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Gymnastics 101

Your daughter just moved up a level and everyone is speaking a language you don't know yet. Here's the plain-English version.

The ladder

Understanding the levels

Developmental levels. Skills are compulsory and most gyms treat these as in-house or introductory competition levels.

Compulsory levels. Every gymnast in the country competes the exact same routines, so scoring comes down to execution.

Optional levels. Gymnasts get their own routines built around required skill values — this is where floor music and choreography start to matter.

Elite optional levels. Level 10 is the primary route to college gymnastics, with Regionals and Nationals on the line.

Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond. A flexible alternative track with lighter training hours and its own state championships.

The path toward national team and international competition. A very small number of gymnasts qualify.

How scoring works

Start value: A routine begins with a start value, usually 10.0 in compulsory levels.
Deductions: Judges deduct for bent knees, flexed feet, steps on landings, falls (0.5) and form breaks.
All-around: The sum of all four events (vault, bars, beam, floor) for girls; six events for boys.
Scratch: A gymnast who doesn't compete an event doesn't receive an all-around score.

Downloads

Reference documents hosted from the original GymnasticsMama library.

Where you compete

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