All About Level 5 Gymnastics

A plain-English guide to Level 5 gymnastics — the USAG requirements on every event, the routine and floor music, and a simple breakdown of every skill your gymnast will learn.

Level 5 requirements

Vault

• Front handspring over the vault table

Bars

• Glide kip
• Cast above horizontal
• Clear hip or sole circle or stalder to clear support
• Squat on & long hang kip
• Long hang pullover under swing
• Tap swings
• Tap swing to flyaway dismount

Beam

• Back or front walkover or back handspring
• Full turn
• Split jump, sissonne
• Scale
• Leap to stretch jump
• Cartwheel punch
• Back tuck dismount

Floor

• Front Tuck
• Two front handspring step out, cartwheel, back extension roll
• Jump 1/1 turn
• Switch leap and straddle jump
• Forward split
• Full turn in passe
• Round off, back handspring, back tuck

Routine & music

Level 5 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 5 floor music →

Every Level 5 skill, simplified

Vault

• Front Handspring Vault: Full running approach → hurdle → powerful punch → block off table → tight hollow body in flight → controlled two-foot landing.
• Front Handspring Vault: Same vault as L3/L4 but executed with maximum power, consistency, and presentation.

Bars

• 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.
• 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.
• Clear Hip Circle / Back Sole Circle / Back Stalder to Clear Front Support: Clear hip: cast to horizontal/above → circle with hips away from bar (not touching) → finish in front support above horizontal.
• Squat-On or Back Sole Circle: Same as L4 squat-on/back sole circle.
• Long Hang Kip: From long hang on high bar: same kip mechanics as regular kip.
• Tap Swings: Hollow in front → arch in back → snap hollow at bottom → heels drive up in back.
• Flyaway Dismount: From tap swing: at the peak of the back swing, release the bar, extend body, fly in layout position, land in demi-plié.
• Cast above horizontal: Cast from front support to above horizontal — body hollow, legs squeezed together, push from shoulders.
• Tap Swing Flyaway: Tap swing into a hollow-body release for flyaway dismount, completing a back tuck or layout to landing.

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.
• Back Walkover / Back Extension Roll / Front Walkover / Back Handspring (Choice): One of these four skills required.
• Straight Leg Leap 150°: Running leap with minimum 150° leg separation.
• Full Turn (360°) on Beam: Standing on one foot, relevé, passé, complete a full 360° turn on the beam.
• Back Tuck Dismount: From two-foot takeoff at end of beam: jump up and back, tuck knees to chest, open, two-foot landing.
• Back Walkover: Back walkover on the beam — arms by ears, kick through vertical, land in lunge.
• Standing Back Handspring (Beam): Back handspring on the beam — arms lead, jump back, hands contact, snap legs through to lunge landing.
• Sissonne: Two feet take off · ONE foot lands · it's a leap, not a jump.
• Gainer Variants (Gainer Tuck / Gainer Pike to End): Step forward off the end · rotate backward · land behind where you started.

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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Straddle Jump: Two-foot takeoff, legs straddle wide, feet pointed, two-foot landing.
• Stretch Jump with Full Turn: Two-foot takeoff, stretch jump height, complete a full 360° turn in the air, land facing opposite direction.
• Front Handspring Step-Out: Same as L4 front handspring step-out.
• Back Extension Roll: Backward roll → push to handstand position → step down.
• Passé Hop with ¾ Turn: Hop on one foot with ¾ turn (270°) in passé position.
• Front Tuck / Front Aerial / Aerial Cartwheel: Front tuck: run → front salto in tuck position → two-foot landing.
• Split Leap 150°: Running leap with minimum 150° leg separation.
• Full Turn in Passé: Same as L4 full turn in passé on floor.
• Round-off Back Handspring Back Salto: Round-off → back handspring → immediate back tuck: arms drive up, tuck knees to chest, open, two-foot landing.
• 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.
• Front Handspring Front Salto: Front handspring → two-foot land/punch → immediate front tuck.
• Full Turn in Passé: Complete 360° turn on one foot in passé, smooth release and stop.

Level 5 gymnastics FAQ

Common Level 5 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 5 skill — with the drills to fix them.