Making Sense of Composition: Level 8 Floor

This post has been updated to reflect the 2022-2026 Code of Points. It has been modified using the new 2024 composition deductions.

This Level 8 gymnast did a super clean floor routine! Gymnast and coach are thrilled, but when the score comes up, it’s not as high as they thought it would be. What gives?

For Levels 8 and above, there may be a problem with composition deductions.

What exactly are composition deductions? Let’s take a closer look.

The newest set of compositional deductions are the “Up to the Level” deductions. Similar to NCAA gymnastics, which has used specific “Up to the Level” deductions for a number of years, the Dev Program decided in 2018 to make their deductions more specific in this category. There are three categories of “Up to the Level” deductions: Acro, Dance, and Dismount. Today I will review the application of these deductions, along with lots of examples!

This is the first in a series of three posts, Making Sense of Floor Composition. Check out the Level 9 and Level 10 posts too!

When a coach and gymnast are constructing a Level 8 floor routine, they will first want to consider the skills that are allowable for a gymnast’s level. For those who are unfamiliar, skills are valued from A to E, with A skills being the easiest, and E skills the most difficult. Level 8 gymnasts are permitted to perform any A and B skills, any C dance skills, and one C acro element on floor. C elements count as B’s for Level 8 gymnasts. For the purposes of this post, I will only be reviewing A and B skills as they relate to composition. C skills do not give Level 8 gymnasts a compositional advantage.

Acro Composition in a Level 8 Floor Routine

For Level 8 floor, the gymnast has the option of performing 2 or 3 tumbling passes in her routine. The composition used to be different, based on the number of passes in the routine. Starting in 2024, this is no longer the case!

The gymnast’s acro composition is now evaluated based solely on the number and value of the saltos in the routine.

Each routine is expected to contain 4 saltos. If a routine has 3 or fewer saltos, a 0.05 deduction is applied for each missing salto. The judges will determine what the acro composition deduction would have been with a 4th salto, and take an additional 0.05 deduction at the end.

Let’s take a look at some specifics.

Minimum and Maximum Acro Composition Deductions

To receive NO deduction for acro level in a Level 8 routine, the gymnast needs a minimum of 3 B saltos and 1 A salto. These saltos can be isolated, directly connected, or indirectly connected. It does not matter how many acro passes the gymnast performs, as long as she completes her 4 saltos.

The maximum deduction is 0.20, if the gymnast has no B saltos in her routine. See the chart in the 2024 USAG Minutes for details.

Examples for a 2-pass routine:

Pass #1: Front layout + front pike (B+B direct)
Pass #2: Whip, back layout full (A+B direct)
NO deduction
Pass #1: Front layout + front tuck (B+A direct)
Pass #2: Back layout 1 1/2 + front pike (B+B direct – 1 1/2 twist gets B credit at Level 8)
NO deduction
Pass #1: Front tuck stepout through to back layout ½ (A+B indirect)
Pass #2: Front pike, front layout (B+B direct)
NO deduction
Pass #1: Roundoff, whip 1/2, front pike (B+B indirect)
Pass #2: Back layout full (B)
Missing one salto
0.05 deduction
Pass #1: Front tuck stepout through to back layout full (A+B indirect)
Pass #2: Front pike (B)
Missing one salto
0.10 deduction
Pass #1: Back layout full (B)
Pass #2: Front tuck stepout through to back tuck (A+A indirect)
Saltos complete = B A A
Missing 1 salto
0.20 deduction
Pass #1: Whip through to back tuck (A+A indirect)
Pass #2: Front tuck (A)
Saltos completed = A A A
Missing 1 salto
0.20 Deduction

There are some combinations that do not have a “formula” listed on the composition sheet. For those situations, judges use their discretion to determine which category most closely fits the skills that were performed.

