A rubber mat is a generic term for a piece of flat rubber, generally placed on a floor or other flat surface, which serves a range of purposes including:

• providing a regular or flat surface, such as a mousepad.
• protecting that which is beneath the mat, such as a place mat or the matting used in archival framing and preservation of documents and paintings.
• protecting that which is above the mat, such as a wrestling or gymnastics mat, or an anti-vibration mat.
• changing the state of that which passes above it, such as a doormat attracting dirt from shoes.