Section 4: Players & Officials
Athletes / Gymnasts
Per FIG Technical Regulations and Statutes:
- Eligibility: Athletes must be registered with their National Federation (NF), which must be an affiliated member of the FIG. Athletes must hold the nationality of the country they represent. Age minimums apply: for Artistic Gymnastics, athletes must reach the age of 16 years in the calendar year of a World Championship or Olympic Games to be eligible (FIG Technical Regulations, Article 4.1, effective January 1, 1997, reinforced by updated regulations). For some World Cup and international events, a minimum age of 15 may apply for non-Olympic competitions.
- Team composition (WAG): At World Championships and Olympic Games, each nation may enter a team of up to 5 gymnasts in the team event. In team competition, 4 gymnasts compete on each apparatus, with the top 3 scores counting (4 up, 3 count format, as of the 2022–2024 cycle).
- Team composition (MAG): Teams consist of up to 5 gymnasts with 4 competing on each apparatus and the top 3 scores counting (same 4-3 format).
- Individual events: In addition to team competition, athletes may qualify for the All-Around Final (top 24 gymnasts, maximum 2 per country) and individual Event Finals (top 8 per event, maximum 2 per country).
- Athletes may use coaches and may consult with coaches between rotations at designated times. Coaches may not communicate with athletes during a routine.
Judges and Officials
Per the FIG Code of Points and Technical Regulations, judging panels are structured as follows for Artistic Gymnastics:
- Difficulty (D) Panel: Consists of 2 judges (D1 and D2) who independently evaluate the Difficulty Score. They assess the difficulty value (DV) of all elements performed, connection bonuses, and composition requirements. D judges must agree on the D score; if there is a discrepancy greater than 0.3 points, a Superior Jury review is triggered (CoP WAG 2022–2026, Chapter 1, Section 1).
- Execution (E) Panel: Consists of 5 judges (E1–E5) who evaluate execution, artistry, and technique. The highest and lowest scores are dropped, and the remaining 3 are averaged to produce the Execution Score. Each E judge scores independently from 10.0 downward (see Section 6).
- Line Judge(s): For floor exercise, line judges (typically 2) assess out-of-bounds deductions. They signal with a flag when a gymnast steps on or outside the boundary line.
- Superior Jury (Reference Panel): At FIG World Championships and Olympic Games, a Superior Jury consisting of senior FIG officials and Technical Committee members oversees judging, reviews protests, and may adjust scores in cases of clear error.
- Technical Delegate (TD): The FIG Technical Delegate is responsible for organizing the competition, approving apparatus, and overseeing all technical aspects of the event. The TD has authority to resolve disputes not addressed by the Code of Points.
- Competition Director / Meet Referee: Each competition has a designated Referee who manages the competition flow, timing, and official communications between gymnasts/coaches and the judging panel.
Judge Certification
FIG judges must hold current FIG brevet (certification) at the appropriate level (Category 1–4, with Category 1 being the highest level required for Olympic Games). Judges must pass written and practical examinations administered by the FIG and must attend refresher courses each quadrennium. Judges may be evaluated and removed from panels if their scores deviate significantly from the panel average over multiple competitions (FIG Judge Evaluation System).
Coaches and Team Officials
Each national team may have accredited coaches on the competition floor. Coaches must wear official accreditation and remain in designated coach zones. Per FIG Technical Regulations, Article 6, coaches may provide spotting assistance only during warm-up and podium training, not during competition routines (with the exception of assisting a gymnast to the apparatus). Coaches who interfere with competition may result in a deduction to their athlete's score.