Coach's and Judge's Guide to British Gymnastics Women's Artistic Ages 8+ 2026

Coaches must be qualified to at least Level 2 and to the level of all the skills performed by the gymnasts they're responsible for.

Lead Coach: takes overall responsibility for all the club's or region's gymnasts and coaches, must be in the arena throughout, and must be qualified to cover every skill any of their gymnasts will perform.

Supervised Coach: at least Level 2. With the Lead Coach's explicit authorisation, may coach skills one level above their qualification, provided they've completed the relevant course or module for the next level and have worked on those skills in training under direct supervision of a coach qualified at that level.

Assisting Coach: Level 1 or above; can't be responsible for gymnasts, and can't coach unless they hold a qualification suitable for the skills.

Also:

• All coaches must have completed the British Gymnastics Positive Coaching module.
• Coaches pushing mats must be at least Level 2.
• Coaches entered must be the ones who attend.
• Chaperones may never coach.

If a club breaches these rules, British Gymnastics can reject the entry or disqualify the gymnast and remove their scores. Failure to hold the right qualification may also negate insurance in an accident.

All lead, supervised and assisting coaches must have, at the time of the event:

• a valid criminal record check: DBS (England and Wales), PVG (Scotland) or AccessNI (Northern Ireland), valid from entry through to the end of the event; and
• current Safeguarding and Protecting Children awareness training.

Coaches who don't meet this won't be accredited or allowed to take part. Choreographers and supervising chaperones also need current safeguarding and criminal record certificates.

Every gymnast must have an accredited coach on the field of play and in the warm-up hall at all times. A gymnast who arrives without a suitably qualified or supervised coach can't compete.

Overnight trips with under-18s need a designated person trained in safeguarding (not related to or in a relationship with the attending coach), with the appropriate check, and British Gymnastics' overnight stay form sent at least six weeks before travel. Not telling British Gymnastics may invalidate your insurance.

A gymnast's age is the age they reach during 2026 (the year of competition).

• Minimum age for any British Gymnastics national event: 9.
• Minimum age for women's artistic national events: 10.

The 2026 pathway by minimum age (year of birth):

Each NDP grade bars gymnasts who reached "Working At" or above in certain higher grades in 2025 or earlier, and a gymnast who has qualified for the British Championships by any route can't enter NDP grades. Qualifying to rank for Junior British Championships through Home Nations needs a minimum FIG score of 41.50 (43.00 for Seniors). A gymnast outside these rules can petition the Women's Technical Committee for dispensation.

The 2026 National Excel Grades 2 and 3 finals were held on 22 to 24 May 2026 at Fenton Manor Sports Complex, Stoke-on-Trent, alongside the NDP Performance Grades finals.

Excel Grade 2 (regional teams)

• Minimum age 10 in the year of competition.
• The top four from each regional qualifier form the regional team; 5th is the nominated reserve, and 6th can be a non-travelling reserve. Gymnasts also need the minimum attainment score at the qualifier.
• Team format 4-4-3: the best 3 scores on vault, bars, beam, floor and range and conditioning count. Ties at 4th place in a qualifier are broken by highest E score, then by dropping R&C, vault, bars, beam and floor scores in turn.
• One coach per gymnast; each team names a team manager.

Excel Grade 3 (individual)

• Direct individual entry, no regional qualifier.
• Minimum age 11, and the gymnast must have achieved at least "Working At" in Excel Grade 2. Qualifying scores must reach the organiser by the entry deadline.
• Up to two coaches per gymnast.

For both, the coach minimum is UKCC Level 2, and only one coach per gymnast may be at the apparatus at a time (a second is allowed on bars to remove the springboard). Ties aren't broken at the National Finals.

Excel Grade competitions (including regional qualifiers)

• At least two judges on each piece of apparatus, and at least one of them qualified to regional level or above.
• At least one National or Brevet judge at each qualifying competition.

To judge at a British Gymnastics event, a judge (club, county, regional, national or Brevet) must:

• hold British Gymnastics Community membership (members with coaching memberships who also hold the judging qualification are also accepted); and
• hold a judging award for the current cycle (Cycle 16).

Criminal record checks and safeguarding: British Gymnastics doesn't require a criminal record check or safeguarding training just to judge at its competitions, because the role no longer falls within DBS or AccessNI eligibility. Clubs must decide whether a judge who also instructs or supervises children in training needs a check and training. Judges with Scottish Gymnastics membership follow Scottish Gymnastics' guidance on checks.

