What happens in a rhythmic gymnastics routine?
B · Beginner · The individual exercise · 1 of 5A gymnast performs to music on a 13 by 13 metre floor while keeping a hand apparatus moving: a hoop, a ball, a pair of clubs or a ribbon. Each exercise lasts between 1 minute 15 and 1 minute 30 seconds. There is one exercise for each apparatus, and the all-around adds all four.
How it works
- Four apparatus: "Hoop", "Ball", "Clubs" and "Ribbon". The programme "usually consists of 4 exercises".
- Length: "from 1’15” to 1’30”".
- Timing: the watch starts when the gymnast begins to move and stops when she is "totally motionless".
- Music: every exercise, "in its totality, must be performed to music".
- The floor: 13 by 13 metres, measured to the outside of the line.
- In motion: the apparatus must be moving or balanced, not held or squeezed for a long time. Four seconds or more counts as a long time.
- The competitions: a qualification, an all-around final on four apparatus and a final on each apparatus.
- Team ranking: the eight best individual scores of a team's gymnasts plus the two exercises of its group.
- The same judging: the rules for the final score are identical in every session.
- Approved apparatus: each must carry the FIG approved logo. An exercise with unapproved apparatus scores 0.00.
- Feet: bare feet or gymnastics slippers.
The glossary has rhythmic gymnastics, the hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon entry, the exercise, the apparatus, the all-around and the group exercise.
Tricky cases
Is there a rope event?
Not in the individual programme the code lists, which is hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon. The code still has technical rules for the rope, which other programmes may use.
The gymnast stands still for the first three seconds of her music. Is that penalised?
No. A musical introduction of up to four seconds without movement is tolerated.
She holds the ball still against her body while she dances. Is that allowed?
No, not for four seconds or more. That is a static apparatus, which is an execution fault.
Do men compete?
The code read says its wording covers all genders but describes the programme without naming a men's event. Which events exist for whom is set outside the code.
Why the rule exists
The apparatus is what separates rhythmic gymnastics from dance and from artistic floor: every movement of the body has to be matched by something the hoop, ball, clubs or ribbon is doing. The rule against a held apparatus enforces that. The narrow time window makes every exercise the same length of test.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | One gymnast, 1:15 to 1:30 | FIG RG Part 1, A 1.2 |
| Group | Five gymnasts, 2:15 to 2:30 | FIG RG Part 2, A 1.1.4 |
| Clubs | One club may be still while the other is working | FIG RG Part 1, B 3.5.3 |
| Artistic floor | 12 by 12 metres, no hand apparatus | ../artistic/ set |
From the rule book
Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique, Code of Points 2025-2028, Rhythmic Gymnastics, Part 1: section A, articles 1, 2, 7 and 9 to 11; section B, article 3.5. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: 2025-2028 Code of Points, Rhythmic Gymnastics (PDF).