Divisions with three officials will use the Maximum Deviation Rule.  Since high and low scores are not dropped when three officials are used, the Maximum Deviation Rule has a similar effect of limiting the impact of a judge’s score that is significantly higher or lower than the other judge’s scores.  This prevents a single score form being so high or so low that it controls the placing order.

When a form or other performance is ready to be scored, the Chief Official will say “Ready”, then, “Check”, at which point the three judges show their score to each other only (not to the competitors or spectators).

The center judge will then look at the 3 scores to determine which one is the middle score (for example, a 9.92, 9.96 and a 9.95 – the 9.95 is the middle score.  The other 2 scores must be .02 from the middle score.  So in the example the 9.92 must be upgraded to 9.93.

Other than this mandatory adjustment, a judge may not change his score.  If no score is more than .02 higher or lower than the middle score, then there is no adjustment.  After assuring that any necessary adjustment has been, made, the Chief Official then says, “Score”, and the scores to the audience, the competitors, and the scorekeeper as usual.