2025 - 2028 WAG COP - A Deeper Dive

[crdubb17]

I spent some time this weekend aggregating posts that I have made on the 2025-2028 COP into a more unified location. While none of this is official FIG/WTC material, I hope that the online gymnastics community will find this to be both a useful resource for the current quadrennium, and a historical reference in the future. Any comments or questions are welcome.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1NTyhgmWXD1GBpdI4on5OS0El745hTnqO

Also Brief Survey:

What content would you find to be the most helpful or interesting? (e.g. Breakdown of specific elements, Detailed walkthrough of rules like the one I did for connections on balance beam, Individual routine breakdowns both D and E score, etc.)

Thank you! I really love detailed breakdowns of routines, especially controversially scored routines.

 

[Concorde]

WTC Evaluation of Close to Beam Sequences

Under Article 12.5 - Artistry and Composition Deductions, gymnasts will receive a 0.1 deduction for ‘Missing combination of movements/elements close to the beam with a part of the torso(including thigh, knee or head) touching the beam (element not necessary)’.

As part of the Help Desk, the WTC has prepared a video containing six examples and how they would be judged. Because the video does not explain the rationale behind the evaluations, I have prepared notes on how I believe the WTC made their decisions. While these are unofficial, I hope you will find them to be helpful in understanding how close to beam sequences on balance beam are scored. Any comments, questions, or requests are welcome.

WTC Video:



My Notes: (Click on Analysis - Close to Beam tab)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/124hOBwiP_GTXBbugOI88a3ZXxZ-RafhZC9F7bgF-Irs

 

[Denn]

I feel that your analysis is quite good.

At this point, the Help Desk and the videos should not be allowed as rules. The Code itself should have all the rules. In this case, the rule does now call for a "combination", and I think they should just spell out the variations they will allow because this rule does NOT say the choreography-only option must include two different parts of the body. (I also think the rule is stupid.)

• Missing combination of movements/elements close to the beam with a part of the torso
(including thigh, knee or head) touching the beam (element not necessary)

 

[Concorde]

WTC Evaluation of Movements Sideways on Balance Beam

Under Article 12.5 - Artistry and Composition Deductions, gymnasts will receive a 0.1 deduction for ‘Lack of Movements Sideways’.

As part of the Help Desk, the WTC has prepared a video containing six examples and how they would be judged. Because the video does not explain the rationale behind the evaluations, I have prepared notes on how I believe the WTC made their decisions. While these are unofficial, I hope you will find them to be helpful in understanding how side movement sequences on balance beam are scored. Any comments, questions, or requests are welcome.

WTC Video:



My Notes: (Click on Analysis - Side Movements tab)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/124hOBwiP_GTXBbugOI88a3ZXxZ-RafhZC9F7bgF-Irs

 

[Denn]

Another helpful analysis. I like the way you break it down into the two criteria (despite it starting as 4) — A → B → C + Additional Body Movements.

I do feel like this requirement should be dumped. I honestly don't care if gymnasts do sideways movement. In fact, I would prefer they ask for EITHER low-to-beam -or- sideways movement, and I think I would an element to be included along with (any) choreography — both to simplify the expectations and to make sure there is some real substance.

(BTW, it's possible to link directly to specific tabs of Google docs — if you ever want to.)

 

[KristyJ]

I feel like sideways movement with some complexity has been required or at least compositionally a deduction for quite some while, and so this seems fairly straightforward to me. The movements that received a deduction lacked complexity beyond stepping/balancing sideways. However, a couple of the gymnasts appeared to be finishing or preparing for a skill that landed or took off sideways and I do wish that would count.

 

[Concorde]

This was discussed during the 2025 World Championships, but here are my notes on the D Score evaluation of Wong's and Roberson's vaults from qualifications now that I have seen the footage from STS.

