Pas: In gymnastics and ballet, means step or dance, as in Pas De Chat, which means “step of the cat.” 

Pak Salto: An uneven bar move in which the gymnast releases the high bar, does a backward flip, and catches the low bar. Named for North Korean gymnast Gyong Sil Pak, who created it.

Parallel Bars: A men's event performed on a gymnastics apparatus consisting of two bars, each 195 centimeters high and 350 centimeters long, and positioned 42 to 52 centimeters apart.  A parallel bar routine is made up mostly of swing and flight elements and should include at least one release move.  Also commonly called p-bars. 

Passé: A basic gymnastics and dance balance position where one leg is turned outward with the thigh at horizontal, knee bent and toes touching the inner knee of the other leg.  Commonly used in hops, jumps and turns.

Passive Stretching: A general term used to describe a static stretch in which an external force (such as the floor or another person) holds the performer in the static position. 

Peel: Peeling off of a gymnastics apparatus refers to a situation where a gymnast involuntarily lets go of the apparatus with their hands causing their body to fly away from the apparatus and often resulting in an almost immediate impact with the ground. Peeling off occurs primarily on bars, but can also occur on p-bars and rings.

Phelps: A vault named after American Jayce Phelps.  The vault consists of a half twist on, half twist off into a front layout.  It has been rated by the FIG as a D level difficulty skill.  Its FIG number is  3.407. 

Phillips:  A balance bean skill done by American gymnast Kristie Phillips. It was first performed in 1987 World Championships  A handstand straddle split, with a 90 degree backbend, originally performed on the balance beam and press to side handstand, front walkover to side stand on both legs.  The Phillips has been rated as a D level skill and its FIG number is 7.404. 

Pig: A gymnastics slang term for the pommel horse, not necessarily an affectionate term.

Pike: A gymnastics body position used in jumps and saltos with the body bent forward at the waist with the legs kept straight. Judges look for more than a 90 degree bend at the hips for correct execution.  Somersaulting skills done in pike position are more difficult than the ones in tuck position and easier than saltos done in layout position.. 

Pipe: A term commonly used to refer to a men’s high bar. 

Pirouette: A term used in both gymnastics and dance to refer to a turn around the body's longitudinal axis.  It is used to refer to both handstand turning moves on bars and p-bars and also to refer to a dancing element, e.g. to turn on one foot.  Turns for both are measured in degrees or increments of ½ turns.   The dance term liiterally means “whirligig,” which is an old fashioned name for a child’s top. Pirouette is now used to describe the many kinds of turns that gymnasts and dancers do on toe.

Pit: A gymnastics safety training constructions in which a large quantity of soft foam is used to cushion landings or any falls off another gymnastics apparatus.  Pits are used to train for almost every gymnastics event (not used for pommel horse).  Three are a number of different types of gymnastics pits, including in-ground, above ground, loose foam, 32” thick mats and bungee pits where the loose foam or mat is suspended on a trampoline like structure.  Though injury is still possible in a pit, the extra margin of safety greatly reduces the risk.  Pits are used in virtually every high level gymnastics training program.

Pivot: A dance or gymnastics turn on the ball of the foot. 

Planche: A gymnastics skill performed on the still rings, beam and floor in which the body is held supported by the hands and arms only in a straight position parallel to the floor. 

Plié: A gymnastics and dance movement. Most movements in ballet technique begin and end with a plié, which is a bend and stretch of the hip, knee, and ankle joints. Demi- and grand-pliés are done as an exercise at the beginning of the barre work and are done as half-bends and full-bends of the knee. 

Plyometrics: Plyometric exercise is defined as a special type of strength training where the muscles are trained to rapidly contract.  In gymnastics it is most commonly used to increase the “punch” power of a gymnast for tumbling and vaulting.

PNF Stretching: PNF is an abbreviation for proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation A technique for increasing flexibility which combines muscle tension with passive stretching. Also sometimes called isometric stretching. 

Pointe: In classical ballet, when a dancer uses special shoes (called pointe shoes or toe shoes) to dance en pointe (on their toes). The arch of the top of the foot is at its maximum when the dancer "pushes over", causing the heel of the foot to be almost directly over the toes. Children do not begin to study pointe until they have years of experience and sufficient ankle strength, as well as being old enough to ensure that their bones are strong enough.

Pointed Toes: Toe point is an important factor in gymnastics. When the toes and foot are pulled downward so that the line from the knee to the tip of the toes is essentially straight and there is no angle in the ankle.  This emphasizes a long straight leg and body line.

Pommel Horse: A men’s gymnastics event performed on an apparatus 115 centimeters high, 35 centimeters wide, and 160 centimeters long, with two pommels on the top, adjusted between 40 and 45 centimeters apart. A pommel horse routine consists of a series of circular movements and required scissors elements performed with one or both hands on the pommels. No other part of the body may touch the apparatus. 

Port de Bras: This term literally means carriage of the arms. It refers to the set positions of the arms as well as the manner in which the arms are moved from position to position during gymnastics dance and ballet.

Puck: A puck is a slang gymnastics term used to refer to a gymnastics salto body position that is a cross between a pike and a tuck. It can range from a very open tuck position to a pike with bent knees.  It is not an acceptable competition salto position.

Punch: A gymnastics term that refers to bouncing off of the floor, vault board or beam as opposed to jumping. “Punching" refers to an almost perfectly straight leg quick plyometric movement.  Punching movements allow gymnasts to more fully utilize the inherent spring in the gymnastics equipment.  Jumping involves bending the legs and pushing. 

Gymnastics Dictionary