Level 1 Gymnastics Skills: All Four Events Explained
USAG Level 1 introduces the movements that later gymnastics skills build on: supporting the body on the hands, rolling, jumping, balancing and controlling a landing. It covers all four women’s artistic events—vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor.
Contents
- Who is Level 1 for?
- The four events at a glance
- Vault: two parts, not just a jump
- Uneven bars: getting to support and moving around the bar
- Balance beam: steady positions and controlled movement
- Floor: tumbling, balances and dance belong together
- Level 1 questions parents ask
- How to use the requirements without rushing progress
This guide refers to Level 1 in the USA Gymnastics Women’s Development Program and its 2021–2029 compulsory exercises. A gym’s recreational class called “Level 1” may use a different syllabus, so ask which program the class follows.
For an event-specific reference, open the Level 1 Requirements Explorer. It opens on vault; change the event and choose Get info to see another reviewed summary. Check its review date and coverage notes. It is a reference tool, not a readiness test or a live connection to USAG’s rules.
Level 1 at a glance
| Level 1 | |
|---|---|
| Program | USA Gymnastics Women’s Development Program, developmental level (set routines) |
| Minimum age | 4th birthday reached |
| Starting score | 10.0 on every event |
| To pass | Complete 75% of the routine requirements |
| Competitions | Depends on the state: Level 1 can be a non-competitive achievement level or a beginner competitive level |
| Next step | Level 2. Levels 1–3 have no mobility score |
Level 1 skills checklist
Tick each skill your gymnast can do on her own. Your ticks stay in this browser, and you can print the list for the gym bag.
Vault (2)
Bars (5)
Beam (8)
Floor (8)
Skills from the USA Gymnastics Women’s Development Program compulsory routines (2021–2029 cycle), with updates through the 2026–27 season. A tick means your gymnast can do the skill. Her coach decides when she’s ready to compete.
Who is Level 1 for?
Level 1 is an early developmental level. For sanctioned USAG competition, the 2026–27 Women’s Rules & Policies requires a Level 1 gymnast to have reached her fourth birthday. That is a minimum competition age, not a recommended starting age or a rule that older beginners cannot join.
Recreational gymnastics can begin in classes with different age arrangements. Placement depends on the gym’s program and the child’s experience, so the name of a class alone does not establish USAG competition eligibility.
The current USAG entry chart lists no prerequisite score for Level 1 and no national mobility score to advance from it. That does not mean a gymnast is ready to move up immediately. A coach still needs to assess consistent technique, control and preparation for the next work. Our Development Program guide explains the wider pathway.
The four events at a glance
| Event | What Level 1 introduces |
|---|---|
| Vault | A stretch jump onto raised mats, followed by a separate handstand-to-back sequence |
| Uneven bars | A pullover, cast, back hip circle and prescribed low-bar dismount alternatives |
| Balance beam | Mounting, balances, a needle kick, a jump, leg swings and the prescribed handstand-related dismount |
| Floor | Cartwheel, rolls, candlestick, balance and dance actions, stretch jump and three-quarter handstand |
This is a recognition overview. Compulsory routines also specify order, positions and connecting movements. Knowing the main skill names is different from knowing the complete exercise.
Vault: two parts, not just a jump
The first part is a stretch jump onto the raised mat surface. “Stretch” describes the intended extended body shape in the air. The gymnast then performs the separate handstand and straight-body finish lying on the back.
Both parts matter. A description that stops at “jump onto a mat” misses the inverted position and body control in the second section. It is also different from Level 2, where the board action leads directly toward hand support on the mats.
Judges assess the prescribed positions and execution, including body alignment and control. The setup uses approved mat-stack specifications; it is not an exercise to recreate with household furniture or improvised landing surfaces. See the Levels 1–5 vault guide for the progression and apparatus overview.
Uneven 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. The next major actions include 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. 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 maintaining the prescribed hip or upper-thigh contact. Judges also consider body shape and continuity.
The published Level 1 penalties show the cast-to-straddle-on and sole-circle dismount branch, or the underswing dismount alternative. “Sole circle” refers to the feet-on-bar action; “solo circle” is not the correct name. The coach teaches the chosen permitted sequence and its exact execution.
Balance beam: steady positions and controlled movement
The current major-element table includes the jump to front-support mount, needle leg kick, relevé “lock” balance, forward passé balance, stretch jump, arabesque, forward leg swings and cartwheel-to-three-quarter-handstand dismount.
Several of those names become clearer when you know what to look for. Relevé means rising onto the balls of the feet. 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.
The Level 1 table specifies a two-second hold for the relevé lock balance and a minimum 30-degree leg lift for the arabesque. The needle leg kick is a separate movement; it should not disappear from a summary just because another backward leg lift is listed.
The dismount’s “three-quarter handstand” wording describes the prescribed partial inversion. It is not a full handstand followed by a freely chosen exit. The exact hand placement and finish belong to the compulsory text.
Floor: tumbling, balances and dance belong together
The Level 1 floor major-element table lists a cartwheel, tucked backward roll, candlestick, forward passé balance, forward chassé, stretch jump, tucked forward roll and three-quarter handstand.
A cartwheel travels sideways through hand support, with the hands and feet taking weight in sequence. A candlestick raises the legs and body above the shoulders during the prescribed rolling action. A chassé is a traveling dance action in which one foot follows the other.
These quieter movements matter alongside the tumbling. Leaving out the candlestick, balance and chassé gives an incomplete picture of what the routine asks the gymnast to do.
Level 1 uses the prescribed compulsory exercise. It should not be described as a custom routine that can simply last up to 90 seconds. The official routine materials supply the choreography and music. The Levels 1–5 floor requirements guide explains how that content develops through the early levels.
Level 1 questions parents ask
What age is Level 1 gymnastics?
A gymnast must have reached her 4th birthday to compete Level 1. That’s a minimum, not a target.
How does a gymnast pass Level 1?
Levels 1–3 have no move-up score. To pass, a gymnast must complete 75% of the routine requirements. Her coach then decides when she’s ready for Level 2.
What is the Level 1 vault?
Level 1 vault has two parts, judged separately: a stretch jump onto a stack of mats at least 16 inches high, then a handstand that falls to a straight lying position.
How to use the requirements without rushing progress
Use this guide to recognize what your gymnast is learning and to ask more useful questions. For example: “Is the goal to finish the pullover with straighter arms?” or “Which balance needs a steadier hold?” These questions are more helpful than checking whether a skill was completed once.
A gymnast may find one event easier than another. That alone does not decide placement, and a checklist cannot establish readiness for an inversion, dismount or new competitive level. The coach can explain the next training goals and how the gym decides when to advance.
Reviewed September 28, 2026. A parent-friendly overview of selected requirements, not the full compulsory manual or a home-training plan.