Gymnastics Vocabulary Worksheet Template

Press Print worksheet to match twelve gym terms, from vault and balance beam to mat and chalk, to their meanings.

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NameDateMade at homeroomtools.comDraw a line from each one on the left to its partner on the right.Gymnastics vocabularyvaultbalance beamuneven barsparallel barshorizontal barpommel horseringsfloor exercisespringboardmatchalkleotarda raised block with two grips toswing the legs aroundthe event performed on a wide,springy floor mata long, narrow raised rail to walk,leap and turn ona thick pad on the floor thatsoftens a landinga springy board that gives a jumpextra heighta padded table that gymnastsspring over from a runa dry white dust that improves agymnast's holda tight one-piece garment wornby gymnasts and dancersa pair of bars, one higher thanthe othertwo hoops that hang on straps,one for each handa pair of level bars that run nextto each othera single steel bar held high abovethe floor
NameDateMade at homeroomtools.comDraw a line from each one on the left to its partner on the right.Gymnastics vocabularyAnswer keyvaultbalance beamuneven barsparallel barshorizontal barpommel horseringsfloor exercisespringboardmatchalkleotarda raised block with two grips toswing the legs aroundthe event performed on a wide,springy floor mata long, narrow raised rail to walk,leap and turn ona thick pad on the floor thatsoftens a landinga springy board that gives a jumpextra heighta padded table that gymnastsspring over from a runa dry white dust that improves agymnast's holda tight one-piece garment wornby gymnasts and dancersa pair of bars, one higher thanthe othertwo hoops that hang on straps,one for each handa pair of level bars that run nextto each othera single steel bar held high abovethe floor
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All 36 terms

In the gym 12

  • balance beam A long, narrow raised rail to walk, leap and turn on. It is often just called the beam, and it is about four inches wide.
  • chalk A dry white dust that improves a gymnast's hold. "He dusted his hands with chalk before the bars."
  • floor exercise The event performed on a wide, springy floor mat. "Her floor exercise was set to music."
  • horizontal bar A single steel bar held high above the floor. Gymnasts also call it the high bar.
  • leotard A tight one-piece garment worn by gymnasts and dancers. "Her leotard was blue with silver stars."
  • mat A thick pad on the floor that softens a landing. "A blue mat lay under the bars."
  • parallel bars A pair of level bars that run next to each other. "He held a handstand on the parallel bars."
  • pommel horse A raised block with two grips to swing the legs around. The handles are called pommels.
  • rings Two hoops that hang on straps, one for each hand. "He held himself still on the rings."
  • springboard A springy board that gives a jump extra height. "She bounced off the springboard onto the beam."
  • uneven bars A pair of bars, one higher than the other. Gymnasts often just call them bars.
  • vault A padded table that gymnasts spring over from a run. "She ran, hit the springboard and flew over the vault."
Show all 36 terms (24 more)

Skills and shapes 12

  • backbend A bend backward until the hands reach the floor. "From standing, she dropped into a backbend."
  • cartwheel A sideways wheel of the body, hands down one at a time. "Her cartwheel went hand, hand, foot, foot."
  • handspring A flip in which the hands push off from the floor. "She ran three steps into a handspring."
  • handstand A balance on the hands alone, feet high above the head. "He held a handstand against the wall."
  • headstand An upside-down pose held up by the head and the hands. "She showed the class a headstand."
  • layout A fully stretched shape, legs straight and toes pointed. "She kept a layout all the way through the flip."
  • pike A shape bent at the hips with both legs straight. "She folded into a pike and touched her toes."
  • roundoff A cartwheel-like turn ending with the feet side by side. "His roundoff finished facing the way he came."
  • somersault A full rolling turn of the body, on a mat or in the air. "He did a somersault in the air and landed on his feet."
  • splits A seated pose, legs flat and pointing opposite ways. "She slid down into the splits."
  • tuck A curled-up shape with the knees held to the chest. "He pulled into a tuck for the flip."
  • tumble To perform acrobatic moves such as rolls and handsprings. "The class learned to tumble on a long mat."

A routine and its score 12

  • all-around The contest that adds up scores from every event. "He won the all-around after six events."
  • apparatus Any piece of equipment that gymnasts perform on. "The beam was her favorite apparatus."
  • coach The person who trains an athlete and teaches skills. "The coach showed him where to put his hands."
  • deduction Points taken away from a score for a mistake. "A wobble cost her a small deduction."
  • dismount The last skill, used to get off the apparatus. "He landed his dismount without a step."
  • flexibility How far and how freely the body bends and stretches. "The splits take a lot of flexibility."
  • gymnast An athlete who performs gymnastics. "The gymnast waved to the crowd."
  • judge An official who decides how many points to award. "Each judge wrote down a number."
  • landing The moment the feet come down after a jump or flip. "Her landing was steady."
  • routine The whole series of skills performed in one turn. "Her beam routine began with a leap."
  • score The number of points earned for a performance. "Her score on vault was the best of the day."
  • spotter A person who stands ready to steady or catch a gymnast. "A spotter stood beside the beam."

How this list was compiled: Term list chosen for this site on 2026-10-11. Each meaning is written in our own words and was checked that day against the entry for the term in Wiktionary, the free dictionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/), whose text is under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license, and a second time against the entry in the Cambridge Dictionary (https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/) or, where that dictionary has no gymnastics sense, against an article of the English Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/), under the same license: Vault (gymnastics), Balance beam, Uneven bars, Parallel bars, Horizontal bar, Pommel horse, Rings (gymnastics), Floor (gymnastics), Leotard, Roundoff, Backbend, Handspring (gymnastics), Cartwheel (gymnastics), Split (gymnastics), Artistic gymnastics for all-around, and Glossary of gymnastics terms for apparatus, chalk, springboard, tumble, tuck, pike, layout and dismount. The facts after the meanings of balance beam, uneven bars, horizontal bar and pommel horse are from the articles of those names. Every other sentence after a meaning is our own example of the term in use. Licence: own work

How it works

This gymnastics vocabulary worksheet template prints twelve terms down the left and their meanings, mixed up, down the right. It opens on the gym, from vault to chalk. Your own terms go in the box.

Read the full guide

A template for your own gym's terms

The box takes term = meaning lines, one pair a line, and prints them in the same two columns with a key of their own. A club's skill list or the words of a PE unit fit that way. An empty box brings the gymnastics list back.

Three sets: the gym, skills, a routine

Set opens on In the gym: vault, balance beam, uneven bars, parallel bars, horizontal bar, pommel horse, rings, floor exercise, springboard, mat, chalk and leotard. Skills and shapes runs from tumble, cartwheel and handstand to tuck, pike and layout. A routine and its score has routine, dismount, landing, judge, score, deduction and six more.

  • The meanings say what a skill is, not how to do it.

Questions and answers

What are the four events in women's gymnastics?

In women's artistic gymnastics the four events are vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise. A gymnast who competes in all four is in the all-around, and her scores are added together.

What are the six events in men's gymnastics?

Floor exercise, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar. The rings are also called still rings, and the horizontal bar is also called the high bar.

What is the difference between a cartwheel and a roundoff?

In a cartwheel the feet come down one at a time. In a roundoff the two feet land together, and the gymnast ends up facing back the way they came.

What is a dismount in gymnastics?

The skill a gymnast uses to leave the apparatus, so it ends a routine on the beam or the bars. Landing it with no extra step is called sticking the landing.

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