Level 8 floor routines start to get a bit more difficult, compared with Levels 6 and 7. Level 8 is the third optional level in gymnastics. Optional gymnastics means that the gymnast gets to use their own choreography. Level 8 floor music can be chosen by the gymnast and coach. Today we will look at […]
It’s the start of collegiate gymnastics season, and we are so fortunate to have our sport broadcast on many different TV networks! Of course, part of the fun of watching is trying to figure out the scores. That brings up the question, how does scoring work in college gymnastics? General NCAA Scoring Information NCAA competitions […]
Every four years, the Xcel rules change. The new rules came out in late June of 2022, and the materials are available through USA Gymnastics. What’s new in the Xcel program this year? Let’s take a look. General Changes for the Xcel Program in 2022 All divisions now have Value Part Requirements on Bars, Beam, […]
There’s a new Division in USAG Xcel in 2022 – Xcel Sapphire! A number of coaches and gyms have been asking for an Xcel Division higher than Diamond, and it is finally coming! This new Division is piloting during the 2022-23 season, and during this season, it’s only available in 4 regions. The pilot will […]
This article has been updated to reflect the changes from the 2022-2026 Xcel Code of Points. Every four years, the rules change for Xcel gymnastics under USA Gymnastics. Sometimes there are a lot of changes, and other years, the Xcel gymnastics requirements stay pretty much the same. There’s always a lot of talk about what […]
This article has been updated to reflect the 2022-2026 DP Code of Points changes. Every four years, the rules change for optional gymnastics under USA Gymnastics. Sometimes there are a lot of changes, and other years, the optional gymnastics requirements stay pretty much the same. As of April 2022, the new rules for 2022-2026 have […]
This article has been updated to reflect the changes in the 2022-2026 DP Code of Points. Level 8 vault… this assignment used to (and sometimes still does) strike fear into the hearts of judges. Would all the gymnasts make it through without crashing? I always consider it a success if I don’t gasp or jump […]
This post has been updated to reflect the 2022-2026 Code of Points. Level 7 floor routines are some of my favorite routines to judge. Level 7 gymnastics is the second optional level in gymnastics. This means that the gymnast gets to use their own choreography. Level 7 floor music can be chosen by the gymnast […]
This post has been updated to reflect the 2021-2029 compulsory routine changes. In 2021, the Level 3 vault changed to a handspring over the mat stack, which you may have seen performed in Xcel Silver. The idea behind this vault is to prepare the gymnasts to perform the Level 4 and 5 handspring over the […]
This article has been updated to reflect the 2022-2026 DP Code of Points changes. Introduction to Level 6 Beam The Level 6 beam routines can be very quick, but they can also be a challenge! These routines combine basic acro skills, which can include flight skills or a series, along with dance skills such as […]
