TER General Board

Many sports have "judging", gymnastics is a grueling sport
swenk 11 Reviews 1532 reads
posted

While gymnastics may rely heavily on a judges interpretation of a routine, this sport is not alone in relying on some kind of subjective "judge" for the outcome. Other sports rely a lot on the interpretation of a judge (or referee or official or lineman or umpire). Baseball relies completely on the umpires decisions on balls and strikes and safe or out at the bases. And with the home plate umpire in particular, the calls are very much subjective. Some picthes are clearly balls or strikes, but many are on the border. Is this not a sport because a judge is determing the result of a pitch. In football, there are many rules that are clear and you can have replays to determine it if the correct call was made. But there are several calls that are subjective that cannot be reviewed like pass interference. Again sometimes it is clear when there is interference. But many times it is subjective and you hear people say it  was a questionable call.
In gymnastics scoring, there is a lot more to the scoring than most people realize. Judges look for required elements and add to scores for successful implementation of the required elements. This is why a 5 year old with perfect execution of a routine would get a 6.5 on a routine and not a 9.7. They most likely cannot do the required elements that the 13-20 year old gymnasts do. There is also a difficulty rating for elements in a routine. The diffculty then factors into the score for the routine. This difficulty rating is defined for the elements before the routine is executed (sometimes you hear them say the maximum score for this vault is a 9.7 because of the difficulty rating). Now, difficulty may be subjective as well, but it is no different than determining that a shot from 30 feet away from a basket (harder) is worth 3 points in basketball and a layup is only worth 2. The scores for hiting elements and for difficulty are not judged during a competion. Either you get the points or you don't depending on hitting the elements. Now there are two more aspects of the score that are subjective and judged. Those are for execution and "artistry". Execution judging is very similar to judging balls and strikes or to judging pass interference. A score is determined based on how well the judge felt that the participant executed the elements. In gymnastics, more than one judge gives an execution score. If the scores are very different, they conference and a third judge makes a ruling on the score. That is why you see them take a while to get the score sometimes. The last part of scoring is artistry which is very subjective, I agree. But it is scored like execution by two or more judges and any variance in scores is resolved by an additional judge. Artistry makes up a small part of the score (which is why you don't see much dancing and artistic filler moves in routines like you do in skating).
This judged score does not take away at all from the fact that gymnasts are incredible athletes that do amazing things. If you don't think that is the case, just try to do an iron cross on the rings for even 1/2 a second. I bet you cannot.

and with all due respect to the gymnast post below, isn't gymnastics about the stupidest sport in the Summer Olympics?  It rates right up there with Figure Skating.  My idea of a real contest is you have to run faster, jump higher, score more goals or generally beat the crap out of the other guy.  This 8.5, 9.8, 8.9 stuff misses the point:  Sport is about reducing life to black and white, who wins and who loses, in other words an objectivity that real life does not otherwise allow.  Once you introduce scoring based on incredibly subjective criteria, you lose that patina of objectivity and you're back to the indelible gray of real life.  Give me head-to-head competition in a pool, on a bike or on a track any day.  Leave the subjective ratings for the Oscars.

Cynicalman1758 reads

Several morons with brooms sweeping the ice directly ahead of the sliding 18 pound polished oval rock with a handle.
Go figure!

  Cm.

I have a friend from Canada who was trying to convince me that it's not only a sport, but that it requires skill.

Eh?

The amount of work required to perform the task is quite alot.

Who is to say that football/baseball/hockey/soccer/insert favorite sport is somehow better with its rules?

But of course that is my opinion, and you are entitled to your own.

Well thought out reply. Your simple, closed mind comes shining through.

If it takes judging to tell us who won , its not a sport ( exception may be boxing , but they should let them go till one says no mas . That being said I can't wait till the ballroom dancing , UGH

bareback11726 reads

The only real sport I consider to be really entertaining is Jiu-Jitsu, at least, those ultimate challenge fights seem to keep me on my toes.

It is interesting to note the original Olympics held by the Greeks had an event for male dancing with gold $ prizes for the winners.

