Group competition: two routines, exchanges and collaborations, clock timing — why five gymnasts together form their own discipline.
Direct answer: group competition isn't simply "individual routine times five" — it's its own discipline with its own skill set: synchronization and exchange instead of solo perfection. Five gymnasts move simultaneously, exchange apparatus, and must read as one unit, not five individual performances side by side.
The competition consists of two routines: in the first, all five perform with the same hand apparatus, in the second with a mix — three gymnasts use one apparatus, two use another. Both routines run between 2:15 and 2:30 minutes, the clock starts as soon as one gymnast moves and stops only once all five are completely still — every full second outside the window costs 0.05 points.
Scoring follows the same D-A-E system as individual competition, but with one difference: each gymnast's mistake counts against the entire group score. On top of that come two element categories that don't exist in individual competition at all: exchanges — apparatus thrown between gymnasts — and collaborations — multiple bodies and apparatus working together on a single element.
The first routine shows all five with identical apparatus — synchronization is front and center. The second mixes two apparatus in a three-to-two ratio — here it also counts how well different apparatus techniques blend choreographically.
Timing starts with any gymnast's first movement and ends only once all five are completely still. A ragged, staggered finish costs a time penalty — plan the routine's ending just as precisely as its start.
In an exchange, one gymnast throws her apparatus to another. It needs trust and exact timing — start with short distances and slow throws before increasing speed and range.
In collaboration elements, gymnasts support each other with body and apparatus — one carries, one jumps, one passes the apparatus on. These elements can't be drilled in isolation; they need everyone involved from the start, together.
Formations change several times during the routine. Practice formation changes first in slow motion with clearly marked paths, before adding music and full tempo — collisions almost always come from unclear paths, not from lacking technique.
Exchange drills need real trust among all five gymnasts — build throw distance and speed up gradually instead of starting straight with the competition version. A missed exchange can, in the worst case, hit a teammate instead of just the floor.
Formation changes carry collision risk, especially when several gymnasts cross the same section of floor at once. Always practice new formations without apparatus first and at reduced tempo.
Film group training regularly from above, bird's-eye view — from a balcony or a ceiling-mounted camera. Formation errors and uneven spacing between gymnasts are hard to spot from the side but instantly visible from above.
Five on the floor, usually with one or two substitute gymnasts in the squad. All five must act in sync while also showing exchange and collaboration elements that don't exist in individual competition.
The first routine has all five perform with the same hand apparatus, the second with a mix in a three-to-two ratio. Both count toward the total score and demand different choreographic solutions.
Exchange refers to throwing an apparatus from one gymnast to another, collaboration to multiple gymnasts jointly using body and apparatus for one element. Both categories exist exclusively in group competition, not in individual.
Between 2:15 and 2:30 minutes. The clock runs from the first movement until the moment all five gymnasts are completely still — every second outside costs points.
Rhythmic Gymnastics: Energy, Nutrition and Mental Health