JUDGINGHIGHSCHOOLDIVINGAssubjectiveastheprocessis,judgingdivingcanbeeasy.Ifaskedtosaywhatpicturesinamuseumarethebest,manywouldlookatthe“MASTERS”Rembrandt,DaVinci,andMichelangelo.Ifaskedtosaywhoisthemostbeautifulactororactressyouwouldreceivemanydifferentchoices.Judgingdivingislookingatthewholepicture,notjustthefinish.Therearesixpointsofreferencetobejudgedoneachdive.STARTINGPOSITION,APPROACH,HURDLE,TAKEOFF,FLIGHT,ANDENTRY.Doyoulikeamovieforjusttheopeningfiveminutesorforthewholemovie?Maybeyoudidn’tliketheendingbuttheactionandsuspensekeptyouthereforthetwohours,andyoumightwanttowatchitagain.Gooddiverswillentertainyoufromstarttofinish.

FORWARDDIVESSTARTINGPOSITIONThedivershouldhavetheboardadjustedbeforemountingtheboard.Iftheyhavetoadjustthefulcrumwhileontheboarditismoredifficulttomove.Theyshouldpausebeforestartingtheirapproach.InUSADIVING,thedivermustwaituntiltheRefereesignalsforthemtostart.Thedivershouldpresentconfidenceintheirability.Thefailuretoshowastartingpositionmayresultinafaileddive9-7.5b.

BACKANDINWARDDIVESSTARTINGPOSITIONThediveshouldassumeastartingpositionontheendoftheboardwiththeirheelsandmid-footofftheendoftheboard(thisallowsgreaterrangeofflexation),bodyerectwiththeirarmsinapositionoftheirchoice.Thedivershouldstopalloscillationsoftheboardwhentheyassumethisposition.Thedivershoulddonomorethan4oscillationsbeforetheirarmsstarttomoveinto

theirpressoftheboard.½-2pointsdeducted.Atnotimeshouldthefeetleavetheboardintheoscillations(crow-hop)½-2points.Doublebounce-2fromscoresReferee’scall.APPROACHThedivermusttakeatleastthreesteps(maytakeadditionalmovement)endinginahurdleoffofonefoot.Thesemovementsshouldbesmoothandnaturalwithnostiff,jerky,awkwardorexaggeratedarmorlegmovements.Ifthediveronlytakestwostepsintotheirhurdlethediverefereewilldeclareaviolationoftheforwardapproachanddeduct2pointsfromtheawardedscore.Judgescantake½-2pointsoff.HURDLEThelaststepintheapproachshouldbringthediverintoapositionontheboardwheretheycanusetheliftingactionofthehurdlelegandarmswillgetthemintoapositiontodropdownontheendoftheboardwithasmoothandtimeddepressionofthespringboardoffoftwofeet.Thedivershouldshowarightanglewiththeliftingkneeinrelationtotheboard.NotdoingahurdlewillresultinRefereedeclaringViolationoftheforwardapproach.Judgesmaytake½-2pointsoffforaweakhurdle.TAKEOFFThedivershouldunderstandthatoncetheyleavetheboardtheirchancesfora“GREATSCORE”arealmostpredetermined.Toomuchornotenoughangleofmomentumwillmakeorbreakadive.Thedivershouldcomedownfromtheirhurdleinanearlystraightpositionridingtheboarddownwithacirculararmswingtimingtheriseoftheboardsothattheyfinishtheirswingatthepeakoftherisingboard.Inorderforadivertorotatetheymusthavesomebodyleanintheirtakeoff.Thegreatertheirleanthelessheight.Aninexperienceddiverwillrushthetakeoffcausing

theirdivestoflyoutwithoutmuchheight.Ridingtheboardtoolongmaybringthedivertooclosetotheboardontheirentry(especiallyonReversedives).FLIGHTFinallywearetalkingabout“JudgingDiving”.OnceagainIwouldlikeyoutothinkaboutthemovie.Whatisrealandwhoisdoingthestunts?Youhavetolookclose.Thedivercanuseseveralpositionstodoadive.AforwarddivestraightismoredifficultthanatucksoitreceivesaDDof1.4comparedtoaDDof1.2fortuck.JudgesshouldnotgradetheDD,justtheexecution.ASTRAIGHTPOSITIONWhenthereisNObendatthewaistorknees,legstogetherandTOESPOINTED.PIKEPOSTIONAllowsthedivertobendatthewaistnotatknees,legstogetherandTOESPOINTED.TUCKPOSITIONThefastestrotatingposition.Thediverisallowedtobendatthewaistandknees,TOESPOINTED.FREEPOSITIONIsusedonlyfortwistingdivesandisacombinationofpositions.Thearmpositionisthechoiceofthediverbutshouldnotdistractfromtheflightofthedive.Flailingarmswillnothelpadiversaveadive.Thearmsshouldbeextendedinastraightlineabovetheheadinheadfirstentriesandshouldbeheldstraightagainstthediver’ssideinfeetfirstentries.Wrongpositionmax2,breakinformmax4.Handsuponfeetfirstentrymax4.

