The Helsinki Games were the first Olympics that used an official Code of Points for men’s gymnastics. (The 1950 World Championships had used the 1949 Code of Points, as well.) But not everything could be covered in the extremely short Code of Points. As a result, the program for gymnastics in Helsinki included an additional 24 pages of rules for the men’s competition. Let’s take a look at some of the rules in place.
Quick Links: Competition Structure | Judging | Miscellaneous Rules | Documents
Competition Structure
Eight Gymnasts per Team + Two Reserves; Five Best Scores per Event
Each nation can enter a team of 10 gymnasts, of which a maximum of 8 will take part in all exercises. To determine the final result for the competition by nations, the scores of the team’s top five gymnasts on each apparatus exercise and each floor exercise are added together.
Chaque nation peut faire engager une équipe de 10 gymnastes dont 8 au maximum prendront part à tous les exercices. Pour fixer le résultat final pour le concours par nations, on additionne les points obtenus à chaque agrès et aux exercices à mains libres par les 5 meilleurs gymnastes de l’équipe.
Note: In the women’s competition, the top six scores counted on each event.
The Events:
Compulsory and optional routines on the following apparatus:
- High bar
- Parallel bars
- Pommel horse
- Vault
- Rings
- Floor exercise
Reminder: The 1950 World Championships were the last major FIG competition to include track and field events.
The competition will take place in two parts: the first will include compulsory exercises, the second optionals.
Le concours aura lieu en deux parties; la première comprendra les exercices imposés, la deuxième les exercices à volonté.
Note: Compulsories for men’s gymnastics were on Sunday, July 20, 1952. Optionals were on Monday, July 21, 1952. Awards were on Thursday, July 24, 1952.
Awards:
- Team competition
- Individual all-around
- Individual apparatus, including floor exercise
Reminder: While there were awards for the all-around and individual apparatus, all-around and event finals did not exist at this time.
18 to Compete
Gymnasts must have reached the age of 18 in the year of the competition, be of the nationality of the federation delegating them, and belong to a federated society.
Les gymnastes devront avoir 18 ans révolus au cours de l’année du concours, être de la nationalité de la Fédération qui les délègue et faire partie d’une société fédérée.
Maximum Totals
Individuals: 12 events x 10 points = 120 points
Team: 120 points x 5 gymnasts = 600 points
Judging
Each federation nominated its judges.
Each federation will appoint as a member of the judging panel one or more people, whose competence and fairness are above all suspicion, and for whom it is responsible.
Chaque fédération nommera comme membre du jury une ou plusieurs personnes, dont la compétence et l’équité sont au-dessus de toute suspicion, et dont elle est responsable.
The 1952 Judges’ Oath: “Without Regard to Either Person or Nation”
On accepting their office, members of the judging panel solemnly swear to the following formula: “I affirm on my honor that, as a judge, I will be guided only by the spirit of loyalty and sporting dignity, and to judge the work presented conscientiously, without regard to either person or nation.”
Au moment d’accepter leur charge, les membres du jury s’engagent solennellement sur la formule suivante: »J’affirme sur mon honneur qu’en ma qualité de juge, je ne me laisserai guider que par l’esprit de loyauté et de dignité sportive, et de juger le travail présenté consciencieusement, sans égard ni à la personne, ni à la nation.»
Note: This oath was not included in the women’s rules.
A Judges’ Huddle 30 Minutes Before the Competition
Thirty minutes before the start of the competition, the bureau of judges, judges, and coaches will gather at the exercise site, to be briefed on the rotation of teams for the various events, any changes, etc.
Trente minutes avant l’ouverture du concours, le bureau du jury, les jurés, ainsi que les moniteurs seront rassemblés sur l’emplacement des exercices, pour être renseignés sur la rotation des équipes aux différentes épreuves, les changements éventuels, etc.
The 1949 Code of Points was the basis for judging.
The F.I.G. Code of Points, published following the decision of the 1949 Stockholm Congress, will serve as the basis for the evaluation of exercises.
Le Code de Pointage de la F.I.G., édité suivant décision du Congrès de Stockholm, 1949, servira de base à la taxation des exercices.
4 Judges + 1 Superior Judge
In artistic events, judged by evaluation, the judging panel will be made up of four actual judges and a superior judge. The latter will be appointed by the executive committee.
Aux épreuves artistiques, jugées par taxation, le jury se composera de quatre juges effectifs et d’un juge arbitre. Ce dernier sera désigné par la commission executive.
