The sport combines grace and elegance with strength and skill. There are 5 categories of apparatus that the gymnast uses: Hoop, Ball, Rope, Ribbon and Clubs. Younger gymnasts also do a routine called “Free” with no apparatus.

So it’s not the one with the bars and the beam?

No, that is called artistic gymnastics and is a different gymnastic discipline.

What is a routine?

A routine is choreographed by the coach. The gymnasts will have to use the apparatus and her body moves to interpret the music. The coach uses little symbols on a judging sheet to show what the gymnast is doing. The harder the moves the more points the gymnast gets.

What are the judges actually judging?

At competitions it often seems that the judges are not “seeing” the same routine as the audience, however, the panel of judges are looking for specific things.

Technical Value.

Pivots have to be all the way around and flexibility moves have to performed correctly. Balances needed to fixed and held while at the same time the gymnast has to do moves with apparatus.The overall technical value score is out of 10

Artistic Value.

These judges are looking at the whole routine to see how well the gymnast performs, does the choreography suit the music that is being played, and does the gymnast use all of the floor area? Points are awarded for apparatus handling, so if a complicated throw and catch are done then the gymnast gets extra points. Again the score is out of 10

Execution.

This panel look at any errors like wobbles, bent knees, toes not pointed, then deductions are made. For bigger errors like dropping the apparatus then bigger deductions are made. A score out of 10 is given.

All of the marks are added together to give a score out of 30.

Not even the best rhythmic gymnasts in world can achieve 30/30 !

Free Free routines are performed in the under 10 age groups they require the gymnast to show leaps, balances, pivots and flexibility moves, no apparatus is used.

Hoop The first piece younger gymnasts learn is hoop - Dynamic and dramatic, the hoop can be thrown and caught in ways you would not believe! Again the gymnasts uses all 4 elements in the routines

Ball Balletic and beautiful - The ball requires great displays of flexibility, the ball should never be held, notice handling skills with throws and catches, the routine must include a series of small bounces

Rope In a rope routine the gymnast must show leaps and jumps and perform a series of skips. The rope needs to keep its shape - which is very difficult to do. Gymnasts learn Ball and Rope in the Under 12 age group

Ribbon The final two pieces that the gymnast will learn are ribbon and clubs. The ribbon is the apparatus most associated with rhythmics. It requires the gymnast to show pivots and to keep the ribbon moving all of the time. Watch out for spirals, snakes and coils.

Clubs Gymnast need to show great balancing as well as “Juggling” skills. The clubs routine need to show mills (Little twirls) and tosses as well as asymmetric moves.

Gymnast use Ribbon and Clubs when they reach Junior level (Under 14)