A women’s FIG vault score combines the difficulty of the vault with the quality of its execution. Judges identify the vault performed, apply its listed Difficulty Value, and evaluate everything from the springboard take-off to the landing.
For an individual vault, the calculation is:
D-Score + E-Score − separate penalties = Vault Score
The D-Score is the value assigned to that vault. The E-Score begins from 10.0 and is reduced for technical and execution errors. A gymnast who competes two vaults for an apparatus result has both scores averaged, with a possible 0.20 bonus for a qualifying pair.
This guide covers senior FIG women’s artistic gymnastics under the 2025–2028 Code of Points, including the WAG Help Desk (2nd edition, April 2026). Rules checked September 14, 2026. For the scoring framework across events, see how FIG gymnastics scoring works.
| Scoring feature | FIG women’s Vault rule |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Predetermined value for the recognized vault |
| Execution | E-Score begins from 10.0 |
| Team and all-around scoring | One vault counts |
| Qualification for the Vault Final | Two vaults are required |
| Vault Final | Two vaults are required |
| Two-vault result | Average of both scores, with applicable adjustments |
| Required variety | The two vaults must come from different vault groups |
| Two-vault bonus | 0.20 for a qualifying forward-and-backward pair performed without falls |
| Fall on an otherwise valid vault | 1.00 execution deduction |
| Invalid vault | 0.00 |
These rules are set out in Section 10 of the FIG Women’s Code.
How Vault Difficulty Is Determined
Each recognized vault has a numerical Difficulty Value, or DV, in the FIG vault table. That value supplies the D-Score for the individual vault.
Judges identify the complete vault by its entry, body position, number of flips and number of twists. They do not build its difficulty by adding eight individual skills, Composition Requirements or Connection Value.
A salto is a flip performed without hand support. The main body positions are:
- Tuck: the gymnast bends the knees and draws the legs toward the body.
- Pike: the gymnast folds at the hips while keeping the legs straight.
- Layout, or stretched: the gymnast maintains an extended body position.
These positions help distinguish one vault from another. A double-twisting layout and a double pike describe very different movements: the first combines one flip with two twists; the second contains two flips in a piked position.
Examples of current women’s vault values
A Yurchenko entry begins with a round-off onto the springboard, followed by a back handspring onto the table. The gymnast then pushes away into the airborne portion of the vault.
| Vault | Main movement after leaving the table | Current FIG DV |
|---|---|---|
| Yurchenko full | One backward layout salto with one full twist | 4.20 |
| Yurchenko 1½ | One backward layout salto with 1½ twists | 4.60 |
| Yurchenko double twist | One backward layout salto with two twists | 5.00 |
| Amanar | One backward layout salto with 2½ twists | 5.40 |
| Cheng | After a round-off half-turn entry onto the table, a forward layout salto with 1½ twists | 5.60 |
| Biles II | Two backward saltos in a piked position after a Yurchenko entry | 6.40 |
These values appear in the current FIG women’s vault tables. They should be read with the Code cycle attached, because FIG can change a vault’s numerical value between cycles.
The vault number is a separate reference. For example, the Cheng is listed as 5.33, but its Difficulty Value is 5.60. The identifying number is not a score.
Judges credit the vault actually performed
The gymnast displays her intended vault number before the attempt. The D-Jury then identifies the vault she actually completes. If it differs from the announced vault, the judges apply the value of the recognized vault.
Insufficient twist completion or failure to show the required body position can lead to a different vault being credited. For twisting landings, the Code uses the front foot’s placement when deciding whether the twist is complete.
Not every form error changes the vault’s identity. Bent knees can be an execution fault while the intended vault retains its value.
More substantial technical errors may affect both recognition and execution. The relevant guidance appears in Code Section 8.1 and the Help Desk’s vault-recognition examples.
What Judges Evaluate in the E-Score
The E-Score starts from 10.0. Execution judges assess the vault’s technique, body form, flight and landing, and their evaluations are combined under the judging-panel rules.
Although the attempt lasts only a few seconds, it has four judged phases:
| Phase | What happens | What judges assess |
|---|---|---|
| First flight, or pre-flight | The gymnast moves from the springboard to the table | Entry turn, body alignment, knees and leg position |
| Support | The hands contact the table and push away | Arm and shoulder position, alignment and timing of the push |
| Second flight, or post-flight | The gymnast travels from the table toward the landing | Height, distance, body shape, rotation and overall power |
| Landing | The gymnast contacts the mat and establishes control | Steps, balance, body posture and falls |
The rapid push away from the table is commonly called the block. It helps produce the flight needed to complete the vault. Running speed contributes to the movement, but judges do not award a separate score for the run itself.
