How the Open-Ended Code of Points Revolutionized Gymnastics

For decades, the pinnacle of athletic achievement was defined by a single, flawless number: the Perfect 10. When Nadia Comăneci first achieved it at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, the scoreboard famously lacked the digits to display it, flashing "1.00" instead.

But the Perfect 10 had a fatal flaw. It created an artificial ceiling. If two gymnasts both executed their routines flawlessly, but one performed a routine that defied the laws of physics while the other played it safe, the scoreboard could not mathematically tell them apart.

In 2006, following a series of judging controversies, the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) made a radical decision. They abolished the Perfect 10 and introduced the open-ended Code of Points, fundamentally altering the trajectory of the sport.[1]

This new system split the score into two distinct halves. The E-Score (Execution) still starts at 10.0, with judges deducting tenths of a point for bent knees, flexed feet, or steps on landing.

The revolution, however, lived in the D-Score (Difficulty). This score is open-ended, calculated by adding up the values of the hardest skills in a routine, plus connection bonuses and specific compositional requirements.[1][6]

Suddenly, the ceiling was shattered. Gymnasts were no longer just chasing perfection; they were chasing the impossible. The open-ended code incentivized athletes to invent new, mind-bending skills to drive their D-Scores higher.

No athlete has exploited this mathematical landscape more effectively than Simone Biles. By pushing the boundaries of human biomechanics, Biles has accumulated five eponymous skills—moves so difficult they are named after her because she was the first to land them in international competition.[2]

Her signature vault, the Biles II (a Yurchenko double pike), carries a staggering D-score of 6.4. Because her starting difficulty is so astronomically high, she can afford minor execution deductions and still outscore competitors who perform easier routines flawlessly.[2]

But the relentless pursuit of difficulty has sparked an ongoing debate about athlete safety and the aesthetic soul of the sport. As the difficulty values climbed, so did the physical toll on athletes' joints and ligaments.

In response to these concerns, the FIG regularly updates the Code of Points every four years—a period known as a quadrennium. As the sport enters the 2025-2028 cycle leading up to the Los Angeles Olympics, the pendulum is swinging back toward quality and sustainability.[1]

The most significant shift in the new 2025-2028 Code of Points affects Men's Artistic Gymnastics (MAG). For the first time in modern history, the number of "counting skills"—the elements that contribute to the D-Score—has been reduced from ten to eight.[3]

This reduction fundamentally alters routine construction. Previously, male gymnasts had to pack ten grueling skills into a single floor or high bar routine, often leading to exhaustion and dangerous falls by the dismount.[3]

By capping the counting skills at eight, the FIG is explicitly prioritizing athlete health. Gymnasts can now focus on executing fewer, higher-quality elements with better form, rather than treating routines as endurance marathons.[3][6]

The new code also introduces a 0.1 "stick bonus" for dismounts of C-value or higher across most apparatuses. This mathematical nudge is designed to reward the elusive perfect landing, ensuring that execution remains just as vital as the acrobatics preceding it.[3]

Beyond the elite scoring tables, the ethos of gymnastics is also expanding to become more inclusive. The sport is increasingly recognizing that pushing boundaries isn't just about triple-twisting double flips; it's about access.

In 2026, the Simone Biles International Invitational will formally incorporate the HUGS program, an adaptive gymnastics initiative. This allows athletes with special needs to compete under official USA Gymnastics rules, judged on their own execution and difficulty metrics.[4][5]

This inclusion marks a profound evolution in how the sport defines achievement. Whether an athlete is aiming for the Special Olympics or the Los Angeles 2028 podium, the underlying mechanism remains the same: mastering the body's movement through space.[4]

As the 2025-2028 quadrennium unfolds, the tension between the D-Score and the E-Score will continue to shape the sport. Coaches and athletes are currently in the laboratory, recalculating their routines to maximize the new rules.[6]

The open-ended Code of Points did more than just change the math of gymnastics; it changed the philosophy. It transformed a sport of rigid perfection into a dynamic, ever-expanding frontier of human capability.