Xcel Diamond Requirements: Skills on Every Event
Xcel Diamond is the fifth of the six divisions in USA Gymnastics’ Xcel program, after Platinum and before Sapphire, the top division. Diamond adds demanding acrobatic content: a salto or aerial dismount on beam, two different saltos on floor, and a salto or hecht dismount on bars unless the dismount is rated “B” or higher.
Contents
As in every Xcel division, the coach builds each routine, but it must show four Special Requirements on bars, beam and floor and enough difficulty. At Diamond that means at least five “A” skills and two “B” skills per event. Vault is chosen from a chart where each vault has its own Start Value.
The requirements below are from the current Xcel Code of Points (the 2022 edition, extended to July 2028 and revised in August 2026) and USA Gymnastics’ 2026–27 Rules & Policies.
Xcel Diamond at a Glance
| Rule | Xcel Diamond |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 9th birthday reached |
| Score needed to enter | 32.00 all-around at Platinum, or 8.50 as an individual event specialist |
| Skills needed (bars, beam, floor) | 4 Special Requirements, at least 5 “A” and 2 “B” Value Parts per event |
| Start Value | 10.0 on bars, beam and floor; vault from the Diamond chart (9.5 to 10.0) |
| Main restrictions | One “D” skill at most, with no bonus; no “E” skills; no alternative springboard on vault |
| Score to move up to Sapphire | 32.00 all-around at Diamond, or 8.50 as an individual event specialist (age 12) |
Who Can Compete Xcel Diamond?
A Diamond gymnast must have reached her ninth birthday and earned the mobility score: a 32.00 all-around at Platinum, or an 8.50 as an individual event specialist (IES), in a live sanctioned meet. A gymnast from the Development Program can enter Diamond from Levels 7 or 8, after competing the all-around at that level in at least one sanctioned meet.
Our guide to Xcel Platinum requirements covers the division before Diamond.
Two other routes need a petition with video: a gymnast with USA Gymnastics experience who is at least 14, or a high school freshman, and a gymnast with competitive experience outside the US. Our guide to Xcel vs. the Development Program covers moving between the programs.
Xcel Diamond Vault
Each vault on the Diamond chart carries its own Start Value, so harder vaults start higher. An alternative springboard isn’t allowed: a vault performed from one is void. Some of the common choices:
| Vault | Diamond Start Value |
|---|---|
| Handspring; Yamashita | 9.5 |
| Handspring with ½ twist off | 9.6 |
| ½ twist on–½ twist off | 9.7 |
| Round-off, back handspring on, repulsion off | 9.6 |
| Round-off, back handspring on, ½ twist off | 9.8 |
| Handspring with 1/1 twist | 10.0 |
| Tsukahara tucked, piked or layout | 10.0 |
| Round-off, back handspring on, back tuck (Yurchenko tuck) | 10.0 |
| Round-off, back handspring on, full twist off without a salto (Xcel 4.201) | 10.0 |
The full twist in vault 4.201 is a twisting repulsion off the table without a salto. Do not confuse it with the full-twisting layout salto usually called a Yurchenko full. Vault names must describe both the entry and what happens after the hands leave the table; adding “full” alone can identify the wrong skill.
A gymnast who can perform a clean handspring but not a twisting vault may still choose the handspring: a 9.5 start with small deductions can beat a 10.0 vault with large ones. Diamond gymnasts are guaranteed three warm-up vaults and two minutes of warm-up.
Xcel Diamond Bars
| Special Requirement | What it asks for |
|---|---|
| 1. Clear support skill | A skill finishing in clear support within 45° of handstand (not the mount or dismount) |
| 2. “B” circling skill | A 360° circling skill rated “B” or higher (not in the mount or dismount) |
| 3. Another “B” skill | A turn, a second 360° circling skill or a release move, rated “B” or higher (not in the mount or dismount) |
| 4. Dismount | A salto or hecht dismount from the high bar (at least “A”), or any high-bar dismount rated “B” or higher |
Unlike the lower divisions, Diamond takes the 0.30 extra-swing deduction. Each gymnast gets two minutes of warm-up.
