Vaulting in Gymnastics: Techniques, Phases, Scoring and Safety

Vaulting in gymnastics is a short, explosive event in which a gymnast runs toward a springboard, uses it to reach the vaulting table, and completes an airborne skill before landing. Although the routine lasts only a few seconds, the result depends on several linked actions: controlled speed, accurate board contact, a powerful block from the hands, body shape in flight and a stable landing.

How the vault event works

In artistic gymnastics, the vault apparatus consists of a runway, springboard and padded vaulting table. The table is wider and safer than the older horse-shaped apparatus used in earlier eras of the sport. Men and women compete on the same type of vaulting table, although apparatus height and competition requirements can differ by discipline and governing-body rules.

A gymnast normally performs one vault in qualifying and team or all-around competition. In specialist vault finals, gymnasts perform two different vaults from separate skill groups. The two vaults must show meaningful differences rather than being minor variations of the same movement. Exact competition requirements are set by the current rules of the relevant federation.

The main phases of a gymnastics vault

Approach and hurdle: The run creates horizontal speed, but speed alone does not produce a good vault. The gymnast must reach the springboard in a position that allows the feet to contact it together and the body to remain tall through the hurdle. A poorly timed approach can force later compensations and reduce height.

Springboard contact: The board converts part of the approach into upward momentum. The gymnast should contact it with a firm, controlled leg action and an active body position. Reaching too far, shortening the final steps or allowing the shoulders to fall behind the feet can alter the entire flight path.

Preflight: This is the flight from the springboard to the vaulting table. The gymnast prepares the hands for contact while maintaining the shape required by the skill. Depending on the vault, the body may remain straight, become piked or enter a round-off-based action.

Table contact and blocking: The hands contact the table briefly. A strong block occurs when the gymnast pushes forcefully through the shoulders and hands, helping transform forward motion into height and rotation. Blocking is not simply a matter of bending and straightening the elbows; the timing of the shoulder action, hand placement and body angle is decisive.

Postflight and landing: After leaving the table, the gymnast completes the salto, twist or combination of both. The landing should occur with the feet together or within the permitted landing area, with the body controlled and the chest lifted. A deep squat, extra step, hop or fall receives execution deductions even if the airborne skill was difficult.

Common vault families and skills

Vaults are classified by their entry, table action and airborne movement. The entry describes how the gymnast approaches the table, while the postflight describes the salto or twist completed after the hands leave it.

• Handspring vaults: The gymnast approaches forward, places the hands on the table and leaves it facing the direction of travel. The postflight may include a straight, tucked or piked salto, sometimes with twists.
• Yurchenko-style vaults: The gymnast uses a round-off onto the springboard, usually with a back handspring onto the table. This entry can create a powerful, round-off-based connection into a salto or twisting salto.
• Tsukahara-style vaults: The gymnast enters with a quarter turn onto the table and then performs a backward salto after blocking. The entry and postflight make this family technically different from a Yurchenko.
• Round-off entries with half turn: These vaults use a round-off approach and a half turn before or during table contact, changing the gymnast’s orientation for the postflight.

Vault names can vary in everyday use, while official difficulty values and identification depend on the current Code of Points. A skill’s label does not by itself describe every technical requirement; body position, twist count and entry details also matter.

How vaulting is scored

A vault score generally combines difficulty and execution. The difficulty score reflects the value assigned to the recognised vault, while the execution score begins from a set maximum and is reduced for technical faults. Judges assess factors such as body shape, insufficient height or distance, bent arms, leg separation, incomplete twists and poor landing control.

Landing errors are especially visible but are only one part of the evaluation. A gymnast can land on the feet and still lose points for an under-rotated salto, an incomplete turn, an excessive pike, an imprecise table contact or inadequate flight. A fall produces a larger deduction and can also indicate that the vault did not meet the intended technical standard.

Neutral deductions may apply for issues such as stepping outside the marked landing area or other rule violations. The exact values and judging procedures can change between Code of Points cycles, so published competition rules should be used for official scoring questions.

Why height, distance and body position matter

Height gives the gymnast time to complete rotation and twisting before landing. Distance from the table helps demonstrate that the gymnast has generated a complete postflight rather than dropping directly toward the landing mat. These qualities must be balanced: excessive forward travel can make the landing difficult, while insufficient distance may indicate a weak block or an unsafe flight path.

Body position controls rotation. A tucked shape rotates more quickly because the mass is closer to the axis. A piked shape also changes the rotation rate and landing timing, while a straight shape demands greater control and usually provides less mechanical assistance. Gymnasts open the body before landing to slow the rotation and prepare the feet for contact with the mat.

Common technical errors

• Inconsistent approach: Changes in running rhythm can move the gymnast’s takeoff point and disrupt the springboard angle.
• Late or passive hurdle: A weak board entry reduces the upward component of the vault.
• Bent arms on the table: This absorbs force instead of producing an efficient block and can lower the flight.
• Separated legs or flexed feet: These shape faults reduce execution quality and may signal poor body control.
• Under-rotation: The gymnast reaches the landing before finishing the salto, often producing a low chest position or a step backward.
• Late opening: The body remains tucked or piked too long, making a controlled landing difficult.
• Unstable landing: Hops, large steps, deep squats and falls all affect the final execution score.

Training and safety considerations

Vault training normally progresses from approach drills, board-contact exercises and handstand blocking to low-risk versions of the intended skill. Coaches use landing mats, foam pits, spotting equipment and progressions that allow the gymnast to learn the movement without repeatedly attempting a full vault before the necessary control is established.

Safe vaulting requires adequate runway space, a correctly positioned springboard, a secure table and properly placed landing mats. The gymnast should be physically prepared for rapid shoulder loading, wrist impact and lower-body landing forces. Fatigue is a relevant limitation because a small timing error in the approach or table contact can change the landing substantially.

Difficulty should be increased only when the gymnast can reproduce the approach, block and landing with reliable technique. A harder vault is not automatically better if the gymnast cannot maintain sufficient height, rotation control and a safe landing position.