Although there are no black and white wearing referees and there are no intricate defensive patterns, gymnastics has as much strategy, athleticism, and bitter competition as any other sport. Come this Sunday, when you and all your friends head to the Pizzitola carrying signs and wearing Brown and Red to cheer Bruno onto the Ivy League title, I want you to be prepared. With the help of sophomore sensation, Sydney Foster, I brushed up on all the intricacies of this sometimes mysterious sport. Here are a few of the basics. Although most of the tricks the gymnasts pull look spectacular to the untrained eye, all major tricks have different values which are dependent on their difficulty.
Any fall is automatically a deduction of five tenths of a point.
On any landing, each step is a tenth deduction. Both judges' scores are averaged in order to come up with single score. First of all the gymnasts get two vaults. The lower score is dropped. Each vault has a specific value.