Mats are used for safety in

gymnastics Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, s ...

, and in training new skills. They are usually a piece of foam (covered in leather) ranging from 1.5-28 inches thick, covered in a vinyl or plastic lining. The foam ranges in density from relatively firm to very soft. Landing mats are usually blue, but can also be almost any other color. Mats come in a range of sizes, from very small mats used on the beam, to very large mats, used in the foam pits. Typically, in both competition and practice, the use of mats is mandatory. On every event except

floor exercise In gymnastics, the floor is a specially prepared exercise surface, which is considered an apparatus. It is used by both male and female gymnasts. The gymnastics event performed on the floor is called floor exercise. The English abbreviation for t ...

pommel horse The pommel horse is an artistic gymnastics apparatus. Traditionally, it is used by only male gymnasts. Originally made of a metal frame with a wooden body and a leather cover, the modern pommel horse has a metal body covered with foam rubbe ...

and

vault Vault may refer to: * Jumping, the act of propelling oneself upwards Architecture * Vault (architecture), an arched form above an enclosed space * Bank vault, a reinforced room or compartment where valuables are stored * Burial vault (enclosure ...

, gymnasts may use an additional landing mat, without deduction, which may be adjusted for distance.

Types

Beam pads

These are thin mats that fasten around the

balance beam The balance beam is a rectangular artistic gymnastics apparatus and an event performed using the apparatus. Both the apparatus and the event are sometimes simply referred to as "beam". The English abbreviation for the event in gymnastics scoring i ...

. They are used only in training to give gymnasts training high-level skills additional protection and a wider landing space while working on the apparatus. Makeshift beam pads can also be constructed from soft mats placed over the beam surface, if necessary.

Blocks

Blocks are firm,

trapezoid A quadrilateral with at least one pair of parallel sides is called a trapezoid () in American and Canadian English. In British and other forms of English, it is called a trapezium (). A trapezoid is necessarily a convex quadrilateral in Eucli ...

or rectangular shaped mats. They can be attached to other blocks via