Gymnastics Glossary

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A

A skills - The lowest level moves in a gymnastic
routine. For example a back handspring is an “A”
level skill.
Acro - Tumbling skill on the floor or balance
beam. Used most commonly when referring to a
combination of dance requirements.
Acrobatics - Elements of gymnastics that require
control, balance, strength and flexibility. Examples
include slower skills like a front walkover for
women or corner skills for men.
Adagio - A dance term that refers to a slow,
sustained movement.
Adolph - A front somersault in the layout position
with three-and-one-half twists; performed on
trampoline.
Aerial - A gymnastics move, in which the gymnast
rotates in the air without touching the apparatus
with his or her hands. Also referred to as a no-
handed cartwheel or front walkover.
All-around - A category of gymnastic competition
that includes all of the events. The person with
the highest total score from all the events is the
all-around champion.
Allegro - A dance term used to describe fast,
quick jumps. There are two types: grand (large
jumps) and petite (small jumps).
Alternates - A tumbling pass that connects two
somersaults (saltos) by use of a handspring.
Usually refers to a backward tumbling pass. (e.g.
roundoff whip back handspring whip.)
Amplitude - The height or difficulty of a
movement. In general, the higher the movement,
the better the amplitude and the score.
Apparatus - A piece of equipment used in
gymnastics competitions. The common
apparatuses used in gymnastics include: the
balance beam, parallel bars, uneven parallel bars,
pommel horse, vault, floor, still rings and
horizontal bar.
Arabesque - A dance and gymnastics pose where
the body is balanced on one leg and the other leg
is extended up off the floor behind the body.
Arch position - A backwards curve of the body--
usually refers to the backwards curve of the
spine.
Attitude - A dance pose similar to the arabesque.
The body is balanced on one leg while the other
leg is extended in front of the body, behind the
body or to the side of the body in a slightly bent
knee position.
B
Back flip - A backwards somersault in the air
performed in either the tuck, pike or layout
position.
Back giant - A skill performed on either the high
bar, uneven parallel bar or parallel bar where the
body circles around the bar. The movement starts
from a handstand position and ends in the
handstand position.
Back walkover - A control skill where a gymnast
starts in the standing position, arches her into a
backbend and kicks her legs over her head to land
on her feet in a step-out landing (one leg followed
by the other). It is performed as one continuous
movement.h
Backbend - A gymnastic skill where the body
bends backwards in an arch position and the feet
and hands touch the floor simultaneously.
Back-in, full-out - A double somersault with a full
twist (the complete twist is performed during the
second somersault).
Balance - Grounded and secure in position. A skill
needed for apparatuses like the balance beam or
pommel horse. Also refers to a routine that
evenly distributes acrobatic skills and dance
movements.
Balance beam - A long and narrow apparatus
used by women in a routine designed to
emphasize grace and balance. It is a solid piece of
wood that is four feet high, four inches wide and
16 feet long. A balance bar routine includes a
variety of acrobatic and dance skills that last for
70 to 90 seconds and ends with a dismount.
Ball-out - A front somersault on the trampoline
that is performed by taking off after a bounce on
the back.
Bar - An apparatus used by both men and women
in gymnastics. Men use the high bar and the
parallel bars. Women use the uneven parallel
bars. Also referred to as a rail.
Barani - A forward somersault with a half twist
performed in the layout position.
Blind change - Performed on the high bar or
uneven bars. The gymnast performs a back giant,
does a half turn on top of the bar, and continues
in a front giant.
Block - A term used to describe a rapid bounce or
rebound off the floor or vault with the arms.
Bonus points - Additional points awarded to a
routine based on the combination of difficult
skills. The FIG has given every gymnastics skill a
point value based on skills that are ranked from A
to E. The bonus points are awarded if C, D and E
level skills are sequenced together in a routine.
Bridge - Another name for a backbend. Normally
started by lying on the back, the hands and feet
remain on the floor and the body is pushed up
with the back arching and the stomach facing the
ceiling.
