Compare D then E
Break ties by comparing difficulty score first, then execution score.
Visual guide: View the decision tree in Figma
How It Works
Two gymnasts have the same final score on an apparatus.
Compare their difficulty scores (D score). The gymnast with the higher D score ranks first.
If difficulty scores are also tied, compare their execution scores (E score). The gymnast with the higher E score ranks first.
If both D and E are tied, the gymnasts share the same rank.
This algorithm rewards harder routines when final scores are equal.
Example
Two gymnasts tie on Floor Exercise with a final score of 13.450:
Alice
13.450
5.000
8.450
1st
Bob
13.450
4.800
8.650
2nd
Alice wins because her difficulty score (5.000) is higher than Bob's (4.800), even though Bob had cleaner execution.
When to Use
Competitions that reward difficulty over execution quality.
Elite-level or optional-level meets where harder routines should be rewarded.
When your governing body specifies difficulty-first tiebreaking.
Related
Tiebreaker: Compare E then D — the reverse order
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