Volunteer's Guide to USA Gymnastics Women's Sanctioned Meets Ages 4+ 2026-27

Only:

• Competing gymnasts and their coaches, and only during the session they're competing in
• People directly involved in running the event, such as trainers, scorers, score flashers and runners
• USA Gymnastics members in their designated role: athletes, competitive coaches, judges, the Meet Director, and medical staff, volunteers and photographers/videographers contracted by the Meet Director

Also:

• At invitationals only, the Meet Director may allow injured or scratched gymnasts on the floor during their scheduled session.
• Children of coaches or judges shouldn't be on the competition floor unless they're doing a specific job, such as runner or score flasher. Coaches should arrange childcare unless their child is old enough to volunteer.
• Contracted photographers and videographers can't hold a second role (such as coach) while on the field of play.
• Spectators must stay in the public area.

Not for calls. Using a cell phone for verbal conversation is prohibited on the field of play, and cell phones and wireless devices are generally prohibited in the competition area.

Exceptions:

• Walkie-talkies are allowed for the Meet Director, host club personnel and medical personnel.
• Coaches may video their own gymnasts, and judges may use a device in airplane mode for scoring.

Earbuds aren't allowed for gymnasts on the equipment, coaches while coaching, or judges while officiating.

Timed warm-up = time per gymnast × gymnasts in the squad:

• Vault and floor: the whole squad warms up together. Time is based on the largest squad in the session. Block time isn't allowed.
• Xcel vault: each gymnast is guaranteed a minimum number of warm-up vaults (Bronze 1; Silver, Gold and Platinum 2; Diamond and Sapphire 3). If time runs out before she gets them, she may finish.
• Bars and beam: coaches may split into blocks. Each block sets the equipment once before the clock starts, and the clock stops between blocks. Only one gymnast on the bars at a time.
• Vault time starts when a gymnast stands on the table or mat stack to do a skill, or runs and touches the springboard. Handstand hops and run-bys that don't touch the board don't count.
• No more than 20 minutes between the end of timed warm-ups and the start of competition.

If a gymnast or team goes over time, report it to the Meet Director or Meet Referee. That report is the warning; any further infraction is a 0.20 penalty.

Floor warm-ups between routines: the Meet Director must assign an adult monitor to control how many gymnasts warm up at once and track the competition order. For Levels 6-10 and Xcel Platinum to Sapphire, a gymnast may start warming up when six competitors are ahead of her, with no more than five on the floor mat at once.

• Stay in the public area. Spectators may not enter the field of play.
• No flash photography during warm-ups or competition, because it can endanger athletes. A camera flash is also not grounds for a routine to be repeated.
• No drones during warm-ups or competition.
• No food or drink in the spectator area if the meet has said so.
• Don't disturb the meet, competitors or officials.

Prohibited at all USA Gymnastics sanctioned events:

• Cigarettes, e-cigarettes, vapes and smoking paraphernalia
• Weapons, including firearms, knives, stun guns and similar
• Clothing that promotes drugs or alcohol, is vulgar or obscene, or distracts from the competition

If someone won't comply, get the Meet Director. The Meet Director is the one with authority to ask people to leave the competition site.

• Scores are in 0.05 increments. The lowest possible final score is 1.00 for Development Program and 4.00 for Xcel.
• The all-around score is the total of all four events.
• Once a final average score is submitted, it can't be changed except through an inquiry, with these exceptions:
  • The Chief Judge may add a missed neutral deduction (e.g. out of bounds, overtime) before the end of the rotation.
  • A clerical error in electronic entry may be corrected by the end of the session.
  • If the wrong level's rules were used, the judges may re-evaluate within 5 minutes of the end of the session.
• Coaches must be told of any score change, and the new score shown publicly if possible.
• Coaches are responsible for reporting scratches to the Meet Director or Meet Referee so they're recorded in the scoring system.

Results

• Results must go to all participating clubs, at the meet, by mail or online.
• Published results must not include a gymnast's date of birth or USA Gymnastics member number.
• The Meet Director must email results to the state committee within 72 hours.

Tie on the scoreboard: program the scoring system to skip the next place after a tie.

Minimum awards, Development Program Levels 5-10 (more is fine, fewer is not):

• Levels 1-4: the state committee decides on achievement, placement or both.
• Xcel: at least 40% of each age division, for each event and all-around.
• If sessions are drawn by club team, awards for all age divisions are presented at each session.

Ties

• Tied gymnasts are announced as tied. A tie for 1st means both are champions.
• Duplicate awards are strongly recommended. If not available: an all-around tie goes to the gymnast with the highest single event score (then 2nd highest, then 3rd, then highest combined Chief Judge scores, then a coin flip with both coaches present). An event tie goes to the higher all-around total, then a coin flip.
• Skip the next place (e.g. two tied for 1st means no 2nd place award; the next gymnast gets 3rd).
• Everyone tied for the last awarded place gets an award. Send duplicates within one month.
• Ties between an individual event specialist and an all-around gymnast are not broken; both get the same award.

Tell the Meet Director right away. The Meet Director is responsible for:

• Checking that all equipment meets specifications and is properly installed
• Making sure competition areas don't overlap
• Keeping the floor exercise area free of obstructions
• Leaving enough room for mounting, dismounting and vaulting

Other safety rules you can help with:

• No flash photography or drones during warm-ups or competition. Remind spectators, and tell the Meet Director if it continues.
• Only people with a role may be on the field of play.
• If an athlete is hurt, get the meet's medical staff (required at most meets for Levels 4 and up) or the Meet Director. An athlete who needed a medical assessment can only continue once medically cleared.

• The Meet Director and any USA Gymnastics member who witnesses abuse must immediately report it to local authorities and submit a Safety and Response Report to USA Gymnastics or the U.S. Center for SafeSport. Members are mandatory reporters.
• If you see a coach doing something that puts an athlete's safety at risk (for example, risk of catastrophic injury or a possible concussion), report it to the Meet Director. The Jury of Appeals will review it and can act to protect the athlete.

Rules that help prevent abuse at events:

• Closed-door meetings between an adult and a minor athlete aren't allowed at any event under USA Gymnastics jurisdiction.
• Event staff assigned to monitor a locker room or changing area must have SafeSport training and a background screening.
• Gymnasts must change only in designated areas.

It depends on the question:

Don't pass questions to the judges. They must stay at their event and avoid conversation during the competition.