The lower score is dropped. Each vault has a specific value. Now, a little bit about each event. The balance beam is four inches wide, four feet high and sixteen feet long. The routine cannot be under one minute and ten seconds, but cannot be over one minute and thirty seconds.
Judges look for good distance from the vault and good height.
Different vaulters adjust the position of the springboard and the height of the vault. In addition, different vaulters use different number of springs. The crowd pleasing floor routines must be set to music without words and are about a minute and a half long. For the gymnasts however, that short time seems like forever. You have to smile through the whole thing.