Gymnastics level 1, 2 and 3 balance beam routine has a time limit of 30 seconds

Ten seconds before your time is up the person timing will either ring a bell or say “warning.” Once your time is up you will either hear a bell ring again or the person timing say “time.” If you go over time you will receive a 0.10 deduction from your average score. If you are a level  7-10 and your routine is shorter than 30 seconds you will receive a 2.00 point deduction from your final score plus a deduction for whatever is missing in your routine. The time for a beam routine will began as soon as the gymnast takes off from the mat or springboard.  And the time ends as soon as the gymnast lands on the mat after her dismount. If the gymnast falls during her beam routine the person timing will stop the time once the gymnast makes contact with the floor.  The time will restart as soon as the gymnast makes her first move to continue her beam routine. The gymnast only has 30 seconds to remount the balance beam after she falls off. This time will be timed separately; this means there must be two stop watches. The person timing  will notify the gymnast when she has 20 seconds and also 10 seconds remaining  to remount the beam. If she doesn’t remount the beam within the  time limit the balance beam routine will be terminated. Within the 30 second fall time a gymnastics coach is allowed to coach and talk to the gymnast without receiving any deduction.  During the fall time the gymnast may perform a skill on the mat but will receive a 0.20 deduction.

Nervousness and anxiety are extremely normal in artistic gymnastics. Especially when it comes to the balance beam. By far, balance beam is the event that almost every gymnasts get the most nervous about. The thought of tumbling 4 feet over the ground on a 4 inch beam can be very scary. It doesn’t matter how much experience you have, you will still get nervous when it’s your turn to compete your balance beam routine. There are a few things you can do as a gymnast to eliminate anxiety and nervousness.

Cutting down you anxiety before you compete balance beam at a gymnastics meet is not something that comes easy. It takes a lot of practice! But in the end it is worth it.

Competing a balance beam routine is way different than being at practice and performing it. You could do your balance beam routine in practice a thousand times and never get nervous and then go to a gymnastics meet and fall apart once you mount the beam. The question is, how can you eliminate your anxiety and nervousness at a gymnastics meet?

You can eliminate nervousness by competing! But the problem is there is not enough meets in a season to get a lot of experience from. This means you need to create situations that will help you train and prepare for a gymnastics meet other than practice and competition.

You can start by performing your balance beam routine while there are loud progressive/cheerleading classes in the gym, or when a birthday party is going on. You can also try turning up music really loud while practicing your gymnastics beam routine. Invite friends and family to watch and encourage them to talk and cheer while you are on the beam. While all this is going on you need to try to focus and tune everything out. Another good way to practice is to go to as many small/fun gymnastics meets as possible.

Just remember if you fall off beam your anxiety level will rise, this is not a good thing. So don’t rush it, take a deep breath and even a short pause if needed. It is better to get a small deduction for going over time or for pausing in your routine than to receive a deduction for a fall. Plus once you fall it is much harder to get back up and finish without letting your anxiety get the best of you.

The hardest thing about beam isn’t the gymnastics dance, skills, turns, jumps, or leaps that are in the routine, it is the mental inclinations the gymnast’s have. The main reason girls shake on beam and get so nervous is because they are head cases. This is by far the hardest thing to get over! The only things that can help with mental inclinations is practice, practice, practice.



USAG has specific gymnastics skills and requirements for each gymnastics level. The Level 5 balance beam routine requirements are as followed…

Before you Mount- If you are right legged you must stand on the right side of the balance beam to mount, if you are a lefty stand on the left side of the beam. When you start you mount you must parallel with the balance beam while facing the long end of the beam.

LEG SWING MOUNT WITH HALF TURN- When mounting you may take one to three steps. Swing you good leg (outside leg) up and over the beam while turning 180 degrees to arrive in a cross straddle sit. Make sure you keep your torso erect throughout the mount. Make sure you maintain straight arms and body posture when mounting. Do not make the mount choppy but make it fluid.

V-SIT- Extend your legs completely with pointed toes. You may bend or straighten your arms but you cannot push of the balance beam with your hands to perform the stand!

HEAL SNAP TURN (1/2 turn in coupe)- fro m the “finish” position bend your back leg and pull it towards until your bad foot is touching the ankle of your good leg. Rise in releve to perform a heal snap turn. Once the turn is completed, immediately drop to a flat foot and pause. Make sure you show the use of your arms when turning

LEAP- legs must separate on the leap and reach a minimum of 90 degrees. Must sustain straight legs and pointed toes throughout the entire leap and land in a low, paused, arabesque position. DO NOT bend the front leg on takeoff (this will be a staged leap and will receive deductions). The judge is looking for amplitude, great posture and an even leg separation (legs even, not one higher than the next)

WEIGHT TRANSFER- Both feet must be turned out. Must show rocking through the use of plie going forward and backwards. Maintain an erect torso and smooth fluid motion from beginning to end.

