How Diving Scoring Works

With Examples, Judge Criteria & Step-by-Step Tabulation

Diving might look simple on the scoreboard — But behind each score is a carefully structured system balancing execution and degree of difficulty.

That balance is what makes diving both a technical sport and a strategic one.

This guide walks you through:

  • The scoring scale

  • What judges are looking for

  • exactly how dive totals are calculated.

You’ll also see two examples that show how an “easy” dive can still score well, and why a harder dive with a lower execution average can still come out on top.

The Basics (Quick Overview)

  • Judges score each dive from 0–10 in half-point increments based on execution.

  • Highest and lowest scores are thrown out.

  • The remaining 3 scores (median 3) are added together and then multiplied by the dive’s Degree of Difficulty (DD).

  • The diver’s total is the sum of all dive scores in their list.

In most meets:

  • Individual events use 5 or 7 judges.

  • Synchronized events use 9 or 11 judges, split between execution and synchronization.

The Scoring Scale

Judges use a 0–10 scale, in steps of 0.5. Here’s what the numbers mean:

  • 10.0 = Excellent

  • 8.5–9.5 = Very Good

  • 7.0–8.0 = Good

  • 5.0–6.5 = Satisfactory

  • 2.5–4.5 = Deficient

  • 0.5–2.0 = Unsatisfactory

  • 0 = Failed dive

Most high-level diving falls between 6.0 and 9.5.

What Judges Look For

Every dive has five main phases. Judges evaluate each one and deduct for mistakes.

  1. Starting Position – Controlled, balanced, professional posture.

  2. Approach – Smooth rhythm, no “crow hops” or stumbles, confident carriage.

  3. Takeoff – Height, power, and balance off the board or platform, with safe distance.

  4. Flight – Body alignment, tightness in tuck/pike/straight, twist control, pointed toes.

  5. Entry – Vertical line, tight body, and the holy grail of diving: little to no splash.

Mistakes like bent knees, separated feet, drifting too close/far, over-rotation, or sloppy entries all bring deductions.

How Judge Panels Work

  • 5-Judge Panel (most common in high school)

Diving Score Drop Diagram Five judge scores with highest and lowest removed, the middle three summed and multiplied by the Degree of Difficulty. Example uses scores 9.0, 8.5, 8.5, 8.0, 8.0 with DD 1.6 to produce a final score of 40.0. How a Dive is Scored (5-Judge Example) Drop High & Low → Sum Middle 3 → × Degree of Difficulty 9.0 Highest (removed) 8.5 8.5 8.0 8.0 Lowest (removed) 8.5 + 8.5 + 8.0 = 25.0 × DD Degree of Difficulty DD = 1.6 25.0 = Final Dive Score: 40.0 Panel method: 5 judges → drop the highest and lowest scores, sum the middle 3, then multiply by the dive’s DD.

  • 7-Judge Panel (used at major meets)

7-Judge Scoring Method Seven score cards with two highest and two lowest removed; middle three summed and multiplied by DD. 7-Judge Panel: Drop 2 High + 2 Low → Sum Middle 3 → × DD Example scores: 9.0, 8.5, 8.0, 7.5, 7.5, 7.0, 6.5 9.0 High (removed) 8.5 High (removed) 8.0 7.5 7.5 7.0 Low (removed) 6.5 Low (removed) Keep 8.0 + 7.5 + 7.5 = 23.0 Degree of Difficulty DD = 1.6 23.0 = Final Dive Score: 36.8 7-judge method keeps only the middle 3 scores, then multiplies by DD.

  • Synchronized (9 or 11 judges):
    A mix of execution and synchronization judges. High/low from each side are canceled before totals are combined and multiplied by DD. This process differs slightly from Individual diving.

In this example there are 2 execution scores left after the top 2 and bottom 2 are removed. There are also 3 synchronization scores left after the top 1 and bottom 1 are removed.

With those remaining 4 scores they are added up and divided by 5 to find the average score. Then multiplied by 3 to replicate a 3 score sum (like in individual diving) and multiplied by the D.D.

  1. 8.0 + 8.0 + 9.0 + 9.0 + 9.0 = 43
  2. 43/5 = 8.6
  3. 8.6 * 3 = 25.8
  4. 25.8 * 2.0 (D.D.)= 51.6

Step-by-Step Tabulation Process

  1. Announcer calls the dive and its Degree of Difficulty (DD).

  2. Judges award scores (0–10, half-point steps).

  3. High and low scores are dropped (how many depends on panel size).

  4. Remaining scores are added.

  5. That sum is multiplied by DD.

  6. The total is added to the diver’s event score. Highest total wins.

Examples: Easy vs. Hard Dive

Here’s where diving strategy comes alive. Let’s compare two dives, using a 5-judge panel.

A) High-Scoring Easy Dive (example image above)

  • DD: 1.6

  • Judge awards: 9.0, 8.5, 8.5, 8.0, 8.0

  • Drop high (9.0) & low (8.0) = 25.0

  • 25.0 × 1.6 = 40.0 points

B) Medium-Scoring Hard Dive (example image above)

  • DD: 3.0

  • Judge awards: 6.5, 6.0, 6.5, 6.0, 5.5

  • Drop high (6.5) & low (5.5) → Sum = 18.5

  • 18.5 × 3.0 = 55.5 points

Takeaway: The first dive was executed beautifully, but its low DD capped the potential. The second dive had only “good” scores — but because the DD was almost double, the total was much higher. Elite divers build lists that maximize this balance between reliability and risk.

Diving Score Comparison Horizontal bars comparing a clean, easy dive scoring 40.0 versus a harder dive scoring 55.5. Why “Harder” Can Win With Lower Scores Bar length equals final dive score (after cancel-drop, sum, and × DD) 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Easy Dive DD 1.6 • Clean execution 40.0 Hard Dive DD 3.0 • “Good” execution 55.5

Rules & Edge Cases

  • Positions matter. Straight (A), Pike (B), Tuck (C) must be clearly shown. If not, judges may cap the max score.

  • Wrong dive announced/performed. If the diver does something different than called, it may be ruled a failed dive.

  • Timing. A dive must start after the referee’s signal. Excessive delay can result in score reduction.

Final Thoughts

I hope this helps explain what can seem complicated on the surface. If you have any more questions about diving feel free to submit a contact form and ask!

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