Examples for a 3-pass routine:

Pass #1: Front layout, front tuck (B+A direct)
Pass #2: Back layout full (B)
Pass #3: Front pike (B)
NO deduction
Pass #1: Front layout, front pike (B+B direct)
Pass #2: Back tuck (A)
Pass #3: Back layout full (B)
NO deduction
Pass #1: Back layout full (B)
Pass #2: Front tuck, front tuck (A+A direct)
Pass #3: Front pike (B)
0.05 deduction
Pass #1: Back layout full (B)
Pass #2: Front tuck stepout, front handspring, front tuck (A+A indirect)
Pass #3: Front pike (B)
0.05 deduction
Pass #1: Back layout (A)
Pass #2: Front tuck, front tuck (A+A direct)
Pass #3: Front pike (B)
0.10 deduction
Pass #1: Back layout (A)
Pass #2: Front tuck stepout through to back tuck (A+A indirect)
Pass #3: Front pike (B)
0.10 deduction
Pass #1: Back layout (A)
Pass #2: Front tuck stepout through to back tuck (A+A indirect)
Pass #3: Back tuck (A)
0.20 deduction

All of these routines meet the acro special requirements, as well as the compositional requirements of a forward/sideward and backward salto. There are certainly many other combinations of skills that could be performed, so if you have a question about a particular combination or routine, please shoot me an email or leave it in the comments!

NOTE: When constructing a 3-pass Level 8 floor routine, consider carefully whether it is worth adding an “A” tumbling pass, especially an isolated “A”. If the other skills in the routine meet the special requirements and the compositional requirements for forward/sideward and backward saltos, it may make sense to leave out the additional “A” pass. There will be a level of acro deduction taken, a level of dismount deduction if it is the last salto, and execution deductions also apply.

Dance Composition Deductions

To receive no deduction for level of dance at Level 8, the gymnast must perform 2 B’s and 1 A dance element. For the maximum 0.2 deduction to be applied, she would not perform any B dance elements. If she completes the dance passage Special Requirement along with the B turn compositional requirement, she will already have 3 elements in her routine, 1 of which is a B. Therefore, if the gymnast uses 1 B element in the dance passage, she will receive no deduction for her dance level.

Partial list of B dance elements:

Switch leap

Side leap

Straddle jump

Pike jump

Tuck jump full

Split jump ½

Cat leap full

Shushunova

Straight jump 1 ½

Full turn with leg at horizontal

1 ½ turn

Dismount Composition Deductions

Compared to the other categories, the dismount is easy to comprehend. Ready?

B salto = NO deduction
A+A (direct or indirect) = 0.05 deduction (see above routines for examples)
Isolated A salto or no salto dismount = 0.1 deduction

Examples of B dismounts:

Back salto full (any body position)
Back salto 1/2 (any body position)
Arabian salto (any body position)
Front pike
Front layout
Front layout 1/2

Examples of A+A dismounts:

Front tuck stepout through to back tuck, pike, or layout
Front tuck, front tuck
Whip to back tuck, pike or layout

Examples of A dismounts

Isolated front tuck
Back tuck
Back pike
Back layout

A word about dismounts:

If a gymnast does not receive Value Part credit for her dismount, due to failure to land on the feet first or the same skill performed in the same combination, she will receive the maximum 0.10 composition deduction for her dismount.

Saltos that do not land on the feet first (ex: front tuck off one leg to sit) do not count as a dismount, and therefore will not be used to determine dismount composition deductions. If the sole of one or both feet lands first, and it is the last salto in the routine, this does count as the gymnast’s dismount.

Other Composition Deductions

The up to the level deductions are the newest modifications to the floor composition, but there are a few other compositional deductions that could be taken on floor. Here they are:

Lack of minimum “B” turn: 0.2.
If the gymnast attempts a B turn but it is more than 90 degrees incomplete, or if she does not attempt one at all, she will receive this deduction. It doesn’t come off the start value, but instead is taken at the end of the routine.
Lack of minimum of 3 “A” saltos: 0.3.
The gymnast must perform at least 3 saltos in her routine. Each of these saltos must get at least “A” credit. It’s also allowable to perform “B” saltos to meet this compositional requirement.
Failure to perform saltos in two different directions: 0.1.
The gymnast must perform a backward salto, and a forward or sideward salto. An Arabian salto is considered a forward salto. Aerial cartwheels or walkovers will NOT fulfill this compositional requirement.
Overuse of dance elements with same shape: 0.1.
This deduction would be taken only for more than two straddle jumps (with/without turn), or more than two elements with a wolf or tuck position (with/without turn).
Insufficient use of floor exercise area: up to 0.1.
This deduction could be applied if the gymnast stays in the same section of the floor mat for most of her routine.

If, after reading all of these examples, it’s still hard to understand where the score came from, check out this article about general deductions. That Level 8 floor routine will be top notch in no time after addressing all of these categories!

References

USA Gymnastics J.O. Code of Points, 2022-2026.