A Guide to Gymnastics Abbreviations & Terminology

Gymnastics is a sport full of excitement, elegance, and technical complexity. Whether you're a parent new to the gymnastics world, a young athlete, or an avid fan, understanding the various abbreviations and terminology can be daunting. So let us decode some essential gymnastics abbreviations & terminology for you.

AA (All-Around)

Refers to a gymnast who competes in all four events (vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise) in women's gymnastics, or all six events (floor exercise, pommel horse, still rings, vault, parallel bars, and horizontal bar) in men's gymnastics. P.s Did you know we named our Girls All-Around Gym Tights after the AA?

Flic Flac 

A move in which a gymnast takes off from one or two feet, jumps backward onto the hands and pushes from the shoulders to land on their feet. Our Flic Flac hat is named after this move.

Elite Level Gymnastics 

The Elite program is similar to going professional in other sports, because once qualified to be in the Elite level a gymnast can compete in Olympic Trials or other professional events. We named our Elite Long Sleeve Tops after this level. 

VT (Vault)

One of the four events in women's gymnastics and one of the six events in men's gymnastics, where gymnasts perform acrobatic manoeuvres after springing off a vaulting table.

Salto

A Salto move is a flip or somersault, with the feet coming up over the head and the body rotating around the axis of the waist. The Salto move was the inspiration for the name of Minor Nation's socks! 

UB (Uneven Bars)

An event in women's gymnastics where gymnasts perform routines on two horizontal bars set at different heights.

BB (Balance Beam)

A women's gymnastics event where gymnasts perform a routine on a narrow beam elevated off the ground.

FX (Floor Exercise)

An event consisting of a choreographed routine performed on a spring floor.

E-score (Execution Score)

Part of the scoring system that evaluates the execution, artistry, and composition of a gymnast's routine, separate from the difficulty score (D-score).

D-score (Difficulty Score)

Evaluates the difficulty of the elements in a gymnast's routine. Combined with the E-score to form the total score.

COP (Code of Points)

The rulebook used by judges to score gymnastics routines, detailing how each skill is evaluated and scored.

FIG (Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique)

The international governing body for the sport of gymnastics.

WAG (Women’s Artistic Gymnastics)

Refers to the women’s branch of artistic gymnastics, including events like vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercise.

RG (Rhythmic Gymnastics)

A discipline of gymnastics where athletes perform routines to music using apparatus like ribbons, hoops, balls, clubs, and ropes.

AG (Acrobatic Gymnastics)

A discipline of gymnastics where pairs or groups of gymnasts perform routines that include acrobatic moves, dance, and tumbling.

TG (Trampoline Gymnastics)

A discipline of gymnastics focusing on trampoline events, including individual and synchronized trampoline routines.

EF (Event Final)

Refers to the final round of an event in a gymnastics competition, where the top qualifiers compete for medals.

QF (Qualification Round)

The initial round of a gymnastics competition, where gymnasts compete to qualify for the finals.