Each judge scores a dive between zero and 10 points, in half-point increments.

Scores are defined as follows:
10: Excellent
8½-9½: Very good
7-8: Good
5-6½: Satisfactory
2½-4½: Deficient
½-2: Very Deficient
0: Completely failed

When judging a dive, the judge must not be influenced by any factor other than the technique and execution of the dive. The dive must be considered without regard to the approach to the starting position, the difficulty of the dive, or any movement beneath the surface of the water.

The points to be considered in judging the overall impression of a dive are the technique and grace of:

The Starting Position and Approach: In the starting position, the body shall be straight, head erect, with the arms straight in any position. When executing a running dive from either the springboard or the platform, the run shall be smooth, aesthetically pleasing, and in a forward direction to the end of the springboard or platform with the final step being from one foot.

Take-off: From the springboard, the take-off in forward and reverse dives may be performed either standing or running at the option of the diver. The take-off in backward and inward divers must be performed standing.
From the platform, the take-off in forward dives may be performed either standing or running at the option of the diver. The take-off in backward, reverse and inward dives must be performed standing.

The Flight: During the execution of the dive, the dive shall be in the direct line of flight. If during the execution of a dive, a diver dives to the side of the direct line of flight or touches the end of the springboard or platform with their feet or hands, each judge shall deduct according to their opinion. If a judge considers a diver to be unsafely close to the springboard or platform, a judge shall award a maximum of 2 points.

Entry: The entry into the water shall in all cases be vertical, not twisted, with the body straight, the feet together, and the toes pointed.

While it takes seven judges to score individual competitions, 11 judges score synchro events.
During a synchro dive, three judges score the execution of Diver A’s performance, while three other judges score the execution of Diver B’s performance. The remaining five judges score the synchronization of the pair.

A diver’s overall score for an individual dive is calculated in the following way:
1. Each of the seven judges awards a score to a diver for his or her dive. (Ex: 6-5-5-5-5-5-4)
2. The two highest and two lowest scores are eliminated. (Ex: 6 and 4 and two of the 5s are eliminated.
3. The remaining scores are totaled. (Ex: 5 + 5 + 5 = 15)
4. This total (15) is then multiplied by the predetermined degree of difficulty rating associated with the particular dive performed to calculate the overall score. These degree of difficulty ratings range from 1.2 to 4.1, in one-tenth increments. (Ex: 15 × 2.0 = 30)

For synchronized diving, a score for a dive is calculated in the following way:
1. Three judges score the execution of diver one (Ex: 6-8-7); three judges score the execution of diver two (Ex: 9-7-8); five judges score the synchronization (Ex: 7.5-8-8-8-8.5)
2. The highest and lowest execution scores for each diver are eliminated, as are the highest and lowest synchronization scores. (Ex: 6 and 8 for diver one, 7 and 9 for diver two and 7.5 and 8.5 for synchronization are eliminated.)
3. The remaining scores are totaled. (Ex: 7 + 8 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 39)
4. This total (39) is then multiplied by the predetermined degree of difficulty rating associated with the particular dive performed to calculate the overall score. These degree of difficulty ratings range from 1.2 to 4.1, in one-tenth increments. (Ex: 39 × 3.0 = 117)
5. Finally, this total (117) is multiplied by 0.6 to calculate the overall score. (Ex: 111 × 0.6 = 70.2 overall points)