Level 1 Gymnastics Skills and Requirements (2026 Guide)

Level 1 is the first level of USA Gymnastics’ Women’s Development Program, for beginners who have reached their 4th birthday. Every gymnast performs the same set (compulsory) routines on vault, bars, beam and floor; she passes by meeting three of the four checkpoints on each event, and at meets each routine is scored from 10.0.

Contents

Where Level 1 fits
Level 1 requirements at a glance
Vault: two parts, not just a jump
Bars: getting to support and moving around the bar
Beam: steady positions and controlled movement
Floor: tumbling, balances and dance belong together
How a gymnast passes Level 1
Level 1 questions parents ask
Final Takeaway
Main Sources

USA Gymnastics calls those checkpoints Evaluation Points, and three out of four is the 75% the program asks for. There is no score to reach, and a gym can run Level 1 as an in-gym achievement program or as introductory competition.

This guide follows the 2021–2029 compulsory routines, checked against USA Gymnastics’ replacement pages through July 2026, and the 2026–27 Rules & Policies. It covers the major skills; the full choreography is in USA Gymnastics’ compulsory book.

Where Level 1 fits

USA Gymnastics divides the Women’s Development Program into three stages: developmental Levels 1–3, compulsory Levels 4–5 and optional Levels 6–10. All five early levels use set routines from the same compulsory book, so every Level 1 gymnast learns the same routine. Gymnastics levels explained shows how these stages and Xcel fit together.

The 4th birthday is a minimum age, not a recommended age to start classes, and no prerequisite score is needed. Gymnastics age requirements by level lists the minimum for every level.

How Level 1 is used depends on the gym and the state. USA Gymnastics describes Levels 1–3 as a non-competitive, achievement-based program for a gym’s pre-team group that can also be run as introductory competition, and some states hold sanctioned meets and State Championships for these levels.

A recreational class called “Level 1” may follow a different syllabus, so ask which program your gym uses. The Development Program guide explains the full path from Level 1 to Level 10.

Level 1 requirements at a glance

	Level 1
Program	USA Gymnastics Women’s Development Program, developmental level
Minimum age	4th birthday reached
Routines	Set (compulsory) routines on vault, bars, beam and floor
Score at meets	Each routine starts from 10.0
To pass	Three of the four Evaluation Points (75%) on every event
Competition	Optional: in-gym testing or introductory meets, depending on the gym and state
Next level	Level 2, from the 5th birthday. Levels 1–3 have no mobility score

Event	Main Level 1 skills
Vault	Stretch jump onto a mat stack at least 16 inches high, then a separate handstand that falls to a straight lying position
Uneven bars	Back hip pullover, cast and back hip circle, then a cast to straddle-on with a sole circle dismount, or an underswing dismount
Balance beam	Jump to front support mount, needle kick, relevé and passé balances, stretch jump, 30° arabesque, leg swings and a cartwheel to ¾ handstand dismount
Floor	Cartwheel, tucked backward roll, candlestick, passé balance, chassé, stretch jump, tucked forward roll and ¾ handstand

The event table lists the major elements. Each routine also sets the order, the connecting steps and the arm positions. To check one event at a time, with its sources and review date, use the Gymnastics Requirements Explorer.

Vault: two parts, not just a jump

Level 1 vault is done onto a stack of mats, not over a vault table, and it has two parts worth 5.00 each. The first is a stretch jump from the springboard onto mats at least 16 inches high. “Stretch” describes the intended extended body shape in the air.

The gymnast then performs the separate handstand on the mats and falls, still straight, to lie on her back. Both parts matter: a description that stops at “jump onto a mat” misses the inverted position and body control in the second part. It also differs from Level 2, where the board action leads directly toward hand support on the mats.

USA Gymnastics publishes the four Evaluation Points for this vault, and they show what a pass looks like: a run that keeps its speed to the board; a tight, straight stretch jump with the arms swung forward; a vertical handstand on straight arms; and a straight body, legs together and toes pointed, all the way down to her back.

A coach can stand between the board and the mats without penalty, but spotting either part costs 2.00. The setup uses approved mat-stack specifications; it is not an exercise to recreate with household furniture or improvised landing surfaces. The Levels 1–5 vault guide follows the progression to the vault table at Level 4.

Bars: getting to support and moving around the bar

The back hip pullover brings the gymnast up and over the low bar to front support, with the body supported above the bar. Both legs should lift together; a one-foot take-off costs 0.30. The next major actions are a cast and a back hip circle.

A cast lifts the body away from the bar behind the hands, followed by a controlled return. Level 1 does not require a cast to handstand, or any set height; judges look for a straight line from shoulders to feet. Describing every cast as a handstand makes this beginner exercise sound much more advanced than it is.

