The rules for this year's voluntary level 5 in our region have just been sent out (comp is in October)
They are very similar to last year's rules except there are a few new bonuses.
Vault is fine - handspring to feet on 60cm with 5cm roll mat over, fall forwards
Bars - bonus 0.3 for each upstart. No giants allowed and no dismount higher than straight back away. No element higher than a B allowed. Gymnasts must show a cast above 45 degrees. Recommended elements are upstarts, casts above 45, backaway stretched from handstand. So they are expecting quite high quality routines in my opinion.
Beam - bonus for stuck routine with all compositional requirements 0.5. Bonus for flighted element 0.5. Bonus for cartwheel or roudoff into dismount 0.3
Floor - bonus for a flick once in routine 0.3
Floor and beam are the apparatus that seem off to me. The gymnasts cannot do any skills harder than a roundoff flick on floor, but are being encouraged to do much more advanced skills on beam.
So, although these are bonuses and not requirements, to be competitive at this level, you are really expected to flick and cartwheel or roundoff tuck back. Last year none of these beam skills accrued a bonus, but they were seen at the competition. This meant that last year a neat simple stuck routine with a bwo, cartwheel and roundoff dismount could outscore a flashy routine with falls. Don't think that'll happen this year!
I'm actually not averse to them adding these bonuses as my opinion has always been that Level 5 in our region is too easy and there is too big a jump to level 4. In our region if you score 42 or above at level 5, you have to move up to level 4 - you don't even have to have all the requirements to score 42 at level 5 if you are neat!
What I don't understand is why they have left floor as it is. I'm sure a gymnast who is capable of a roundoff and flick ON beam and a tuck back dismount off the beam is capable of a lot more on floor - I think the gymnasts should be at least encouraged to do a handspring on floor. I kind of agree with no somi's on floor at level 5, although don't see why they couldn't do a punch front or even 3/4 straight front for a 2nd vault - especially as they go from no somi's allowed on floor to having to have a 2 somi acrobatic line in level 4.
What do you think and what is level 5 like in your region?
They are very similar to last year's rules except there are a few new bonuses.
Vault is fine - handspring to feet on 60cm with 5cm roll mat over, fall forwards
Bars - bonus 0.3 for each upstart. No giants allowed and no dismount higher than straight back away. No element higher than a B allowed. Gymnasts must show a cast above 45 degrees. Recommended elements are upstarts, casts above 45, backaway stretched from handstand. So they are expecting quite high quality routines in my opinion.
Beam - bonus for stuck routine with all compositional requirements 0.5. Bonus for flighted element 0.5. Bonus for cartwheel or roudoff into dismount 0.3
Floor - bonus for a flick once in routine 0.3
Floor and beam are the apparatus that seem off to me. The gymnasts cannot do any skills harder than a roundoff flick on floor, but are being encouraged to do much more advanced skills on beam.
So, although these are bonuses and not requirements, to be competitive at this level, you are really expected to flick and cartwheel or roundoff tuck back. Last year none of these beam skills accrued a bonus, but they were seen at the competition. This meant that last year a neat simple stuck routine with a bwo, cartwheel and roundoff dismount could outscore a flashy routine with falls. Don't think that'll happen this year!
I'm actually not averse to them adding these bonuses as my opinion has always been that Level 5 in our region is too easy and there is too big a jump to level 4. In our region if you score 42 or above at level 5, you have to move up to level 4 - you don't even have to have all the requirements to score 42 at level 5 if you are neat!
What I don't understand is why they have left floor as it is. I'm sure a gymnast who is capable of a roundoff and flick ON beam and a tuck back dismount off the beam is capable of a lot more on floor - I think the gymnasts should be at least encouraged to do a handspring on floor. I kind of agree with no somi's on floor at level 5, although don't see why they couldn't do a punch front or even 3/4 straight front for a 2nd vault - especially as they go from no somi's allowed on floor to having to have a 2 somi acrobatic line in level 4.
What do you think and what is level 5 like in your region?
