ABOUT DIVING
Diving is classified as an art as well as a sport. Beauty and grace must be added to feats of strength and agility while the body is moving through the air. The diver must have total body control and good kinesthetic awareness.
Divers compete in one-metre and three-metre springboard events and also on platform. When competing platform, divers may perform from five, seven and one-half, or ten meters.
A dive is not judgedby entry alone. All phases of the performance are considered: the approach, the take-off, the technique and grace during flight, and the entry into the water. The judges score each dive, in its entirety, without concern for difficulty as each dive has an assigned Degree of Difficulty (D.D.) to reward the athletes for complicated skills.
STARTING POSITION ON THE BOARD - The diver stands with their body straight, head erect, arms straight and to the sides or above the head. Once a diver moves their arms from a backward take-off position or starts their run in a forward take-offpostion they must continue or a balk can be called by the referee. One balk is allowed - resulting in a penalty of two points which is deducted from each judge's score by the scorers as instructed by the referee. Should a diver lose their balance and their feet touch the platform in an armstand dive, the same rule applies. A second results in a failed dive.
THE APPROACH - The diver walks down the board maintaining good posture and must take at least four steps including the hurdle. If a diver takes less than four steps the referee shall instruct the scorers to deduct two points from the award of each judge. The run should be smooth, straight and without hesitation.
THE TAKE-OFF - The diver must leave the board from bnoth feet on the springboard but may take off from one foot on the platform. It shall be bold, reasonably high and confident and may be performed either standing or running. The judges shall award points for a standing dive, bearing in mind the height and standard of execution which might be expected from a running dive. Only one bounce on the same spot is allowed, it is permissible for a diver to start the board in motion in preparing for a back take-off.
THE FLIGHT - The divers legs should be together and toes pointed.
There are six groups of dives:
Forward - forward take-off (facing the water) with forward rotation. Backward - backward take-off (back to the water) with backward rotation. Reverse - forward take-off with backward rotation. Inward - backward take-off with forward rotation. Twist - Any of the above groups with 1/2 to 4 twists added. Armstand - (from the platform only) dives performed from a handstand on the end of the platform. The body positions are: A: Straight - body not bent. B: Pike - body bent at the hips only. C: Tuck - body bent at hips and knees. D: Free - combination of the above postions (used for twist dives) Arm position is optional.
If a position is clearly other than announced, the referee will declare that the highest mark shall be two points. If a postion is partially other than announced the maximum mark is 4.5.
If the diver touches the end of the board, or dives to the side of the direct line of flight - this indicates, no matter how well the dive may have been executed, that they were too close to the board for proper execution and the judges make their own decisions regarding the deduction of points from their scores. It is proposed that in this case the highest mark be 4.5.
TWISTS - Twisting must not be done manifestly from the board in straight dives with oone-half or full twist. In pike dives with the twist, the twist must not be started until there is a definite pike position shown. Twists may be done at any time in somersaults with twists. If a twist is more or less than announced by 90 degrees the diver receives zero fro that dive as declared by the referee.
FLYING DIVES - In all flying somersault dives a straight position should be clearly shown for approximately one-half of the somersault. This position should be assumed from the take-off except for dive 116 in which the straight position must be shown after one somersault has been completed.
ENTRIES -
HEAD FIRST - body is vertical, or nearly so, with arms stretched beyond the head in line with the body, hands close together. FEET FIRST - body is vertical, or nearly so, with arms tightly at the sides of the body. A dive is finished when the whole body is completely under the surface of the water. What happens under the water is not judged. All dives must be executed by the divers without help from anyone after the referee has signaled the start of the dive.
After the competition is started, a diver must not bounce on the springboard until after the score of the previous diver has been announced.
A diver who refuses the execution of a dive shall recieve zero points for that dive.
A diving meet is conducted by a referee, a panel of 5 or 7 judges, an announcer and scorers. The referee manages the event and ensures all regulations are observed. After each dive, the referee signals the judges who, without communication with any collegues, immediately flash their awards. Points are awarded from zero to ten, according to the opinion of the judge based on the criteria and the performance.
What The Scores Mean
Diving Points Scale - The NFHS diving points scale has changed. The following descriptions have scoring changes: excellent(10), very good (8.5 to 9.5), good (7 to 8), satisfactory (5 to 6.5), deficient (2.5 to 4.5), unsatisfactory (.5 to 2) and failed (0). Judges may award points in the range of points based on his/her opinion unless instructed otherwise by the diving referee under the rules. The point scale and the degrees of difficulty of all dives listed on the NFHS diving table are now the same as other rules codes. This consistency in scoring will minimize confusion for the divers and judges.
