FAQ part "D"

[D.1] About this section.

This section gives a VERY BRIEF guide to help a new gymnastics fan understand some of what they might see on TV. We would like to assemble a more technically detailed glossary of elements. Please note that skill descriptions are merely notes on how to recognize the skill, NOT on how to perform the skill!

[D.2] How are the moves named?

Some elements are named after the gymnast who first performed the element, while others are merely descriptive terms of the element performed. Examples of the former include the Tsukahara vault, the Comaneci salto and the Korbut flic; examples of the latter include the aerial cartwheel, the double back somersault and the handstand.

[D.3] Basics

Here are some of the most common terms used in naming tricks:

Tuck: the gymnast brings his knees to his chest; the legs are bent.
Pike: the gymnast bends at the hips and brings his legs to his chest while keeping the legs straight.
Layout: the gymnast keeps his body completely stretched.
Arch: the legs are kept straight and the back (spine) is overextended so that the body position takes on a convex shape.
Split: one leg is extended straight in front of the body; the other is extended straight behind the body, forming a 180-degree angle.
Straddle: similar to a split, with the legs extended on either side of the body (as opposed to front/back).
Flip: a somersault without the use of the hands. Also called a salto.
Twist: body rotation round the lengthwise axis, as opposed to a salto.

When speaking of tumbling skills, flip refers to rotation around the hip-to-hip axis of the body, and a twist refers to rotation around the head-to-toe axis. Rotation around the front-to-back axis is unusual and referred to as a side somi. Beginning and ending positions are used to determine the number of twists.

Round-off: a cartwheel with both feet landing at the same time. Used by gymnasts to accelerate a tumbling pass.
Handspring: also called a flic-flac or a flip-flop. The gymnast springs off the hands, using a strong push from the shoulders. This move can be performed either forwards or backwards, and is usually used in tumbling passes.

[D.4] Vault

Women's vault is 4 feet high, 5 feet long and 14 inches wide. Men's vault is also 14 inches wide, but is 5 feet 3 inches long and 4 feet 6 inches high. Women vault widthwise, while the men vault lengthwise. Both men and women run down a carpeted runway which is 80 feet long and jump onto a springboard in order to propel themselves onto and over the horse. The gymnast leaves the board from both feet and briefly touches the horse with both hands (this is called the preflight). (Men are allowed to perform one-arm vaults; women are not.) He then pushes off the horse and performs flips and/or twists in the air before landing. As this event lasts only seconds, the goal is to execute the vault in one fluid motion and land "like a dart" with no extra movements.

Skills to look for:

Cuervo: handspring onto the horse, 1/2 twist off to immediate back somersault.
Piked front 1/2: handspring onto the horse, piked front somersault off with 1/2 twist to land.
Tsukahara: 1/4 to 1/2 twist onto the horse, 1/4 twist off to immediate back somersault.
Yurchenko: round-off onto the springboard and flip flop back onto the horse ("Yurchenko" refers to the entry.)

[D.5] Uneven Bars and High Bar

Uneven Bars: The upper bar is 7.6 feet (2.3 m) high, the lower bar is 5 feet (1.5 m) high, and the bars are 8 feet long. In FIG-sanctioned competitions, the bars must be at least 150cm apart. A gymnast moves from one bar to the other using a variety of skills (such as kips, swings and saltos) in a fluid motion and with good form. Each exercise needs to have at least 10 value parts and at least 3 bar changes. The dismounts contain saltos and/or twists and, like all dismounts, should be landed cleanly. Grip changes add difficulty to elements. A gymnast is determined to be "facing" in a specific direction by the gymnast's direction in the hang position.

High Bar: the bar is 8.5 feet (2.5 m) high and 8 feet (2.44 m) long. Like women's uneven bars, high bar consists of continuous swinging moves, changes in direction and grips, and an exciting (and solid) dismount.

Skills to look for:

Cast to handstand: a gymnast in a front support swings his legs back and out from the bar, lifting his body to straighten at the shoulders, finishing in a handstand. Usually preceded by a kip, a move gymnasts use to go from a hang to a front support (hips by hands on the bar, gymnast facing up).
Free hip: from a handstand on the bar, the gymnast swings down and backwards with straight arms and a slightly piked body (hips are close to the bar), the momentum causing the gymnast to circle the bar. The gymnast "opens" back up to a handstand position.
Gaylord: release from a front swing to 1.5 forward somersaults over the bar. A Gaylord II is released from a back swing, begins with an immediate half twist (so that the gymnast is facing "forward"), and then proceeds with the 1.5 forward somersault.
Giant: a 360-degree swing around the bar performed with straight arms and body position.
Gienger: release to back somersault and 1/2 twist in pike position to recatch. This element can also be performed in a tuck or layout position.
Jaeger: release from a front swing to a front somersault to recatch on the same side of the bar. Usually done straddled.
Kovacs: release to 1.5 back somersault over the bar to recatch. Usually a very dynamic move characterized by the opening of the gymnast out of the tucked position.
Pak salto: from HB to LB, backward swing between the bars with a straight body flip to recatch LB.
Stalder: 360-degree swing around the bar in a straddle pike position.
Tkachev: also called a reverse hecht. Release to front somersault traveling backward over the bar in a straddle/pike position (sometimes pike or layout), then recatching the bar.