I agree.  Let's keep ratings of 8's, 9's and 10's to our lovely women friends that provide us with hours of pleasure, and years of memories.

While gymnastics may rely heavily on a judges interpretation of a routine, this sport is not alone in relying on some kind of subjective "judge" for the outcome. Other sports rely a lot on the interpretation of a judge (or referee or official or lineman or umpire). Baseball relies completely on the umpires decisions on balls and strikes and safe or out at the bases. And with the home plate umpire in particular, the calls are very much subjective. Some picthes are clearly balls or strikes, but many are on the border. Is this not a sport because a judge is determing the result of a pitch. In football, there are many rules that are clear and you can have replays to determine it if the correct call was made. But there are several calls that are subjective that cannot be reviewed like pass interference. Again sometimes it is clear when there is interference. But many times it is subjective and you hear people say it  was a questionable call.
In gymnastics scoring, there is a lot more to the scoring than most people realize. Judges look for required elements and add to scores for successful implementation of the required elements. This is why a 5 year old with perfect execution of a routine would get a 6.5 on a routine and not a 9.7. They most likely cannot do the required elements that the 13-20 year old gymnasts do. There is also a difficulty rating for elements in a routine. The diffculty then factors into the score for the routine. This difficulty rating is defined for the elements before the routine is executed (sometimes you hear them say the maximum score for this vault is a 9.7 because of the difficulty rating). Now, difficulty may be subjective as well, but it is no different than determining that a shot from 30 feet away from a basket (harder) is worth 3 points in basketball and a layup is only worth 2. The scores for hiting elements and for difficulty are not judged during a competion. Either you get the points or you don't depending on hitting the elements. Now there are two more aspects of the score that are subjective and judged. Those are for execution and "artistry". Execution judging is very similar to judging balls and strikes or to judging pass interference. A score is determined based on how well the judge felt that the participant executed the elements. In gymnastics, more than one judge gives an execution score. If the scores are very different, they conference and a third judge makes a ruling on the score. That is why you see them take a while to get the score sometimes. The last part of scoring is artistry which is very subjective, I agree. But it is scored like execution by two or more judges and any variance in scores is resolved by an additional judge. Artistry makes up a small part of the score (which is why you don't see much dancing and artistic filler moves in routines like you do in skating).
This judged score does not take away at all from the fact that gymnasts are incredible athletes that do amazing things. If you don't think that is the case, just try to do an iron cross on the rings for even 1/2 a second. I bet you cannot.

You try your hand at what those gymnasts do sometime and tell me it is not a sport.  

Ths dictionary defines "sport" as "A physical activity, especially one with a set form and body of rules".  There are such things as "individual sports" (be nice, people), and those events are judged on rated performance, not on competitive performance. You try telling Carly Patterson or Michael Hamm that they aren't atheletes or competing against someone else.  

Although 90% of the people in the world seem to gravitate towards "competetive sports", it doesn't mean that individual sports are any less worthy.  It just means that most peoples values are based around competition more than individual athleticism, or that they are marketed one hell of a lot better...or both.

I personally find a break from competition and alpha-male type sporting events extremely refreshing.  


response. I love watching all different sports at the Summer Games, track and field is a favorite, but for beauty and athleticism (did I spell that right?), I really enjoy gymnastics. And I'll tell you something else in confidence of course, synchronized swimming starts today, and I can't wait! Hah!
By the way, Mr. SD....have you set me a PM lately? If so, I should tell you I am no longer a VIP member, but feel free to email or call me if you like. I miss talking to you!

and LOVE admiring the bodies! I think gymnasts and skaters have the best bodies.

All this talk about the volleyball players (enjoy volleyball, too) and how 'hot' they are. Yuck. Little stick figures.

And beauty? Gotta say I'm intrigued with the beauty of the Romanians.

talented.  If I had the proportionate strength of one of those pixies I could lift my car.  Just don't agree with the judging thing.  Then again, I love competitive cycling and some people say it can't be a competitive sport if you get to sit down.

Register Now!