Level 8 Gymnastics: What to know about the requirements

Level 7… check! Congratulations on moving up to Level 8.

Level 8 means you’re flipping your first vault in competition, that you’ve added twisting into your floor passes and are performing saltos on the balance beam. Take a moment to pat yourself on the back! Level 8 is one of the most difficult levels of gymnastics and it’s no small feat you’ve obtained the skill-set required in order to compete.

We’ve composed a list of the Level 8 requirements on each event to give you a better understanding of the skills required in an effort to help you put together your best routine!

Below is a list of the requirements necessary on each event to compete in Level 8. Please note that these are the requirements required by USAG to start your routine at a 10.0. For a more comprehensive list we recommend checking out USAG’s website here.

We hope our list makes your routine easier to understand and to compose! 

Vault
There are only a few specific vaults allowed at Level 8 that have a 10.0 start value

• Handspring to a 2/1 twist
• Handspring ½ twist (onto the table) to 2/1 twist
• Handspring ¼ twist to 2 ¼ twist
• Tsukahara tuck salto
• Tsukahara pike salto
• Yurchenko tuck salto
• Yurchenko pike salto
• Yurchenko ½ to 2/1 twist

Uneven Bars
In Level 8 (and beyond) your routines must consist of a minimum of 8 elements. ‘A’ and ‘B’ elements are allowed along with selected ‘C’ elements. In order for you to start at a 10.0 on bars you need:

•  A minimum of one bar change from either high to low bar or vice versa. (ex. squat on w/ jump to high bar)
• Two ‘B’ elements that can either be the same or not. However, one of these elements must have flight OR turn (ex.’s 1) overshoot or 2) ½ pirouette in handstand)
• One ‘B’ 360° clear circling element (ex. clear hip to 45° or higher)
• Minimum of an ‘A’ salto dismount (ex. layout flyaway)

 The construction of a routine beginning at a 10.0 SV will be determined by the gymnast’s ability to perform enough ‘B’ or ‘C’ elements. If she has enough allowable ‘B’ and ‘C’ elements throughout her routine she may choose the ‘A’ dismount. However; if she is short a ‘B’ and can safely execute a double tuck salto (‘C’) dismount she may choose that in order to fulfill her requirements. Note that ‘A’ elements CAN be replaced by ‘B’ elements as well.

Balance Beam
Level 8 balance beam has a maximum of 1 min. and 30 sec. time limit. As with bars, ‘A’ and ‘B’ elements are permitted as our certain ‘C’ elements. The most basic routine in Level 8 is made up of the following requirements:

• Acro series with a minimum of two elements (ex. flic-flic or flic-lay)
• One acro flight element (this can also be performed within the series) (ex. back tuck)
• One leap or jump that meets the 180° split requirement (ex. switch leap)
• Minimum of 360°turn (ex. full turn in passé position)
• Minimum of an ‘A’ salto dismount (ex. front pike off the end of beam)

Beam routines are constructed by what elements a gymnast performs well and their values. For example, one Level 8 gymnast may perform a flic-flic and have fulfilled her two-element min. acro series as well as her flight element. A second gymnast may perform a back-walkover into a round-off which only gives her one ‘B’ element. In this case, in order to obtain all of her ‘B’ requirements and keep her routine up-to-level; the second gymnast might additionally do a back tuck salto (‘C’) somewhere else in her routine.

Floor
The elements as listed are in order to start your routine at a 10.0 with no up-to-level deductions.

• One acro series with three flight elements; two being saltos OR two directly connected saltos (ex. front tuck step-out, round-off, back layout).
• Three different saltos within the exercise.
• Dance passage with two different elements; one leap meeting the 180º split requirement (ex. switch leap, assemble to wolf jump).
• ‘B’ salto performed as last isolated salto or within the last salto connection (ex. front handspring, front pike salto).

As with bars and beam; 8 elements are required in a Level 8 Floor Routine composed of ‘A’ and ‘B’ elements as well as some ‘C’. There MUST be at least 2 B’s and 1 A in the routine.

 

A 10.0SV Level 8 routine might look something like this:
First pass: Front tuck step-out (‘B’), round-off (‘A’), back layout (‘B’)
Second (and final) pass: Front layout (‘B’) to front pike (‘B’)
Leap passage: Switch leap (‘B’) to straddle jump (‘B’)
Turn: 1 ½ turn in passé (‘B’)

To all the Level 8 gymnasts out there, we wish you much success and so much fun performing your routines this season! For all of your fierce workout needs check out our ‘Bold Moves’ collection and our newest arrivals to keep you comfortable and feeling confident throughout your season!