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A parent signs up a six-year-old for a Tuesday tumbling class and, a year later, is reading about “Level 3 mobility,” “Xcel Silver,” “sanctioned meets” and “SafeSport.” Gymnastics has a lot of organizations, and they don’t always explain how they fit together. This page is the map: who writes the rules worldwide, who runs the sport in the US, the youth programs, high school and college gymnastics, the Olympic path, and the bodies that keep athletes safe. For the big picture of the sport, start at our gymnastics hub.
World Gymnastics (FIG): the international federation
The International Gymnastics Federation, known for most of its history as the FIG, was founded in 1881 in Liège, Belgium, and is the oldest international sports federation still in existence. It is based in Lausanne, Switzerland, has more than 160 member federations and changed its name to World Gymnastics in December 2025. It governs eight disciplines: men’s and women’s artistic, rhythmic, trampoline and tumbling, acrobatic, aerobic, parkour and Gymnastics for All. It writes the Codes of Points, the apparatus standards and the age rules, and runs the World Championships and World Cup series.
Senior international competition starts in the calendar year a gymnast turns 16 for women’s artistic and 18 for men’s artistic. Our gymnastics rules page explains the scoring.
USA Gymnastics: the national governing body
USA Gymnastics, based in Indianapolis, is the only gymnastics organization recognized by both the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and World Gymnastics. It oversees six disciplines (acrobatic, artistic, Gymnastics for All, parkour, rhythmic, and trampoline and tumbling), picks the US teams for the Olympics and World Championships, and sanctions competitions from local meets to national championships. It says it has nearly 240,000 individual members (athletes, coaches, parents, volunteers, judges and club owners) and more than 3,300 member clubs, and it falls under the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s jurisdiction.
Women’s Development Program: Levels 1 to 10
The traditional women’s ladder. Levels 1–5 are compulsory, with the same set routines for everyone; Levels 6–10 are optional, where each gymnast builds routines to meet requirements. Gymnasts move up by age and score. Under USA Gymnastics’ 2026–27 rules:
| Level | Minimum age | To enter |
|---|---|---|
| 1 / 2 | 4th / 5th birthday | No prerequisite score |
| 3 | 6th birthday | No prerequisite score |
| 4 | 7th birthday | No prerequisite score |
| 5 and 6 | 7th birthday | 34.00 all-around at Level 4 (Level 5); 32.00 at Level 5 (Level 6) |
| 7 | 7th birthday | 32.00 all-around at Level 5 or 6 |
| 8 and 9 | 8th birthday | 32.00 at Level 7 (Level 8); 34.00 at Level 8 (Level 9) |
| 10 | 9th birthday | 34.00 all-around at Level 9 |
Level 10 is the top of the Development Program and where many college hopefuls compete. Above it is elite, the national team path to the Worlds and Olympics.
Xcel: Bronze to Sapphire
USA Gymnastics describes Xcel as an alternative competitive program for gymnasts “of varying abilities and commitment levels,” with a wide choice of skills and a focus on sportsmanship, teamwork and fun. Its six divisions start at Bronze (5th birthday), Silver (6th) and Gold (7th), then Platinum (8th), Diamond (9th) and Sapphire (12th), with score requirements to move up. Xcel is a separate path; it doesn’t count toward moving up in the Development Program.
Men’s, rhythmic, trampoline and tumbling, and acro
Each discipline has its own USA Gymnastics program and national championships. The men’s Development Program includes a Future Stars track and names a Level 8/9 national team at its national championships. Rhythmic, trampoline and tumbling, and acrobatic gymnastics each have their own levels leading to elite and international teams.
AAU gymnastics
The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) runs its own gymnastics program with district and state meets, AAU Nationals and gymnastics at the AAU Junior Olympic Games. Its girls’ program uses numbered levels plus Xcel-style divisions, and gymnasts can enter at Level 1 and Xcel Bronze from age 4. Some clubs compete in AAU, some in USA Gymnastics and some in both, so ask your gym which it uses.