Deductions before the landing
| Fault | Deduction under the applicable Vault rule |
|---|---|
| Bent knees in flight | 0.10, 0.30 or 0.50 |
| Separated legs or knees | 0.10 or 0.30 |
| Bent arms or poor shoulder angle during support | 0.10, 0.30 or 0.50 |
| Required twisting action begins too early on the table | 0.10 or 0.30 |
| Insufficient height in second flight | 0.10, 0.30 or 0.50 |
| Insufficient distance from the table | 0.10 or 0.30 |
| Failure to maintain the stretched position, including piking too early | 0.10 or 0.30 |
| Insufficient opening of a tucked or piked vault | 0.10 or 0.30 |
| Deviation from a straight direction | 0.10 |
| Insufficient overall dynamics | 0.10 or 0.30 |
The specific deduction depends on the fault and its severity. An error can occur in more than one phase: the Help Desk specifies that bent legs and leg separation are assessed in both first and second flight when present.
Other faults have different application rules. The deduction for unpointed feet, for example, is applied once for the vault overall. Judges therefore follow the individual entries rather than multiplying every visible fault by the number of phases.
These values and distinctions come from Code Section 10.6 and the Help Desk’s Vault execution guidance.
Landing deductions
| Landing fault on an otherwise valid vault | Deduction |
|---|---|
| Ordinary extra step or slight hop | 0.10 each |
| Very large step or jump | 0.30 each |
| Loss of balance | 0.10 or 0.30 |
| Poor landing posture | 0.10 or 0.30 |
| Deep squat | 0.50 |
| Hands brush or touch the mat without supporting a fall | 0.30 |
| Hands support the body to prevent a fall | 1.00 |
| Fall onto the knees or hips | 1.00 |
The guideline for a very large step is more than shoulder width. The Code also distinguishes touching the mat briefly from placing weight through the hands to prevent a fall.
If there is no fall, the maximum deduction for the landing is 0.80. This does not cap all deductions on the vault. Technical and form errors before landing can still reduce the E-Score separately.
A stuck landing means the gymnast controls the landing without moving the feet, but she may still lose points for poor posture, a deep squat or faults earlier in the vault. The full execution framework is explained in how the FIG E-Score is calculated.
When Does a Gymnast Perform One Vault or Two?
The number of vaults depends on the part of the competition and the result the gymnast is pursuing.
| Competition situation | Vaults needed | Score used |
|---|---|---|
| Qualification for team and all-around results only | One | First vault |
| Qualification for the Vault Final | Two | Average of both, with applicable adjustments |
| Team Final | One | That vault’s score |
| All-Around Final | One | That vault’s score |
| Vault Final | Two | Average of both, with applicable adjustments |
A gymnast attempting to qualify for the Vault Final can also contribute to the team or all-around standings. In that situation, her first vault counts toward those totals and also enters her two-vault apparatus result.
The second vault does not replace the first for team or all-around purposes if it receives a higher score. The qualification and final formats are specified in Code Section 10.4.
The two vaults must come from different groups
FIG divides women’s vaults into five groups according to their entry and movement characteristics.
| Group | General description |
|---|---|
| 1 | Vaults without a salto, with various handspring, Yamashita or round-off actions |
| 2 | Forward handspring entries, with permitted entry turns, followed by a forward or backward salto |
| 3 | Tsukahara entries: a quarter- to half-turn before table contact, followed by a backward salto |
| 4 | Yurchenko entries and specified turning variations, followed by a backward salto |
| 5 | Round-off entries with a half-turn onto the table, followed by a forward or backward salto |
The group number is not a difficulty ranking. A Group 5 vault is not automatically harder than a Group 4 vault.
A Yurchenko double twist and an Amanar are different vaults, but both belong to Group 4. They do not satisfy the different-group requirement. A Yurchenko double twist and a Cheng belong to Groups 4 and 5 respectively.
These descriptions summarize the classifications in Code Section 10.3.
The women’s 0.20 two-vault bonus
A qualifying pair can earn 0.20 added to the two-vault average when the second-flight saltos go in opposite directions: one backward and one forward. Both vaults must be performed without a fall, and the pair must meet the different-group requirement.
The direction refers to the flipping movement after the gymnast leaves the table. It is not determined simply by which way she faces on landing. FIG specifically treats Cuervo-type vaults as forward saltos for this rule.
A successfully performed Yurchenko double twist and Cheng can qualify because their second-flight saltos are backward and forward respectively. Performing two different vaults does not automatically earn the bonus.
The bonus is added once after averaging. It does not add 0.20 to each vault’s D-Score. The calculation is illustrated in the Help Desk’s two-vault bonus examples.
Falls, Invalid Vaults and Missing Attempts
A fall and an invalid vault have very different consequences.
If the gymnast lands feet first and then falls, the vault can retain its Difficulty Value and receive the standard 1.00 fall deduction. Judges may also deduct for other technical errors under the relevant rules.
If she does not land feet first, the vault is generally invalid and receives 0.00. The Help Desk requires clear contact of the feet before another body part.
There is a specific exception for the handspring double-front vault, also called the Produnova. If the second salto is incomplete and the feet and another body part land simultaneously, the Code specifies recognition as a handspring front tuck instead. That provision does not apply generally to every vault landing.
