For Coaches & Parents
Is this skill level-appropriate?
Pick a level and a skill family to see the hallmark skills typical there — or pick a family alone to see its whole Level 1–6 progression. Everything below comes from our published coach guide, answer pages, and glossary, so you can orient fast before you open the official documents.
A guide, not a rulebook — rules change every season
This checker orients you to each level’s widely-recognized hallmark skills, drawn from our published coach guide — it is a guide, not a ruling engine. The binding, exact list of legal and illegal skills lives in the current USASF rules and level-appropriate documents, which are revised every season, and legality also depends on entries, connections, bracing, and division (all-girl vs. coed). Always confirm against the current official documents before choreographing or competing a skill. Open the current official USASF documents.
Level
Skill Family
Showing every skill family at every level.
Standing Tumbling
Tumbling from a standing start with no running approach — generally harder for its level than running tumbling.
Level 1
From Our Coach GuideForward and backward rolls, cartwheels, and front/back walkovers — no handsprings at Level 1. The entry band where athletes build body control and technique.
Level 2
From Our Coach GuideBack handsprings arrive — standing back handsprings, including standing series. The first big jump in tumbling difficulty.
Level 3
Check the Official GridOur guide's Level 3 hallmarks — round-off back-handspring tucks and aerials — are running and aerial skills; it doesn't enumerate the standing list, so see the official USASF grid and level-appropriate documents for the exact list. Official documents
Level 4
From Our Coach GuideStanding tucks are the Level 4 hallmark — a backflip from a standing start with no hands touching the ground.
Level 5
Check the Official GridOur guide's Level 5 tumbling hallmark is the full-twisting layout; it doesn't publish a standing-specific Level 5 list, so see the official USASF grid and level-appropriate documents for the exact list. Official documents
Level 6
Check the Official GridLevel 6 is Worlds-level tumbling — high-difficulty twisting skills per our guide — but it doesn't split out standing limits, so see the official USASF grid and level-appropriate documents for the exact list. Official documents
Running Tumbling
Tumbling out of a running approach and a round-off, judged on the difficulty of the pass.
Level 1
From Our Coach GuideRound-offs and front/back walkovers — no handsprings at Level 1.
Level 2
From Our Coach GuideRunning back handspring series arrive — round-off into back handsprings.
Level 3
From Our Coach GuideRound-off back-handspring tucks, plus aerials (no-handed cartwheels and walkovers) — the level where routines start to feel elite.
Level 4
From Our Coach GuideRunning layouts — a straight, hollow-body backflip with no hands, harder than a tuck because there is no tuck to generate rotation.
Level 5
From Our Coach GuideFull-twisting layouts — the signature Level 5 tumbling skill.
Level 6
From Our Coach GuideWorlds-level passes — high-difficulty twisting skills; double fulls and beyond appear at the Worlds levels.
Stunts & Building
Skills where bases lift a flyer off the ground — from a simple prep to elite one-legged extended skills.
Level 1
From Our Coach GuideBuilding tops out at prep (shoulder) height — the flyer’s feet roughly level with the bases’ shoulders.
Level 2
From Our Coach GuideTwo-leg extended stunts arrive, plus single-leg stunts at prep level. The first big jump in stunt difficulty.
Level 3
From Our Coach GuideExtended single-leg stunts (liberties and body positions at full extension) and release moves.
Level 4
From Our Coach GuideMore dynamic release moves than Level 3 — building gets faster and more connected.
Level 5
From Our Coach GuideElite release moves and full-up (full-twisting) transitions — the top of the domestic building progression.
Level 6
From Our Coach GuideThe first Worlds level — high-difficulty transitions and twisting skills at the top end of the sport.
Dismounts
The controlled way a flyer comes down from a stunt — a cradle, a twist down, or a step down.
Level 1
Check the Official GridDismounts have their own legality at every level — a legal stunt can end in an illegal dismount. Our guide doesn't enumerate Level 1 dismounts, so see the official USASF grid and level-appropriate documents for the exact list. Official documents
Level 2
Check the Official GridOur guide doesn't enumerate Level 2 dismounts — twisting dismounts are a Level 4 hallmark in our content, so for what's allowed below that, see the official USASF grid and level-appropriate documents for the exact list. Official documents
Level 3
Check the Official GridOur guide doesn't enumerate Level 3 dismounts — twisting dismounts are a Level 4 hallmark in our content, so for what's allowed below that, see the official USASF grid and level-appropriate documents for the exact list. Official documents
Level 4
From Our Coach GuideTwisting dismounts arrive — the full-down (a 360° twist to the cradle) is a hallmark higher-level dismount.