Buck - A short gymnastics horse without
pommels. It is often used to train a gymnast on
the pommel horse. Also called a pommel buck.
C
Candlestick - A shoulder stand with the legs in
the air, feet pointed towards the ceiling and the
body rested on the top of the shoulders.
Cartwheel - A common gymnastic skill where a
gymnast starts on one leg and places his/her
hands on the ground while kicking his/her legs up
into a side handstand, before continuing the
motion and landing with one foot on the ground
followed by the other.
Cat leap - A gymnastic and ballet leap where the
gymnast takes off on one leg then bends the front
leg at the knee while the back leg turns out with
the toe pointed. It is also known as a Pas de Chat.
Chainé turn - A half turn executed on the balls of
the feet. The half turns are chained together as
the head whips around to look at one spot
continuously throughout the sequence of spins.
Chassé - A dance movement where one leg
makes a small jump and is followed by the other
leg. In layman terms referred to as a gallop.
Choreography - A series of artistic elements,
ballet movements and acrobatics that create a
floor or balance beam routine.
Clear hip circle - When the body moves in a circle
around the bar without the hips touching.
Code of points - The official rulebook for judging
gymnastics skills.
Composition - The arrangement of moves in a
gymnastics routine
Compulsories - Required routines that all
gymnasts in certain levels (Level 4,5,6) must
complete. These routines have elements and skills
that gymnasts in a certain level of gymnastics
should be able to perform and are determined by
a governing body such as USA Gymnastics or
International Federation of Gymnastics (FIG).
Cross - A strength skill performed on the still rings
where the arms are placed outward in a “T”
position with the body is perpendicular to the
floor. Also called an iron cross.
D
Deduction - An error that causes a gymnast to
lose points in his/her score.
Demi-plié - A ballet movement where the legs
make a small bend at the knee while the feet
remain flat on the ground.
Dismount - The exit from an apparatus at the end
of a routine; usually performed with a difficult
twist or somersault.
Dive roll - Describes a flying front somersault on
the ground. The gymnast runs, leaps into the air
and dives onto the floor in a handstand position
and does a forward roll at the end.
Double back - Two back somersaults completed
consecutively in the same skill movement.
Double double - Two back somersaults with two
twists. One of the harder gymnastics skills
performed on the floor exercise and usually
performed in the layout or open tuck position.
Double full - A single back somersault in the
layout position with two twists.
E
Eagle grip - A 180 degree outward turn of the
thumb and hands when gripping the bar. This
movement requires increased shoulder flexibility.
Elbow stand - A handstand performed on the
forearms.
Events - The routines done by men and women
on the different apparatuses. There are four
events for women: balance beam, vault, uneven
parallel bars and floor. There are six events for
men: vault, pommel horse, still rings, horizontal
bar, parallel bars and floor exercise.
Execution - How a routine is performed; the level
of form and technique used to complete a
routine. A good execution might include tight legs,
a good toe point, and a stuck landing.
Extension - The height and stretch of the legs or
arms that are raised during a dance movement.
F
Flip-flop - Nickname for a back handspring. This is
a common movement where the gymnast takes
off from one or two feet, jumps backwards onto
her hands, and lands on her feet.
FIG - The International Federation of Gymnastics,
the international governing body for the sport of
gymnastics.
Flexibility - The ability of the body to stretch into
various positions without pain or damage.
Flic-flac - Also see back handspring. A common
gymnastic movement where a gymnast takes off
from one or two feet, jumps backwards onto her
hands and lands on her feet. Also known as a flip-
flop or a back handspring.
Flip - A tumbling element where the body does a
somersault in the air without the hands touching
the ground. Also called a somersault or salto.
Floor exercise - A routine consisting of a variety
of dance and acrobatic maneuvers and is
performed on a 40 foot square spring floor.
Flyaway - A back somersault dismount from the
uneven bars, horizontal bar, or parallel bars. It
can be performed in either the tuck, pike or
layout positions.
