of floor, the acrobatic elements, the rhythm and artistic steps, the character and expression and the theme and music.
Tricky cases
An athlete's foot swings over the boundary line in the air and lands back inside. Is there a penalty?
No. Crossing the line in the air, without touching the floor outside, is not penalised.
Can a routine include a somersault?
No. Only the two walkovers, the cartwheel and the two rolls are allowed. Each other acrobatic move costs 1 mark.
An athlete stays in the middle of the floor throughout. Are marks lost?
Yes. Not using the whole floor area brings deductions in steps of 0.25, up to 3 marks.
In a pair, one athlete steps on the line. Does the pair lose 1 mark or 2?
1 mark. The penalty is 1 mark each time the line is touched or crossed, whether by one athlete or both.
Why the rule exists
Artistry is 20 of the 130 marks available, enough to separate two athletes of equal difficulty and not enough to outweigh the asanas. The short list of acrobatic moves keeps the routine a yogasana routine. The line gives the floor an edge so that using all of it takes control.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Single event | Floor 8 m by 8 m | Code of Points, artistic single 5.1 |
| Pair events | Floor 10 m by 10 m | Code of Points, artistic pair 5.1; rhythmic pair 5.1 |
| Rhythmic pair | The 10 marks cover rhythm, synchronisation and steps | Code of Points, rhythmic pair 6.14 |
| Boundary line | 1 mark each time | Code of Points, artistic pair 5.7; artistic single 10.4 |
| Banned acrobatic move | 1 mark each | Code of Points, artistic single 6.6 |
From the rule book
Code of Points for yogasana sports, Chapter 5, Guidelines for Yogasana Events (School Games Federation of India copy, edition not stated), sections 2 to 6 and 10 of each music event. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the national federation's Code of Points (only Chapter 5 is saved).