Gymnastics Explained
Apparatus
The equipment a routine is performed on: vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor for women; floor, pommel horse, rings, vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar for men.
Artistic gymnastics has eight different apparatus, two of them shared by both disciplines:
| Women (WAG) | Men (MAG) |
|---|---|
| Vault | Floor |
| Uneven bars | Pommel horse |
| Balance beam | Still rings |
| Floor | Vault |
| Parallel bars | |
| Horizontal bar |
The lists above are in “Olympic order”, the sequence used at major championships.
Every apparatus is built to specifications in the FIG’s Apparatus Norms. Some examples: the floor is 12 m × 12 m; the balance beam is 5 m long, 10 cm wide and 125 cm high; the women’s vault table is 125 cm high and the men’s 135 cm; the uneven bars stand 255 cm and 175 cm from the floor. Each apparatus has its own rules in the Code of Points, from time limits to required content.
“Apparatus” is also used for a type of competition: an apparatus final decides the medals on one piece of equipment.
Sources
- Women's Artistic Gymnastics — 2025-2028 Code of Points — International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) (accessed 31 August 2026)
- Men's Artistic Gymnastics — 2025-2028 Code of Points — International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) (accessed 31 August 2026)
- FIG Apparatus Norms — International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) (accessed 31 August 2026)
- FIG Technical Regulations 2025 — International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) (accessed 11 October 2026)