Front giant - A forward circle around the bars
starting and ending in a handstand position. This
is performed with the hands in a reverse grip.
Front handspring - A forward tumbling skill that
starts with a step or a hurdle. The body then
bounces onto the hands and rotates through a
handstand before landing on the feet.
Front hip circle - A forward movement around
the bar with the hips resting on the bar and the
body rotating around the bar.
Front somersault - A forward flip performed in
the air without hands. It can be performed in
either the tuck, pike or layout positions. It can
also refer to a forward somersault on the ground.
Front walkover - A gymnastic skill where the
gymnast performs a forward handstand then
moves into a backbend and up to his/her feet.
The entire skill is performed in a continuous
motion.
Full - A back somersault with one twist usually
performed in the layout position.
Full turn - A complete 360 degree rotation usually
performed on one foot. It is a required element
for both the balance beam and the floor exercise.
Full-in, back-out - Two somersaults with one full
twist where the twist is executed during the first
somersault
Full-in, full-out - Two somersaults and two twists
with one twist performed on the first somersault
and one twist performed on the second
somersault.
G
Gaylord - On the high bar, an execution that
involves a front giant arm-swing into a front one-
and-one half somersault over the bar, before re-
grabbing the bar at the end. It was named after
USA gymnast, Mitch Gaylord,
Giant - An arm swing on the bars in which the
body and the arms are fully extended and move
in a full circle around the bar.
Grande jeté - A ballet term used to describe a
large split-legged leap.
Grande plié - A ballet movement where the legs
bend deeply at the knees and the body almost
touches the ground. The feet are normally turned
out and are in first, second, third, fourth or fifth
ballet position.
Grips - Leather straps that gymnasts wear on
their hands to help them maintain a firm and
solid grasp of the bar. Also known as hand guards.
H
Half-in, half-out - A double somersault with a
half twist on the first somersault and a half twist
on the second.
Handspring - (see also flic-flac) A hand touch
somersault used on various apparatuses where
the body springs from the feet onto the hands
and lands back on the feet. It can be performed in
either forward or backward direction; it is usually
used to link movements of a routine together.
Handstand - A movement where the body is
balanced on the hands and the feet are in the air,
with the legs together or in a straddle or split
position.
Head in - A position where the head is tucked into
the gymnast’s body. It is usually seen when a
gymnast is in a handstand position.
Head out - A position in a handstand where the
head is out away from the body causing the back
to arch. Not a favorable position in most events.
Healy - A gymnastics movement on the bars
where a gymnast removes one arm while moving
forward in a handstand and completes a full twist
before re-grasping the bar with both hands.
High bar - This term can refer to men’s horizontal
bar apparatus or the women’s top bar on the
uneven parallel bars.
Hip circle - A circle around the bar in either the
forward or backward motion where the hips are
resting on the bar throughout the circle.
Hollow - A term referring to the body position of
the gymnast. The hips are pulled under, the butt
is tucked in and the core of the body is scooped in
rounding the chest forward.
Horizontal bar - The high bar in the men’s
gymnastics events.
Horse - Slang for the former vaulting apparatus
for both men and women. Women would vault
over it when it was sideways and men would vault
over it length wise. In 2001 it was officially
replaced with the vaulting table that both men
and women use in competition.
Hurdle - The step and skip that is used prior to a
tumbling movement on the floor exercise. It is
usually seen right before a gymnast performs a
round off.
I
Inverted cross - A strength pose on the still rings
where the arms are outstretched in a “T” position
and the body is in a handstand.
Iron cross - A strength pose on the still rings
where the arms are outstretched in a “T” position
and the body is perpendicular to the floor in a
straight position or “L” shaped position.
J
Jeté - A ballet term used to describe a leap from
one leg to the other. There are several types of
jetés including grande and petite (big and small).
K
Kip - Usually performed on the bars, a movement
that takes the gymnast from below the bars to
above the bars. It is a compulsory requirement
for level 5 gymnasts, ideally performed in a gliding
motion.
