Judging and Scoring
The more diving you watch, especially by talented performers, the more 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. All this adds up to an abstract but observable phenomenon called "style".
Style is difficult to assess by any standard other than whether or not you like it. Primarily, this is why it is so hard to judge competitive diving. Even though there are certain criteria of execution which all divers must meet, evaluation still remains a subjective process. No matter how well a dive is performed, the artistic likes and dislikes of the judging panel will play some part in the outcome of any contest. For this reason there are usually considerable differences of opinion among coaches, competitors, judges and spectators regarding the accuracy of meet results.
Divers have to perform a set number of dives according to established requirements, including somersaults and twists. Divers are judged on whether and how well they completed all aspects of the dive, the conformance of their body to the requirements of the dive, and the amount of splash created by their entry to the water. A possible score out of ten is broken down into three points for the takeoff, three for the flight, and three for the entry, with one more available to give the judges flexibility.
A dive is scored between zero and ten points by each judge in half mark graduations. The following are the table of scores and how they should be awarded:
| scores | remarks |
|---|---|
| 0 | Completely Failed |
| 0.5 to 2.0 | Unsatisfactory |
| 2.5 to 4.5 | Deficient |
| 5.0 to 6.0 | Satisfactory |
| 6.5 to 8.0 | Good |
| 8.5 to 10.0 | Very Good |
The raw score is multiplied by a difficulty factor, derived from the number and combination of movements attempted. The diver with the highest total score after a sequence of dives is declared the winner.