CROSS HANDSTAND- lever in and out of the handstand while stretching out body and closing legs at the top. Hands must be side by side (cannot be staged) while in the handstand. Must obtain vertical and hold for one second

PIVOT TURNS-Must maintain a tight, straight, square hipped body in high releve throughout both turns. Each turn must be super sharp and MUST complete 180 each way

½ TURN – Must complete a 180 degree turn on high releve; show control before stepping out to finish.

CARTWHEEL- must pass through vertical (I like to tell my gymnasts they have to be a windmill not a helicopter). Lever in and out of cartwheel while maintaining a tight body. Must maintain square hips and the beginning and end. To not place hands on the balance beam at the same time.

STRAIGHT JUMP (STRETCH JUMP)- must maintain a straight, tight, erect body. Push off of toes and close legs together during jump.

SPLIT JUMP- must show an even leg separation of 90 degrees or more. Must push off toes and show amplitude, erect torso, straight tight legs. Land with legs together.

ARABESQUE – Back leg must lift behind at a minimum of 45 degrees and must be held for at least 1 second.

SCALE- Back leg must lift a minimum of 90 degrees and be held for at least 2 seconds. The Gymnast must keep both legs locked out and chest up while performing both the scale and arabesque.

DISMOUNT- Must maintain a straight tight body while doing a cartwheel to side handstand. Must show levering into it. Once at the top legs much touch and remain together. Hold for two second. After being held, do a ¼ turn dismount. Body should remain straight from start to finish. Landing should be parallel to the balance beam.

Make sure you show fluidity and gymnastics dance throughout your routine!!! Each and every gymnastics skill is important so try your hardest, squeeze your tightest, and finish each and every gymnastics skill in your balance beam routine!!

Gymnastics and dance are completely different sports, but a working knowledge and ability to perform each of these disciplines are a must to be a great gymnast and dancer. Every gymnastics floor and balance beam routine includes a vast amount of dance to connect gymnastics skills.

Serious and competitive gymnasts should take dance lessons along side with working out in the gym. Dance is an extremely important part of gymnastics. Gymnastics and dance go hand in hand, for this reason I refer to it as gymnastics dance. Gymnastics dance is crucial to a gymnasts’ success. In every balance beam and gymnastics floor routine ever performed, gymnastics dance is weaved throughout the entire piece. You may be a gymnast, not a dancer, but you are going to get judged on the dance you put into your routines. The neatest thing about gymnastics dance is it makes your routine unique and helps it stand out from all other gymnastics routines. Through gymnastics dance you are able to express your personality as an individual and a gymnast. This has a huge weight in your overall score, so make sure you go all out and make every move count. Amazing leaps, high flexible jumps, and perfect turns are a necessity for a high scouring balance beam and floor routine. Gymnastics dance is used in-between tumbling passes and gymnastics skills it is the fluidity that ties each part of your routine together making it whole.

Dance lessons will help you master these skills. I cannot express enough how beneficial dance is for gymnastics floor and balance beam success. It teaches great form, technique, grace, flexibility, fluidity, balance, and posture. Make sure your balance beam and gymnastics floor routines are choreographed specifically for you and no one else. By incorporating dance, skills, and tumbling passes that show your strengths.

In women’s gymnastics there are four apparatuses; the balance beam, vault table, floor exercise, and the uneven bars. Each of theses apparatuses have a different criteria and specific guidelines.

Women’s gymnastics balance beam is a very hard apparatus that is only used and competed by women. The balance beam takes a lot of concentration, balance and courage. The beam is a piece of equipment that is raised off the floor and is covered by tan leather to keep the gymnasts from slipping. The beam is sixteen feet four inches long and a mere four inches wide. Each gymnast is required to perform a routine on the beam without falling off. Beam is extremely hard because if a gymnast pauses in the slightest way during her routine the judges will deduct points from her score.

If a gymnast is at a compulsory level they have a specific choreographed routine they must compete. Every gymnast in America based on their level, will also compete the same exact routine (yes this does get a little boring if you are a coach or a judge). If the gymnast is an optional level they have their very own choreographed routine. Each women’s gymnastics balance beam routine has a specific time limit depending on the gymnast’s level. If the gymnast does not complete their routine within the time limit, they get a .10 deduction whether they go one second over or sixty seconds over. Every women’s gymnastic beam routine starts with a mount and ends with a dismount. Each beam routine is not performed to music but to silence, that way the gymnast can focus staying on the beam. Women’s gymnastics balance beam routines not only consist of many gymnastics skills but also a great amount of gymnastics dance.

Another important thing to know about beam is you may use a panel mat or spring board to mount if the beam is too high. The mat or spring board must be moved as soon as the gymnast mounts the beam or the gymnast will receive a deduction. On a score sheet women’s gymnastics balance beam is represented by the capital letters BB.