Kolman - A release move performed on the bars
where the gymnast leaves the bar, performs two
back somersaults and one full twist over the bar
and then re-catches the bar at the end. It is
named after Yugoslavian gymnast Alajz Kolman.
L
Layout position - A straight and stretched body
position.
Layout step out - A back somersault in the layout
position where the legs are split in the air and the
body lands on one leg followed by the other. It is
normally performed on the balance beam as part
of a tumbling series.
Leg circle - A pommel horse movement where
the legs are together in a straight position and the
body circles around the pommel horse. The hands
alternate lifting up and down from one pommel
to the other as the legs pass. This can also be
performed on the floor, parallel bars and balance
beam.
Leotard - A one piece uniform, similar to a
bathing suit, that is standard for women’s
gymnastics.
Limber - A term that describes a gymnast’s
flexibility in the forward and backward direction.
Lunge - A position of the body where the legs are
spread apart on the ground and the front leg is
bent and the back leg is straight. The arms are
generally above the head.
M
Mat - A piece of gymnastics equipment that is soft
and made of polyurethane foam to help cushion
landings on dismounts from apparatuses such as
the bars, balance beam and vault. It is also used
when a gymnast is learning new gymnastics skills.
Mixed grip - A term used to describe the grip of
the hands on the uneven parallel bars and
horizontal bar when one hand is in the forward
grip position and the other hand is in the reverse
hand grip position.
Mount - The entry onto apparatuses like the
balance beam, parallel bars, uneven parallel bars,
horizontal bars and pommel horse. It is also used
to describe the first element in a gymnastics
routine.
Music - Used in women’s gymnastics floor
exercises when the routine performed is done to
a specific piece of music. Gymnasts spend many
hours developing a routine that is suitable to the
music as well as choosing a piece of music that
will best fit the gymnast and her routine.
N
Nail - (see stick) Refers to a perfect dismount
from an apparatus or a tumbling pass where the
feet make no movement once they touch the
ground.
Needle scale - An arabesque performed on the
floor and balance beam where the body is
lowered while the hands are touching the toes,
floor or balance beam. One leg remains planted
on the floor or balance beam while the other leg
is elevated up to the ceiling.
O
Okino - A balance beam skill where the gymnast
performs a triple pirouette (turn). It is named
after Betty Okino.
Olympic order - The competition order for
international competition, decided by FIG. The
order for women: vault, uneven bars, balance
beam and floor. The order for men: floor exercise,
pommel horse, still rings, vault, parallel bars and
horizontal bar. The order for rhythmic gymnastics:
rope, hoop, ball, clubs, and ribbon.
Optionals - A category of gymnastics competition
where the gymnasts and coaches create their own
routines with individual skills and the required
elements that are determined by the
International Federation of Gymnastics (FIG).
Optional gymnasts are ranked higher than
compulsory gymnasts.
Overgrip - The grip of the hands on the bar where
the gymnast’s hands are on the bar and the palms
of the hand are facing down with the fingers
facing away from the gymnast’s body.
Overshoot - A release move from the high bar to
the low bar. The gymnast starts on the high bar,
swings up and over the low bar, does a half twist
and catches the low bar.
P
Parallel bars - One of the events that men
perform in artistic gymnastics. It consists of two
bars that are the same height (195centimeters)
and length (350cm) and about 52cm apart from
one another. It is also referred to as p-bars.
Pas - A dance and gymnastic term that means “to
step.”
Passé - A ballet position where one leg is firm on
the ground and the other leg is raised so the thigh
is horizontal, the knee is bent and the toes touch
the inner part of the standing leg’s knee.
P-bars - Nickname for the parallel bars.
Peel - An involuntary release of the bar that
generally results in a fall to the ground. This can
happen on the uneven bars, p-bars or high bar.
Pike position - When the body is bent forward at
the hips with the legs straight.
Pipe - A term used to refer to the men’s high bar.
Pirouettes - A ballet term that refers to the skill
of turning the body on a longitudinal axis. It is
either performed with one leg on the floor or
while the body is in a handstand on the floor,
balance beam or bars. The turns are generally
measured by degrees of half turns.
