# Tiebreakers

> Tiebreakers determine which gymnast ranks higher when two or more gymnasts have the same final score.

You need to decide how ties are broken when two gymnasts end up with the same score. Gym Art Meets gives you 8 different algorithms to choose from, and you can configure a different one for each ranking context (apparatus, all-around, vault, team). If the tiebreaker still can't separate them, the gymnasts share the same rank (see [bump ranks on tie](https://docs.gymart.org/levels/bump-ranks)).

## Your Options

Here are the 8 tiebreaker algorithms. Click any to see how it works with examples.

| Tiebreaker                                                                                       | Summary                                     | Best For                        |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------- |
| [**Do Not Break Ties**](https://docs.gymart.org/tiebreakers/do-not-break-ties)                   | Tied gymnasts share the same rank           | Recreational meets              |
| [**Compare E then D**](https://docs.gymart.org/tiebreakers/compare-e-then-d)                     | Higher execution wins, then difficulty      | Most standard meets (default)   |
| [**Compare D then E**](https://docs.gymart.org/tiebreakers/compare-d-then-e)                     | Higher difficulty wins, then execution      | Meets that reward difficulty    |
| [**All-Around Score**](https://docs.gymart.org/tiebreakers/all-around-score)                     | Higher all-around total wins                | Apparatus-only ties             |
| [**Cascading All-Around**](https://docs.gymart.org/tiebreakers/cascading-all-around)             | Drop lowest apparatus, compare sums, repeat | All-around ties                 |
| [**Cascading AA then E then D**](https://docs.gymart.org/tiebreakers/cascading-aa-then-e-then-d) | Cascading first, then E then D              | All-around ties (most thorough) |
| [**Oldest Age Wins**](https://docs.gymart.org/tiebreakers/oldest-age-wins)                       | Older gymnast ranks higher                  | Age-class competitions          |
| [**Youngest Age Wins**](https://docs.gymart.org/tiebreakers/youngest-age-wins)                   | Younger gymnast ranks higher                | Age-class competitions          |

## Where Tiebreakers Are Configured

Tiebreakers are set in [individual score settings](https://docs.gymart.org/levels/individual-score-settings) and [team score settings](https://docs.gymart.org/levels/team-score-settings). You can configure **separate tiebreakers** for different ranking contexts:

| Context                   | Setting                    | Available Tiebreakers      |
| ------------------------- | -------------------------- | -------------------------- |
| **Individual apparatus**  | Individual tiebreaker      | All 8                      |
| **Individual all-around** | All-around tiebreaker      | All 8                      |
| **Individual vault**      | Vault tiebreaker           | All 8 + Best of 2 E then D |
| **Team apparatus**        | Team tiebreaker            | All except age-based       |
| **Team all-around**       | Team all-around tiebreaker | All except age-based       |

## How the Tiebreaker Process Works

1. Two gymnasts have the **same final score** on an apparatus (or all-around).
2. Gym Art Meets applies the configured tiebreaker algorithm.
3. If the algorithm finds a difference → the gymnast with the higher value ranks first.
4. If the algorithm **cannot** separate them → they share the same rank.
5. The [rank method](https://docs.gymart.org/levels/bump-ranks) determines whether the next rank skips a number.

## Tiebreaker Defaults

All contexts default to **Compare E then D** - the most common algorithm in artistic gymnastics.

## Related

* [How to configure individual score settings](https://docs.gymart.org/levels/individual-score-settings)
* [How to configure team score settings](https://docs.gymart.org/levels/team-score-settings)
* [How bump ranks on tie works](https://docs.gymart.org/levels/bump-ranks)
* [How does scoring work?](https://docs.gymart.org/scoring/index)
* [Glossary](https://docs.gymart.org/getting-started/glossary)