Interested in platform or springboard diving? Familiarise yourself with the terminology used in the sport with our quick diving glossary.  

Approach — the forward steps taken by a diver toward the end of the board. This usually involves three or more steps.

Armstand dive — a dive that's executed from a motionless armstand position on the edge of the platform. These are performed only from solid platforms and not the springboards.

Backward dive — a dive in which the diver begins with their back toward the water.

Degree of difficulty — a measure of each dive, telling how difficult it is to execute. It is used to determine the final score. Also known as the tariff.

Entry — the point in a dive in which the diver makes contact with the water.

Execution — the carrying out of the dive where the diver will be looking to maintain good control.

Forward dive — the diver faces forwards and rotates forwards away from the board.

Inward dive — the diver begins with back to the water and rotates toward the board after take-off.

Judge — an official who gives scores for each dive.

Pike — the diver bends their body forward at the waist. The legs are straight and the toes are pointed.

Platform — the solid diving board from which competitors dive. Also known as firm boards.

Reverse dive — the diver faces forwards and rotates backwards towards the board.

Somersault — a move that involves a complete rotation of the body with the heels over the head.

Springboard — a flexible diving board that adds to the diver's own spring on take-off.

Straight — a position in which body is straight from head to toe, with the feet together and the toes pointed.

Synchronised diving — two divers of the same gender perform the same or complementary dives from the same level board at the same time — the aim being to execute their dive in a similar fashion to the other.

Take-off — the moment at which the diver lifts from the board or platform to begin execution of the dive.

Tariff — the numerical value given to a dive. This is the same as the degree of difficulty. The degree of difficulty ranges from 1.2 to 3.6.

Tower — the entire diving platform structure.

Tuck — a position in which the diver bends their knees, bringing or ‘tucking’ the knees and thighs closer to the chest and heels toward the buttocks.

Twisting dive — any dive that includes a twist, whether forward, backward, reverse or inward.