Men’s floor exercise combines tumbling, non-acrobatic skills and choreographed movement in a routine lasting no more than 70 seconds. Judges award difficulty for the content that counts, then assess how well the gymnast performs it.
This guide covers senior FIG men’s artistic gymnastics under the 2025–2028 Code, including amendments in force on 17 September 2026. Junior, club and college competitions can use different rules.
The Main Parts of a Men’s Floor Score
| Component | What it measures |
|---|---|
| D-Score | Counting skill values, Element Group credit and qualifying connections |
| E-Score | Execution and presentation, starting from 10.00 |
| Stick bonus | A separate 0.10 for an eligible final skill and qualifying landing |
| Neutral deductions | Separate penalties, such as going out of bounds or exceeding the time limit |
When the stick bonus is displayed separately, the calculation is:
D-Score + E-Score + stick bonus − neutral deductions = final score
For a hypothetical routine with 5.70 difficulty, 8.20 execution, an eligible 0.10 stick bonus and a 0.10 boundary penalty:
5.70 + 8.20 + 0.10 − 0.10 = 13.90
The bonus is included once. It should not be put into both the D-Score and a separate bonus column. The broader men’s gymnastics scoring guide explains how the components appear across the six apparatus.
How the D-Score Is Built
Eight Eligible Elements Count
Judges count the dismount first, followed by the next seven eligible highest-valued elements, while applying the apparatus restrictions. On floor, the dismount is the final acrobatic element used to finish the routine.
A maximum of four counting elements can come from the same Element Group. Repetition and other recognition limits also apply, so the calculation is not simply an unrestricted selection of the eight hardest movements.
Non-vault elements use letter values: A is worth 0.10, B is 0.20, C is 0.30 and so on through J at 1.00. The D-Score calculation guidegives fuller examples of selecting and adding difficulty.
Four Element Groups Provide Variety
An Element Group is a category of movement. Floor has four:
| Group | Type of movement | Credit for a qualifying counting element |
|---|---|---|
| I | Non-acrobatic elements | 0.50 at any recognized difficulty value |
| II | Forward acrobatic elements | 0.30 for A–C; 0.50 for D or higher |
| III | Backward acrobatic elements | 0.30 for A–C; 0.50 for D or higher |
| IV | Single forward or backward somersaults with at least one full twist | 0.30 for A–C; 0.50 for D or higher |
The maximum group credit is 2.00. A group with no qualifying counting element earns no credit. Several skills from one group do not earn its group credit several times.
The skill’s own value is separate from this group credit. If a counting C is replaced by a D and the change also raises that group’s credit from 0.30 to 0.50, the routine gains 0.30 altogether: 0.10 for the skill and 0.20 for the group.
Floor does not have the separate dismount group used on pommel horse, rings, parallel bars and horizontal bar. Its final element belongs to one of the floor movement groups.
Connections Can Add Difficulty
Some directly connected acrobatic elements earn Connection Value, or CV:
| Eligible connection | Additional credit |
|---|---|
| D or harder connected with B or C | 0.10 |
| D or harder connected with D or harder | 0.20 |
The connected elements must be among the eight counting elements. Matching the difficulty letters alone is not enough.
For example, a direct connection of two twisting single somersaults does not receive this credit; other exclusions also apply. A fall affecting the connection prevents its connection credit.
The gymnastics connection-value guide explains why the exact movements and connection conditions matter.
These difficulty provisions come from MAG Code Sections 6, 7 and 10, read with the subsequent newsletters.
Required Content and Use of the Floor
An Acrobatic Opening and a Multiple-Somersault Finish
The routine must begin with an acrobatic tumbling pass. The current rule carries a 0.30 neutral deduction if that opening requirement is missing.
Senior routines must finish with a multiple-salto element, such as a double somersault. A salto is a somersault without hand support. Two separate single somersaults do not become one multiple-salto element merely because they are connected.
The required final multiple-salto element must be among the eight counting skills. Missing the requirement brings a 0.30 neutral deduction.
A One-Leg Balance or an Approved Jump or Leap
The routine must also show either a recognized one-leg balance or an approved jump or leap. This movement may be performed outside the eight counting difficulty elements.
The approved alternative is specific. An ordinary jump used to move around the floor does not automatically satisfy the requirement, and later newsletters refine which listed movements qualify. Missing the requirement brings a 0.30 neutral deduction.
The opening and balance-or-jump provisions appear in MAG Newsletter 1, with the effective-date clarification in Newsletter 2 and later refinements in Newsletters 3 and 4.