Pit - A training tool that consists of large pieces of
soft foam that are used to cushion a landing. It is
used for almost every apparatus except the
pommel horse.
Pivot - A dance term that refers to a turn on the
ball of the foot.
Plié - A dance movement that is defined by the
bending of the legs. The legs can either be bent
deeply (grande) or slightly (demi). Most ballet
techniques start with or end with a plié.
Point - Refers to a gymnasts toes that are
stretched from the ankle to the toes, creating a
straight line with the floor. A toe point is a very
important element in gymnastics—judges expect
to see pointed toes in almost all gymnastic
movements.
Pommel horse - The apparatus used by men that
is similar to a vaulting horse, but has two sets of
handles or pommels on either side of the horse
(45 centimeters apart). It is generally 115cm high,
35cm wide and 160cm long. A pommel horse
routine is performed by using circular body
movements around the horse and adjusting the
hands on and off the pommels.
Puck - A slang term that describes a gymnastics
position that is in between a tuck and a pike
position. It is not a position that is allowed in
competition.
Punch - A term that refers to bouncing off the
floor, vault springboard, or balance beam instead
of jumping. The legs are generally together and
the reflexes are quick and strong. A common
example is the punch front on the floor or
balance beam: A forward somersault in the air
that starts and ends with two feet.
Q
Quad twist - A single somersault in the layout
position with four twists.
Quadriffs - Any quadruple somersault with a
twist.
R
Rail - A horizontal bar that on which gymnasts
compete. This includes the parallel bars, uneven
parallel bars and the horizontal or high bar.
Release - A term that refers to the body leaving
the bar. The body leaves the bar to perform an
execution and then re-grasps the bar at the end
of the execution. A release can performed on the
uneven parallel bars, high bar or parallel bars.
Relevé - A ballet term used to describe the body
rising onto the balls of the feet.
Rhythmic gymnastics - Officially called Rhythmic
Sportive Gymnastics (RSG), it is a women’s
Olympic sport that is performed by one to five
women as a floor exercise. It requires extreme
flexibility combined with ballet-type dance
movements and is performed with props such as
ribbons, balls, ropes and hoops. Routines do not
include difficult tumbling maneuvers.
Rip - The tearing of a flap of skin from a gymnasts
hand while performing on the bars.
Round-off - A common gymnastic movement that
leads into many more difficult skills. It is
performed by pushing off one leg, swinging legs
quickly in a cartwheel motion and landing on two
feet. It is usually the initial skill in a tumbling pass.
Routine - A combination of skills and dance
moves, sometimes performed to music, on a
singular apparatus.
S
Salto - A somersault or flip performed either
forward or backward.
Scale - A gymnastics and ballet position where
one leg is raised high into the air (ideally in a 180
degree split) while the other leg stays firm to the
ground.
Scissors - A requirement for pommel horse
competition. The legs make a back and forth and
side to side motion over the apparatus. It can also
be performed on the floor.
Sequence - A combination of two or more skills
performed one after the other.
Split - A stretching position of the legs. One leg is
stretched in front of the body and one leg is
stretched behind the body. Done correctly, the
legs are parallel to the floor and straight without
any bend to the knees. It can be performed in a
jump, on the floor, or in a handstand and in a
front to back position of straddle.
Spotting - The physical assistance of a gymnast
while performing a new or dangerous skill. It
helps to ensure that the gymnast will complete
the skill safely.
Spotting belt - A training tool that a gymnast will
use to learn a new skill. It consists of a belt that a
gymnast wears around his/her waist that is
attached to ropes and a pulley system which is
operated by an experienced coach. It enables a
gymnast to safely learn new skills as well as
perfect skills already acquired and is usually
attached to a trampoline.
Start value - A value placed on a gymnastics
routine based on the degree of difficulty.
Step out - Refers to landing on one leg followed
by the other leg when completing a tumbling
maneuver; as opposed to landing with two feet.
