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Diving — scoring, boards & the road to LA28

Governed by World Aquatics · Swimming Federation of India (SFI) ·Official rule books & government schemes only ·Last checked 17 Oct 2026

Education Margdarshan's diving map in simple words: the springboard and platform events, how judges score a dive and how difficulty multiplies it, how many dives men and women make, how LA28 places are won, and the Railways and CRPF jobs that recruit divers.

📍 See The Journey / Full Roadmap World Aquatics Competition Regulations 2026 (PDF) (opens in a new tab) LA28 diving qualification (PDF) (opens in a new tab)
Judges' scale
0 to 10 in half points [1]
Dive score
Remaining awards × degree of difficulty [1]
Dives in an event
Men 6 · women 5 [1]
LA28 age rule
Born on or before 31 Dec 2014 [2]
01 Core rules & selection formats

How a dive is scored

Judges' award scale (World Aquatics) [1]

Judges' award scale (World Aquatics)
DivePoints
Excellent10
Very good8.5 – 9.5
Good7.0 – 8.0
Satisfactory5.0 – 6.5
Deficient2.5 – 4.5
Very deficient0.5 – 2.0
Completely failed0
  • With 7 judges, the 2 highest and 2 lowest awards are cancelled; the rest are added and multiplied by the dive's degree of difficulty (set by a formula for the number of somersaults, twists, position and entry).
  • A dive done in a position clearly different from the one announced is scored as very deficient — the highest award is 2 points.
  • Men make 6 dives, women 5, in individual and synchronised events; in synchro the first two rounds use a fixed difficulty of 2.0.
  • In senior World Aquatics events, platform dives are only from the 10 m platform. The Olympics have 3 m springboard and 10 m platform; the World Championships add 1 m springboard and mixed events. [1]
02 Institutional & global recognition

Olympics, Asian Games — and the cash that follows

LA28 Olympic diving — the hard numbers [2][3]

LA28 Olympic diving — the hard numbers
RuleWhat it says
Events3 m springboard and 10 m platform, individual and synchronised, men and women (8)
Places136; at most 8 per country per gender, 2 per individual event, 1 synchro pair per event
RouteWorld Aquatics Championships Budapest 2027 → continental competitions → Diving World Cup stops in 2028
  • Diving is also on the 2026 Asian Games programme; Asian Games medals earn the Sports Ministry's cash award (₹30 / 20 / 10 lakh). [4][5]
03 Physical benchmarks & anti-doping

Age rule and anti-doping

  • LA28 divers must be born on or before 31 December 2014. World Aquatics counts age as at 31 December of the competition year. [2][1]
  • Under the anti-doping code you must be available for testing and check every medicine against the Prohibited List; apply to NADA for a TUE if you need a banned medicine. [6]
04 Grassroots-to-elite pipeline

From the pool to the platform

  1. 1Grassroots & local entry 12–13
  2. 2State to national breakthrough 14–18
  3. 3National camp & elite trials Senior
  4. 4International orbit 14+ · LA28
The full Diving roadmap has its own page

Every stage from first club to the international level, the detailed route, the age-by-age ladder and what to eat from stage 1, with sources.

📍 See The Journey / Full Roadmap
05 Training centres & cities

Where divers train

  • SAI lists the Dr SPM Swimming Pool Complex, Delhi as an NCOE for swimming. Divers need a pool with springboards and a 10 m tower. [7]
06 Equipment costs & who pays

Low kit cost — and who pays

  • Diving needs little personal kit (swimwear), but access to a diving pool and coach is essential. Education Margdarshan does not print fees — no governing body publishes them. [7]

Who pays [7][8]

Who pays
StagePaid byWhat you get
SAI centre traineeSports Authority of IndiaCoaching, boarding, sports science, diet
Khelo India athleteMinistry of Youth Affairs & Sports₹6.28 lakh a year incl. ₹1.20 lakh cash
Olympic prospectTOPS Core Group₹50,000 a month + approved training plan
07 Earning channels & central job quotas

Railways, CRPF and other sports-quota jobs

  • Western Railway's 2026-27 sports quota had Level 3/2 diving posts for men and women (1 m springboard, 3 m springboard, high board).
  • CRPF's 2026 sports quota had diving posts (high board, 3 m and 1 m springboard).
  • Swimming is one of the 65 sports on the DoPT list for central sports-quota jobs (diving is not named separately). [10][11][9]
08 Disqualification traps

Mistakes that cost divers

  • Diving a different position from the one announced — scored as very deficient (2 points at most).
  • A failed dive — 0 from the judges. [1]
09 Real-world player doubts

Jobs and certificates — straight answers

Which government jobs can diving get me?

