2002 World Yo-Yo Contest

2002 World Yo-Yo Contest

Updated 7/24/02

Freestyle Qualifiers:

Contestants who are finalists or have met the National Winners Requirement will have 3 minutes to perform a freestyle routine to their choice of music. For A and AA this will be a minimum of 10 open contestants plus the number of pre-qualified National Winners that enter.

National winners are the winners of National Yo-Yo Contests recognized by the World Yo-Yo Contest. These include the AYYA, GYYA, JYYA, Active People (Switzerland), KYYA, FYYA, IYYA, ABI, PYYA and BYYA.

All national winners must compete in the compulsories, as these scores will become part of your final score, but will Freestyle whatever score they get. In the event the winner of a country, in A or AA, can not come, the top placer in the 2002 World Yo-Yo Contest's compulsories from that country will be allowed to use that slot provided they achieve a score of 40 points or more out of a possible 50 points. If there are less than 5 national qualifiers additional open competitors will fill the slot(s) up to a maximum of 15 finalists. For more information please read the FAQ.

A and AA Freestyle Rules:
Each contestant will have 3 minutes to perform a freestyle routine to his or her choice of music.

  • The timer starts when the music starts or when the first yo-yo is thrown, whichever comes first.
  • No points will be scored for tricks done before the music starts, or after the 3-minute mark.
  • All music must be considered G rated (appropriate for all audiences). Performers with inappropriate music (obscenities, etc.) will be disqualified. If you are unsure about your music, a judge will be available to listen to your music and make sure it is appropriate.
  • Music must be provided on a queued Cassette, CD, or Mini-disk. (No MP3's)
  • All music must be clearly labeled for track to be used and contestants name.
  • All actions of a performer must take into account the safety of the audience, facility, and the player himself. Judges have the ability at any time to disqualify a performer for dangerous or inappropriate behavior.
  • No assistants are allowed on stage when the competitor is performing. All yo-yos that are used in the competition must be brought on stage before the contestant starts. No others may be accepted from the audience or an assistant.

Freestyle Scoring:
Final A and AA Freestyle scores will be calculated in two components, Technical Execution (maximum of 75 points) and Performance Style (maximum of 15 points). The final total scores will also include adjusted Compulsory Points (maximum of 10 points). Therefore, a perfect score of 100 points would indicate that a contestant received first placed votes from all judges (after the high and low judges scores were discarded) for both Technical Execution and Performance Style and also scored a perfect score of 50 points on the compulsory tricks.

Technical Execution (T.E.):

  • Technical Execution will count for up to 75 normalized points of the contestant's total score.
  • Each judge shall determine a "net score" for T.E. for each contestant based on the algebraic sum of the plus and minus scores as determined below. These raw scores will be normalized and become a part of the contestantÕs final score.
  • + Positive points may be awarded for: Advanced level tricks, or trick elements, performed successfully, string hits, pops, wraps, transitions, regeneration1s, release catches (like suicides), whip catches (like Iron Whip) and other yo-yo maneuvers. Addition points may be awarded for difficulty, originality, long sequences on same spin, extreme amplitude of a maneuver and similar yo-yo moves.
  • - Negative points may be deducted for: Obvious trick misses, loss of control and restarts. Note that substitution of a yo-yo for another will count as a deduction if the yo-yo string had become jammed or knotted or if the yo-yo would have had to be restarted.
  • Net score for Technical Execution is the algebraic sum of the + points and the Š points

Performance Style (P.S.):

  • Performance style will count for up to 15 normalized points of the contestant's total score.
  • A raw score of up to 50 points may be granted by each judge for Performance Style elements of a freestyle routine. A performance equal to the winners of the 2001 Nationals or Worlds would probably score no more than 40 points. The judges will reserve scores of 41-50 points for performances that set a new and higher standard.
  • Also note that no points shall be awarded by the judges for 'Performance Style' for any tricks or antics done before the start of the 3 minute freestyle or after the three minutes has elapsed."
  • While performing an advanced level trick element, Performance Style points may be granted for elements such as but not limited to:
    1. Stage presence,
    2. Choreography,
    3. Amplitude,
    4. Elegance of control and line,
    5. Maturity of yo-yo maneuvers,
    6. Originality,
    7. Movement (and use of "yo-yo space" up, down, back and forth).
  • Crowd reaction to entertaining antics or other "elements of style" which are not occurring while performing an advanced level trick shall not add to the performance style points.
  • As a guide to the judges the following scoring ranges are suggested.
    1. Little demonstration of the P.S. elements listed above: 0-10 points.
    2. A good but elementary routine demonstrating some of the P.S. element: 11-20 points.
    3. A good mature routine demonstrating most of the P.S. elements: 21-30 points.
    4. A World or National level performance demonstrating all of the P.S. elements: 31-40 points.
    5. A performances that sets a new and higher standard 41-50 points
  • These raw scores will be normalized and become a part of the contestantÕs final score. .

Compulsory Points:

  • Compulsory points are the total weighted points a contestant has earned in the compulsories. The compulsory scores are converted to compulsory points by dividing them by 5.
  • Compulsory scores will count for a maximum of 10 Compulsory Points. (i.e. a perfect score of 50 points will be adjusted to 10 points and a score of 40 points will be adjusted to 8 points) of a contestant's final score.

Final Score:

  • Points for Technical Execution and Performance Style shall be independently normalized and added together along with the Compulsory Points to produce the contestant's final score.
  • Ties will be broken based on the following tiebreakers in the order below:
    1. Highest Compulsory Score,
    2. The highest "normalized" score" for Technical Execution
    3. The highest "normalized" score" for Performance Style.
    4. In the extremely unlikely event that there is still a tie, the judges have the ability to devise an appropriate tiebreaker, or can declare a tie.