[D.6] Balance Beam

The beam is 4 feet high (1.2m), 16 feet 3 inches (4.9m) long and 4 inches (10cm) wide. Routines consist of a combination of dance moves, flips, leaps, balances and turns. The gymnast strives to give the impression that she is performing on a much wider surface. A routine must last at least 70 seconds, but not longer than 90 seconds.

Skills to look for:

Omelianchik: back dive with 3/4 twist to handstand. More commonly seen with a 1/4 twist.
Flip flop, layout step-out: flip flops and layouts differ on beam from "normal" flight skills because of the nature of the event. Flip flops tend to have almost no flight in the second half of the skill, and most layouts are not "true" layouts because they do not reach the gymnast's shoulder height. Some layouts (those performed from a 2-foot take-off) can be considered "true" layouts and are rated as D elements.
Korbut flic: back dive to hands and swing down to finish sitting on B in a straddle position.
Punch front: front somersault from a 2-foot takeoff.
Rulfova: Korbut flic with a full twist.

[D.7] Dance

Many gymnasts study ballet and other types of dance to improve their body position and movement. Gymnasts who have studied dance usually display better form and fluidity during their routines than gymnasts with a weaker dance background. Dance is a key aspect of balance beam and women's floor exercise.

Skills to look for:

Popa: a full-twisting straddle jump.
Switch leap: gymnast initiates the leap with a leg raised in front but "switches" the position in the air, with that leg moving to the back of the split.
Sheep jump, etc.: all these leaps involve the gymnast throwing her head back and thus not being able to spot the landing on beam. For a sheep jump, both legs and thrown back bent (and ultimately touch the head). Ring leap: one leg forward and straight, one leg back and bent, which must be at head height. Yang Bo: like ring leap, but with both legs straight.

[D.8] Tumbling

The floor mat is 40 feet (12m) square. Since both gymnastic and acrobatic skills are required on some events, tumbling is a major part of the sport. By springing from one's hands or feet, the best gymnasts launch themselves into the air and perform multiple saltos and/or twists before landing. Currently, front tumbling is popular because the Code has given it a high value. Front tumbling is more difficult than back tumbling, and was less common until the Code started encouraging gymnasts to do it. The most popular tumbling passes tend to be bounce back passes which end with the gymnast performing an immediate punch front to reverse momentum and sometimes even tumbling back in the other direction. Men's floor exercises must last at least 50 seconds and not more than 70 seconds. For the women, the routine must last at least 70 seconds and not more than 90 seconds.

Skills to look for:

Full-in: double somersault with a full twist in the first somersault. A full-out has the twist on the second somersault (coming "out" of the skill) and a half-in half-out is, as it sounds, with the twist split between both somersaults.
Rudi: 1.5 twisting flip in layout position from a front take-off.
Triple twist
Round-off, flip flop...
Double back/double layout

[D.9] Pommel Horse

The pommel horse is 14 inches wide, 4 feet high (1.09 m) and 5 feet 4 inches (1.62 m) long. There a pair of rigid handles in the center of the horse which are about 17 inches (43 cm) apart. These handles are called the pommels. The horse is covered either with leather or a synthetic fabric. Since only the hands are allowed to touch the horse, exceptional strength, balance and endurance are required for this event. Elements are performed on both the horse itself and the pommels, using the entire length of the horse. The legs should be straight and the toes pointed. The top gymnasts usually precede their dismounts by performing handstands with twisting movements.

Skills to look for:

Flairs: with alternating hand support, the legs are straight and straddled and circle the body.
Scissors: sideways swinging of the body with straight legs and arms, alternating hand support and legs knifing up and down on the side of the horse.

[D.10] Rings

Two rings are used; each one is suspended from a bar which is 18 feet (5.48m) high. The rings are 8 inches in diameter and are attached by 2 feet 3 inch (68.6cm) straps to wire cables almost 18 inches (45.7cm) apart. The rings are 8.5 feet (2.51m) off the mat. This event is also referred to as the "still rings" because the gymnast's goal is to keep the rings from swinging as much as possible. Both circling and strength moves are performed. When performing a strength move, the gymnast is required to hold the position for at least two seconds to demonstrate mastery of the skill.

Skills to look for:

Iron cross: arms straight and held out horizontally, with the body in a vertical position.
Maltese: Resembles a horizontal cross, with the arms at the side of and closer to the body.
L-cross: Iron cross, but with 90-degree bend at hips and straight legs.
Planche: handstand with body parallel to the floor. This is common on many events, actually, including parallel bars, floor exercise (men), and balance beam.

[D.11] Parallel Bars

The bars are 11.5 feet (3.4 m) long and 5 feet 7 inches (1.7 m) high. The width of the bars is adjustable from 16 to 20 inches. A routine combines swinging moves, strength elements and flight elements, performed both above and below the bars. Some gymnasts perform moves on the outside of the bars, as well. Like other routines, flow and rhythm are necessary for a good score.

Skills to look for:

Back toss: from handstand, backward swing with brief hand release (while arms circle back) to recatch in handstand.
Diamidov: from handstand, backward swing finishing with 360-degree turn on 1 arm to return to handstand.
Healy: from handstand, forward swing beginning with 360- degree turn on 1 arm to return to handstand.
Stutz: from handstand, forward swing and let go of the bar, perform a half-turn in the air and finish in a handstand.
Peach basket: a piked swing underneath the bars to gain momentum from which the gymnast opens and releases to "pop" above the bars.