The judges' scores are written in order on each diver's sheet. The highest and lowest scores are eliminated and the remaining scores are added. This score is then multiplied by the D.D to produce the final score for the dive. The scores for each dive are added to give the total score for the event. The diver with the highest cumulative score at the end of the competition is the winner. During a competition, the divers must perform compulsory and optional dives, the number of dives varies depending on the competition.
The competition consists of preliminaries and finals. All divers in the competition compete in preliminaties and perform their compulsory dives, they may also (depending on the competion) perfrom optional dives. The totals from the preliminaries are used to perform "cuts" in which only the top divers will move on to the finals. Depending on the competition, this is typically eight, ten, or twelve divers.
The divers in the final will perform additional dives, typically optional dives and fewer than in the preliminaries. The scores from preliminaries are usually discarded so that each diver starts out equal in the final competition. The diver with the highest score after finals is the winner.
Spectator of Diving
As a spectator of the sport of diving, your appreciation is greater if you know what to watch for...what makes a great dive. TYPES OF DIVES: There are six different groups of platform and springboard dives. The first four types involve rotating in different directions relative to the board and the starting position, while the fifth group includes any dive with a twist and a sixth group involves an armstand starting position on the platform.
1. Forward Group: The diver faces the front of the board and rotates toward the water. Dives in this group vary from the simple front dive to the difficult forward four and one-half somersault.
2. Backward Group: All the dives in the backward group begin with the diver on the end of the board with his back to the water. The direction of rotation is away from the board.
3. Reverse Group: Formerly called "gainers," these dives begin with the diver facing the front of the board (using a forward approach) and rotating toward the board.
4. Inward Group: The diver stands on the end of the board with his back to the water and rotates toward the board or opposite of the backward group's movement. The earlier term for these dives were "cutaways."
5. Twisting Group: Any dive with a twist is included in this group. There are four types of twisting dives: forward, backward, reverse, and inward. Because of the many possible combinations, this group includes more dives than any other.
6. Armstand Group: In platform diving, there is a sixth, unique group of dives called "armstands." Here, the diver assumes a handstand position on the edge of the platform before executing the dive.
BODY POSITIONS
When each type of dive is performed, the diver utilizes one or more of the four different types of body positions:
Tuck: The body is bent at the waist and knees, the thighs are drawn to the chest while the heels are kept close to the buttocks.
Pike: The legs are straight with the body bent at the waist. The arm position is dictated by the particular dive being done or by the choice of the diver.
Straight: This position requires that there be no bend at the waist or knees. However, there may be an arch in the back, depending on the dive. As in the pike position the arm placement is either the diver's choice or defined by the dive done.
Free: This is not an actual body position but a term used to describe the diver's option to use any of the other three positions or combinations thereof when performing a dive which includes somersaults and twists.
PERFORMANCE & JUDGING:
As you watch more and more diving, especially by talented performers, you will observe that although several divers may do exactly the same dive, it never looks quite the same. This is because each individual has different mannerisms, characteristics of movement, strengths and sense of timing-which all add up to an abstract but observable phenomenon called "style".
Style is difficult to assess by any standard, except whether or not you like it. This is why it is hard to judge diving. Even though there are criteria of execution all divers must meet, evaluation remains a subjective process. No matter how well a dive is performed, artistic likes and dislikes of the judges play a large part in the outcome of any contest, and for this reason there are usually differences of opinion among coaches, competitors, judges and spectators about the accuracy of results.
Look at website
A dive is scored between zero and 10 points in either full or ½ -point increments by each judge. A table of the scores and the criteria for how they should be awarded follows:
0…………………….….completely failed
½ - 2 ……………….…….unsatisfactory
2½ - 4½.……………………….deficient
5-6 …………………………….satisfactory
6 ½ - 8 …………………..……….…good
8 ½ - 10 ……………………….very good
In classifying a dive into one of the judging categories, certain parts of each dive must be analyzed and evaluated, and an overall award obtained. The parts of a dive are:
1. Approach: Should be smooth but forceful, showing good form.
2. Takeoff: Must show control and balance plus the proper angle of landing and leaving for the particular dive being attempted.
3. Elevation: The amount of spring or lift a diver receives from the takeoff greatly affects the appearance of the dive. Since more height means more time, a higher dive generally affords greater accuracy and smoothness of movement.