Xcel Diamond Beam
| Special Requirement | What it asks for |
|---|---|
| 1. Turn | At least a full (1/1) turn on one foot |
| 2. Dance | A dance series of two dance skills (leaps, jumps, hops or turns), and a leap or jump with at least a 155° cross or side split (in the series or apart) |
| 3. Acro | An acro series, with or without flight, including a skill through handstand, and one acro flight skill |
| 4. Dismount | A salto or aerial |
A split within 20° of the required 155° still earns the requirement, with up to 0.20 deducted. The beam routine has a time limit of 1:15 and no minimum.
Xcel Diamond Floor
| Special Requirement | What it asks for |
|---|---|
| 1. Acro flight passes | Two separate passes, each with at least two directly connected acro flight skills; or one such pass and a separate “C” salto |
| 2. Two saltos | Two different saltos, alone or connected, one rated “B” or higher (they may be in the passes above) |
| 3. Dance passage | Two different leaps, jumps or hops, one a leap with at least a 155° split |
| 4. Turn | A turn on one foot rated “B” or higher |
The floor routine has a time limit of 1:30 and no minimum.
How Xcel Diamond Is Scored
Bars, beam and floor start from a 10.0 Start Value. Judges take 0.10 off for each missing “A” Value Part, 0.30 for each missing “B”, 0.50 for each missing Special Requirement and 0.50 for each restricted skill, then deduct for execution and artistry. Extra “A” skills can’t make up for a missing “B”: in the Code’s Diamond example, a gymnast with eight “A” skills and one “B”, who also misses a requirement, starts from 9.2.
Diamond may include one “D” skill, but it earns no bonus; bonus exists only in Sapphire. Our guide to how Xcel Start Value is calculated works through every division.
Moving Up From Diamond to Sapphire
Sapphire takes a 32.00 all-around at Diamond, or an 8.50 as an individual event specialist, and a minimum age of 12, which can be petitioned with video. Sapphire routines start from 9.60 and can earn up to 0.40 in bonus. See what Xcel Sapphire is for its requirements.
Common Questions
What skills do you need for Xcel Diamond?
On bars, beam and floor: four Special Requirements, five “A” skills and two “B” skills. That includes a “B” circling skill and a salto, hecht or “B” dismount on bars, a salto or aerial dismount on beam, and two different saltos on floor.
What age is Xcel Diamond?
A gymnast must have reached her ninth birthday.
What score do you need to get into Xcel Diamond?
A 32.00 all-around at Platinum, or an 8.50 as an individual event specialist, at a live sanctioned meet.
What vault gets a 10.0 in Xcel Diamond?
Vaults such as a handspring full twist, a Tsukahara or a Yurchenko tuck. A front handspring starts from 9.5.
Is Xcel Diamond the same as Level 8?
No. A gymnast who has competed Development Program Level 7 or 8 may enter Xcel at Diamond, but the programs have different rules and the divisions are not equivalents.
Final Takeaway
Xcel Diamond routines need four Special Requirements and at least five “A” and two “B” skills on bars, beam and floor, from a 10.0 Start Value, with a salto or aerial dismount on beam, saltos on floor and a salto, hecht or “B” dismount on bars. Vault comes from the Diamond chart, where each permitted vault has a listed Start Value. A front handspring starts from 9.5; several specified twisting or salto vaults start from 10.0.
Entering Diamond takes a 32.00 all-around at Platinum and a ninth birthday; a 32.00 at Diamond opens the way to Sapphire.
Main Sources
- USA Gymnastics Xcel Code of Points, Appendix 1: Event Rules Charts (revised August 2025 and August 2026)
- USA Gymnastics Xcel Code of Points, Appendix 2: Allowable Vaults & Values (current published chart, updated August 2025)
- USA Gymnastics 2026–2027 Women’s Rules & Policies, Chapter 8: Xcel Program