Note: This was different from the women’s competition, where five judges were assigned to each apparatus.
The judges needed to compare notes after the first routines.
The 4 actual judges and the superior judge will consult each other for the first and second exercise, in order to find a common starting point.
Thereafter, they will work independently of each other, no longer consulting each other, except in exceptional cases (accidents etc.).
Les 4 juges effectifs et le juge arbitre se consulteront pour le premier et le deuxième exercice, afin de trouver un point de départ commun.
Dans la suite, ils travailleront indépendamment l’un de l’autre, ne se consulteront plus, sauf pour des cas exceptionels (accident etc.).
Gymnasts and coaches couldn’t appeal scores.
The judging panel’s verdict is irrevocable and without appeal, except in the case of material error.
Le verdict du jury est irrévocable et sans appel, sauf en cas d’erreur matérielle.
But they could challenge another gymnast’s participation.
Any complaint concerning a gymnast’s participation must be made in writing to the president of the judging panel at the start of the competition or as soon as the cause is known.
Toute réclamation concernant la participation d’un gymnaste doit être faite par écrit au président du jury au début du concours ou dès que la cause sera connue.
Miscellaneous
It was the coach’s responsibility to check the equipment.
Before performing the exercises, the coach checks that the apparatus is in good condition.
Avant l’exécution des exercices, le moniteur vérifie si les engins sont en bon état.
Teams could no longer supply their own equipment. (They could in 1948.)
All equipment must be provided by the organizing committee. The latter is required to comply with the regulatory provisions, as well as the instructions that the executive technical commission will give him.
Tous les engins doivent être fournis par le comité d’organisation. Ce dernier est tenu de se conformer aux dispositions réglementaires, ainsi qu’aux instructions que la commission technique executive lui donnera.
No Substitutions for the Gymnasts
A gymnast who leaves his or her team without the judging panel’s permission will not be allowed to rejoin. During competitions, it is not permitted to substitute one gymnast for another.
Un gymnaste quittant son équipe sans autorisation du jury ne pourra y rentrer. Au cours des épreuves, il n’est pas permis de substituer un gymnaste à un autre.
But if you were injured, you had 30 minutes.
Any illness or accident must be reported immediately by the instructor and confirmed by the doctor on duty. In order to allow the indisposed gymnast to recover, the section may interrupt its work for a maximum of thirty minutes. If, after this time, the incapacity persists, the team will continue the competition and the gymnast will be eliminated.
Toute indisposition, tout accident devront être immédiatement signalés par le moniteur et constatés par le médecin de service. Afin de permettre au gymnaste indisposé de se remettre, la section pourra interrompre son travail pendant trente minutes au maximum. Si après ce laps de temps, l’incapacité constatée persiste, l’équipe continuera la compétition et le gymnaste sera éliminé.
Men could repeat all compulsory routines except floor, but they had to decide before seeing their scores. The second score counted.
Any gymnast may repeat, without loss of points, a compulsory exercise that he or she considers to have been missed. He must declare his intention to the judging panel before the judges have completed their scoring. The exercise must be repeated after a suitable rest period, but before the team leaves the apparatus. Only the second performance is valid. Each gymnast is entitled to two attempts on vault, both compulsory and optional; the best performance is valid. The floor exercise may not be repeated.
Tout gymnaste pourra recommencer, sans perte de points, un exercice imposé qu’il juge avoir manqué. Il devra déclarer son intention au jury, avant que les juges n’aient terminé leur pointage. La reprise de l’exercice doit être faite après un temps de repos convenable, mais avant que l’équipe ne quitte l’engin. Seule la seconde exécution est valable. Au cheval-sautoir, tant imposé qu’à volonté, chaque gymnaste a droit à deux exécutions; la meilleure exécution est valable. L’exercice au sol ne pourra pas être repris.
Coaches should stand by all apparatus.
At the start of the rings and high bar exercise, he can lift a gymnast; during the performance, he stands close to the apparatus to prevent any possible accident, but cannot assist in the execution of the exercises.
Au début de l’exercice aux anneaux et à la barre fixe, il peut soulever un gymnaste; pendant l’exécution, il se tient près de l’engin pour prévenir éventuellement un accident, mais ne peut aider à l’exécution des exercices.
Documents
You can download the complete French text here:
The document above includes the apparatus dimensions for the Olympics. To compare the apparatus dimensions over time, head over to this post.
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