Influence of angle of view on judges' evaluations of inverted cross in men's rings

Let Them Be the Judge of That: Bias Cascade in Elite Dressage Judging

Sport performances judged subjectively often suffer from systematic errors due to biases, with the sport of equestrian dressage being no exception. This study examines whether international dressage judges display systematic errors while evaluating elite horse-rider combinations. Data from seven 5* Grand Prix dressage events between May 2022 and April 2023 were analyzed (510 judges' scores) using Multivariable Linear Regression Analysis. Five predictor variables-Home, Same Nationality, Compatriot, FEI Ranking and Starting Order-were studied in relation to Total Dressage Score (TS). The model accounted for 44.1% of TS variance; FEI Ranking, Starting Order, Compatriot, Same Nationality, and Home were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Judges exhibited nationalistic and patriotism-by-proxy biases, awarding significantly higher scores to riders from their countries (p < 0.001). FEI Ranking and Starting Order also influenced scores significantly (p < 0.001). These biases, combined, created a cascade effect benefiting a specific group of riders. To address this, measures should be taken to develop a more objective judging system that is based on unequivocal, transparent and evidence-based criteria and supports the continuous development of a fair, sustainable, equine welfare orientated sport that fosters societal acceptance.

A Systematic Review of Dynamic, Kinematic, and Muscle Activity during Gymnastic Still Rings Elements

Still rings are a unique gymnastics apparatus allowing for a combination of dynamic and static elements in a specific technique. This review aimed to compile the dynamic, kinematic, and EMG characteristics of swing, dismount, handstand, strength, and hold elements on still rings. This systematic review was conducted in concordance with PRISMA in PubMed, EBSCOhost, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. In total, 37 studies were included, describing the strength and hold elements, the kip and swing elements, swing through or to handstand, and dismounts. The current evidence suggests that the execution of gymnastics elements on still rings and training drills requires a high training load. Specific preconditioning exercises could be used to train for the Swallow, iron cross, and support scale. Negative impacts of load during hold elements can be reduced by special support devices such as the Herdos or support belts. Another aspect is improving strength prerequisites by exercises such as bench presses, barbell exercises, and support belts, where the main focus should be on muscular coordination similar to the other considerable elements. Electromyography is an appropriate tool for the investigation of muscular coordination and force platforms for assessing a sufficient strength level to successfully perform elements on still rings.

Improving reliability and validity in hip-hop dance assessment: Judging standards that elevate the sport and competition

This study examined the reliability and validity of judging system scores of past hip-hop dance competitions in Japan. The analysis focused on the scores for each assessment category separately. Judges’ scores were obtained from national dance competitions held annually in Japan between 2014 and 2019. In these competitions, five experienced judges evaluated the dancers’ performances. The judges scored on a 10-point scale in five categories as follows: creativity, expression and interpretation, impression, technical quality, and synchronisation. This study found that the technical quality category demonstrated good reliability, whilst the impression showed poor reliability. Systematic bias was significant for all categories. There are no levels of difficulty defined for technique, no criteria set for correct movement and no explanation provided for each scoring level, which suggests that each judge may have interpreted the criteria for evaluating hip-hop dance differently. Developing these definitions and identifying the biases that affect evaluation would ensure a reliable evaluation system.

Automatic recognition and scoring of olympic rhythmic gymnastic movements

We describe a conceptually simple algorithm for assigning judgement scores to rhythmic gymnastic movements, which could improve scoring objectivity and reduce judgemental bias during competitions. Our method, implemented as a real-time computer vision software, takes a video shot or a live performance video stream as input and extracts detailed velocity field information from body movements, transforming them into specialized spatio-temporal image templates. The collection of such images over time, when projected into a velocity covariance eigenspace, trace out unique but similar trajectories for a particular gymnastic movement type. By comparing separate executions of the same atomic gymnastic routine, our method assigns a quality judgement score that is related to the distance between the respective spatio-temporal trajectories. For several standard gymnastic movements, the method accurately assigns scores that are comparable to those assigned by expert judges. We also describe our rhythmic gymnastic video shot database, which we have made freely available to the human movement research community. The database can be obtained at http://www.milegroup.net/apps/gymdb/.

Einfluss visuo-motorischer Vorerfahrung auf die Beurteilungsqualität und -sicherheit von Kampfrichtern und Kampfrichterinnen beim „Volzing“ im Stabhochsprung

Seit 1998 ist es Stabhochspringern und Stabhochspringerinnen nicht länger erlaubt, die Sprunglatte während der Lattenüberquerung mit der Hand zu stabilisieren. Kampfrichter und Kampfrichterinnen sind seitdem gefordert zu beurteilen, ob ein entsprechender Regelverstoß vorliegt. Die aktuelle Studie geht im Rahmen der Embodiment-Forschung der Frage nach, welchen Einfluss visuo-motorische Vorerfahrung auf perzeptuelle Urteile hat. Zu diesem Zweck wurde im Rahmen einer Online-Studie die Beurteilungsqualität und -sicherheit von Athleten und Athletinnen, Zuschauern und Zuschauerinnen sowie Kampfrichtern und Kampfrichterinnen bezüglich des Regelverstoßes erfasst. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Athleten und Athletinnen sowie Kampfrichter und Kampfrichterinnen ähnlich gute und sichere Leistungen erbringen, wohingegen Zuschauer und Zuschauerinnen schlechter abschneiden und sich unsicherer zeigen. Korrelationsanalysen belegen zudem, dass größere motorische Vorerfahrungen mit einer besseren Beurteilungsqualität und -sicherheit einhergeht. Die Ergebnisse werden vor dem Hintergrund der Embodiment-Forschung und resultierender Praxisempfehlungen diskutiert.