The USA Gymnastics Women’s Development Program provides a structured pathway for female gymnasts to progress from basic movement skills to advanced competitive gymnastics. The program includes Levels 1 through 10, with each level designed to build on the previous one through age-appropriate skill development, increasing technical difficulty, and clear competitive standards.
This guide summarizes what is officially confirmed about program structure, progression rules, and difficulty limits, while also explaining typical skill expectations commonly taught at each level.
Program Structure (Official USAG Framework)
The Development Program is designed to build strength, body control, skill precision, and competitive readiness in a structured way. It’s split into three major sections:
- Developmental Levels (1–3) – Foundational skills and basic movement patterns; often non-competitive.
- Compulsory Levels (4–5) – Standardized routines performed exactly as written, emphasizing technique and consistency.
- Optional Levels (6–10) – Custom routines designed by coaches within defined composition and difficulty rules.
Gymnasts typically advance one level at a time after achieving the necessary mobility score at a sanctioned meet, along with meeting age requirements. With one notable exception (see Level 6 below), levels generally cannot be skipped.
Levels 1–3: Developmental Program
(Foundational / Introductory Levels)
Levels 1–3 are considered developmental. They focus on physical literacy, shapes, coordination, and confidence. These levels may be taught and competed differently depending on the state or gym, and are not always used for formal mobility.
Level 1: Foundational Skills
- Typical minimum age: 4
- Primary focus: Body control, balance, shapes, and confidence
Common skill themes include:
- Basic vault shapes (jumps, handstand entries to mats)
- Single-bar work such as pullovers and basic casts
- Simple beam mounts, balance positions, and jumps
- Floor basics like rolls, cartwheels, candlesticks, and jumps
Goal: Introduce correct body shapes, safe movement patterns, and event awareness.
Level 2: Skill Refinement
- Typical minimum age: 5
- Primary focus: Strength development and controlled movement
Common skill themes include:
- Handstand flat-back vault progressions
- Glide swings, pullovers, and back hip circles on bars
- Turns, jumps, and controlled balances on beam
- Handstands, cartwheels, backward rolls, and basic flexibility on floor
Goal: Build strength, coordination, and consistency across all four events.
Level 3: Introduction to Structured Routines
- Typical minimum age: 6
- Primary focus: Acro control and routine performance
Common skill themes include:
- Elevated handstand flat-back vaults
- Front hip circles, squat-ons, and bar transitions
- Cartwheels and handstands on beam
- Round-offs, back handsprings, and leap combinations on floor
Goal: Prepare gymnasts for compulsory competition by introducing flight and series elements.
Levels 4–5: Compulsory Program
(Standardized Routines – 2021–2029 Cycle)
Levels 4 and 5 are the first true compulsory competition levels. All gymnasts perform identical routines, exactly as outlined in the official USAG Compulsory Handbook.
Level 4: First Compulsory Level
- Minimum age: 7
- Primary focus: Execution, consistency, and correct technique
Routine characteristics include:
- Front handspring vault over the table
- Bar routines with kips, casts, circles, and tap swings
- Beam routines featuring cartwheels, handstands, leaps, and turns
- Floor routines with front and back tumbling passes, leaps, and turns
Goal: Establish clean execution and competitive consistency.
Level 5: Advanced Compulsory Level
- Minimum age: 7
- Primary focus: Power, flexibility, and optional readiness
Routine characteristics include:
- Front handspring vault (same vault family as Level 4)
- More advanced bar circling elements and flyaway dismounts
- Walkovers, higher split angles, and controlled dismounts on beam
- Saltos, stronger tumbling passes, and higher dance difficulty on floor
Goal: Prepare gymnasts physically and technically for optional routines.
Levels 6–10: Optional Program
(Custom Routines with Difficulty Rules)
From Level 6 onward, gymnasts perform custom-choreographed routines that must meet composition requirements and difficulty restrictions. Scoring uses Difficulty (D) + Execution (E), with level-specific limits on skill values.
| Level | Skills Allowed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | A and B only | No C-E skills for difficulty credit |
| 7 | A and B only | Same as 6, ensures building basics |
| 8 | A, B, C allowed (no credit for D/E) | Must meet composition requirements |
| 9 | A–D allowed, limit on E | D skills credited; E often not credited or limited |
| 10 | A–E allowed (no cap) | Highest optional level, full credit |
Level 6: Entry Optional
Level 6 is often viewed as a transition from compulsory to optional gymnastics. Coaches help gymnasts design routines that meet required composition elements using primarily A and B skills. Gymnasts must show control and consistency across all four events.
Level 7: Strength and Connections
At Level 7, gymnasts continue to increase difficulty and fluidity in routines. The focus expands to include stronger tumbling combinations and keener control in transitions and dance elements.
Level 8: Intermediate Optional
This level introduces C-level skills into competitive routines and requires more sophisticated composition, with routine construction that balances power, artistry, and execution.
Level 9: Advanced Optional
Level 9 routines frequently include D-level skills, multiple combinations, and integrated dance-acro connections. Routines must satisfy stricter composition criteria while maintaining high execution quality.
Level 10: Highest DP Level
Level 10 represents the highest level in the Development Program. Gymnasts at this level perform complex skills (including E-level elements) across all events. Level 10 athletes may compete at national championships and often use this level as a stepping stone to NCAA gymnastics or Elite pathways.
How Skills Are Evaluated
In compulsory levels, athletes are judged on how well they execute prescribed routines, with deductions for form, balance breaks, and execution mistakes. In optional levels, judges score routines based on difficulty value (D-score) and execution (E-score) according to the Code of Points.
A gymnast’s start value reflects how well compositional and difficulty requirements are satisfied; maximum start values vary by level. Higher levels may require bonus combinations or higher-value skills to achieve top start values.
Mobility, Age Requirements, and Competition Pathway
Mobility Scores
To advance from one level to the next, gymnasts usually must achieve a minimum all-around mobility score at a USA Gymnastics sanctioned meet. The specific score thresholds are defined by each region’s mobility charts and are updated periodically.
Age Requirements
While not published in open free documents, widely accepted training guides and community sources note typical age benchmarks, such as:
- Levels 1–3: youngest entry levels
- Level 4: often ~7 years old minimum
- Level 8 & 9: often ~8 years old
- Level 10: ~9 years old and above
Advancement typically requires meeting minimum scores at sanctioned meets. This includes mandatory mobility scores for compulsory levels and optional level prerequisites, especially beginning around Level 4.
Official USA Gymnastics References
USA Gymnastics Women’s Development Program Main Page
The central hub for the Women’s Development Program, describing the structure of developmental, compulsory, and optional levels.
👉 https://usagym.org/women/development/
2021–2029 Women’s Development Compulsory Program (Levels 1–5)
This page links to the official compulsory materials and purchase options for the compulsory book covering Skills & routines for Levels 1–5.
👉 https://usagym.org/women/development/compulsory/
2022–26 Development Program Optional Code of Points (Levels 6–10)
The official Optional Code of Points that defines composition, difficulty restrictions, deductions, and scoring rules for optional levels.
👉 https://usagym.org/women/development/optionals/
USA Gymnastics Rules & Policies – Compulsory & Optional Books
This rules page includes links to purchase the official Dev Program Compulsory and Optional Code of Points books and clarifies where to find authoritative sources.
👉 https://usagym.org/women/rules/
