Form errors were also addressed, as in Rule 4-3-4b, which now states that if a gymnast has a routine with a 10.0 start-value, and he completes it with a B dismount, he will receive a medium deduction. If the gymnast completes the routine with an A dismount, he will receive a large deduction. The committee's reasoning is that A and B dismounts are not consistent with the level of difficulty of a routine with full difficulty and full bonus.
Regarding bonuses, Rule 4-4-1 changed the bonus designated for a D + D connection from 0.2 to 0.1. It also added a 0.1 bonus for a "stuck" landing on a B-, C- or D-value dismount if it enhances the gymnast's score.
"This should reduce the overuse of certain D skills that can easily be repeated in direction connections, while the bonus for a 'stuck' landing is an additional way to encourage gymnasts to work on sticking the landing on all B-, C- or D-value dismounts," True said.
Final changes to Rule 4 have to do with the repetition rule. To encourage greater creativity in tumbling series, the roundoff on the floor exercise is no longer an exception to the rule. Additionally, Rule 4-3-7d changed to remain consistent with the rule; it now allows a gymnast to repeat the last completed part of his exercise when continuing the routine after an interruption or falling off the apparatus.
The committee also implemented several other rules changes that impact the floor exercise, pommel horse, vault, rings and high bar.
Rule 5-2-1a was changed to encourage tumbling series in both directions rather than just one. It now states that two tumbling series, one forward and one backward, with at least one series containing C-value tumbling, is a special requirement on floor exercise.
On the pommel horse, an additional double-leg skill of at least B value, which may include the dismount, is a special requirement, according to Rule 6-2-1c. Moved from Special Requirements to Content, Rule 6-3-1d states that a medium deduction is taken for not working all three parts of the horse.
The deduction for landing within one meter of the end of the horse or the vaulting table increased from 0.5 to 0.8, according to Rule 8-3-2e. Similarly, the deduction for landing between one meter and 1.5 meters also increased from 0.2 to 0.4. Both deductions were thought by the rules committee to be more appropriate for a lack of distance in post flight.
Also affecting vaults, Rule 8-5 encourages gymnasts to learn vaults of a higher level. Thus, the values of certain vaults with no salto will be reduced.
On the rings, Rule 7-3-3e was changed with regard to swinging of the rings. It states that a small to medium deduction will be taken for each skill up to 0.5 for the routine, limiting the total deduction for one type of execution error within a routine.
On the horizontal bar, a special requirement was added to encourage more handstand work. Rule 9-2-1b requires gymnasts to perform one skill in or through a handstand.
These changes and clarifications were made in an effort to be more consistent with the ability level of most high school gymnasts and the current trends in gymnastics, True said.
Participation in boy's gymnastics remains consistent, as 2,223 gymnasts compete in 176 high schools across the nation, according to the 2001-02 High School Athletics Participation Survey conducted by the NFHS.