Diving has real jobs: Western Railway's 2026-27 notice had Level 3/2 diving posts for men and women, and CRPF's 2026 quota had diving posts. Swimming is on the DoPT list of 65 sports (diving is not named separately). [10][11][9]

Sports-quota job routes open in 2026 — age, qualifying results, pay [10][11]

Sports-quota job routes open in 2026 — age, qualifying results, pay
RouteAgeMain qualifying resultsPay level
Railways Level 5/4 (graduates)18–25 on 1 Jan 2027Played the Olympics, or top 3 at a World Cup, World Championship, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games or Youth OlympicsLevel 5/4
Railways Level 3/2 (12th, or 10th + apprenticeship)18–25 on 1 Jan 2027Top 3 at Senior, Youth or Junior Nationals, National Games or All India Inter-University; or Federation Cup goldLevel 3/2
Railways Level 118–25 on 1 Jan 2027Played for your state and finished at least 8th at Senior Nationals; or top 3 at the Federation CupLevel 1
CRPF Head Constable (GD) (10+2)18–23 on 1 Aug 2026; sportspersons get +5 years (OBC +8, SC/ST +10)Played for India; or top 3 for your state at Nationals or National Games; or gold/silver at Junior NationalsLevel 4 · ₹25,500–81,100
CRPF Constable (GD) (10th pass)18–23 on 1 Aug 2026; sportspersons get +5 years (OBC +8, SC/ST +10)Played for your state at Senior or Junior Nationals; or top 3 at SGFI school nationals or Khelo India GamesLevel 3 · ₹21,700–69,100

Railways count results from 1 April 2024; CRPF counts the two years before 30 September 2026. Railways fee ₹500 (₹400 back if you attend the trial; ₹250, refunded in full on attending, for SC/ST, women, PwBD, minorities, ex-servicemen and EBC). CRPF fee ₹100 for UR/OBC/EWS men; free for women, SC, ST and ex-servicemen. CRPF picks sign a ₹1 lakh bond to serve at least 3 years. [10][11]

Does any 'national' certificate count for a job?

No. Railways will not recruit on a certificate from a federation MoYAS did not recognise at the time of the championship, and CRPF counts only championships of MoYAS-recognised federations or the IOA's National Games. [10][11]

10 Official sources & verification

Where these facts come from

Every fact on this Education Margdarshan page is taken from the governing body's own rule book or a Government of India file below, read on 17 October 2026. Federations change rules, weight classes and scheme amounts — open the current file before you act on it.

  1. World Aquatics — Competition Regulations, Part Four: Diving Rules (in force February 2026) (opens in a new tab) Award scale, cancelling high/low awards, degree of difficulty, dives per event, platform and springboard rules, age date · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
  2. World Aquatics — Qualification System, LA28 Olympic Games: Diving (version 15 June 2026; copy published by NOC*NSF) (opens in a new tab) 8 events, 136 places, NOC limits, birth-date rule · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
  3. World Aquatics — Route to LA28 confirmed as diving qualification system approved (opens in a new tab) Budapest 2027 Worlds, continental competitions, 2028 Diving World Cup stops · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
  4. Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games — Sports (opens in a new tab) diving at the 2026 Asian Games · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
  5. MYAS — Scheme of Cash Incentive to Medal Winners (amended 1 Feb 2025) (opens in a new tab) Asian Games award amounts · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
  6. NADA India — Athlete's Rights & Responsibilities (opens in a new tab) Testing availability, Prohibited List, TUE · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
  7. SAI — Brief on Sports Promotional Schemes 2024-25 (opens in a new tab) Dr SPM Swimming Pool Complex, Delhi — NCOE for swimming · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
  8. PIB — Financial Support to Athletes (5 Aug 2024) (opens in a new tab) Khelo India, TOPS, welfare fund, pension · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
  9. DoPT — Instructions on Recruitment/Promotion for Sportspersons (18 Nov 2022) (opens in a new tab) 65-sport list (swimming listed; diving not named separately) · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
  10. Western Railway RRC — Employment Notice RRC/WR/01/2026 (Sports Quota), 27 Aug 2026 (opens in a new tab) Level 3/2 diving posts (1 m, 3 m springboard, high board); Junior National Aquatics (Diving) Championship · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
  11. CRPF — Recruitment of Meritorious Sportspersons, HC & Constable (GD), Sports Quota 2026 (Advt. R.II-21/2026-Sports, 17 Sep 2026) (opens in a new tab) Diving posts — high board, 3 m and 1 m springboard · Last checked 17 Oct 2026
  12. ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition — Dietary Guidelines for Indians (booklet), Guideline 8 (opens in a new tab) Cereal-pulse 3:1 protein quality, vegetarian and non-vegetarian protein sources; most athletes meet protein needs from food, protein powders unnecessary · Last checked 19 Oct 2026
  13. NADA India — Managing the Risk of Nutritional Supplements (opens in a new tab) Supplement risk, strict liability, food-first approach · Last checked 15 Oct 2026

Spotted something out of date? Email margdarshan07support10@gmail.com with the official link and Education Margdarshan will update it.

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