When gymnastics do the vault, do their hands have to hit the horse first?

Is it required or just better form? I'm just imagining if one could do a flip onto it, land on their feet and do more flips off. They could get more height I think. |||It Goes Like Whatever Then On To The Spring And You Flip Off (you are not allowed to have your feet on the vault) Then you do the back flip or whatever off the vault.





Watch this video-


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5tb0Ptztn8





as you can see, the feet is on the spring when she gets the pressure and just enough to jump on the vault. Speed is important, if you are slow, you cannot get enough pressure to jump onto the vault.





The rule says its not allowed to have a gymnast have its feet on the vault. So yes, their hands have to hit the horse first and last.





Hope this helps!|||They have to, well I do. Vault is running, jumping off a spring board, poping to handstand on the table, maybe some tucks, and sticking the landing. Hope this helps!|||I think it's against the rules to put your feet on the vault table, I'm not entirely sure, though. I know it's a deduction if your feet clip the vault table. I've never seen a gymnast put their feet on the vault, anyway.