All About Xcel Gold Gymnastics

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

Xcel Gold requirements

Vault

• Front Handspring Vault
• Front Handspring Vault

Bars

• Kip (or Glide Swing Pullover)
• Squat-On / Pike-On / Backward Sole Circle
• Clear Hip Circle / Back Sole Circle / Back Stalder to Clear Front Support
• Squat-On or Back Sole Circle
• Flyaway Dismount
• Kip + Cast to Horizontal
• Cast above horizontal

Beam

• Back Walkover
• Cartwheel on Beam
• Split Leap with 120° Separation
• Split Jump with 120° Separation
• Full Turn (360°) on Beam
• Back Tuck Dismount
• Aerial Cartwheel on Beam
• Back Handspring Series on Beam
• Aerial Cartwheel on Beam
• Back Layout (Introduction)

Floor

• Cartwheel
• Round-off
• Round-off Back Handspring
• Back Walkover
• Straddle Jump with 120° Split
• Front Handspring Step-Out
• Back Extension Roll
• Leap with 120° Leg Separation
• Full Turn in Passé
• Round-off Back Handspring x2
• Front Handspring Step-Out
• Back Extension Roll
• Full Turn in Passé
• Front Handspring x2
• Front Walkover
• Full Turn in Passé
• Standing Back Handspring
• Back Walkover
• Front Walkover
• Full Turn in Passé
• Front Handspring
• Full Turn in Passé
• Switch Split Leap
• Front Tuck
• Full Turn in Passé

Routine & music

Xcel Gold is part of the USAG Xcel program. Routines are built by the coach within the division’s special requirements, so gymnasts can play to their strengths — there’s no single set routine or music.

Every Xcel Gold 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: Full approach → board contact both feet → tight hollow onto table → hands land shoulder-width apart → PUSH with straight arms before body overtakes → repulsion phase → body stretched in flight → land.

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.
• Squat-On / Pike-On / Backward Sole Circle: Squat-on: from swing, squat both feet on top of 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.
• 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.
• Kip + Cast to Horizontal: Clean kip to front support → immediate cast driving hips to horizontal (parallel to floor) → controlled return.
• Cast above horizontal: Cast from front support to above horizontal — body hollow, legs squeezed together, push from shoulders.

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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Aerial Cartwheel on Beam: Same mechanics as cartwheel — one arm then the other, split position in the air — except no hand contact.
• Back Handspring Series on Beam: Same as Silver back handspring on beam — at Gold, this should be more consistent and require less spot.
• Aerial Cartwheel on Beam: Same mechanics as Silver aerial cartwheel — at Gold, should be completing it on competition beam with a reduced spot.
• Back Layout (Introduction): Same entry as back walkover — arch back, reach for the floor — except the body stays tight and does NOT bend at the hip.

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.
• 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 Handspring x2: Two front handsprings connected.
• 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.
• Switch Split Leap: Step into leap → kick front leg then switch to other leg mid-air → peak with front leg split ≥ 120° → land on switch leg.
• Front Tuck: Hurdle → round-off entry OR punch → drive chest forward and UP → tuck knees to chest → spot at peak → open fully → land.
• Full Turn in Passé: Complete 360° turn on one foot in passé, smooth release and stop.

Xcel Gold gymnastics FAQ

Common Xcel Gold 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 Xcel Gold skill — with the drills to fix them.