A gymnastics glossary explains the terms used for skills, body positions, apparatus and scoring. The most useful words for beginners and fans are the body shapes (tuck, pike, straddle, layout), the basic skills (roundoff, handspring, salto, kip, cast), the apparatus names, and the scoring language (D-score, E-score, all-around, dismount). Once you know these, it becomes much easier to follow coaching instructions in the gym or understand commentary on television. This guide groups the key terms by category and explains each in plain language.
How to use this glossary
Gymnastics terms make more sense in context. Body shapes describe how the body looks during a skill, skill names describe the movement itself, and apparatus and scoring words explain where and how the skill is judged. Learning the body shapes first helps, because many skill names combine a shape with a movement, such as a layout salto or a straddle jump. The sections below move from basic positions to skills, apparatus, scoring and competition terms.
Body positions and shapes
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Tuck | Knees pulled into the chest, body rounded |
| Pike | Body bent at the hips with legs straight |
| Straddle | Legs straight and spread wide apart |
| Layout | Body straight and extended |
| Hollow | Rounded, slightly dished body shape with core engaged |
| Arch | Body curved backward with chest open |
| Arabesque | Standing on one leg with the other extended behind |
| Relevé | Rising onto the balls of the feet |
Coaches often cue these shapes during training, such as asking gymnasts to hold a hollow in a handstand or keep a tight tuck in a salto. Holding correct shapes improves both safety and scores, since judges deduct for loose body positions.
Floor and tumbling skills
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Roundoff | Cartwheel-like skill landing on both feet facing backward |
| Handspring | Springing through the hands to land on the feet |
| Salto | A flip in the air without the hands touching the floor |
| Walkover | Moving through a bridge with legs split, landing one foot at a time |
| Limber | Like a walkover but with legs together |
| Twist | Rotation around the body’s long axis |
| Punch | Quick rebound off both feet to gain height |
| Tumbling pass | A sequence of connected tumbling skills |
Bar and apparatus skills
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Kip | Moving from hang to front support on a bar |
| Cast | Swinging the hips away from the bar from front support |
| Giant | Full circle around a bar with a straight body |
| Release move | Letting go and regrasping a bar |
| Pirouette | Turning around the long axis, often in handstand |
| Flair | Circular leg swings, common on pommel horse and floor |
| Iron cross | Strength hold on rings with arms straight out to the sides |
| Dismount | Final skill leaving an apparatus |
Apparatus and equipment
Women’s artistic gymnastics uses four apparatus: vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise. Men’s artistic gymnastics uses six: floor exercise, pommel horse, still rings, vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar, also called the high bar. Important equipment terms include the springboard, the board used to launch onto vault and some mounts; the vaulting table, which replaced the older vaulting horse; grips, leather or synthetic hand guards used on bars and rings; chalk, magnesium carbonate used to improve grip; and the sprung floor, a floor built on springs or foam that absorbs impact and adds bounce. Training equipment includes tumble tracks, foam pits, spotting belts and panel mats.
Beam and vault terms
On the balance beam, a mount is the skill used to get onto the beam, and a dismount is the final skill off it. A leap takes off from one foot and lands on the other, while a jump takes off from both feet. A series is two or more acrobatic skills performed in direct connection, such as back handspring to back handspring. A wobble or balance check is a loss of balance that judges deduct for. On vault, the run builds speed, the hurdle sets up the springboard contact, and the block is the push off the vaulting table. Vault names often describe the entry, such as a Yurchenko, which enters with a roundoff onto the springboard and a back handspring onto the table, or a Tsukahara, which uses a half turn onto the table followed by a backward salto. Many skills across all apparatus are named after the gymnasts who first performed them in major international competition.
Men’s apparatus terms
On the pommel horse, circles are continuous circular swings of the legs around the horse, and scissors are leg swings with the legs alternating over the horse. On the still rings, strength holds such as the iron cross, maltese and planche must be held still for a set time. On the parallel bars, gymnasts perform swings, support skills and hang elements, often finishing with a handstand before the dismount. On the horizontal bar, men perform giants, releases and high-flying dismounts, similar in concept to the women’s uneven bars but on a single bar.
Other disciplines
Rhythmic gymnastics uses its own vocabulary, including the five hand apparatus: rope, hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon, though not all are used in every competition cycle. Trampoline gymnastics uses terms such as somersault, twist and time of flight, which measures how long an athlete spends in the air. Acrobatic gymnastics refers to bases, who support, and tops, who are lifted and thrown.
Scoring and competition terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| D-score | Difficulty score based on skills, connections and requirements |
| E-score | Execution score starting from 10.0 with deductions |
| All-around | Competing on every apparatus for a combined score |
| Apparatus final | Competition for medals on a single apparatus |
| Code of Points | The rulebook defining skill values and deductions |
| Stick | A landing with no steps or hops |
| Connection bonus | Extra points for linking certain skills directly |
| Neutral deduction | Penalty for issues like stepping out of bounds or time violations |
Rules note: scoring terms follow the FIG Code of Points, and national programs may use additional or different terms at developmental levels.
Gym and training slang
Gymnasts use informal language too. Sticking it means landing without moving the feet. A balk is stopping partway through a skill, often due to fear. Rips are tears in the skin of the palms from bar training. Spotting is when a coach physically supports a gymnast during a skill. Drills are simplified versions of skills used to build technique. A series refers to connected skills, such as a back handspring series on beam. Knowing this language helps new gymnasts and parents understand what happens in practice.
How to learn gymnastics terms quickly
- Start with body shapes, since many skill names build on them.
- Watch routines on video and listen for terms in commentary.
- Ask coaches to name drills and skills as you practice them.
- Group terms by apparatus to remember them more easily.
- Review the Code of Points basics to understand scoring terms.
Common mix-ups
- Walkover vs limber: Walkovers keep the legs split; limbers bring them together.
- Handspring vs salto: Handsprings touch the hands to the floor; saltos do not.
- Tuck vs pike: Tucks bend the knees; pikes keep the legs straight.
- High bar vs uneven bars: Men use a single high bar; women use two bars at different heights.
Frequently asked questions
What does salto mean in gymnastics?
A salto is a flip in the air in which the hands do not touch the floor.
What is the difference between a tuck and a pike?
A tuck pulls the knees to the chest, while a pike bends at the hips with straight legs.
What does all-around mean in gymnastics?
Competing on every apparatus and combining the scores into one total.
