How are landings judged in gymnastics, and what is "sticking" a landing?
I · Intermediate · Scoring · 1 of 9A stuck landing is one with no step or hop: the feet hit the mat and stay there. Anything else is deducted. A small hop or step costs the least, a large step more and a hand on the mat or a fall the most. In the men's code a stuck dismount of C value or higher earns a 0.1 bonus.
How it works
- Landing faults in the women's table: feet apart, extra arm swings, lack of balance, extra steps or a slight hop, a very large step, a deep squat, touching the mat with the hands and a fall.
- A very large step: given as a guideline as more than shoulder width.
- A cap: "If there is no fall the maximum landing deduction may not exceed 0.80".
- Every landing: the faults apply to all elements, including dismounts.
- Feet first: failing to land feet first from an element means no value for it in the women's code.
- The men's stick bonus: "Stick landing after the dismount, min C (also Vaults with saltos) will be awarded with 0.1 bonus by the D-Jury, except the Pommel Horse."
- What does not spoil it: legs apart, waving of the arms or lack of preparation do not cancel the bonus.
- What does: "If the heels raise up to maintain balance, then no stick is awarded."
- Men's vault: the gymnast must land with both feet inside a marked zone either side of the centre line. Stepping on the line is allowed, over it is not.
- Too close: in the women's code a dismount performed too close to the bars or beam is an execution fault.
The glossary has the stick, the landing, the dismount, the E score and the fall.
Tricky cases
A gymnast lands and takes one small step back. How much is that?
A small deduction. Extra steps and a slight hop are listed together, and the exact figure for each size is lost in the text copy read.
A man sticks his dismount but his arms circle to hold it. Does he get the bonus?
Yes. Waving of the arms does not negate the stick bonus, though it is still an execution error.
Does a woman get a bonus for sticking?
No stick bonus appears in the women's code read. She has a separate 0.20 bonus for a dismount of D value or higher done without a fall.
A gymnast lands on her feet and then sits down. Is that a landing fault or a fall?
A fall. Falling on the mat to the knees or hips is listed separately from the landing faults.
Why the rule exists
The landing is the proof that the gymnast was in control of everything before it: a twist finished late or a salto opened early shows up as a step. It is also the last thing the judges see, and a system that scores to a tenth needs landings to be judged the same way everywhere.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Men | 0.1 stick bonus on dismounts of C or higher and on salto vaults | FIG MAG 7.2 |
| Men's pommel horse | No stick bonus | FIG MAG 7.2 |
| Women | Landing deductions capped at 0.80 without a fall | FIG WAG 9.3 |
| Men's vault | A marked landing zone | FIG MAG 13.2.1 |
From the rule book
Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique, Code of Points 2025-2028, WAG section 9.3 and MAG articles 7.2 and 13.2.1. Checked 14 October 2026. Official documents: 2025-2028 Code of Points, Women's Artistic Gymnastics and Men's Artistic Gymnastics (PDF).