Gymnastics Vault Equipment: Table Height, Springboard, Runway and Mats
How high is a vault table, and how far do gymnasts run before they reach it? In elite competition the women’s vault table is set at 125 cm (about 4 ft 1 in) and the men’s at 135 cm (about 4 ft 5 in). Gymnasts sprint down a runway up to 25 m (about 82 ft) long, hit a springboard, push off the table and land on a 6 m stretch of thick mats.
Contents
All of these measurements come from the Apparatus Norms of World Gymnastics (formerly FIG). This rulebook fixes the size and performance of every piece of competition equipment. The current Apparatus Norms (Edition 2026) have applied since 1 June 2026. Their stated purpose is to make the apparatus equivalent at every competition. They are compulsory at FIG events and at multisport Games such as the Olympics, and at those events no apparatus may be used without a valid FIG certificate (Part I, p. 10).
Club meets in the United States follow USA Gymnastics rules instead, with different setups for different levels. Those are covered separately near the end of this page.
FIG Vault Dimensions at a Glance
These are the competition measurements in the 2026 Apparatus Norms (men’s section MAG 4 and MAG 11–15, pp. 34–49; women’s section WAG 1 and WAG 11–15, pp. 55–73). Imperial figures are rounded; the Norms use centimetres only.
| Equipment | Women (WAG) | Men (MAG) |
|---|---|---|
| Vault table height | 125 cm ±1 cm (about 4 ft 1 in) | 135 cm ±1 cm (about 4 ft 5 in) |
| Height at the table’s bounce area | 112 cm ±1 cm | 122 cm ±1 cm |
| Table top | 120 × 95 cm ±1 cm (about 47 × 37 in) | 120 × 95 cm ±1 cm |
| Runway length | 25 m, up to 10 cm longer allowed (about 82 ft) | 25 m, up to 10 cm longer allowed |
| Runway width | 100 cm ±1 cm (about 3 ft 3 in) | 100 cm ±1 cm |
| Runway height | 2.5 cm maximum (about 1 in) | 2.5 cm maximum |
| Rigid board under the springboard | 320 cm long ±1 cm, at least 100 cm wide | 320 cm long ±1 cm, at least 100 cm wide |
| Springboard | 120 × 60 × 20 cm ±1 cm, plus a 2 cm cushion cover (about 22 cm high in total) | Same |
| Safety collar (round-off entries) | U-shaped, 120 cm long ±20 cm, at least 20 cm wide at the sides | Same |
| Landing mats | 20 cm thick, covering at least 600 × 250 cm (about 19 ft 8 in × 8 ft 2 in) | Same |
| Supplementary mat on top | 600 × 200 × 10 cm | 600 × 200 × 10 cm |
| Landing corridor | 95 cm wide at the table, 150 cm at the end of the mats; 5 cm lines | Same |
Only the height of the table changes between women’s and men’s competition. The runway, springboard, collar, mats and markings are the same for both.
The Vault Table
The modern vault table has a slightly sloped, padded top fixed on a single central base, which the Norms call a “monostand” frame. All of its corners and edges are rounded. The top is 120 cm long and 95 cm wide. The table must also have a way to fasten it to the floor so it can’t sway, vibrate or shift (WAG 1, §1.1–1.2 and §3.7, p. 55).
FIG measures the table at two points shown on its drawing: the main measuring point, where the 125 cm and 135 cm heights apply, and the bounce area, which sits 13 cm lower. Both heights are measured from the top of the runway, not from the arena floor. A footnote on pages 34 and 55 says the apparatus height must match the top level of the run-up. That matters on raised podiums and anywhere extra matting lifts the runway. The adjusted height must also be clearly marked on the side of the table, so officials can check it at a glance.
The Runway
The runway (the Norms call it the run-up) is a strip of carpeted matting 25 m long and 1 m wide, and a block marks where it starts. Up to 10 cm of extra length is allowed, but the runway can’t be any shorter. The FIG women’s Help Desk (2nd edition, April 2026) confirms that the maximum run is 25 m.
The runway is kept low. The springboard sits on a rigid board 320 cm long and at least 100 cm wide, and that board and the run-up mat must be the same height, no more than 2.5 cm (MAG 4 §5.3, p. 35; WAG 1 §5.3, p. 56). This gives the gymnast a firm, level surface from the last running step onto the board.
