How to Perform Gymnastic Floor Routines

Gymnasts perform their floor routines by moving gracefully across the entire mat and tumbling from corner to corner. Required elements must be performed to a certain standard in order to receive enough points to win a competition.

Instructions

    • 1

      Select the music. Gymnasts perform their routines to instrumental music that they select with their coaches. The music should match the gymnast's personality and flair.

    • 2

      Choreograph the routine to work with the music. Many gymnasts will choreograph the floor routine with their coaches on a non-competitive level. But for competitions, a professional is often called in to polish the performance.

    • 3

      Practice. Hours hard work are put into each performance. Every move must be executed with exact precision. Toes must be pointed at all times, elegant arms should move in coordination with the music and tumbling passes need to be high and powerful.

    • 4

      Wear a leotard. Every female gymnast will wear a team leotard with her hair pulled back if it is long. The men wear team sweatpants and shirts in competition. Women can also wear make-up, like sparkly glitter on their eyes.

    • 5

      Demonstrate the required floor skills in each routine. A good blend of technical difficulty, artistry, required elements - such as 3 to 4 tumbling passes - and overall performance must be demonstrated for 70 to 90 seconds to achieve high scores.

    • 6

      Endure. A gymnast must withstand the fatigue and exhaustion that occurs during practice and competition. Judges look for a fresh, clean performance no matter how difficult the routine is. Looking sluggish will cost you points.

    • 7

      Impress the judges. The gymnast will start with a perfect score and points are deducted for poor form, lack of elements, falls or other errors. A gymnast must stay within the 40 by 40 foot boundaries of the floor mat throughout a performance.