All About Level 1 Gymnastics

A plain-English guide to Level 1 gymnastics — the USAG requirements on every event, the routine and floor music, and a simple breakdown of every skill your gymnast will learn.

Level 1 requirements

Vault

• Stretch jump to a raised surface
• Kick to handstand, fall to flatback
• Jump to handstand flatback on a raised surface

Bars

• Pullover
• Cast
• Back hip circle
• Sole circle dismount
• Glide swing
• Underswing dismount

Beam

• Tuck/pike stand, needle kick or kick-up to stand
• Passe balance
• Stretch jump
• Arabesque
• Leg swings
• Side handstand dismount
• Pivot Turn

Floor

• Cartwheel
• Backward tuck roll or back roll to push up
• Candlestick
• Passe balance
• Forward chasse
• Stretch jump
• Forward roll
• Handstand
• Heel snap 1/2 turn
• Leap
• Split Jump
• Bridge kick-over

Routine & music

Level 1 is a compulsory level — every gymnast performs the same USAG routine on each event, so scoring compares execution head-to-head.

Floor music: USAG official floor music. Listen to the official Level 1 floor music →

Every Level 1 skill, simplified

Vault

• Stretch Jump to Handstand Flatback: Full running approach → hurdle → stretch jump onto mat stack → kick to handstand shape (arms locked, ears between arms) → controlled flat-back fall on upper back.
• Sprint + Hurdle + Punch: Full-speed sprint with backward arm circle.
• Stretch Jump (vault): Two-foot punch on the board, body fully extended at peak (arms in crown), controlled two-foot landing on stack.

Bars

• Jump to Front Support: Jump to bar, arms straight, hollow body, hips over hands, balanced.
• Forward Roll Dismount: From front support, tuck chin, roll forward off bar landing on two feet.
• Pullover: Jump to hang, pull HIPS up to the bar, roll stomach over bar, finish in front support with straight arms.
• Cast: From front support: push bar away from hips, hollow body, legs rise behind.
• Back Hip Circle: From front support: cast, bar contacts upper thighs (not ribs), hollow body, circle backward around bar, return to front support.
• Sole Circle Dismount: From front support, feet on bar, body wraps under and around the bar, release in a clean dismount.

Beam

• Beam Mount -- Straddle Sit: Jump to front support → straddle legs, bring both legs over the beam into straddle sit.
• Tuck Jump Dismount: Stand on beam, jump bringing both knees to chest at peak, extend before landing.
• Jump to Front Support Mount: Stand beside beam, jump up, hands on beam, support body weight with straight arms, hollow body in front support.
• Arabesque to 30°: Standing on one foot, free leg lifts behind to minimum 30°.
• Needle Kick: Standing on one foot, free leg swings forward or to the side.
• Relevé Lock Stand: Rise to relevé on both feet, balance for 1-2 counts.
• Stretch Jump on Beam: Two-foot takeoff, body fully extended at peak (arms in crown, legs together, toes pointed), controlled landing on beam.
• Cartwheel to ¾ Handstand Dismount: From lunge on beam: cartwheel hands one at a time along beam → pass through ¾ handstand shape → lower controlled to stand facing beam.
• Coupe / Passe Walks: Walks on the beam with foot at ankle (coupé) or at knee (passé), maintaining a tall posture and releve.
• Stretch Jump on Beam: Two-foot takeoff on the beam, body fully extended at peak (arms in crown, legs together, toes pointed), controlled landing on beam.
• Half Turn: ½ pivot turn on one or two feet, smooth and controlled, no wobble out.
• Side Handstand Dismount: Cartwheel onto handstand position on the beam, kick to vertical, fall off the side cleanly to a stuck landing.
• Relevé Hold (Beam): Both heels high · squeeze everything · this is not a pause — it's a position.

Floor

• ¾ Handstand: Kick to ¾ of the way to handstand (approximately 135° from floor).
• Forward Roll: Standing: reach forward to floor, tuck chin, round spine, roll through back, finish standing.
• Cartwheel: Lunge entry → one hand then the other → legs pass through vertical split → two-foot landing in lunge.
• Backward Roll: Sit back into tuck, hands go to ears (thumbs in), roll backward over curved spine, push off hands to finish.
• Stretch Jump: Two-foot takeoff, body fully extended at peak -- arms in crown, legs together, toes pointed.
• Handstand (1-second hold): Kick to handstand, hold for 1 second with straight body (hollow, not arched), arms by ears, legs together and pointed.
• Bridge: From lying on the back, hands by the ears, feet flat hip-width, push up to a curved arch — straight arms, head between arms, weight on hands and feet.
• Stretch Jump (floor): Two-foot takeoff, body fully extended at peak (arms in crown), controlled two-foot landing.
• Tuck Jump: Two-foot takeoff, knees drive to chest at peak (min 90° hip + knee), controlled two-foot landing.
• Split Jump: Two-foot takeoff, split position at peak with required angle (60°/90°/120°/180° depending on level).
• Leap: Step → leap with split position at peak, division-specific split angle required (60°/90°/120°/180°).
• Forward Roll: Tuck chin to chest, hands on floor, push with legs, roll over rounded back, stand without hands.
• Backward Roll: Sit, rock back, hands by ears, push to stand.
• Bridge: Lying on back, hands by ears, push up to bridge with straight arms, head between arms, hips up.

General

• Pointed Toes: Foot fully extended, toes reaching long.
• Strong Arms: Arms fully extended, straight from shoulder to fingertips, squeezing.
• Hollow Body: Posterior pelvic tilt, ribcage pulled in, belly button to spine.
• Lunge: Front leg bent 90°, back leg straight, arms in crown, hips square.
• Relevé: Rise onto balls of feet, weight evenly distributed, ankles tight together.
• Stick & Salute: Two-foot landing, knees bent, arms out for balance, hold 2 seconds, then arms to crown or overhead for salute.
• Forward Safety Roll: Tuck chin, roll along spine from back of head to tailbone, no weight on head or neck.
• Backward Safety Roll: Hands frame head (palms up beside ears), push through hands as hips go overhead, chin stays tucked.
• Relevé Walk: Walk on balls of feet continuously, arms in second, tall posture.
• Hollow Body Hold: Lying on back, low back pressed to the floor, arms by ears, legs straight and pointed, head off the floor.

Level 1 gymnastics FAQ

Common Level 1 deductions

Judges take small deductions for form on almost every skill. These are the basics to clean up first — they apply across vault, bars, beam, and floor:

• Bent legs — keep the legs straight and squeezed together.
• Bent arms — lock the elbows on handstands, casts, swings, and supports.
• Toes not pointed — point the feet on every jump, leap, hold, and landing.
• Legs or feet apart — keep legs together unless the skill calls for a split.
• Loss of balance — wobbles, extra arm swings, or a foot coming off the beam.
• Steps or hops on landing — stick the landing — a step, hop, or lunge is a deduction.
• Low chest or poor posture — stay tall and lifted through the whole routine.
• Not enough height or extension — show full amplitude and finished, stretched shapes.

KINETIC breaks down the exact deductions and error-fixes for every Level 1 skill — with the drills to fix them.