The World of Gymnastics

Posts Tagged ‘gymnastics level’

• Gymnastics level 1, 2 and 3 balance beam routine has a time limit of 30 seconds
• Gymnastics level 4 balance beam routine has a time limit of 50 seconds
• Gymnastics level 5 balance beam routine has a time limit of 1 minute and 5 seconds
• Gymnastics  level 6 balance beam routine has a time limit of 1 minute and 10 seconds
• Gymnastics level seven balance beam routine must be a minimum of 30 seconds and a maximum of  1 minute 20 (80 seconds)
• Gymnastics level 8, 9 and 10 minimum of 30 seconds maximum of 1 minute and 30 seconds (90 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.

USAG has established 10 levels of gymnastics, 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest. Gymnastics level 1-6 are known as compulsory levels. Compulsory gymnastics mean each gymnast competes the same routine on all events and has the same gymnastics floor music. Compulsory gymnastics is set up to have a steady progression of skills that start out from the basics and build until a gymnast reaches levels 7. Level 7-10 are called optional gymnastics levels.

One a gymnast reaches level 7 they are known as optional gymnasts. Optional means that the routines and music are no longer the same. Each routine is original and choreographed to fit the gymnast’s individuality, style, skill and gymnastics dance ability. Not having a standard routine allows gymnasts to display their talents, strengths and personality while decreasing their weaknesses. Optional gymnasts are also allowed to pick their own gymnastics floor music. Make sure to pick music that fits with your style of gymnastics dance.

Gymnastics level 7-10 have a few required skills and a specific degree of difficulty they must put into each routine to avoid deductions and receive a start value of a 10.00. Optional level skills have 5 categories, A, B, C,D and E. The skills are categorized by difficulty, A being the easiest and E being the hardest. Levels 7-10 have a specific amount of skills from particular categories that they are required to incorporate in their routines. For example, a level 7 must include 5 A’s and  2 B’s in their balance beam routine to have a 10.00 start value.

Optional levels 7 and 8 do have skill and difficulty restrictions. One small example is a level 7 and 8 are not allowed to perform any E skills in their routine. If they do they will receive a huge deduction. Gymnastics level 9 and 10 do not have any skill restrictions. They are allowed to put any skill in their routine as long as they meet the requirements. There is also age and score requirements for each level.

In order to compete as a level 7, a gymnast must have reach her 7^th birthday and had to receive an all-around (AA) score of a 31.00 as a level 6 at a sanctioned gymnastics meet. To compete as a level 8, the gymnast must reach her 8^th birthday and have received a minimum AA score of a 31.00  as a level 7 at a sanctioned meet. To be a gymnastics level 9, a gymnast must also be at least 8 years old and had to have received an AA score of a 34.00 as a level 8 at a sanctioned meet. A level 10 must be at least 9 years of age and had to receive an AA score of 34.00 at a sanctioned level 9 meet to be able to compete.

All of these rules and guidelines are established by USAG.

USAG has established10 Junior Olympic levels in gymnastics. After the 10^th level there is elite gymnastics. Gymnastics level 1-6 are known as the compulsory levels. In the compulsory levels every gymnast performs the same gymnastic routines on each event (floor, balance beam, vault and uneven bars).

Levels 1-3 are usually non competitive gymnastics levels. There is no official or sanctioned meets for theses level. Although some gyms may have small competitions so the gymnasts can have fun and gain experience. USAG has set forth mandatory ages for each level of competition. To compete as a gymnastics level 1 or 2 the gymnast has to have reached her 4^th birthday. To compete as a level 3 the gymnast has to have reached her 5^th birthday.

Gymnastics level 1-3 teach basic gymnastics skills, body positions and techniques. At these levels the gymnasts should be learning skills on floor, balance beam, vault and uneven bars. All of the gymnastics skills learned in these levels are the foundation and building blocks needed to start making a great gymnast.

Here are the main basic skills you will learn in level 1, 2 and 3!!

VAULT

• Level 1 Vault- arm circle, punching the spring board, straight jump on an 8 inch mat
• Level 2 Vault- Handstand on spring board, blocking off, landing in a flat back position on a 16 inch mat
• Level 3 Vault- run, hurdle, punch board, dive forward roll to a stand on a resi mat (waist height)

UNEVNE BARS

• Level 1 Bars- 2 foot pullover, casting, back hip circle, push away dismount
• Level 2 Bars- 2 foot pullover, casting, back hip circle, straddle on, sole circle dismount
• Level 3 Bars- 2 foot pullover, casting, back hip circle, cut over, mill (stride) circle, cut back, squat on, pike sole circle dismount

BALANCE BEAM

• Level 1 Balance beam- front support, candle stick, arabesque, coupe walks, releve (tiptoe) walks, straight (stretch) jump on beam, straight (stretch) jump dismount.
• Level 2 Balance beam- front support, v-sit, forward roll, arabesque, leg swings, releve balance, tuck jump, tuck jump dismount.
• Level 3 Balance beam- front support, swing push-up, arabesque, partial handstand, running steps, pivot turns, split jump, cartwheel to side handstand dismount

GYMNASTICS FLOOR

• Level 1 Gymnastics floor- forward roll, backward roll, cartwheel, candlestick, bridge up, side roll, leg swings, coupe walks, tuck jump
• Level 2 Gymnastics floor- straddle roll to straddle stand, headstand, back bend from knees, cartwheel, backward roll to pike, handstand, leg balance, split jump, pivot turn, chasse
• Level 3 Gymnastics floor- handstand forward roll, round-off, backward roll with straight arms to pike, backbend kick-over, leg balance, chasse, leap, heel-snap turn, straight jump, tuck jump

USAG  has a specific routine for ever gymnastics level and event. Each routine has specific gymnastics skills that the gymnast must be able to execute in-order to be able to compete in that level.

