How does the artistic pair event work in yogasana?
I · Intermediate · The artistic and rhythmic events · 4 of 5Two athletes of the same sex perform ten postures or formations to music, each showing a different asana at the same moment. They may build pyramids, with one athlete on top of the other. The routine must have two asanas from each of the five categories. If both perform the same asana at once, that formation scores zero.
How it works
- Name: Kalatmak Yugal Yogasana.
- Ten postures or formations: in 150 to 180 seconds, each held for at least five seconds.
- Different asanas: the two athletes show two different asanas at the same time.
- The same asana together: an invalid formation, with zero marks.
- Categories: two asanas from each of the five major categories. More or fewer than two from a category costs 5 marks each time.
- Pyramidal formation: one athlete above the other. The top asana must come from the optional charts.
- A base outside the charts: written as BAC on the sheet, and allowed no more than three times. A fourth scores zero.
- Structural formation: side by side, with or without touching. Both asanas must come from the charts.
- Support: allowed on the way in. Support in the final position halves the marks.
- No talking: 0.5 marks each time the athletes communicate.
- Floor: 10 metres by 10 metres.
The glossary has the artistic yogasana pair, the pyramidal formation, the five categories of asana, the invalid asana, the order of performance sheet and the D judges.
Tricky cases
Both athletes hold the same asana side by side. Is that a strong formation?
No. Performing the same asana at the same time makes the formation invalid, and it scores zero.
Can the athlete at the bottom of a pyramid use a posture that is not in the charts?
Yes, up to three times. It is marked BAC on the sheet and takes the base value of the top athlete's asana. A fourth such pyramid scores zero.
How is a formation marked?
Each athlete's execution mark is multiplied by the base value, and the two are averaged. That figure is then averaged with a formation mark out of 10.
One athlete steadies the other with a hand in the final position. What happens?
The marks are cut by half, for the execution mark, the formation mark or both. Support is allowed only while getting into the position.
Why the rule exists
The pair event rewards two things a single athlete cannot show: composing two postures into one shape, and trusting a partner's body as a platform. The rule that the two must differ is what separates it from the rhythmic pair event, where they must match.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Artistic pair | Different asanas; touching and pyramids allowed | Code of Points, artistic pair 1.6; 8.5 |
| Rhythmic pair | The same asana; no touching | Code of Points, rhythmic pair 1.4; 1.5 |
| Asana choice, artistic pair | Two from each of five categories | Code of Points, artistic pair 8.1; 8.4 |
| Asana choice, single and rhythmic | One from each of ten sub-categories | Code of Points, artistic single 8.4; rhythmic pair 8.4 |
| Pair score for a formation | Players' average, averaged with the formation mark | Code of Points, artistic pair 9 |
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), artistic pair sections 1, 5, 6, 8 and 9. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the national federation's Code of Points (only Chapter 5 is saved).