High school gymnastics
High school gymnastics depends on the state. In the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) 2023–24 participation survey, 26 states reported girls’ gymnastics, with 15,092 athletes at 1,689 schools; only 7 states reported boys’ programs. Each state association sets its own rules and season, and many club gymnasts skip school teams to compete with their club.
College gymnastics
NCAA women’s gymnastics has one national championship across all divisions. In 2026, 36 teams entered the tournament; the top teams from four regionals met in the semifinals in Fort Worth, Texas, and the final four, called “Four on the Floor,” competed for the title. Oklahoma won. Scoring stays on the 10.0 scale (six up, five count, 200 is perfect).
NCAA men’s gymnastics is small: USA Gymnastics lists 12 Division I programs (Air Force, Army West Point, California, Illinois, Michigan, Navy, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Stanford and William & Mary), no Division II programs and 3 in Division III (Greenville, Simpson and Springfield). Stanford won the 2026 title. Men who want to keep competing outside the NCAA can look at GymACT and the National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Clubs (NAIGC). Our youth gymnastics guide covers recruiting.
The Olympic path
Three disciplines are Olympic. Men’s artistic gymnastics was part of the first modern Games in 1896, women’s artistic arrived in 1928, rhythmic in 1984 (Los Angeles) and trampoline in 2000 (Sydney). The current program has 18 medal events: 14 in artistic, plus rhythmic and trampoline. Acro, aerobic, tumbling and parkour hold World Championships but aren’t Olympic. US gymnasts reach the Games through USA Gymnastics’ national team system and selection procedures.
Athlete safety: the U.S. Center for SafeSport
The U.S. Center for SafeSport opened on March 3, 2017, and was authorized by Congress through the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017. It is independent of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and handles reports of abuse across the Olympic and Paralympic movement, including gymnastics. Its Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies (MAAPP), which every national governing body must follow, include:
- One-on-one contact between an adult and a minor athlete must be observable and interruptible, apart from emergencies and listed exceptions.
- Parents must be allowed to observe individual training sessions.
- Electronic messages from an adult to a minor athlete must be open and transparent: a parent, another adult family member or another adult in the program is copied.
- Massage, stretching and other manual therapy for minors need parental consent, another adult present and parents allowed to watch; the policies recommend that coaches not massage minor athletes.
USA Gymnastics adds its own rules: its professional members, such as coaches, must pass a background check and complete the SafeSport course, plus safety and concussion education. Anyone can report a concern at uscenterforsafesport.org; if a child is in danger, call 911.
Gear for every program
Whatever program a gymnast is in, two things help at home: a floor-height practice beam like the Z-Athletic 8-foot folding floor beam (2.5 inches tall, 4-inch top) for balance drills, and a small massage gun such as the Theragun Mini for older athletes’ sore calves after long practices. See our gymnastics gear guide and best massage guns.
Z-Athletic 8 ft Folding Floor Beam
- 8 ft long, 2.5 in tall
- 4 in top, 6 in base
- Folds in half, 4 lb
Next: gymnastics rules, youth gymnastics, gymnastics training and, for comparison, soccer leagues and associations.
Gymnastics organizations FAQs
What is the governing body for gymnastics in the US?
USA Gymnastics. It’s the only gymnastics organization recognized by the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and World Gymnastics, and it picks US Olympic and World Championships teams.
Is the FIG the same as World Gymnastics?
Yes. The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG), founded in 1881, changed its name to World Gymnastics in December 2025. It still writes the Codes of Points.
What is the highest level in USA Gymnastics?
In the women’s Development Program, Level 10 is the top level, and elite is the national team level above it. In Xcel, Sapphire is the top division.
Which gymnastics disciplines are in the Olympics?
Artistic (men and women), rhythmic and trampoline. Acrobatic, aerobic, tumbling and parkour have World Championships but aren’t on the Olympic program.
How do I report abuse in gymnastics?
Report to the U.S. Center for SafeSport at uscenterforsafesport.org, and call 911 or your local child protective services if a child is in immediate danger. You can also tell USA Gymnastics or your club.