In 1975, the Women’s Technical Committee published a new version of the Code of Points. Below, you’ll find some of the updates, as well as the complete English text.
Happy gym nerding!
In Some Ways, Execution Started to Matter More in 1975.
Compared to the 1970 Code of Points, the 1975 Code of Points put slightly more emphasis on execution, making it worth 5.0 points (rather than the previous 4.0 points).
| 1970 | 1975 | |
| Composition of Exercise | 6.00 Total | 5.00 Total |
| -Value of Difficulty* | 4.00 | 3.00 |
| – Originality and Value of Connections | 1.50 | 1.50 |
| – Value of General Composition | 0.50 | 0.50 |
| Execution | 4.00 Total | 5.00 Total |
| – Execution and Amplitude | 1.50 for execution 1.50 for amplitude | 4.00 |
| – General Impression | 1.00 | 1.00 |
But More Elements of Superior Difficulty Were Required in 1975.
| 1970 | 1975 |
| 4 elements of medium difficulty (0.50 each element) | 4 elements of medium difficulty (0.30 each element) |
| 2 elements of superior difficulty (1.0 each element) | 3 elements of superior difficulty (0.60 each element) |
Related: According to the 1975 Code of Points, the “final phase should contain an element or acrobatic series of superior difficulty” on floor exercise.
Changes to Vault
- During optionals, two different vaults had to be performed.
- During vault finals, two different vaults with turns had to be performed, one of which must have at least a ½ turn. Both vaults must be valued at 10.0 points.
- In other words, gymnasts could not perform a handspring + front tuck in finals because the vault did not have a turn.
- They could, however, perform a tucked Tsukahara and a piked Tsukahara because both vaults had turns and were out of a 10.0.
- Note: This rule was edited in 1978, and the turn requirements were removed. As indicated in the appendix of the PDF below, the updated language stated: “During the Finals the gymnast must perform two different vaults. The counting mark will be the average mark of both vaults.”
- Reminder: The rules for vault finals had begun to change in 1974.
Notable Changes to Beam
- Length of the Routine
- In 1975, the routine had to be between 1:15 and 1:35
- In the 1970 Code, beam routines were longer — between 1:20 and 1:45
- Do you hate full turns on beam? You have the 1975 Code of Points to blame! In 1975, a full turn became a requirement.
- Large leaps or hops also became a requirement in 1975.
As You’ll See…
- The Code of Points included some aspirational skills. For example, it included a vault entry with a front 1½ salto onto the table.
- But difficulty in the 1975 Code of Points was largely uneven. For example, the floor section does not include a double full — a skill that was becoming increasingly common.
One More Thing
- Falls
- The 1975 Code was more lenient, making a fall a 0.50 deduction.
- Note: Previously, in the 1970 Code of Points, falls off the apparatus received a 1.0 point deduction.
- In this sense, the MAG and WAG Codes of Points were in harmony. Both disciplines gave 0.5 deductions for falls.
- They weren’t in harmony when it came to risk, originality, and virtuosity (ROV). The women’s Code of Points wouldn’t include ROV until 1979. Meanwhile, the men’s Code of Points introduced the concept in 1968.
With No Further Ado…
Here’s the 1975 Code of Points for Women’s Artistic Gymnastics.
More on the Code of Points