Level 5
Check the Official GridTwisting dismounts are established from Level 4 up in our guide, but exact rotation limits per level aren't in our published content — see the official USASF grid and level-appropriate documents for the exact list. Official documents
Level 6
Check the Official GridTwisting dismounts are established from Level 4 up in our guide, but exact rotation limits per level aren't in our published content — see the official USASF grid and level-appropriate documents for the exact list. Official documents
Tosses
Bases interlock hands to launch the flyer to perform a skill before a cradle catch — scored on the skill thrown.
Level 1
Check the Official GridEach level legalizes a specific band of toss skills, but our published content doesn't enumerate Level 1 tosses — see the official USASF grid and level-appropriate documents for the exact list. Official documents
Level 2
Check the Official GridEach level legalizes a specific band of toss skills, but our published content doesn't enumerate Level 2 tosses — see the official USASF grid and level-appropriate documents for the exact list. Official documents
Level 3
Check the Official GridEach level legalizes a specific band of toss skills, but our published content doesn't enumerate Level 3 tosses — see the official USASF grid and level-appropriate documents for the exact list. Official documents
Level 4
Check the Official GridEach level legalizes a specific band of toss skills, but our published content doesn't enumerate Level 4 tosses — see the official USASF grid and level-appropriate documents for the exact list. Official documents
Level 5
Check the Official GridEach level legalizes a specific band of toss skills, but our published content doesn't enumerate Level 5 tosses — see the official USASF grid and level-appropriate documents for the exact list. Official documents
Level 6
From Our Coach GuideElite basket tosses at the top end of the sport — a Level 6 hallmark in our guide, scored on the difficulty of the skill thrown.
Pyramids
Connected structures where multiple stunt groups link together, with their own legality rules by level.
Level 1
Check the Official GridConnection and bracing rules govern how flyers may be linked at every level, but our published content doesn't list Level 1 pyramid rules — see the official USASF grid and level-appropriate documents for the exact list. Official documents
Level 2
Check the Official GridConnection and bracing rules govern how flyers may be linked at every level, but our published content doesn't list Level 2 pyramid rules — see the official USASF grid and level-appropriate documents for the exact list. Official documents
Level 3
Check the Official GridConnection and bracing rules govern how flyers may be linked at every level, but our published content doesn't list Level 3 pyramid rules — see the official USASF grid and level-appropriate documents for the exact list. Official documents
Level 4
Check the Official GridConnection and bracing rules govern how flyers may be linked at every level, but our published content doesn't list Level 4 pyramid rules — see the official USASF grid and level-appropriate documents for the exact list. Official documents
Level 5
Check the Official GridConnection and bracing rules govern how flyers may be linked at every level, but our published content doesn't list Level 5 pyramid rules — see the official USASF grid and level-appropriate documents for the exact list. Official documents
Level 6
Check the Official GridConnection and bracing rules govern how flyers may be linked at every level, but our published content doesn't list Level 6 pyramid rules — see the official USASF grid and level-appropriate documents for the exact list. Official documents
What about Level 4.2?
Level 4.2 is a defined step between Level 4 and Level 5 — Level 4 building rules paired with limited Level 2 tumbling in the split version. It has its own USASF rules document and is sometimes informally called “Level 5 Prep.” More in the level progression guide.
Skill still borderline? USASF provides a coach tool for pre-event legality review — coaches can submit video of a skill and get it checked before competing it. Verifying a borderline transition or connection in advance is far cheaper than a deduction on the mat.
Common questions
Can this tool tell me whether a skill is legal?
No — it orients you to each level’s widely-recognized hallmark skills, drawn from our published coach guide. Actual legality is decided only by the current USASF rules and level-appropriate documents, which are revised every season and also govern entries, connections, bracing, and division-specific building rules.
What level is a back handspring? What level is a full?
In our coach guide’s progression, back handsprings first arrive at Level 2 (standing and running series), and the full-twisting layout is the signature Level 5 tumbling skill — with standing tucks at Level 4 and round-off back-handspring tucks at Level 3 in between. Always confirm the exact legality against the current USASF documents.
What happens if a team competes a skill above its level?
A skill above the team’s level is illegal and draws a safety/legality deduction rather than earning extra difficulty — so competing “up” costs more than it could ever earn. Every element in a routine must be legal for the level the team competes at.
Why do some answers say “see the official USASF grid”?
Because this checker only repeats what we already publish in our coach guide, answer pages, and glossary. Where our content doesn’t cover a specific skill family at a specific level — tosses at lower levels, or per-level pyramid rules, for example — we point you to the official documents instead of guessing.
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