The 2025 NCAA Women’s Gymnastics season has started with a bang, marked by the return of the elusive perfect ten. Missouri’s Helen Hu and Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles have already achieved this rare feat. They broke a three-week drought and potentially set the stage for a flood of high scores. This development has sparked discussions about the impact of recent judging reforms and their effectiveness in ensuring fair and consistent scoring across the board.
The First Perfect Ten of the Season
In a thrilling dual meet against No. 1 Oklahoma, Missouri’s Helen Hu delivered the first perfect score of the 2025 college gymnastics season. Known for her balletic leaps, unique choreography, and a stuck gainer pike dismount, Hu’s routine was widely praised. This perfect ten was a significant milestone, especially considering the stringent judging changes implemented over the 2024 offseason.
Jordan Chiles Follows Suit
Just 24 hours after Hu’s perfect score, Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles earned her own perfect ten for a bar routine in UCLA’s win over Maryland. This quick succession of perfect scores indicates that the new judging system may still be susceptible to the same trends that have characterized past seasons.
Judging Reforms: A Double-Edged Sword?
The 2024 offseason brought significant changes to NCAA gymnastics judging. Judges now face potential demotion for egregious scoring errors, and a new evaluation system was introduced to promote consistency. Fans initially celebrated these changes, hoping they would reserve perfect scores for only the most elite routines. However, the recent perfect tens have raised questions about whether these reforms will truly lead to more equitable scoring.
The Historical Context
In 2024, the season started with two perfect tens in week one, followed by an increasing number of perfect scores as the weeks progressed. By the end of the season, a staggering 87 perfect scores had been awarded. This pattern suggests that once the first perfect tens are awarded, they tend to become more frequent, potentially undermining the goal of stricter and more consistent judging.
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The Impact of High Scores on Team Performance
The recent perfect scores have also had a noticeable impact on team performances. Two days after Jordan Chiles’ perfect ten, the Utah Red Rocks posted a massive 197.950, tying Oklahoma for the nation’s highest score in 2025. This score surpassed their previous season high by more than six-tenths. All four teams in the “Best of Utah” meet set season highs by significant margins.
Consistency vs. Performance
While these high scores are impressive, they raise questions about the consistency of judging. Did all four teams truly have their best meet, or was the judging overly generous? The answer is likely a combination of both. As long as judging is applied consistently and fairly, high scores should not be an issue. However, the recent surge in perfect scores suggests that maintaining this balance may be challenging.
Tools for Fair Judging: SCORE Board and NQS
To address these issues, NCAA gymnastics has implemented several tools aimed at promoting fair and consistent judging. The new SCORE board and judging evaluation process are designed to hold judges accountable for their scores. Additionally, the National Qualifying Score (NQS) system helps level the playing field by averaging a team’s six-best regular season scores. Three of these scores must be from away meets.
The Role of NQS
The NQS system is particularly important because it requires that a team’s top score is dropped. This effectively lessens the influence of an inflated score, ensuring that teams are ranked based on consistent performance rather than a few exceptionally high scores. While these systems are steps in the right direction, only time will tell if they will be effective in maintaining fair and equitable judging throughout the season.
The Future of NCAA Gymnastics Judging
As the 2025 season progresses, the recent perfect scores by Helen Hu and Jordan Chiles will serve as a litmus test for the new judging reforms. Will the judges hold the line and maintain strict standards, or will we see a repeat of last season’s flood of perfect tens? The answer will have significant implications for the credibility of NCAA gymnastics judging.
Looking Ahead
The gymnastics community will be watching closely to see how the season unfolds. The new evaluation systems are in place, and there is hope that judging will become more consistent and fair.
However, the early perfect scores suggest that achieving this goal may be more challenging than anticipated. As fans and athletes await the next perfect ten, the spotlight will remain on the judges and their ability to uphold the integrity of the sport.
For more details on the return of the perfect ten and its implications for NCAA Women’s Gymnastics, read the full article on Forbes.
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