All About Level 4 Gymnastics

A plain-English guide to Level 4 gymnastics — the USAG requirements on every event, the routine and floor music, and a simple breakdown of every skill your gymnast will learn.

Level 4 requirements

Vault

• Front handspring over the vault table

Bars

• Glide kip
• Horizontal cast
• Squat on
• Jump to long hang kip
• Back hip circle underswing
• Tap swings
• Tap swing to 1/2 turn dismount

Beam

• Cartwheel
• Half turn in passe
• Stretch jump, split jump
• Vertical handstand held
• Scale
• Leap
• Side handstand 1/4 turn dismount

Floor

• Back walkover
• Front handspring step out, cartwheel, back extension roll
• Jump 1/2 turn
• Leap and straddle jump
• Forward split
• Full turn in passe
• Round off, two back handsprings

Routine & music

Level 4 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 4 floor music →

Every Level 4 skill, simplified

Vault

• Front Handspring Vault: Full running approach → hurdle → powerful punch → block off table → tight hollow body in flight → controlled two-foot landing.

Bars

• 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.
• Kip (or Glide Swing Pullover): KIP: Jump to long hang → glide swing forward → pike feet to bar → hip drive forward and up → finish in front support, hips AT the bar.
• Straddle or Pike Glide Kip: Straddle glide kip: jump to hang → glide forward → straddle legs to bar (or pike them) → hip drive → finish in front support.
• Cast to Horizontal: From front support: push bar away from hips, hollow body, reach horizontal (hips level with bar, body parallel to floor).
• Squat-On / Pike-On / Backward Sole Circle: Squat-on: from swing, squat both feet on top of bar.
• Long Hang Kip: From long hang (hanging from high bar): glide swing → pike feet to bar → hip drive to front support on the high bar.
• Back Hip Circle: Same as L1-L3 back hip circle but now performed in the context of the full L4 bar sequence at higher speeds.
• Tap Swing with 180° Turn Dismount: Tap swing: hollow in front → arch in back → snap hollow → heels drive up.
• Long Hang Pullover: From long hang: pull HIPS up to the bar, roll stomach/hips over bar, finish in front support.
• Tap Swings: Hollow in front → arch in back → snap hollow at bottom → heels drive up in back.

Beam

• Back Walkover: Stand → reach arms overhead → arch back → hands to beam one at a time → kick dominant leg through split to vertical → land dominant foot then trailing foot in lunge.
• Cartwheel on Beam: From lunge: one hand then the other on beam, legs pass through split, lunge landing.
• 180° Turn in Passé: Standing on one foot, relevé, passé (toe to standing knee, knee out), complete a 180° turn.
• Split Leap with 120° Separation: Run/step, punch off one foot, legs split to minimum 120° angle, pointed feet, land on front foot in controlled demi-plié.
• Split Jump with 120° Separation: Two-foot takeoff → legs split to 120° in the air → two-foot landing on beam.
• 180° Squat Turn: Standing in squat position on beam → turn 180° in squat position → arrive in squat facing opposite direction.
• Cartwheel to Side Handstand ¼ Turn Dismount: Cartwheel along beam → pass through side handstand → execute ¼ turn → land beside beam facing away.

Floor

• Cartwheel: Lunge entry → one hand then the other → legs pass through vertical split → two-foot landing in lunge.
• Round-off: Hurdle → cartwheel-like entry but both feet land together → punch/rebound off two feet.
• Round-off Back Handspring: Round-off with strong punch → back handspring: jump backward with straight arms, arch, hands contact floor, snap legs over, two-foot landing.
• Back Walkover: Stand → arms overhead → arch back → hands to floor in bridge → kick dominant leg through split vertical → step down to lunge.
• Straddle Jump with 120° Split: Two-foot takeoff, legs straddle to 120° (wide V shape), feet pointed, two-foot landing.
• Front Handspring Step-Out: Hurdle → hands to floor → straight-arm block → flight phase → step-out landing (one foot then the other in lunge).
• Back Extension Roll: From standing or after another skill: backward roll → at the top, extend arms and push to handstand position → step or hop down from handstand to finish.
• Straight Jump with 180° Turn: Two-foot takeoff, stretch jump height, complete a full 180° turn in the air, land facing opposite direction.
• Passé Hop with 135° Turn: Hop on one foot, passé position (toe to knee), execute a 135° (⅜) turn during the hop.
• Leap with 120° Leg Separation: Running split leap with minimum 120° angle between legs.
• Full Turn in Passé: Standing on one foot, relevé, passé, complete a full 360° turn.
• Round-off Back Handspring x2: Round-off → back handspring → immediately connected to a second back handspring.
• Front Handspring Step-Out: Same as L4 front handspring step-out.
• Back Extension Roll: Backward roll → push to handstand position → step down.
• Full Turn in Passé: Same as L4 full turn in passé on floor.
• Front Walkover: Hurdle → kick to handstand → lower with arch (not collapsing) → top leg leads through split position → one foot then the other → finish in lunge.
• Full Turn in Passé: Rise to relevé → passé pulls tight to knee → spot one point → complete 360° without losing height → lower controlled.
• Standing Back Handspring: Sit back as on floor — same mechanics as standalone — but the L3 back handspring must connect cleanly to the round-off that precedes it.
• Back Walkover: Stand on one leg → arch back and reach for the floor → hands land shoulder-width apart → kick top leg up and over → split position through vertical → land one foot then the other → finish in lunge.
• Front Walkover: Kick into handstand from one leg → controlled lower with arch (not collapsing) → top leg leads, bottom leg follows → split position through vertical → land one foot then the other → finish in lunge.
• Full Turn in Passé: Rise to relevé on one foot → passé pulls tight to knee → spot one point → complete 360° without losing height → lower controlled.
• Front Handspring: Hurdle → dive into handstand → PUSH off the floor with straight arms before legs overtake → snap feet together → land.
• Full Turn in Passé: Same as Bronze full turn but with cleaner execution, higher relevé, and tighter passé.
• Full Turn in Passé: Complete 360° turn on one foot in passé, smooth release and stop.

Level 4 gymnastics FAQ

Common Level 4 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 4 skill — with the drills to fix them.