Available
Finder
Deduction Finder
Look up selected gymnastics mistakes and see the rule, amount and scoring context.
FOR GYMNASTS, PARENTS & CURIOUS FANS
Find your way in gymnastics.
Clear explanations and practical resources for gymnasts, parents and curious fans. Start with a question, a skill or a score.
CHOOSE YOUR NEXT STEP
Explore gymnastics skills and events
Learn skill names and what to watch on each event, from floor and beam to the men’s apparatus.
Explore Skills and EventsMake sense of gymnastics scores
Learn what judges count, how deductions work and why scoring differs between programs.
Explore Scoring & RulesFind a practical gymnastics tool
Work through a score or look up a requirement. Each tool explains which programs and rules it supports.
Browse Gymnastics ToolsNew to gymnastics? Start here
Get to know the events, common terms and basics of the sport.
Read the Beginner’s GuidesA clearer path through the sport you love.
FIND YOUR STARTING POINT
Explore by topic
Six collections, each with a map of every article in it.
45 ARTICLES
Beginner’s Guides
New to gymnastics? Learn about gymnastics events, levels, equipment, competitions, and other basics with beginner-friendly guides.
39 ARTICLES
Levels & Programs
USA Gymnastics Development Program and Xcel levels explained: what each level involves, how gymnasts move up, qualify for meets and reach elite.
72 ARTICLES
Skills and Events
Explore gymnastics skills and level requirements, including USAG Levels 1–10, Xcel, apparatus skills, progressions, and mobility rules.
49 ARTICLES
Scoring & Rules
Learn gymnastics scoring, deductions, start values, judging rules, and scoring systems for USAG, Xcel, NCAA, and FIG gymnastics.
85 ARTICLES
Training & Technique
Improve gymnastics strength, flexibility, technique, and skills with practical training guides, drills, conditioning, and mobility exercises.
13 ARTICLES
Gymnasts
Profiles and research on elite gymnasts and teams: heights and body types, Team USA ages, the tallest Olympians, strength, and the sport’s great careers.
CLEAR EXPLANATIONS, ONE STEP AT A TIME
Guides to start with
The guides that explain each topic first, before the details.
THE GYMNAST GEM TOOLBOX
A tool for your next question
Available
Calculator
Gymnastics Score Calculator
Calculate a score from awarded difficulty and execution, or a starting score and deductions. Try a sample or open More detail for extra inputs.
Available
Finder
Gymnastics Skill Explorer
Find and compare gymnastics moves by name, apparatus and body shape. Read clear explanations and selected FIG values.
Available
Finder
Level Comparison
Compare two DP levels or Xcel divisions side by side, event by event.
Available
Finder
Requirements Explorer
Find the main requirements for a DP Level 1–5 or Xcel division and event, with skill counts and links to the full guides.
Available
Checker
Routine Requirements Checker
Work through a routine’s main requirements and identify possible gaps or details needing review.
QUESTIONS PARENTS ASK
Quick answers to common questions
What is the highest level in gymnastics?Xcel or the Development Program: what’s the difference?When is my child ready for structured classes?What should my child wear to a first class?What is start value?How do gymnasts qualify for State, Regionals and Nationals?How long does a gymnastics meet last?What are the hair rules at a meet?
WHAT READERS OPEN MOST
Most-read guides
01What Is The Dead Loop In Gymnastics And Why Is It Banned?02Height and Weight in Elite Gymnastics: What the Research Actually Measures03Think Gymnasts Are Short? Meet the Tallest Female Gymnasts in Olympic History0410 Best Upbeat & Sassy Gymnastics Floor Music Ideas for 202605Is Gymnastics the Hardest Sport? What the Rankings and Injury Data Show06Gymnastics Wardrobe Malfunctions: What Happens and Do Judges Deduct?07Banned Gymnastics Moves: What’s Really Banned, and What Just Disappeared08From A to J: How Difficulty Values Shape the Gymnastics D-Score
KEEP EXPLORING
Recently updated
01Circles vs. Flairs on Pommel Horse: How to Tell Them Apart and How Gymnasts Learn ThemUpdated Oct 9, 202602Flexibility in Gymnastics: Why It Matters and How Gymnasts Train ItUpdated Oct 9, 202603How Long Does a Gymnastics Meet Last? Session Times ExplainedUpdated Oct 9, 202604What Do Male Gymnasts Wear? Singlets, Shorts and Stirrup Pants, Event by EventUpdated Oct 9, 202605What Is Podium Training in Gymnastics? What Happens and How to Watch ItUpdated Oct 9, 202606When a Gymnastics Leotard Pinches, Rides Up or Bunches: A Practical Fit CheckUpdated Oct 9, 2026
Written from the official rulebooks
Our scoring and level guides are based on the World Gymnastics (FIG) Codes of Points, USA Gymnastics Rules & Policies and NCAA rules, and they link to the documents they use.