WAG Weird Thing that happened at my DD's meet

[AlexsGymmyMom]

In the 5 years that I have attended gymnastics meets I have never seen this before.

A girl from another team, while waiting to salute for her floor routine stood on the floor just a few inches in front of the judges table. It looked so strange as she stood there smiling and waiting for the judges to raise their hands for her to salute. Every meet we have ever been to, our kids stood off the floor before saluting. I guess I thought you were not supposed to touch the floor before saluting the judges. Is this a common practice to be in front of the table in other parts of the country? Or is is always a no no to be on the floor before the judges raise a hand for you to begin.

 

[Muddlethru]

I've seen gymnasts on the floor and off the floor, on the runway (for vault), off the runway, before saluting. I've not heard of deductions being given on the floor, but there may be an unspoken 'etiquette'. I can however see a judge who may get annoyed at a gymnast standing right in front of them and may cause them to score the gymnast a little lower?

 

[Becauseisaid]

@AlexsGymmyMom - I'm curious if the girl started her routine from there or did she move to a different position after saluting?

All the floor routines I've seen, the gymnast does not enter the floor until saluting.

 

[gymmomtoo]

I've never observed that either.

 

[chalkbowl]

It's pretty common in my area to have the athlete stand on the floor and then salute, it cuts out the wait time of the judges watching the girls walk onto the floor. However, before moving here I had never seen such a thing. There is no deduction for standing on the floor before saluting (or saluting on the vault runway).

 

[bookworm]

My daughters have done it both ways, depending on the start of their floor routine...

 

[AlexsGymmyMom]

@AlexsGymmyMom - I'm curious if the girl started her routine from there or did she move to a different position after saluting?

All the floor routines I've seen, the gymnast does not enter the floor until saluting.

She moved to a different location in the middle of the floor after saluting the judges. I could understand being on the floor before saluting but she right there inches from the table smiling and I think she may have even winked at them... it was just so over the top!

 

[gymdog]

Probably regional. We stay off the floor to prevent confusion for the person running the music, which at larger invitationals can get confusing). They want to be able to tell at a glance if the kid is waiting for the judges or the music. Also we warm up in between routines so it isn't even possible.

 

[iwannacoach]

I like the idea of kids showing the judges their best before performing. As long as they maintain that thread of personality through the routine, or at least have some artistic presentation (on floor and beam.) Doing that and following through with some personality when saluting, after the routine is finished, humanizes the gymnast and the judges.

If it's done in a phony way to plead every last tenth of a point, the judges mentally roll their eyes, paste on a suitable phony smile, and judge the routine on it's merits.

 

[flips123]

Here it is the judges choice. The coaches ask what they prefer and that is what we do.