A Canadian gymnast trains on a floor.

The floor is a gymnastics as well as an artistic gymnastics apparatus. It is used by male as well as female gymnasts.

Dimensions

• Length: 12 m
• Width: 12 m
• Additional safety border: 1 m

In most competitive gymnastics the floor has springs and/or rubber foam and plywood in them which make the floor bouncy and enables the gymnast to get height when doing tumbling and jumps. The allowed time for the exercise is up to 70 seconds for males and up to 90 seconds for females.

Scoring

As with other gymnastic events, judging is based on difficulty and form (which can be described, perhaps, as elegance and control). However, unlike other artistic gymnastic events there is a dance element allowing more expression of personality on the part of the competitor.

Judges look to ensure required elements (including a tumble of at least two saltos, or somersaults) are completed. Tumbles are usually expected to go from corner to corner and make maximum use of the floorspace, however a step outside the floorspace will incur a penalty. Tumbles should also end in a stuck landing where both feet hit the mat at the same time and together with no steps, hops or strides made to keep the gymnast upright.

External links

• US Gym Net's glossary of floor skills (http://www.usgyms.net/tumbling_skills.htm)
• US Gym Net's glossary of hops, jumps and leaps (http://www.usgyms.net/jumps_leaps.htm)