Exercise
Rhythmic gymnastics, in fact, is divided into two different types of exercises: individual and group exercise (5 gymnasts = 1 team).
The individual exercise has a duration that can vary from 1'15" to 1'30" and is performed by one gymnast, who must perform a number of body and object movements, reliably and with a high degree of aesthetics and technical knowledge, following the musical base. Each of these elements has its own value, determined by the evaluation code.
The order of elements' performance is arbitrary, however, the exercise must be organized logically and evenly to create a composition that has its own idea. Only the elements recognized by the jury and performed properly will matter for the evaluation of the exercise to be high enough.
The team exercise has a duration that can vary from 2' 15" to 2'30" and, in general,follows the same rules as in the individual program. The main difference is that 5 gymnasts should cooperate by exchanging objects and performing movements as synchronously as possible.
Music
All exercises should be performed in accordance to musical accompaniment. Only short pauses motivated by the composition are allowed. Music can be interpreted by one or more instruments or by a musician, including the voice used as an instrument. All instruments are allowed, provided that they express music with the necessary characteristics to accompany the exercise clearly and precisely in its structure.
Only one team exercise and two individual exercises can be performed with music that contains voice and words with the observance of ethics . A coach should highlight which exercise will be performed with music that contains voice and words and record it on the "music statement" tab.
Deducing the overall score:
There should be a general combination of movements and music, performed with a contrast of movements in accordance with the tempo, rhythm and accents in music , the ability to express character and emotional reactions to music through body movements and continuous work of an object.
A gymnast
In order to practice rhythmic gymnastics, good skills of coordination, flexibility, strength, concentration, power and muscular endurance are needed. Gymnasts are usually slender in order to be agile and graceful. They wear swimsuits with or without skirts, with or without tights, or use jumpsuits. The suit should fit the body well to enable the judges to assess the correct position of all body parts. The bodies of team gymnasts should be the same in shape and color. The appearance of the choreography is very important in this sport, so the costumes are usually very spectacular and often decorated with sequins, mother-of-pearl plastic, sequins and Swarovski crystals. The gymnast's hair is neatly gathered into a chignon or braid. They can wear halves on their feet that cover only the toes and the first part of the foot to rotate more easily on the carpet, reducing foot friction.
Competition gymnastic court
Gymnasts perform their exercises on a square carpet; the space that can be used by a gymnast is measured 13 x 13 meters. Any going off the carpet by any part of the body or an item is penalized; however, there is no penalty if the going off occurs without touching the ground, or if the item comes out on the carpet after the end of the exercise and music. The exercise should be performed throughout the carpet, occupying the entire area.
Items
The characteristics of items must correspond to the regulations of rhythmic gymnastics items. The items used for the team must be the same (weight, size and shape): only their color may differ. The Organizing Committee must arrange a set of identical spare items (a complete set of items used for individual and group competitions) allocated along two of the four sides of the carpet (with the exception of the entry and exit lines) for use by a gymnast in case of an item comes out outside the carpet, with a corresponding penalty.
Skipping rope
A skipping rope is a classic item that is also used by children, but there are no handles at the ends, there are knots instead. Its length varies depending on the height of the athlete and can be made of cotton fiber or similar materials. The athlete must perform exercises, always keeping it in motion, holding the knots.
The main technical groups of this item are:
- passages through the rope
- a series of echappé jumps
- and spirals
- rotation of the rope, folded in half or open.
The rope can be thrown by holding both knots in a hand, opening and holding only one knot held from the center, starting with one spiral, with different parts of the body from the hands (for example, legs), etc.
Hoop
According to the competition rules, a hoop has a diameter of 80-90 cm, a weight of at least 300 g and can be wooden or synthetic. Gymnasts often cover the hoop with multicolored ribbons to improve its choreographic appearance.
The main technical groups of this tool are:
- passages through the hoop from above or inside
- rotations on the body or on the floor
- rotations around an arm or another part of the body
- rotation of the hoop around its axis, on the floor or on a part of the body
You can throw the hoop, rotating around its axis, sagittally, horizontally, transversely or by various parts of the body, not by hand (for example, by leg), etc..
Ball
For sports events, a ball is made of rubber or plastic weighing 400 g with a diameter of 18-20 cm. The ball should be held in the palm of your hand, without squeezing it with your fingers or placing it on your wrist during an exercise. A ball is an item that can be held by various parts of the body, for example, it can be clamped with your back while tilting your torso.
The main technical groups of this item are:
- hitting the ball on the ground or with a part of the body
- rolling on the body or on the ground
- figure eight, circles, enveloping
- catching with one hand
The ball can be thrown with one or two hands, from behind the back, a throw can be made by hitting with one part of the body or throwing with the help of other parts of the body (for example, legs), etc.
Clubs
Clubs are usually made of plastic and have a shape similar to a bottle with a very thin neck and a ball with a diameter of 3 cm at its end. This item requires good coordination, as clubs must perform both synchronous, symmetrical and asymmetric movements. Clubs are the only item consisting of two parts, which allows you to perform very complex and virtuoso manipulations. Clubs must be held by small bumps, no other form of using clubs can be predominant.
The main technical groups of this item are:
- Floss : at least 4 small circles, alternating wrists/hands, each time
- Rotation of clubs held by the bumps
- asymmetric movements of 2 clubs
- small throws with the rotation of 2 clubs
Clubs can be thrown together or one at a time in sagittal or horizontal way, in cascade (throwing two clubs simultaneously ), asymmetric way, with body parts, not hands (for example, legs), etc.
Ribbon
A ribbon consists of a stick, usually made of fiberglass or synthetic, to which a silk ribbon is attached with a length of 5 to 6 meters and a width of 4 to 6 cm, using a hook or wire, which allows it to move freely. The ribbon is a very complex item, because it must remain in constant motion throughout the exercise, preventing it from creating knots. If this happens, the judges will make a decrease in the assessment.
The main technical groups of this item are:
- spirals
- passage through a ribbon
- the snake
- echappé
Throwing the ribbon can be done with a stick or cloth caused by holding it for the tail (boomerang), throwing by body parts (for example, legs), etc.
The gymnastic court
Gymnasts perform their exercises on a square carpet; the space that can be used by a gymnast has a size of 13 x 13 meters. For any going off the boundary of the court by a part of the body is penalized; however, there is no penalty if the going off occurs without touching the ground, or if the item returns to the carpet after the end of the exercise and music. The exercise should be performed throughout the carpet, occupying the entire area.
Scores and competitions