The Norms even set which way the carpet faces. Its threads must open against the direction of the run, giving the most grip between the gymnast’s feet and the mat (MAG 4 §5.2, p. 35). Where the board goes matters too. In women’s competition, putting the springboard on a surface that isn’t permitted costs 0.50 from the final score. Like other neutral deductions, it comes off the total rather than the execution score.
The Springboard
The springboard (officially the “vaulting board”) is 120 cm long, 60 cm wide and 20 cm high, with a 2 cm cushion cover that brings its total height to about 22 cm. Its top rises in a gentle arch and must be slip-resistant, and the board must not slide when the gymnast lands on it. Its hardness, damping and elasticity can’t be adjusted (WAG 14, pp. 70–72; MAG 14, p. 46).
Every competition must have both a soft and a hard board available, so each gymnast can use the one that suits her or him. The hard board is marked with a dot on its surface (WAG 14, p. 70; MAG 14, p. 46).
The Safety Collar for Round-Off Vaults
Some vaults start with a round-off onto the springboard. In the Yurchenko family, for example, the gymnast does a round-off onto the board and then a back handspring onto the table. For these round-off entries, FIG norms make a safety collar compulsory (MAG 15, p. 49; WAG 15, p. 73).
The collar is a U-shaped pad that surrounds the board at the sides and the front. Its overall length is 120 cm (±20 cm), it’s at least 20 cm wide along each side of the board, and its surface must sit within 1 cm of the board’s surface. Its job, in the Norms’ words, is to provide “a safe area around the vaulting board”. In practice, a hand or foot that lands short of or beside the board meets padding instead of the floor or the board’s hard edge.
The women’s Help Desk spells out what happens without it: failing to use the collar properly on a round-off entry makes the vault invalid, scored 0.00. This is a FIG rule for FIG events. National programs write their own collar rules (see the USA Gymnastics section below).
Landing Mats and the Landing Corridor
Gymnasts land on mats 20 cm thick (WAG 11, p. 67; MAG 11/12, p. 43). The women’s drawing shows a landing area of at least 600 cm by 250 cm (p. 68), and the men’s drawing shows the same 600 × 250 cm area (p. 38). A 10 cm supplementary mat, 600 cm long and 200 cm wide, goes on top of them, held in place with Velcro (WAG 13, p. 69; MAG 13, p. 45).
The landing corridor is painted on that top mat: two lines that start 95 cm apart at the table end (the width of the table) and widen to 150 cm at the end of the 6 m mat. Each marking strip is 5 cm wide (MAG 4 p. 35; WAG 1 p. 56).
The corridor checks that a vault travels straight. In women’s competition, a line judge raises a flag when a gymnast lands or steps outside it: 0.10 for one foot or hand outside, and 0.30 for two feet, two hands, or a foot and a hand. The lines count as part of the corridor, so touching a line isn’t a deduction (Help Desk, p. 50). For how judges score everything else about the vault, see our guide to how vault scoring works in each program.
What “FIG-Approved” Means
Under the Technical Regulations 2026 (Art. 4.10.3, p. 23), all equipment at an FIG competition must have been tested successfully by one of FIG’s official testing institutes and must meet the Apparatus Norms. The manufacturer must have held the FIG certificate for each piece of equipment for at least one year before the competition (two years for the Olympic and Youth Olympic Games), and the certificate must not expire before the event ends. Organisers of the Olympics, World Championships and other major FIG events must choose the equipment brand at least a year in advance and tell FIG.
There is no single certificate cycle that ends on one date. FIG’s list of certified apparatus shows each product with its own expiry date. When we checked in October 2026, the vault tables and springboards we looked at had expiry dates between December 2026 and January 2030. Manufacturers must also guarantee that their apparatus still meets the norms after heavy use (Apparatus Norms, Part I, p. 10).
These requirements apply to FIG events and the multisport Games named in the Norms. At other competitions, the organising federation’s own rules decide which equipment is allowed.