What can make a vault invalid?
The invalid-vault rules include situations such as:
- Neither hand contacts the table during the support phase.
- The required safety collar is not properly used for a round-off entry.
- A coach provides spotting assistance during the vault.
- The gymnast fails to land feet first, subject to the applicable recognition rules.
- The vault cannot be recognized because of how it was performed, or the gymnast pushes off the table with her feet.
- A prohibited vault is performed.
- The identical first vault is repeated as the second vault in Vault qualification or the Vault Final.
The Help Desk also identifies repeated hand contacts, such as walking the hands across the table, as an invalid vault. A brief or poor support phase should not be confused with no support at all; each situation has its own rule.
Invalid vaults are recorded as zero by the D-Jury without an E-Score evaluation. The Code requires automatic video review for a vault receiving an invalid zero or performed with support from only one hand. See Code Section 10.4.3.
Same group and identical vault are different mistakes
If two different vaults come from the same group, 2.00 is deducted from the second vault’s score before averaging:
[Vault 1 score + (Vault 2 score − 2.00)] ÷ 2
Repeating the identical vault makes the second vault invalid instead. Its zero enters the average.
For example, a valid 14.000 followed by an invalid vault produces:
(14.000 + 0.000) ÷ 2 = 7.000
The gymnast does not keep the first score as her complete apparatus result.
What if the second vault is never performed?
Failing to complete the required two-vault competition is different from performing an invalid vault. The Help Desk specifies DNF, or Did Not Finish, with no apparatus ranking when only one vault is performed in a two-vault entry.
Its examples distinguish an executed vault receiving zero from a second attempt that is not started or not carried out. These cases are shown in the Help Desk’s apparatus-result examples.
Landing Corridor and Other Separate Penalties
Some penalties are taken from the individual vault’s final score rather than through its E-Score. The landing corridor is the most visible example.
How the corridor lines work
The marked lines on the landing mat define the corridor in which the gymnast should land and establish a stable standing position. The lines themselves are inside the permitted area.
| Contact outside the corridor | Separate penalty |
|---|---|
| One foot or one hand, including part of it | 0.10 |
| Two feet, two hands, a foot and a hand, or another body part | 0.30 |
The first landing contact is not the only moment that matters. A gymnast can land inside and then step outside, receiving a corridor penalty.
Three different assessments can apply to one landing: an execution deduction for an uncontrolled step, an execution deduction for directional deviation, and a separate corridor penalty. A gymnast can also deviate from the desired straight direction while remaining inside the corridor.
The Help Desk’s corridor illustrations explain these distinctions. For the broader scoring terminology, see neutral deductions in gymnastics.
Run approaches and one-hand support
| Situation | Separate penalty |
|---|---|
| Using more than the permitted 25-metre run distance | 0.50 |
| An empty run approach under the Vault rule | 1.00 |
| Supporting on the table with only one hand | 2.00 |
An extra run is not another completed vault to choose from. When one vault is required, a second approach is permitted under the empty-run rule, with the deduction; a third is not permitted. When two vaults are required, a third approach is permitted with the deduction; a fourth is not permitted.
This allowance applies when the gymnast has not touched the springboard or table. The Help Desk treats touching the hand-placement mat or landing mats without vaulting as an empty run. Merely taking one or two initial steps does not automatically constitute an empty run.
One-hand support receives a substantial separate penalty, while no hand support makes the vault invalid. The procedures appear in Code Sections 10.2 and 10.4.2.
A Complete Two-Vault Scoring Example
Suppose a gymnast performs a Yurchenko double twist followed by a Cheng. Both vaults are recognized, come from different groups and are completed without a fall.
The following execution scores and penalties are hypothetical:
| Component | Vault 1: Yurchenko double twist | Vault 2: Cheng |
|---|---|---|
| Vault group | 4 | 5 |
| Second-flight salto direction | Backward | Forward |
| D-Score | 5.000 | 5.600 |
| E-Score | 9.000 | 8.800 |
| Separate penalty | −0.100 for one foot outside | None |
| Individual vault score | 13.900 | 14.400 |
The first vault is calculated as 5.000 + 9.000 − 0.100 = 13.900. The second is 5.600 + 8.800 = 14.400.
Their average is:
(13.900 + 14.400) ÷ 2 = 14.150
Because the pair meets the forward-and-backward bonus conditions, the gymnast receives another 0.20:
14.150 + 0.200 = 14.350
Her two-vault apparatus result is 14.350. If this performance occurs in qualification and she is also competing for team or all-around results, her first-vault score of 13.900 counts toward those totals.
Both vaults matter in the apparatus average. If an otherwise valid vault receives a 1.00 fall deduction, that alone lowers the average by 0.50.
If the pair would otherwise have earned the bonus, losing it costs another 0.20. The combined effect is 0.70 before considering any additional faults or changes in difficulty.