Stay Competitive and Have Fun!

Power tumbling is done on an elevated runway, often referred to as a rod floor, that gives gymnasts extra spring to perform very high flips and skills. Not only does the tumbling series often end with huge twists and flips, but this tumbling differs from other forms of gymnastics tumbling because the competitor will generally perform many flips in a row, as the runway is very long and allows gymnasts to connect more skills than they can on an artistic gymnastics floor. 

This event is pretty much what it sounds like! Competitors bounce high and compete many connected flips in a row. There are many difficult combinations of skills, and it is very impressive to watch. This event has gone through many changes through the years, mainly due to changes in equipment design. Current trampoline models are much stronger and create higher bounces than the trampolines you would find in someone’s backyard. Competitors compete two routines during this event, each involving ten connected skills. 

It is when a competitor runs down the runway to build up speed, then jumps onto a miniature trampoline, competes a flip, and dismounts off onto a mat, trying to land the skill. The competitor will generally perform one flip on the trampoline and one flip off of it. As the levels get higher, so do the tricks performed!

Unlike synchronized swimming, this event has just two competitors in sync, but keeping two people exactly in time performing these skills is difficult enough! Like the individual trampoline event, these routines are ten skills long, and athletes perform in sync using two separate trampolines that are placed side by side. The difficulty of this event comes not only in being able to perform high-level skills but also in timing them to match a partner perfectly.

This scoring explanation is for J.O.'s scoring of trampoline, tumbling, and double mini. Routines are scored out of 10 total points, with each skill worth one point. If a pass does not include ten skills (during tumbling or double mini), there are points that judges add back into the score to ensure the score is out of 10.0. Execution judges watch the routine to take points away for mistakes, and each judge can take a max of 0.5 away per skill. Besides deductions from each individual skill, judges can also deduct for falls, landing problems, going over time, or getting assistance from a coach. 

In levels one through seven, there are three execution judges whose scores are added together to find the total score for the routine. In tumbling and double mini, the gymnast competes twice, and these scores are added together to get the final athlete's score. 

In level eight, the difficulty comes into play. If a compulsory routine is performed, the three execution scores are added together to get the final score. If an optional routine is performed, it is the three execution scores combined, but the difficulty is also factored in. This is a good thing for competitors with difficult skills who may not have them super clean or controlled yet. 

Trampoline and tumbling use FIG rules and regulations for elite and international scoring. All events are scored for difficulty and aesthetics, with five aesthetic judges scoring. The three middle scores are averaged, while the highest and lowest scores are dropped. There is no difficulty judges, as skills already have assigned points and value beforehand. The total value of all skills in a routine is added to the average of the three middle aesthetic scores, and this total equals the routine's score.

Per USA Gymnastics, parents are not allowed on the competition floor during gymnastics meets. This is a safety measure to prevent distractions and ensure the safety of the athletes. IParents may come to the floor if your child is injured during a meet but may not enter.

TnT has Levels 1-10 and then Elite. Levels 1-4 are developmental, Levels 5-7 are compulsory, and Levels 8-10 are optional.

Athletes of all ages and body types can enjoy and benefit from trampoline, which enhances skill development across all gymnastics disciplines. Trampoline may also retain athletes looking for something different from gymnastics or need to adjust to accommodate outside scheduling challenges. Additionally, the artistic gymnastics and trampoline competitive seasons complement one another so athletes can participate in both. Many gym clubs in the U.S. already have trampolines as part of their programming, which has proven to be very successful. Trampoline provides a fun segue for gymnasts looking for a change and keeps them involved in the gym.