Parents often ask a simple question with a complicated answer:
“What DP level is my child’s Xcel level equal to?”
Although Xcel and the Development Program share many similar skills, they were designed with very different purposes. DP Levels 1–10 follow a strict, linear skill progression, while Xcel divisions emphasize flexibility, personalization, and athlete choice. This means some skills align across programs, but the overall structure and expectations, do not match perfectly.
The Development Program (DP)
DP is a linear system designed to build gymnasts progressively from basics to high-level optional gymnastics.
Its goals include:
- Preparing athletes for Level 10, elite, and NCAA
- Ensuring consistent foundational technique
- Gradually increasing difficulty and routine construction complexity
DP levels especially Levels 1–7, are tightly structured. Skill progressions, execution standards, and mobility requirements leave very little room for variation.
The Xcel Program
Xcel, by design, is the opposite: a flexible, customizable competitive track created to accommodate different training schedules, diverse ability levels, and personalized routines.
Its strengths include:
- Freedom in skill selection
- More athlete-centered pacing
- Greater variety in routine composition
- Lower time commitment in many gyms
Because of that flexibility, two gymnasts in the same Xcel level can look completely different, while DP athletes in the same level tend to be much more standardized.
Approximate Comparison Chart
This chart reflects general ability expectations, not strict equivalency.
| Xcel Division | Approximate DP Comparison | Why This Is Not Exact |
|---|---|---|
| Bronze | DP Level 1–2 | Bronze routines are optional, DP Levels 1–2 are basic foundational levels often not used competitively. |
| Silver | DP Level 3 | Silver requirements are comparable to Level 3 basics, but Silver routines vary widely in difficulty. |
| Gold | DP Levels 4–5 | Some Gold athletes perform Level 4–5 skills, but Gold does not require Level 4 compulsory mastery. |
| Platinum | DP Levels 6–7 | Platinum aligns most closely with the first optional DP levels, but with more flexible composition rules. |
| Diamond | DP Levels 7–8 | Diamond athletes sometimes show Level 7–8 ability, but Diamond requirements allow for broader skill choice and fewer composition rules. |
| Sapphire (in participating regions) | DP Levels 8–9 | Sapphire is new, not nationwide, and varies by region. It often functions as a bridge to DP Level 8 or 9. |
Key Reminder: A gymnast in Xcel Platinum is not automatically ready for DP Level 7. DP has strict skill, connection, and mobility requirements that Xcel does not enforce.
Level-by-Level Breakdown
Xcel Bronze vs. DP Levels 1–2
Where They Overlap
- Basic locomotor skills
- Forward rolls, handstands, jumps
- Introductory bar and vault shapes
Where They Differ
- DP 1–2 are developmental and often not competed
- Bronze is fully competitive with optional routines
- Bronze allows more routine flexibility than DP early levels
Bottom Line:
Bronze feels like a competitive version of DP foundational levels, not a direct match.
Xcel Silver vs. DP Levels 3–4
Shared Skills
- Cartwheels and round-off progressions
- Pullover/back hip circle on bars
- Straight jumps, scales, and basic turns
Key Differences
- DP Levels 3–4 are compulsory, everyone performs the same routine
- Silver allows full routine customization
- Execution, artistry, and rhythm expectations are much higher in DP
Bottom Line:
A strong Silver gymnast may resemble a Level 3 or early Level 4 athlete, but Silver does not demand compulsory consistency.
Xcel Gold vs. DP Levels 4–5
This is where confusion happens most often.
Where They Overlap
- Round-off back handspring on floor
- More advanced bar/beam combinations
- Higher amplitude expectations
Where They Differ
- Level 5 is compulsory with strict execution rules
- Gold routines range from almost-Level-5 difficulty to mid-Level-4 difficulty
- Bars expectations in Gold are far lower than DP Levels 4–5
Bottom Line:
Gold spans a broad ability range. DP does not allow such variation within a level.