Wong's Double Twisting Yurchenko / Baitova:

2025 - 2028 WAG COP - Vault

Summary - 2025 - 2028 WTC Presentation on Judging Vault Note this is a summary of changes from the 2022 - 2024 COP Section 10 - Vault - D Score - Unlike the other three apparatus, no clarifications required(straight forward in-line with the COP) Section 10 - Vault - E Score A. Pre-Flight / F...

docs.google.com

Roberson's Round Off - 1/2 on to Front Layout 1/2 / 'Lopez' :

2025 - 2028 WAG COP - Vault

Summary - 2025 - 2028 WTC Presentation on Judging Vault Note this is a summary of changes from the 2022 - 2024 COP Section 10 - Vault - D Score - Unlike the other three apparatus, no clarifications required(straight forward in-line with the COP) Section 10 - Vault - E Score A. Pre-Flight / F...

docs.google.com

 

[Concorde]

One of my goals for 2026 is to be more consistent with posting content about the Women's Code of Points. Although routine evaluations will comprise many of these posts, I will continue to discuss specific principles in detail(e.g. my recent post on close to beam choreography) and also revisit previous COPs. As always, any comments, questions, or requests are welcome.

For this week's post, I have done D score evaluations of some routines from the 2025 World Championships:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HsJTcnNGrQWrtwG4WPF_nrPh6IQ7-R9z49THAJc79f8

 

[Concorde]

This week’s analysis features the following items:

- D Score Analysis including a few routines from lesser known gymnasts

- Downgrades on dance elements due to pre-rotation, under rotation, loss of balance, and technical failure

- A downgrade of a single element causing a significant impact on a routine’s D score

D Score Analysis - Week of 1/19/2025

Naomi Visser - 2025 World Championships, Uneven Bars Final https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjNclMoaHOc Elements Counting for DV, CR, CV, and DB Stalder to Piked Tkatchev / Downie (F) / CR 2,3 + Pak Salto (D) / CR 1,3 D + F, Both Flight Elem...

docs.google.com

In my next post, I will continue with the D Score analysis, though likely with fewer routines, but add in either E Score analysis or a deeper dive into a COP principle.

 

[Denn]

I can't believe that, in 2025, we're still using chronology to cause chaos to a gymnast's D-score.

AND doing it by downgrading a jump that is CLEARLY a split jump with half turn to a split jump.

Again, we're treating humans as if they are AI robots. Maybe take a tenth for precision for not lifting off earlier, but come on...

 

[Denn]

@Concorde Suppose that the Romanian federation had protested Golgota's loss of the composition requirement for a leap passage by claiming "She did element 1.110, hop with full turn. She fulfilled the composition requirement. You owe us 0.5." What do you think?

 

[Concorde]

This week’s analysis features the following items:

- D Score Analysis including a few routines from lesser known gymnasts

- Extensive use of connections to build D Score on balance beam

- Effect of falls on recognition of CV and SB on balance beam

- Full transcripts of two routines (D and E Score) using the WTC evaluations in STS. Note that because the WTC only provides a sample of routines, the majority of work in the future will be my own and unofficial.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iDiRj0KETVzX0I1PRFA7QeUIXDHWzYq6BlY9vWGH3s8/

 

[Aizheng]

I'm sorry, I fully missed this thread, which would have admittedly been better for my mental health. I'd just like us all to watch this video and go: WROOOONG! that's a WROOOOOOONG FACE, Maellyse!



WTF do they even mean?

I just saw this thread and this question. What struck out to me was that the facial expressions seem to go with her moves instead of the music. So when gearing up for something (the turn in the beginning), it looks like “concentration face”. Then, when she lands successfully, she smiles, despite the music not having a happy feel right there.

Now, those are very human-like facial expressions, and I don’t know why the WTC wants to eliminate real emotion and expression for fake expression, but that seems to be the way… I mean, how about they do a musical theatre performance while also tumbling…

 

[phoenix7]

I just saw this thread and this question. What struck out to me was that the facial expressions seem to go with her moves instead of the music. So when gearing up for something (the turn in the beginning), it looks like “concentration face”. Then, when she lands successfully, she smiles, despite the music not having a happy feel right there.

Now, those are very human-like facial expressions, and I don’t know why the WTC wants to eliminate real emotion and expression for fake expression, but that seems to be the way… I mean, how about they do a musical theatre performance while also tumbling…

Your explanation is probably the right one, but I like to imagine she's rolling her eyes at the judges and sticking out her tongue at them while she has her back to the camera.

Or at least, that she'll do that next time ...