Xcel Platinum Requirements: Skills on Every Event
Xcel Platinum is the fourth of the six divisions in USA Gymnastics’ Xcel program, between Gold and Diamond. It is the first division a gymnast has to score her way into, and the first where every routine needs a skill rated “B”.
Contents
As in every Xcel division, the coach builds each routine, but it must show four Special Requirements on bars, beam and floor, and at least six “A” skills and one “B” skill. On vault, each vault on the Platinum chart has its own Start Value, so harder vaults start higher. Platinum also adds a kip on bars, a dance series on beam and a salto in the first tumbling pass on floor.
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 Platinum at a Glance
| Rule | Xcel Platinum |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 8th birthday reached |
| Score needed to enter | 32.00 all-around at Gold, or 8.50 as an individual event specialist |
| Skills needed (bars, beam, floor) | 4 Special Requirements, at least 6 “A” and 1 “B” Value Parts per event |
| Start Value | 10.0 on bars, beam and floor; vault from the Platinum chart (9.7 to 10.0) |
| Main restrictions | No “C” acro skills; no “D” or higher skills; on bars, no “C” skills except three handstand skills; no alternative springboard on vault |
| Score to move up to Diamond | 32.00 all-around at Platinum, or 8.50 as an individual event specialist (age 9) |
Who Can Compete Xcel Platinum?
A Platinum gymnast must have reached her eighth birthday and earned the mobility score: a 32.00 all-around at Gold, or an 8.50 on an event as an individual event specialist (IES), in a live sanctioned meet. Our guide to Xcel Gold requirements covers the division before. A gymnast from the Development Program can enter Platinum from Levels 5, 6 or 7, after competing the all-around at that level in at least one sanctioned meet.
Some gymnasts reach Platinum by petition instead. A gymnast with competitive experience outside USA Gymnastics must petition to enter at Platinum or above; one with USA Gymnastics experience who is at least 14, or a high school freshman, may petition for Platinum, Diamond or Sapphire with a video of her skills; and one who has competed outside the US petitions the Regional Xcel Committee Chair, also with a video.
Xcel Platinum Vault
Platinum gymnasts choose their vaults from the Platinum chart. Each vault carries its own Start Value, and any vault that isn’t on the chart, such as a Tsukahara or a Yurchenko with a salto off, is void. So is any vault performed from an alternative springboard.
| Vault | Platinum Start Value |
|---|---|
| ¼–½ turn on, push off to land facing the table; ¼ twist on–¼ twist off | 9.7 |
| Handspring; Yamashita | 9.8 |
| Round-off, back handspring on, repulsion off | 9.8 |
| Handspring or Yamashita with ½ twist off | 9.9 |
| ½ twist on–½ twist off | 9.9 |
| Round-off, back handspring on, ½ twist off | 9.9 |
| Handspring or Yamashita with 1/1 twist | 10.0 |
| ½ twist on–1/1 twist off; 1/1 twist on–handspring or ½ twist off | 10.0 |
| Round-off, back handspring on, 1/1 twist off | 10.0 |
The gap between a handspring and a full-twisting vault is only 0.2, so a clean handspring can outscore a harder vault with big errors. As in every division, a gymnast may perform two vaults and the better score counts. Platinum gymnasts are guaranteed two warm-up vaults and get 1 minute 30 seconds of warm-up.
Xcel Platinum Bars
| Special Requirement | What it asks for |
|---|---|
| 1. Clear support skill | A skill finishing in clear support above horizontal (not the mount or dismount) |
| 2. 360° circling skill | A skill that circles the bar (not the mount or dismount) |
| 3. Kip | A kip, anywhere in the routine |
| 4. Dismount | From the high bar, rated at least “A” |
The routine needs at least six “A” skills and one “B”. Nothing rated “C” or higher is allowed, except three skills to handstand without a turn: a clear hip circle, a stalder backward and a pike sole circle backward.
Platinum is the first division with an extra-swing deduction on bars. One tap swing or underswing to counterswing can count as an “A” skill without a deduction; any more cost 0.30 each. A long hang pullover counts as a circling skill only when a cast comes before it. Each gymnast gets 1 minute 30 seconds of warm-up.
Xcel Platinum Beam
| Special Requirement | What it asks for |
|---|---|
| 1. Turn | At least a full (1/1) turn on one foot |
| 2. Dance series and split | Two connected dance skills (leaps, jumps or hops; a dance mount or a turn on one foot can also count), plus a leap or jump with at least a 120° cross or side split, in the series or on its own |
| 3. Acro skill or series | Either one acro skill with flight or two connected acro skills, with or without flight; at least one skill must reach or pass through handstand (not the mount or dismount) |
| 4. Dismount | Any allowed dismount |
Two back walkovers in a row are one way to meet Requirement 3: both pass through handstand, and the series needs no flight. All acro skills for this requirement must start and finish on the beam.
