How are routines judged and scored?

Each judge awards marks from 0 to 10 in steps of 0.25 (for example 10 is perfect, 9.75 to 9.5 near perfect, 9.25 to 9.0 excellent, 6.75 to 6.0 competent, 0 completely failed).

• Elements panel: judges give one score for the execution of each element (free elements and technical required elements). The score is multiplied by the element's degree of difficulty. Difficulty Technical Controllers check the difficulty declared on the coach card.
• Artistic Impression panel: judges give three scores: Choreography and Musicality, Performance, and Transitions.
• Calculation: for each mark the highest and lowest awards are cancelled, and the remaining three are averaged (elements) or added (artistic impression). Elements score plus Artistic Impression score, less penalties, is the routine score.

Deductions and penalties follow World Aquatics Rules section 18.

Source: Canada Artistic Swimming Rulebook (revised November 2025), rules 15 to 17.