Over the past few weeks the FTA has had athletes sending in questions about how we score difficulty and also asking to have their combo confidentially evaluated.  We are happy to do this if you can email us and the judges will also take a look.  Below is a good example of some points to be clarified.

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There will be 2 judges meetings, see schedule above and download!! One Thursday night and one Friday morning where you can ask the judges questions and we will review the rules. Please attend at least one meeting!! 

There is no difference in scoring if you land 4 skills to your feet and one to your back as opposed to 2 skills to your back and 3 skills to your feet. Both will score 0.5

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FOR EXAMPLE: Last year Lyydia scored 0.5 for performing two different body landings in her combo (feet, back, feet, feet). Her difficulty score was highest in the category as she did two triffs (scoring 1.0 for one of them 0.3 for the second), she did 10 full flip rotations (the highest of anyone in the group) plus five skills in the combo. ​It's only a 0.5 difference to add in another landing position and this score can easily be made up in the Creativity score and with good Execution. There is no credit for seat landings in difficulty scoring as it only counts rotation so this would be the same as landing on your feet. 

The double twist requirement for Juniors was introduced this year as a way to encourage a variety of skills without encouraging younger ones to emulate those doing doubles or triffs (triple front flip with half twist) if they are not ready. It does not apply to Seniors. 

The total difficulty score on a traditional triff is 1.0 if it's the first in a combo and 0.3 for any subsequent triffs.  A half middle twist triff would be 1.0 if it's the first and 0.3 for any subsequent triffs PLUS 0.05 for the half twist. 

In creativity scoring, only a guideline is provided. A suggestion of 0.1 to 0.7 points will be allocated for the most basic, conventional or common techniques, 0.8 - 1.4 points will be awarded for ‘medium’ scoring techniques, such as showing alternative shapes in flips causing slower rotation speed, uncommon shapes that slow down rotation, twisting both directions while flipping (also counted in difficulty) or skills with blind landings (eg front flips, back flips with a half twist). 1.5-2.0 points will be allocated for high scoring techniques, such as flat spins with shape, with twists or open shapes, differentiated execution within twisting (eg. snapu), linking a backwards rotation from a forward rotating flip, off-axis flips or Bowls /Zero’s.

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This 'menu' of conventional and unconventional moves is updated regularly and because there is a range attributed to them, it can only be awarded when the whole combo is taken into account. The more variety, the higher the score!