All Four Corners and Varied Transitions
The gymnast must travel to or from all four corners. A final pass traveling toward an unused corner can fulfill that corner’s requirement. Failing to use all four brings a 0.30 neutral deduction, applied once for that violation.
The same diagonal may be used twice in a row. After that, the gymnast must use a side line to an unused corner. Using the same diagonal three times in a row brings a separate 0.30 neutral deduction, applied once for that violation.
Corner transitions must also be distinct. The current rule applies a 0.30 neutral deduction once if a transition is repeated.
Changing a turn or small detail does not necessarily create a different transition: the September 2026 clarification treats stag-jump variations as one family, sissonne variations as one family, and the specified split-jump variations as one family for this purpose.
The later conditions are in MAG Newsletter 3 and Newsletter 4. These amendments should be read alongside the original Code rather than relying on the Code’s older balance-only wording.
Execution and the Stick Bonus
The E-Score starts from 10.00. Judges subtract for errors such as bent knees, insufficient height, poor body positions, uncontrolled landings and pauses. The general scale is 0.10 for a small error, 0.30 for a medium error and 0.50 for a large error, with 1.00 for a fall.
The permitted deduction depends on the specific fault. Not every error allows all three sizes.
Holds and Body Positions
Strength and balance movements must meet their own position and timing rules. The Code distinguishes bending the arms or body during a strength action from deviating from the required hold position. These are separate judging categories with different angle thresholds.
That is why one generic table for being “off angle” can be misleading. A movement may receive an execution deduction, lose difficulty recognition, or both, depending on the exact error. The FIG E-Score guide explains that distinction.
When the Final Landing Earns 0.10
An eligible floor dismount of C difficulty or higher can earn a 0.10 stick bonus when its landing meets the rules. It is not an automatic award for every final skill.
A step or hop prevents a stick. Raising the heels or toes to maintain balance also prevents the bonus. However, another execution fault does not automatically cancel it: a qualifying landing can still receive the bonus while a separate form deduction applies.
Newsletter 4 also confirms that a boundary violation and stick bonus can coexist. Landing outside the line does not remove the boundary penalty simply because the gymnast stays still.
Boundary, Time and Short-Exercise Penalties
These penalties are taken separately from the final score. They should not be confused with ordinary execution deductions.
Going Out of Bounds
The performance area is 12 × 12 meters. The boundary line belongs to the floor area; touching the floor beyond it is out of bounds.
| Boundary violation | Neutral deduction |
|---|---|
| One foot or one hand touches outside | 0.10 |
| Both feet, both hands, a foot and a hand, or another body part touches outside | 0.30 |
| Landing directly outside the floor area | 0.30 |
There is no separate 0.50 “whole body outside” category in this floor boundary table. An element initiated outside the area also receives no difficulty value.
Exceeding 70 Seconds
The time judge gives signals at 60 seconds and 70 seconds. Going beyond the maximum receives:
| Time beyond 70 seconds | Neutral deduction |
|---|---|
| Up to and including 2 seconds | 0.10 |
| More than 2 seconds, up to and including 5 seconds | 0.30 |
| More than 5 seconds | 0.50 |
Performing Too Few Recognized Elements
Eight elements can contribute difficulty, but finishing with six or seven recognized elements does not itself trigger the short-exercise neutral deduction.
| Recognized elements | Short-exercise neutral deduction |
|---|---|
| 6, 7 or 8 | 0.00 |
| 5 | 3.00 |
| 4 | 4.00 |
| 3 | 5.00 |
| 2 | 6.00 |
| 1 | 7.00 |
| 0 | 10.00 |
A shorter routine can still lose difficulty because fewer skills count or required groups are missing. The absence of a short-exercise penalty does not mean the routine earns the same difficulty as a complete one.
The penalty tables are in MAG Code Articles 6.3 and 10.3.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Men Still Count Ten Floor Elements?
No. Senior FIG routines use eight counting elements under the current cycle, with the dismount counted first and the selection restrictions applied.
Must Every Man Perform a One-Leg Balance?
No. A qualifying balance or an approved jump or leap can meet the requirement. The exact movement must satisfy the current recognition rules.
Does a Seven-Element Routine Receive a Short-Exercise Deduction?
Not solely for having seven recognized elements. It may still have lower difficulty or other missing-content consequences.
Does Every Stuck Landing Earn a Bonus?
No. On floor, the rule concerns an eligible C-or-harder final skill and a landing that meets the stick conditions. Earlier stuck tumbling landings do not each earn this dismount bonus.
Do Men Need Music or Dance Elements Like Women?
Men’s FIG floor routines have no music and do not use the women’s dance requirements. They still need non-acrobatic content, choreographed transitions and controlled presentation.