Beam needs at least six “A” skills and one “B”. Acro skills rated “C” and any skill rated “D” or higher are restricted, but “C” dance skills are allowed. A split within 20° of the required 120° still earns credit, with up to 0.20 deducted for the short split. The routine has a time limit of 1 minute 15 seconds and no minimum time.
Xcel Platinum Floor
| Special Requirement | What it asks for |
|---|---|
| 1. Salto pass | At least two directly connected acro flight skills, including an “A” or “B” salto |
| 2. Second acro pass | Either another connection of two acro flight skills, or one “B” salto |
| 3. Dance passage | Two different leaps, jumps or hops, connected directly or indirectly, one a leap with at least a 155° cross or side split |
| 4. Turn | At least a full (1/1) turn on one foot |
Requirements 1 and 2 must be met in separate passes. Gold already allows a salto on floor; Platinum requires one, connected to another flight skill. For these two requirements, aerials don’t count as saltos, and neither do salto-like skills that land sitting, lying face down or in a split sit.
Floor needs at least six “A” skills and one “B”. Acro skills rated “C” and any skill rated “D” or higher are restricted; “C” dance skills are allowed. The current chart sets the floor time limit at 1 minute 15 seconds, down from 1 minute 30, with no minimum time.
How Xcel Platinum Is Scored
Bars, beam and floor routines start from a 10.0 Start Value, which the Code builds from three parts:
| Part of the 10.0 | Platinum |
|---|---|
| Value Parts | 0.90 (six “A” skills at 0.10, one “B” at 0.30) |
| Special Requirements | 2.00 (four at 0.50) |
| Execution and artistry | 7.10 |
Judges take 0.10 off the Start Value for each missing “A”, 0.30 for a missing “B”, 0.50 for each missing Special Requirement and 0.50 for each restricted skill, then deduct for execution and artistry. The Code’s own Platinum example: a gymnast performs six “A” skills, a “C” dance skill and a “C” acro skill, and meets every requirement. The “C” acro skill is restricted, so she starts from 9.5.
Our guide to how Xcel Start Value is calculated works through every division.
Moving Up From Platinum to Diamond
Diamond takes the same mobility score one division up: a 32.00 all-around at Platinum, or an 8.50 as an individual event specialist, in a live sanctioned meet, and the gymnast must be at least nine.
Diamond asks for two “B” skills per event instead of one, a “B” circling skill on bars, a 155° split and a salto or aerial dismount on beam, and two different saltos on floor. Our guide to Xcel Diamond requirements covers each event. The mobility score is separate from the scores that qualify a gymnast for State or Regionals; our guide to qualifying for State, Regionals and Nationals explains those.
Common Questions
What skills are required for Xcel Platinum?
Four Special Requirements, six “A” skills and one “B” skill on each of bars, beam and floor, plus a vault from the Platinum chart. On bars, for example: a skill to clear support above horizontal, a circling skill, a kip and a high-bar dismount.
What level is Xcel Platinum in gymnastics?
Platinum is the fourth of the six Xcel divisions. Xcel and the Development Program are separate, so there is no exact equivalent, but a gymnast who has competed Development Program Levels 5, 6 or 7 may enter Xcel at Platinum; see Xcel vs. the Development Program.
What age is Xcel Platinum?
A gymnast must have reached her eighth birthday. There is no maximum age.
What score do you need to get into Xcel Platinum?
A 32.00 all-around at Gold, or an 8.50 on an event as an individual event specialist, in a live sanctioned meet.
Can Xcel Platinum gymnasts do giants?
Yes. Giants are “B” skills that Gold doesn’t allow; Platinum has no such rule, so a giant can be the routine’s “B”. Skills rated “C” or higher are still restricted on bars, apart from the three handstand skills.
Final Takeaway
Xcel Platinum routines need four Special Requirements, six “A” skills and one “B” on bars, beam and floor, from a 10.0 Start Value, and vaults from the Platinum chart start between 9.7 and 10.0. The big steps from Gold are the “B” skill, a kip on bars, a dance series on beam and a salto pass on floor.
Getting in takes a 32.00 all-around at Gold and an eighth birthday; moving on to Diamond takes a 32.00 all-around at Platinum.
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, 2022 edition extended to July 2028, revised August 2026: Platinum vault start values and Start Value examples
- USA Gymnastics 2026–2027 Women’s Rules & Policies, Chapter 8: Xcel Program