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Balance Beam

Balance beam is the beam apparatus in women's artistic gymnastics. On a narrow beam, gymnasts perform mount, leaps, turns, acrobatic elements, holds and dismount; difficulty, execution and deductions determine the score.

LevelVariant FamilyGymnastics Family CategoryGymnastics sport

Representative sports image for Balance Beam — Pierre-Yves Beaudouin · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Image source

Classification

Category Gymnastics sport

Family Gymnastics Family

Level Variant

Getting started

Kurzbeschreibung Balance beam combines gymnastics skills precisely on a very narrow surface.

Geeignet für Suitable for people who like balance, body tension, nerve and clean technical progression.

Cost Low to medium in a club or class; owning a beam is not needed for entry. Medium depending on gymnastics club, class, leotard and training volume. Gymnastics club, artistic gymnastics group, apparatus class or gym with beam and mats. Start low with mats; high beam and saltos only with a coach.

First progress Basic walking comes quickly; safe jumps, turns and acrobatics take weeks to months.

Fitness level medium

Was du brauchst

gym hall
low beam or line
mats
coach
fitted clothing
progression plan

First steps

use a floor line
walk on low beam
practise releve and scales
small jumps and turns
dismounts low first

Gymnastics club, artistic/apparatus class, university sport or gym with beam.

Use low progressions, mats, spotting and coach approval before difficult skills.

Weitere Angaben

Tags individual, einzeln, balance-beam, gymnastics-sport, turnsport-familie, turnsport, schwebebalken

Rules and format

Die Grundlagen

Ziel

Perform a safe, difficult and cleanly executed beam routine.

Teilnehmer

Individual gymnast; team scoring possible by competition format.

Teamgröße

Individual on apparatus.

Spielfeld

Balance beam in gym hall with mats.

Dauer

Competition routine is short; training volume depends on level.

Wertung

Difficulty plus execution minus deductions.

Gewinnbedingung

Highest valid apparatus or all-around score.

Ausrüstung

balance beam
mats
gymnastics clothing
optional chalk

Wichtige Regelpunkte

fall
wobble
missing requirements
time/form deduction
unsafe landing

Regelquellen

Federations and sources

Federations

Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG)

Women's Artistic Gymnastics Event Descriptions USA Gymnastics · federation-event-guide · high
Balance Beam Britannica · reference-guide · medium
Clickable Code of Points - Balance Beam Balance Beam Situation · code-of-points-guide · medium
101 Ways To Add Variety On Balance Beam Pinnacle Gymnastics · coach-blog-guide · medium
Gymnastics Balance Beam Exercises Adapted for Home Practice Train Like A Gymnast · beginner-exercise-guide · medium