USA Gymnastics Vault Equipment: Development Program and Xcel
USA Gymnastics doesn’t simply copy the FIG norms for club competition. Its equipment rules for women’s Development Program levels and Xcel divisions are in Chapter 10, “Apparatus Specifications”, of the 2026–2027 Rules and Policies (printed p. 68). The same document makes meet directors list the manufacturer of every piece of equipment, boards included, in the pre-meet information, and check that the equipment meets the specifications and is properly installed (Chapter 5, pp. 11 and 14).
The vault setup changes a lot from level to level. Xcel Bronze gymnasts vault onto a stack of mats rather than over the table, and Development Program Levels 6 and 7 do entry vaults that finish on a mat stack (Levels 6–10 event rules charts).
USA Gymnastics calls the collar around the springboard a Safety Zone Mat. The Xcel Code of Points (revised August 2026) lists two equipment problems that make a vault void:
- doing a round-off entry vault without the Safety Zone Mat;
- using an alternative springboard in the Platinum, Diamond or Sapphire division. In Gold, a gymnast may use one, but her Start Value is then 9.50.
The Development Program has the same Safety Zone rule. At Levels 6–10, a vault entered with a round-off or a front handspring onto the springboard is void if the Safety Zone Mat isn’t used or isn’t fitted snugly around the board, and that includes the Level 6–7 round-off entry onto the mat stack (USA Gymnastics 2026–2030 Optional Code).
Chapter 10 sets the main measurements by level (pp. 69–72):
| Level or division | What the gymnast vaults onto | Runway length |
|---|---|---|
| Levels 1–2 | A mat stack placed lengthwise, set at 16, 24, 32, 40 or 48 in | 60–80 ft |
| Level 3 | A mat stack placed sideways, set at 32, 40 or 48 in | 60–80 ft |
| Levels 4–5 | The vault table, no higher than 135 cm | 60–80 ft |
| Levels 6–7 | The vault table (up to 135 cm), with a mat stack behind it for entry vaults | 70–80 ft |
| Levels 8–10 | The vault table, up to 135 cm | 76–82 ft |
| Xcel Bronze and Silver | Set out in the Xcel Code (Bronze vaults onto a mat stack) | 60–80 ft |
| Xcel Gold | The vault table, at any manufactured setting | 60–80 ft |
| Xcel Platinum, Diamond, Sapphire | The vault table, at any manufactured setting | 70–80 ft |
USA Gymnastics measures table height from the floor to the centre of the table top. Meets must provide a standard coil-spring board (22 cm high, give or take 1.5 cm). An alternative springboard, one with an air bladder or a small trampoline bed instead of springs, is allowed only at Levels 1–3 and in Xcel Bronze, Silver and Gold. At Levels 4–10 and in Platinum and up, using one makes the vault void. In the compulsory levels, an inflatable rebounding device or a preschool-type junior board makes the vault void at every level.
Rules can change each season, so check the current Rules and Policies or ask the meet director. Don’t assume the FIG figures above apply at a club meet.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall is a vault table in gymnastics?
Under FIG norms, 125 cm (about 4 ft 1 in) for women and 135 cm (about 4 ft 5 in) for men, measured from the top of the runway. At USA Gymnastics club meets, Levels 4–10 use a table no higher than 135 cm, measured from the floor; Levels 1–3 vault onto a stack of mats instead.
Is the vault the same for men and women?
The table, springboard, runway, collar and landing mats are the same. Only the table height differs: the women’s table is 10 cm lower.
How long is a gymnastics vault runway?
In FIG competition it is 25 m (about 82 ft) long and 1 m wide, with up to 10 cm of extra length allowed.
Why is there a pad around the springboard?
It’s the safety collar. FIG makes it compulsory for round-off entry vaults such as the Yurchenko, so a hand or foot that misses the board lands on padding. In women’s elite competition, skipping it makes the vault invalid.
What is the difference between a soft and a hard springboard?
They have the same size but feel different underfoot. FIG competitions must offer both, and the gymnast picks one. The hard board is marked with a dot.
The Short Version
Elite vault equipment is standardised so every venue feels the same: a 125 cm table for women and 135 cm for men, a 25 m runway, a 120 cm springboard in soft and hard versions, a collar for round-off entries, and 6 m of landing mats with a marked corridor. Those numbers come from FIG’s 2026 Apparatus Norms and apply at FIG events and the Olympics. At USA Gymnastics club meets, the Rules and Policies set the vault setup for each level and division.