4. Execution: This is most important, for this is the dive. A judge watches for proper mechanical performance, technique, form and grace.
5. Entry: The entry into the water is very significant because it is the last thing the judge sees and the part probably remembered best. The two criteria to be evaluated are the angle of entry, which should be near vertical, and the amount of splash, which should be as little as possible.
SCORING
Seven judges are used in a National Competition. When the judges awards are given, the two highest and two lowest scores will be eliminated. Usually five judges are used at preliminary or invitational competitions with the one highest and lowest score eliminated. The remaining three scores are totaled and that number will then be multiplied by the degree of difficulty rating assigned to that dive. The DD is predetermined with a table range from 1.2 to 3.5 in one-tenth increments.
HOW TO IDENTIFY THE DIVE
Dives are described by their full name (e.g. reverse 3 1/2 somersault with 1/2 twist) or by their numerical identification (e.g. 5371D), or “dive number.” Twisting dives utilize four numerical digits, while all other dives use three. Specific dive numbers are not random—they are created by using these guidelines:
1. All dives are identified by three or four digits and one letter.
2. The first digit indicates the dive’s group: 1 = forward, 2 = back, 3 = reverse, 4 = inward, 5 = twisting, 6 = armstand.
3. In front, back, reverse, and inward dives, a ‘1’ as the second digit indicates a flying action. A ‘0’ indicates none. In twisting and armstand dives, the second digit indicates the dive’s group (forward, back, reverse).
4. The third digit indicates the number of half somersaults.
5. The fourth digit, if applicable, indicates the number of half twists.
6. The letter indicates body position: A = straight, B = pike, C = tuck, D = free.
Examples: 107B = Forward dive with 3 1/2 somersaults in a pike position 305C = Reverse dive with 2 1/2 somersaults in a tuck position 5253B = Back dive with 2 1/2 somersaults and 1 1/2 twists in a pike position
Required Dives vs. Optional Dives
For age group competitions, diving lists are broken into two groups: Required dives and optional dives. Required dives are the more basic dives in a list. Dives such as a forward dive or a back dive are considered required dives. These dives generally have a lower DD, and usually have a combined maximum DD requirement.
Optional dives are the more complicated and include multiple flips and twists. These dives have a higher DD. In senior diving, only optional dives are performed. Each diver must have a minimum combined DD on their optional list.
Required Dives
When there is a DD limit to the list of required dives, try to hit it exactly. However, you have to make sure you can compliment your optional list with dives that are of equal quality. For example, here is a typical 9.5 DD list on 3-meter for a 16-18 year old age group diver:
Hot Tip: DD Strategy
It is important to strategize your thinking when devising a diving list. Make sure you can have the highest DD possible, but also that your dives are consistent enough to ensure the best scores.
.103 B: Forward 1 ½ pike, DD 1.7
.201 B: Back dive pike, DD 1.8
.301 B: Reverse dive pike, DD 1.8
.403 B: Inward 1 ½ pike, DD 2.1
.5132 D: Forward 1 ½ somersault, 1 twist free, DD 2.1
.Combined DD: 9.5
In order to have this list, you must make sure your optional dives are more difficult than your required dives. In other words, if your most difficult twister is a full twisting 1 ½, then you should place that dive in your optional list instead of your required list.
Strategy
The scores you receive from the judges for each dive are multiplied by the DD of that dive. Thus, the higher the DD is, the more likely you are to earn a high score. However, this is not always the case. If you cannot perform a higher DD dive consistently, you’re better off trying a lower DD dive that you can do well.
For example, a 105 B (forward 2 ½ pike) on 3-meter has a DD of 2.4. A 105 C (forward 2 ½ tuck) on 3-meter has a DD of 2.2. If you can perform both of these dives, but will likely score higher in the tuck position: Choose the easier dive. A 2.2 dive that scores 7’s will receive an overall higher score than a 2.4 dive that scores 4’s and 5’s.
Order of Dives
Once you have determined what dives you’re going to perform, it’s time to determine the order you will place them in. This decision is personal, but should reflect the type of competition it is.
As a general rule, you should start and finish the competition strong. To accomplish this, place your two best dives as the first and last ones on your list. Leave your weaker dives in the middle.
This can, and should, change depending on the meet. In some competitions with many divers, there may be a cut after the first three dives. A cut reduces the number of competitors to the top 12-15 divers. In this case, you should place your three best dives (hopefully the ones with the highest DD) in the first three slots. This gives you the best chance of making the cut.