TWISTINGIsappliedtoalmostanyregulardivebutmustnotbedonewhileontheboard.Morethan90isfailed.JudgedatcontactENTRYThelastpartofthediveisoftenJUDGEDasthemostimportantpartofthedive.Theentryshouldbevertical,longorshortentrieswillscoreless,butifthediverhasdonetheotherpartsofthedivetheyshouldberewardedwithhigherscoresthansomeonewhojustfinishestheirdivewithlesssplash.Judgesshouldlookforpositionoftheshouldersoncontactwithwaterontwistingdivesandalsodothefeethitfirstonfeetfirstdivesortheheadfirstonheadfirstdives.Thediverefereeshouldcallfaileddivesbutiftheydon’tyoumustscorethedive.Theentryshouldbeasafedistancefromtheboard2-5feetis“IDEAL”.A“rip-entry”10feetoutshouldnotbeanexcellentdive.JUDGESShouldusethefullrangeofscores0-1010-9exceptional8½-7½excellent7-6good5½-4½satisfactory4-2½deficienthandsuponfeetfirstentry2-½unsatisfactorywrongposition0faileddiveBINGO!!Wowwefinallyagreed,mostofthetimeitisonapoordive.Weallhavedifferentviewsonwhatisgoodorbad,butifwealllookatthelevelofdivers(HIGHSCHOOL)wemayalltrytorewardthediverthathasworkedhardertorefinetheirsportwithhigherscores.NOPEEKING!Useyourviewnotthefirstscore

announced,theymaynotALWAYSbe“right“.Whydotheyuse5judges,throwoutthehighandlow.Don’ttrytomakeupforbeingoutofrange,mostJudgeswillgetintotherangeafteracoupleofrounds.IfitisbecauseofthediversorJudgesexpectations!Youmayjudgeyourdiverharderbecauseyouknowtheynormallydoadivebetter,4otherJudgesseeitdifferent.Throwing10’sonthefirstdiveleavesnoroomforrewardingabetterdive,yetyoucan’tgobackandraisethe7yougaveearlier.Ifthedivedeserved10’sthrowit.Ifyougetstuckinthe4-7rangeYOUMAYBESAFE,butareyoubeingjudgedorthediver.Mostparentswillthinktheirchilddeserves10’sforbellyflops.YouarethejudgeforALLdivers.SOMEGUIDELINESISTHEDIVERREADYISTHEIRAPPROACHGRACEFULSTRONGHIGHHURDLESMOOTHTIMEDPLANTNOTTOOMUCHLEANLONGRIDETIMEHEIGHTANDFLIGHTCONTROLLEDLONGDROPINTOENTRYVERTICALSQUAREDENTRYRATIONALORIRRATIONALTHOUGHTSWatchingOlympicathletesinalmostanysporttheyseemtoperformsoeffortlessly.Watchababytaketheirfirststepsandweclapandcryandsendthevideotograndparents,althoughtheyarefarfromOlympicracewalkers.THESEAREHIGHSCHOOLERS!PerfectionlikeMASTERPAINTINGisintheeyeofthebeholder.Doyouthinkthediveisunsatisfactoryorexceptionalyouaretheexpertonwhatyoulikeordislike.Untilsomerulebookcomesoutandstatesthatadivethatonlygoes6feetupand6-8feetoutwillscoreamaxof6,12feetupand3-4

witha15degreefromvertical7’s,wewillcontinuetouseourjudgmenttoscorehopefullythefulldive.Ihaveseensomereferencesthatplace3pointsontheapproachandhurdle,threemorepointsforthetakeoffandflightandthreepointsfortheentry.Thatleavesthejudgewith1bonuspointforexceptionaldives.Youareaskedtocomputeallthepartsandscoreitbythetimethediversurfaces.Ifthediverissmoothandconfidentintheirapproachandgoeshighintheirhurdle,thelowestscoretheywouldgetisathree.Butifwescoreonlytheflightandentryafarmponddivermaythrowa103Cfor7’sfromastompingapproach.WhydowepaysomuchtowatchPROFESSIONALathletesandactorsperform.Somecan’thitafreethrowormakeatackle,thereismoretoanygamethanjustthefinalscore.NoteveryonewinsanOscar.LittleLeaguebaseballfencesare200feetout,iftheymovedthemtoMajorLeaguelengthsnotmanykidswouldeverfeeltheexcitementofa“HOMERUN”.Swimmersdon’thavetosetOlympicrecordstowinswimevents,whyshouldhighschooldiversbeexpectedtobe“PERFECT”?HOWCANIFEELMORECONFIDENTLookatthedivesilhouettesinrulebook,watchotherdivemeets,goonlinewatchOlympicdivers,NCAA.Readrulebook,FINAanddivingmanual(NCHSAAwebsite).Getonadivingboardandtrytodoanapproachandhurdleintoafrontdive.Laughatyourself.IfyoureallywanttobebravevideoyourattemptandthenJUDGEYOURDIVE!Thenextmeetyoumaythroweveryone10’s“BINGO”