Effect of Placement in the Order of Competition on Scores of Nebraska High School Students

This study was designed to investigate whether placement within a random order of competition has an effect on the potential score of a Nebraska high school gymnast. Scores for 30 to 36 gymnasts per event, for each of seven events in the preliminaries of the Nebraska State High School Gymnastic Meet, were split into a first ⅓, middle ⅓, and last ⅓ of the order of competition. A two-factor mixed design with judges as a repeated measure allowed the investigator to consider among-judge differences and judge by order interaction, as well as variance due to order. F ratios were considered significant at the .05 level. The Scheffé test was used to locate specific differences. In three of the seven events, the order of competition had a significant effect on scores. Significant among-judge differences were found in one event. Judged by order, interaction proved significant for two events. It was concluded that, for three events, a gymnast was at a significant disadvantage if he competed in the first ⅓ of the order of competition. Judging in Nebraska high school meets, therefore, should be more objective. Among-judge differences and judge by order interaction were considered minimal.