Figure Meets

In synchronized swimming, there are meets called figure meets. In these meets, each swimmer does 4 figures in front of 3-5 judges. Figures are small elements that determine your scale level. For synchro, there are different groups that decide what figure you do. These groups are novice, intermediate, and advanced. Some people prefer to say 13-15, 16-17, and 18 and over instead of advanced. Novice is the easiest group and they only perform 2 figures. Intermediate is the middle of synchro and that is usually where people are the longest. When someone is in intermediate and above they perform 4 figures. The hardest group is advanced, but in advanced, the age levels also determine what figures you do. 

The scoring at figure meets is a bit complex at first, but it soon makes since. The judges score you on a scale from 1-10. The novice always get the lowest scores and the scores start getting higher as you move up in groups and age levels. When someone is being judged on a figure, there is never a perfect one so usually 10's are not given. Depending on what you do right and wrong in the element determines your score. The judges have a little handbook that says what the difficulty of the element is and what the average score would be. From that information they take what you do and score you. In the final process of scoring they remove some score. With 5 judges they take of the highest and lowest score, with 4 judges they take off the highest score, and with 3 judges no scores are removed. The reason for removing some of the scores is so that there are no outliers and the scores are pretty similar. 

Figure meets are small but they end up meaning a lot. The total score you get in figures ties into the score you get with your routines and that together is your final score. They also show the judges and your coach where you are at in synchro. Plus, it can get you a solo part if you win. Usually figure meets are everyone's least favorite part of synchro, but doing them helps you with the skills you need for your routine.