What does a trampoline gymnast have to do in a routine?
B · Beginner · The exercise and the score · 1 of 3Ten elements, one straight after another, with no plain bounce between them. Each is a somersault or other rotating jump, landed on the feet, seat, front or back. No element may be repeated for difficulty. The gymnast builds height with free bounces first, and the exercise starts with the first element.
How it works
- Ten: "Each exercise consists of ten (10) elements."
- Continuous: the exercise is made of "feet to feet and feet to back, front or seat rotational jumping elements, without intermediate straight bounces".
- What it should show: forward and backward somersaults, with and without twists, with "good form, execution, height, maintenance of height".
- Three shapes: tucked, piked and straight, each defined by the angles at the hips and knees.
- No repeats: "no element may be repeated, otherwise the difficulty of the repeated element will not be counted".
- Shapes make it different: the same rotation done tucked, piked and straight counts as three different elements.
- The card: the elements are written in order on a competition card and handed in beforehand.
- Changes: the gymnast may change elements. The difficulty judges record what was performed.
- Voluntary: in senior events every exercise is the gymnast's own choice.
- One attempt: "Second attempts at exercises are not allowed", unless the gymnast was plainly disturbed by faulty equipment or outside interference.
- The end: upright on the bed, on the soles of both feet.
The glossary has trampoline gymnastics, the trampoline exercise, the bounce, the somersault, the twist, the pike and the layout.
Tricky cases
A gymnast does a plain straight bounce between the fourth and fifth elements. What happens?
The exercise is interrupted there. Only the four elements completed before it are judged.
The same double somersault is done tucked and later piked. Is that a repeat?
No. Elements with the same rotation in different positions are different elements.
The crowd cheers loudly in mid-exercise and the gymnast loses count. Can they start again?
No, not normally. Spectator noise and applause are not counted as a disturbance.
Do the bounces before the first element count?
No. An exercise is considered started when the gymnast performs an element out of the preparation jumps.
Why the rule exists
Banning the plain bounce is what makes ten elements hard: there is no moment to recover height or position, so every landing must also be a good take-off. The no-repeat rule forces variety. Without it, the safest exercise would be the same strong somersault ten times.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Individual trampoline | Ten elements | FIG TRA 4.1 |
| Tumbling | Eight elements along a track | FIG TUM, section A |
| Double mini-trampoline | Two elements | FIG DMT 3.2 |
| Juniors and age groups | The first qualifying exercise has set requirements | FIG TRA 4.1.1 |
From the rule book
Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique, Code of Points 2025-2028, Trampoline Gymnastics, Trampoline, section A and articles 4, 6, 12 to 14 and 16. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: 2025-2028 Code of Points, Trampoline Gymnastics (PDF).