In the back hip circle, the gymnast rotates backward around the bar while keeping her hips or upper thighs in contact with it. Judges also consider body shape and continuity.

The routine then offers two endings. One is a cast to straddle-on, with the feet outside the hands, followed by a sole circle dismount; the other is an underswing dismount, in which she swings under the bar feet first and lets go to land. “Sole circle” refers to the feet-on-bar action; “solo circle” is not the correct name.

Levels 1–3 may even compete on a single bar, as long as it meets the low-bar specifications. The Levels 1–5 bars guide follows these skills into the kips and higher casts of Levels 4 and 5.

Beam: steady positions and controlled movement

Level 1 beam starts with a jump to front support and a quarter turn to a straddle sit. The routine then works through a needle kick, two balances, a stretch jump, an arabesque and forward leg swings, and it must finish within 35 seconds, with a warning at 25.

Several of those names become clearer when you know what to look for. For the needle kick, the gymnast stands bent over with her hands on the beam and kicks one straight leg up behind her to at least horizontal. Relevé means rising onto the balls of the feet, and the relevé “lock” balance is held for two seconds. In a forward passé balance, one knee bends and lifts in front, with the foot placed near the supporting leg.

An arabesque balances on one leg while the other extends behind, at least 30° above the beam. At Level 1 the gymnast only has to show the position; a one-second hold comes in at Level 2.

The dismount is a cartwheel to ¾ handstand. “Three-quarter” describes the prescribed partial inversion, short of a full handstand, and the hands stay on the beam as the feet come down. It is not a full handstand followed by a freely chosen exit. The Levels 1–5 beam guide shows how the beam routines build from here.

Floor: tumbling, balances and dance belong together

The Level 1 floor routine is performed to USA Gymnastics’ compulsory music. Its major elements are a cartwheel, a tucked backward roll, a candlestick, a forward passé balance, a forward chassé, a stretch jump, a tucked forward roll and a ¾ handstand.

A cartwheel travels sideways through hand support, with the hands and feet taking weight in sequence; our guide to how to do a cartwheel takes it step by step, with the faults judges deduct for. In a candlestick, the gymnast rolls back onto her upper back and shoulders with her legs pointing up, then rolls forward to a tuck stand without pushing off with her hands. A chassé is a traveling dance step in which one foot follows the other and the legs close in the air.

These quieter movements matter alongside the tumbling: the candlestick, balance and chassé are major elements with their own values. The handstand target is ¾, short of vertical, and performing the routine without music, or to music with words, costs 0.50. The Levels 1–5 floor guide explains how this content develops through the early levels.

How a gymnast passes Level 1

Levels 1–3 have no mobility score, the qualifying score gymnasts need to move up from Level 4 onward. Instead, each Level 1 routine has four Evaluation Points, like the vault points above, and a gymnast passes an event by meeting at least three of them: 75% of the requirements. If she shows all four points but falls, the attempt still counts as successful.

She has to pass all four events to pass the level, but not all at once. Gymnasts may move through the levels at their own pace on individual events, so she could start Level 2 bars while she finishes Level 1 beam. To compete at Level 2, she must have reached her 5th birthday.

If her gym enters Level 1 meets, judges start each routine from 10.0 and take deductions for errors. Those scores decide placings or awards on the day, but there is no score she has to reach to move up. The next routines are in our guide to Level 2 skills.

Level 1 questions parents ask

What age is Level 1 gymnastics?

A gymnast must have reached her 4th birthday. That is a minimum, not a target age.

Do Level 1 gymnasts compete?

Only if their gym and state run Level 1 that way. Levels 1–3 can be an in-gym achievement program or introductory competition, and some states hold sanctioned meets for them.

How long do gymnasts stay in Level 1?

There is no set time. The program lets each gymnast advance at her own pace, event by event, and she has passed Level 1 once all four events are passed.

Is Level 1 the same as Xcel Bronze?

No. Xcel is USA Gymnastics’ alternative program, where gymnasts choose skills to meet each division’s requirements instead of performing one set routine, and Bronze starts at age 5. Our guide to Xcel levels compares the two programs.

Final Takeaway

Level 1 is where USA Gymnastics’ Women’s Development Program begins. From her 4th birthday, a gymnast learns the same set routines as every other Level 1 gymnast: a two-part mat-stack vault, a pullover and back hip circle on bars, balances and a cartwheel dismount on beam, and rolls, a cartwheel and a ¾ handstand on floor.

She passes by meeting three of the four Evaluation Points on each event, with no score to reach. Competing is up to her gym and state, and Level 2 opens from her 5th birthday.

Level 1 Gymnastics Skills: All Four Events Explained