Here are is a list of the  required gymnastics skills along with faults and deductions.

***STRETCH  JUMP- must push through toes. Feet must come together in the jump (cannot have a gap).

You must not have an arch or curve in your body.

***STRADDLE JUMP- must separate legs a minimum of 120 degrees (up to 0.20 deduction).

Make sure to pull feet together before landing (up to 0.10 deduction).

***DIVE FORWARD ROLL- maintain a straight hollow body position (up to 0.20 deduction)

Must show flight before hands touch the floor (up to 0.20 deduction)

Re-contacting the floor with hands to land in a tuck position (0.30 deduction)

***FRONT HANDSPRING TO 2 FEET, REBOUND-arms must stay up by ears while focusing on hands (up to

0.10 deduction)

Must have flight before your hands contact the ground (up to 0.20 deduction)

Hands must land at the same time and must be side by side (0.10 deduction)

Insufficient blocking off hands (up to 0.20 deduction)

Total lack of blocking…doing a front limber instead of a front handspring (0.60

deduction)

not landing with feet side by side at the same time (0.10 deduction)

Failure to rebound immediately after the front handspring (0.10 deduction)

***STRAIGHT LEG LEAP- do not bend the front leg on the take-off (up to 0.10 deduction)

You must have a minimum of a 120 degree leg separation (up to 0.20 deduction)

***LEG SWING WITH HOP QUARTER TURN- Leg  must swing forward and reach a minimum height of

horizontal (up to 0.10)

***SPLIT- split must be all the way down on the floor- 180 degrees (up to 0.20 deduction)

***WEIGHT TRANSFER- Make sure to show a rocking action through the use of plie- feet must be turned out

some (up to 0.20 deduction)

***BACK EXTENSION ROLL- Do not place hands on floor before rolling backwards (0.30 deduction)

Hands staged or not placed at the same time (0.10 deduction)

Make sure you pass through vertical (up to 0.30 deduction)

DO NOT DO a backward roll step out, this is an element change (0.60 deduction)

***FULL TURN IN COUPE- foot must remain at ankle in high releve while completing a 360 degree turn (up

to 0.40 deduction)

***HITCHKICK- Each leg must reach a minimum height of horizontal (up to 0.10 deduction of EACH kick)

***BACK WALKOVER- Make sure your leg lifts continuously while going into the back walkover-do not let

your leg drop after you begin arching backwards (up to 0.10 deduction)

Do not stag your hands or place them on the gymnastics floor one at a time (0.10

deduction)

Must have a minimum leg separation of 150 degrees (up to 0.20 deduction)

***ROUND-OFF – You must not lack acceleration in the series (up to 0.20 deduction)

Make sure to pass through vertical (up to 0.30 deduction)

Feet must land at the same time (0.10 deduction)

***2 BACK HANDSPRING REBOUND- Do not squat deeply in either back handspring (up to 0.20 deduction

for each)

Land feet next to each other at the same time (0.10 deduction for each)

Landing of the last  back handsprings must be followed by an immediate rebound

(0.10 deduction)

Must show a controlled, paused, and stuck landing (0.05 deduction)

These are not  ALL the gymnastics skills or  deductions for the gymnastics level 5 floor routine. These are the MAIN skills required for level 5 and the deductions for those skills.  There is more deductions in the level 5 routine that I did not list. One will receive deductions for lack of gymnastics dance, fluidity and rhythm. You will also receive a deduction for going out of bounds or not completing your routine with the music.

When a gymnast is performing their level 4 gymnastics bar routine they will only use one bar, the low bar. A gymnast may use a mat or a spring board to mount the bar; this must be removed as soon as the gymnast mounts. If the gymnastics mat or spring board is not removed the gymnast will receive a deduction from her gymnastics bar routine score.

MAIN LEVEL 4 GYMNASTICS BAR SKILLS, REQUIREMENTS, AND DEDUCTIONS!

*Glide Swing- Must take off with two feet and land with two feet. Must have great body extension. Hands must remain on the bar between the glide and pullover.

*Pullover-Must pull over with two feet. Do not jump, hop, or step into the pullover. Make sure the landing is in a front support with straight arms and a tight body.

*Front Hip Circle-Maintain a straight hollow body. Must connect a small cast while coming out of the front hip circle.

*Shoot Through (Single Leg Squat Through)-Leg /foot cannot contact or touch the bar when shooting through. Show a stride support at the end of the shoot through (hands are the only thing touching the bar).

*Mill Circle (Forward Stride Circle)-Must show clear stride support at the beginning and end (only thing touching the bar is your hands). Do not hook knee on the bar when doing this skill. Be sure to  flip your hands backwards before doing this gymnastics bar skill.

*Cut Back- Be sure to change your hand position before cutting back. Keep arms straight and end in an extended front support when cutting back.

*Cast- Keep proper body alignment. Maintain a hollow, straight body from shoulders to toes.

*Back Hip Circle- Keep a straight hollow body position while maintaining hip/thigh contact on the bar the entire time. Must connect the back hip circle and underswing dismount.

*Underswing Dismount-Once again, maintain a straight hollow body with straight arms and a great body extension with flight. Stick your landing!

A gymnastics bar routine should not be choppy but should show connections and fluidity throughout the entire routine. Each gymnastics bar skill should lead to the next without any breaks in rhythm.