Xcel Platinum vs. DP Levels 6–7
Similarities
- Both use optional routines
- Difficulty values count
- Skill choice is allowed
Differences
- DP 6–7 require higher minimum difficulty
- Platinum has lower caps on difficulty and connection value
- DP optionals expect more strategic routine construction
Bottom Line:
A Platinum gymnast may look clean and confident but may still lack the difficulty and circling foundation expected in DP 6–7.
Xcel Diamond vs. DP Levels 7–8 (Sometimes 9)
Reality Check
- Diamond gymnasts often perform advanced tumbling, leaps, and acro
- But difficulty caps limit their scoring potential
- DP 8–9 require more risk, harder connections, and stricter composition standards
- Diamonds may thrive in Xcel but may need time to adjust to DP’s structure
Bottom Line:
Diamond can overlap with DP 7–8 on certain events, but it is not equivalent to them as a whole.r injury history.
Event-by-Event Comparison: Why Levels Don’t Line Up
Even when the skills look similar, the expectations behind them differ dramatically.
Vault
Xcel:
- Bronze/Silver: early progressions (handstand flat-backs)
- Gold: front handspring
- Platinum/Diamond: twisting vaults allowed
DP:
- Levels 4–5: must perform a front handspring vault with compulsory technique
- Levels 6–10: introduce flipping and twisting vault families
Why It Doesn’t Line Up:
The vault may be the same name, but the technical criteria and scoring standards are far stricter in DP.
Bars
Bars is the event where the two programs separate the most.
Xcel allows:
- Pullover, back hip circle
- Optional kip
- Clear hip below handstand
- Flyaway dismounts
- Giants optional, not required
DP requires:
- Long hang kip (Levels 4–5)
- Clear hip to horizontal then to handstand (L4–7+)
- Giants starting in Level 7
- Casts approaching vertical
Why It Doesn’t Line Up:
Bars is the biggest reason Xcel gymnasts often enter DP at a lower level, they may lack the compulsory circling and handstand requirements.
Beam
Beam aligns more naturally across the two programs, but important differences remain.
Xcel ProgressionsXcel progression:
- Bronze/Silver: simple acro and dance
- Gold: handstands, cartwheels, leaps
- Platinum/Diamond: turns, walkovers, stronger leaps; flight optional
DP progression:
- Levels 4–5: compulsory series and precise choreography
- Levels 6–10: required acro/dance series, with flight skills in upper levels
Why It Doesn’t Line Up:
Xcel never requires flight on beam or compulsory acro+dance series.
Floor
Floor is the event where Xcel and DP look the most similar, but meaningful differences still exist.
Xcel:
- Bronze/Silver: basic tumbling only
- Gold: ROBHS allowed, BHS-BT optional
- Platinum: layouts, front tucks
- Diamond: layouts, fulls, aerials, combinations
DP:
- Level 4: compulsory ROBHS
- Level 5: compulsory ROBHSBT
- Levels 6–10: optional routines with strict dance/tumbling series requirements
Why It Doesn’t Line Up:
Xcel focuses on minimum value parts; DP requires specific tumbling and dance combinations.
Switching from Xcel to DP: What Families Should Expect
Many families are surprised to learn that:
Gymnasts cannot simply “jump” into a high DP level because they were Xcel Platinum or Diamond.
USA Gymnastics mobility rules require:
- To enter DP Level 7, a gymnast must show mastery of all Level 6 requirements.
- To enter DP Level 8+, gymnasts need L7 experience and specific skill sets.
This means a Diamond gymnast may need to:
- Learn compulsory foundational skills they never trained
- Rework form and technique to meet DP expectations
- Adjust to stricter judging and composition rules
Xcel is not “lower” than DP, nor is DP inherently “harder.” They simply serve different goals. A gymnast moving from Xcel to DP may thrive, but they may also need time to adjust and fill in technical gaps.
