Making Sense of Composition: Level 9 Floor

This article has been updated to reflect the changes made in the 2026-2030 Code of Points.

Your Level 9 gymnast hits her floor routine. Yes! But the score comes in lower than you both expected. What’s the deal?

At Level 9, there’s a good chance she had some problems with the composition of the routine. What does that mean? Let’s take a closer look!

In 2026, a change was made to incorporate routine composition into the Start Value. Under these rules, gymnasts must earn Composition Credit (CC) for performing skills with specific values. Completion of the Composition Credit requirements is required to achieve a 10.0 Start Value.

Level 9 routine has a Start Value of 9.50 before adding in Composition Credit and Bonus. Composition Credit accounts for 0.20 of the additional 0.50, with Bonus comprising the remaining 0.30.

So what’s the best way to construct a routine to receive full credit and a 10.0 Start Value? I’ll offer plenty of examples today. I’ll also review some additional composition deductions that can be applied for Level 9 floor. These composition deductions do not come off the Start Value, but will lower a gymnast’s score if they are not fulfilled.

This is the second article in a three-part series: Making Sense of Floor Composition. Check out the Level 8 and Level 10 articles too! This series discusses Composition Credit and composition deductions on floor for levels 8, 9, and 10.

Value Parts in a Level 9 Floor Routine

When a coach and gymnast are constructing a routine, they will first want to consider the skills that are allowable for the gymnast’s level. For those who are unfamiliar, skills in the J.O. Program are valued from A to E, with A skills being the easiest, and E skills being the most difficult. Level 9 gymnasts are allowed to perform any A, B, and C elements, any D/E dance elements, and ONE D/E acro element. D/E elements count as C elements at Level 9 for the purposes of routine construction and bonus.

Gymnast doing front layout on Level 9 floor

Two Types of Composition in a Level 9 Floor Routine

There are two types of Composition in a Level 9 floor routine:

Composition Credit (comes off the Start Value)
Composition Deductions (deducted from the final score of the routine)

Let’s explore both types of composition.

What is Composition Credit?

Composition Credit is new in 2026. It is a portion of the Start Value that a gymnast can earn by performing certain values of skills in her routine. Composition Credit varies by level. At Level 9, a gymnast can earn up to 0.20 in Composition Credit, to help her achieve a 10.0 Start Value.

The Composition Credit requirements at Level 9 are:

2 different C (or higher) saltos and 1 B (or higher) salto = +0.10
2 different C (or higher) dance skills = +0.10

Acro Composition Credit in a Level 9 Floor Routine

The Acro Special Requirements for Level 9 floor include 3 different saltos and an acro pass with 2 saltos. To receive full Composition Credit in the acro category, a Level 9 gymnast must perform at least 2 different C (or higher) saltos, and 1 B (or higher) salto. There is no requirement to perform more than the 3 required saltos.

Saltos that do not land on the feet first (ex: front tuck off one leg to sit) do not count as saltos, and therefore will not be used to determine acro Composition Credit. Aerials and saltos that take off of one leg (i.e. side somi) also do not count as saltos.

Examples:

Pass #1: Back layout double full (C)
Pass #2: Back layout 1 1/2, front tuck (C+A direct, +0.10 bonus)
Pass #3: Front full (C)
+0.10 Acro CC
Pass #1: Double back (D, counts as C for Level 9, +0.10 bonus)
Pass #2: Front layout, front layout (B+B direct, +0.10 bonus)
Pass #3: Back layout 1 1/2 (C)
+0.10 Acro CC
Pass #1: Back layout double full (C)
Pass #2: Front layout, front tuck (B+A direct)
Pass #3: Front full (C)
+0.10 Acro CC
Pass #1: Double back (D, counts as C for Level 9, +0.10 bonus)
Pass #2: Whip 1/2, front full (B+C direct, +0.20 bonus)
+0.10 Acro CC
Pass #1: Front full (C)
Pass #2: Front tuck through to back layout full (A+B indirect)
Pass #3: Back layout 1 ½ (C)
+0.10 Acro CC
Pass #1: Back layout 1 1/2, front pike (C+B direct, +0.20 bonus)
Pass #2: Rudi (D, counts as C for Level 9, +0.10 bonus)
+0.10 Acro CC
Pass #1: Front pike stepout, through to back layout 1 ½ (B+C indirect, +0.10 bonus)
Pass #2: Front full (C)
+0.10 Acro CC
Pass #1: Front full (C)
Pass #2: Whip ½, front layout (B+B direct, +0.10 bonus)
Pass #3: Front layout, front pike (B+B direct, +0.10 bonus)
NO Acro CC
Pass #1: Front 1/1, front tuck (C+A direct, +0.10 bonus)
Pass #2: Back layout 1 1/2 (C)
NO Acro CC
Pass #1: Whip, back layout 1 1/2 (A+C direct, +0.10 bonus)
Pass #2: Front full, front tuck (C+A direct, +0.10 bonus)
NO Acro CC
Pass #1: Back layout double full (C)
Pass #2: Front layout, front layout (B+B direct, +0.10 bonus)
Pass #3: Back layout full (B)
NO Acro CC
Pass #1: Back layout full (B)
Pass #2: Front layout, front pike (B+B direct)
NO Acro CC

What are your favorite passes to use for Level 9?

Gymnast doing double stag ring leap on Level 9 floor

Dance Composition Credit in a Level 9 Floor Routine

To receive full Composition Credit for dance at Level 9, the gymnast must perform 2 DIFFERENT C 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. If the gymnast uses 1 C element in the dance passage, and upgrades her turn to a C, she will receive full Composition Credit for her dance Value Parts. Alternatively, she could do a C+C dance passage (directly connected will receive +0.10 bonus), and then she would only need to do a B valued turn. Use the skills that the gymnast can perform with the fewest deductions!

Examples:

Double turn (C)
Switch-side, Popa (C+C, +0.10 bonus)
+0.10 Dance CC
Switch-ring, switch 1/2 (C+C, +0.10 bonus)
1 ½ turn (B)
+0.10 Dance CC
Switch-side, straddle jump (C+B)
NO Dance CC (gymnast would incur an additional 0.20 deduction for lack of B turn)
Switch leap, tuck jump (B+A)
1 ½ turn (B)
NO Dance CC
Split leap, wolf jump (A+A)
Full turn with leg horizontal (B)
NO Dance CC

As you can see, if the gymnast performs a C turn, which fulfills the compositional requirement of a B or higher turn, she is already well on the way to minimizing her dance level deductions. If she does this C turn, she only needs one additional C, either in her dance series or isolated, to fulfill her dance level compositional requirements. There are many C dance skills to choose from!

Dismount Composition in a Level 9 Floor Routine

There are NO composition requirements for the level of the dismount in floor routines at this time! For this reason, it makes the most sense to select acro skills that can be cleanly performed, in the order that allows the gymnast to perform them the best.

Composition Deductions in a Level 9 Floor Routine

In addition to Composition Credit, there are several other categories judges are looking for during each Level 9 floor routine. Instead of adding to the Start Value, these errors will incur deductions as listed below.

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 C salto: 0.3.
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.

And now, it’s time to get to work on constructing those Level 9 routines to minimize deductions and build those scores! What are your favorite skills or combos on Level 9 floor?

References

USA Gymnastics J.O. Code of Points, 2026-2030.