Stick - Slang term used for a landing that is
executed with correct technique and little to no
movement.
Still rings - The apparatus and event in men’s
artistic gymnastics. It consists of a tower that is
575 centimeters high with two wooden/fiberglass
rings attached to a cable that is 300cm long and
50cm apart. The goal of a still rings routine is to
keep the rings as still as possible while executing
swinging maneuvers and strength poses.
Straddle - A position of the legs where one leg is
extended to the left side of the body and the
other leg is extended to the right side. The legs
are straight without a bend to the knees. This
position is executed in jumps, handstands, on the
floor, on the bars, and on the balance beam.
Straight position - A body position that has no
bend in the legs or the body. Also called layout
position.
T
Tap - A term referring to the kick needed to
initiate the speed of a circling motion on the high
and uneven bars.
Timer - A drill that simulates a gymnastic element
without the risk of completing the maneuver to
help prepare for a more complicated element. For
example, a timer for a double back is a back one-
and-three-quarters to the back landing on a stack
of mats.
Tondue - A beginning level ballet position,
extending a leg forward with toe pointed, while
standing firmly on the other leg.
Tour jeté - A half-turn, split leg leap, where the
gymnast takes off from one leg and lands on the
other leg.
Tuck - A body position where the knees are bent
and drawn up to the chest and the body is folded
at the waist.
Tumbling pass - A series of connected tumbling
elements in a routine on the floor exercise.
Turnout - Refers to the rotation of the hips, legs
and feet in an outward direction away from the
body.
Twist - A rotation around the body’s longitudinal
axis.
Tzukahara - A men and women’s vault element
where the gymnasts performs a quarter or half
onto the vault and a back salto off. It is named
after the Japanese gymnast, Mitsuo Tzukahara.
U
Undergrip - The type of hand grip used on the
bars where the body is hanging below the bar and
the fingers of the hand are facing the gymnast.
Also called a reverse grip.
Underswing - A release move from the high bar
to the low bar. The gymnast swings from the high
bar, up and over the low bar, does half twist and
grabs the low bar. Also called a shoot over or
overshoot.
Uneven bars - A women’s apparatus and event
that consists of two fiberglass bars: A low bar that
is 148 centimeters high and a high bar that is
228cm high, set apart at a maximum of 150cm. A
routine consists of release moves, swinging
maneuvers from one bar to the other, circling
skills and pirouettes.
USA Gymnastics - The governing body of
gymnastics in the United States
V
Vault - Men and women’s apparatus and event
performed over a vaulting table. The gymnast
runs down the vaulting runway, springs off a
springboard, vaults onto the table and lands on
his/her feet on the mat behind the table.
Vaulting horse - The former apparatus for mens
and women’s vault. It was placed length wise for
men and width wise for women. It was officially
removed and replaced with the vaulting table in
2001.
Vaulting table - The new vaulting apparatus that
is used for both men and women. It has a wider
and longer top surface which gives the gymnasts a
larger margin of error for hand placement.
Virtuosity - The flow or artistry of a movement.
The more cohesive and artistic the skills, the
higher the score.
Voluntary routine - A routine that consists of
optional elements instead of compulsory
elements.
V-sit - A position of the body where the gymnast
sits with legs in the air in a deep pike position and
their body balancing on the bottom and hands.
W
Walkover - A compulsory gymnastic element
used on the floor and balance beam. The body
starts in a standing position, walks into a
handstand position and continues into a
backbend and finishes in a standing position. This
continuous movement can be performed in either
the forward or backward direction.
Whip back - A back handspring without hands.
Y
Yurchenko - A vault maneuver that starts with a
round-off onto the springboard, a back
handspring onto the vault and some type of back
somersaulting motion ff the vault. The somersault
off the vault will often be a twisting somersault.
Named after Soviet gymnast Natalia Yurchenko.
Z
Zero - The score received if a gymnast does not
perform a routine or does not perform some
critical element of a routine. An example would
be performing a vault and never touching the
vaulting table.