What are the events in artistic gymnastics?
B · Beginner · Scoring · 1 of 6Men compete on six apparatus: floor, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar. Women compete on four: vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor. A gymnast's scores on all of them added together make the all-around score. There are also team results and a final on each apparatus.
How it works
- Men: floor exercise, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar.
- Women: vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise.
- One exercise each: a gymnast performs one exercise on each apparatus, and each gets its own final score.
- All-around: for men, "the sum of the Final Scores obtained on the six exercises". For women, the sum on the four apparatus.
- Four phases: qualification, team final, all-around final and apparatus finals.
- The same judging throughout: the rules for scoring are identical in every phase, except on vault.
- Team scores: worked out under the FIG's technical regulations, which also decide who reaches each final.
- No second go: "In principle, the repetition of an exercise is not permitted."
- Starting: the gymnast must begin within 30 seconds of the green light from the chief judge of the panel.
- Two codes: men's and women's artistic gymnastics each have their own Code of Points.
The glossary has the apparatus, the exercise, the all-around, the qualification and finals entry and the final score.
Tricky cases
Do men perform on the balance beam or women on the rings?
No. The beam and uneven bars are women's apparatus. The pommel horse, rings, parallel bars and horizontal bar are men's.
Is the all-around a separate routine?
No. It is the total of a gymnast's scores on every apparatus.
Does a gymnast have to compete on every apparatus?
No, not to win an apparatus final. A gymnast needs a score on every apparatus only for the all-around.
Are scores from qualification carried into the finals?
That is decided by the technical regulations for each competition, which were not read. The codes say only that the judging rules are the same in each phase.
Why the rule exists
Each apparatus asks for something different: swing, strength, balance, power or dance. The all-around looks for the complete gymnast, and the apparatus finals let a specialist win on one. The men's and women's lists differ for historical reasons, and only vault and floor are shared.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Men | Six apparatus | FIG MAG 6.2 |
| Women | Four apparatus | FIG WAG 6.2 |
| Vault | Special rules in qualification and the apparatus final | FIG WAG 6.1; FIG MAG 6.2 |
| Rhythmic and trampoline | Separate disciplines with their own codes | ../rhythmic/ and ../trampoline/ sets |
From the rule book
Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique, Code of Points 2025-2028, WAG sections 2 and 6 and MAG articles 2.3 and 6.2. Checked 14 October 2026. Official documents: 2025-2028 Code of Points, Women's Artistic Gymnastics and Men's Artistic Gymnastics (PDF).