Judges may not enter the warm-up hall once the judges' meeting has taken place.

British Gymnastics' Competition Attire at Events for Gymnasts Policy applies alongside the FIG Code of Points. It removes gender-specific requirements, so, for example, girls may wear shorts or leggings.

Other rules at British Gymnastics events:

• No GBR or home nation attire when representing a club (the only exception is Home Nations teams at NDP Individual and Regional Team Finals).
• No Union Flag or home nation flag anywhere in a leotard design. Breaches attract the FIG/European Gymnastics sanctions.
• Strapping must be a suitable colour: no bright colours or patterns.
• Leotards must not be removed on the field of play.
• Advertising on attire must follow British Gymnastics' advertising policy.
• Regional teams must wear regional uniform. Non-matching leotards or unitards are deducted under FIG rules, but there's no deduction if one gymnast wears plain shorts or a unitard as long as the body of the leotard matches.

A clothing modification form can be submitted with the entry for a variation (for example for religious reasons); the organiser replies within 10 working days.

Coaches

• A tracksuit with full-length bottoms, or full-length tracksuit bottoms with a collared polo shirt or club/regional t-shirt, plus suitable gym or training shoes.
• No GBR or home nation kit.
• Long hair braided or tied back so it doesn't block vision.
• No jewellery at all on the competition floor. Jewellery that's impossible to remove must be taped.

Judges

• Men: blazer or suit, trousers, white shirt, British Gymnastics/FIG or plain dark tie, black or blue shoes.
• Women: blazer or jacket, skirt or full-length trousers, white blouse, black or blue shoes without heels.
• Recorders, computer operators and other officials working with the judges dress similarly.

Everyone: no chewing gum at any stage of the competition, including ceremonies.

Only the supervising coach for the gymnast's club or region can make an inquiry, and it is limited to the D score or a request for a time or line review.

1. Tell the Superior Jury you intend to inquire and ask for an official Women's Technical Committee Inquiry Form.
2. Return the completed form to the Superior Jury within 10 minutes of the score being published.

• If you've already approached the judging panel and discussed the score, you can't then make an inquiry.
• Submitting the form commits the club to the fee, invoiced only if the inquiry is not upheld: £25 for the first inquiry, £50 for the second, £75 for the third and each after.
• Video or photo evidence can't be accepted unless an official video replay system is available at every apparatus.

Verbal feedback: at the end of the competition round (not the rotation), a coach can ask the Superior Jury for feedback from the relevant Difficulty Judge. This isn't an inquiry and won't change the score.

Yes. In line with the Cycle 16 FIG Code of Points (2025-2028), an extra 5 cm increase of the high bar can be requested for any gymnast whose feet still touch the mats during the exercise.

• The request must be made at the time of entry.
• It must then be verified during training by the Chair of the Superior Jury or a member of the Superior Jury.
• Raising the bars without authorisation is penalised under FIG regulations.

Unless stated otherwise, apparatus at British Gymnastics national events is to current FIG specifications (with GB modifications where applicable), and only apparatus supplied at the request of the Women's Technical Committee may be used.

• No flash photography at any time while gymnasts are warming up or competing.
• No photography on the field of play by gymnasts, coaches or officials.
• Photos are for personal use only. Without accreditation, they can't be sold, used commercially or published in print or online.
• Clubs may publish some photos, but only in line with British Gymnastics' photography, safeguarding and health, safety and welfare policies.
• British Gymnastics' accredited photographers and media may photograph, film or live stream the event. Anyone who doesn't want themselves or their child photographed or filmed must tell the Events Department or event organiser.
• Concerns about a photographer or unsuitable photos should be reported to the British Gymnastics Welfare Officer at the event.

Routine videos from major events are available on the BG Score app and website to British Gymnastics members only.

• An official medical team is appointed at every British Gymnastics event to treat gymnasts injured at the event. It can't treat pre-existing or chronic injuries.
• Any injury during official training or competition must be reported to the medical team so treatment is recorded.
• The British Gymnastics medical officer's decision on a gymnast's health and fitness to compete is absolute and final. By entering, all entrants agree to be treated only by British Gymnastics' appointed medical staff and to be bound by their decisions.
• Coaches are recommended to carry a first aid kit for minor injuries.
• Clubs must tell the Events Department, at entry, about any gymnast with a medical condition or impairment needing special consideration, so reasonable adjustments can be made.