Rules on Dropping back a level in compulsories (US)

[Empowered]

I am wondering what the rules are on dropping back a level. I had heard that if you hadn't competed all around at a level, you could drop back to the prior level though I had never seen it done.

When I was looking a the State results for level 5 though, I noticed a girl who's name I recognized as having been in a session with my daughter who was a 6 this year. Turns out she competed a few meets as a 6 this year, one of them doing all four events, but then she dropped back to 5 a couple weeks before States.

Though in all actuality it doesn't affect me in any way, shape or form, it still seems a little unfair to me that you could compete half the season as a 6 and then just before the end drop back to 5 and head to states as a 5, but clearly it's legal. I am just wondering if there is some kind of petitioning process? Anyone ever seen this done before?

 

[gymnastgets10]

I believe if you haven't competed at States in your current level then you can drop back down to the last level you competed states at during the season. Also, I pretty sure if there's special circumstances (an injury, a lot of time off) then you can petition to compete at a lower level. Not 100% sure though!

 

[gymmomtoo]

It might vary by state--I know our state has a certain date by which you can drop back to the previous level (at least for Optionals--I would imagine it's the same for Compulsories). I know because it might have affected my daughter a few years ago (as it turns out, it didn't), and her coach let me know.​

 

[Neelysmom]

My daughter actually just did this. We have had 1 meet where she competed Level 4. She had skipped level 3. She had all skills except her front hip circle, however, she was getting very frustrated and was not wanting to go to practice or anything. Her coach and I talked about it and decided to ask her if she wanted to move to level 3 and she said she did. She just turned 6 in September and was competing against 7 year olds. Her spirit is back and is excited again. She learned her routines in less than a week and competed last Saturday and did fairly well. I agree that it is not fair after a certain point in the season. I also don't think it is fair when gyms keep girls back a level just to win. We have gyms around here that do that.

 

[wandrewsjr]

Like posted earlier, in the state you are talking about, as long as you haven't competed states at a level(ie level 6), you can drop back to the lower level(level 5). So it is perfectly within the rules to let this girl repeat as level 5 state champion.

 

[AlwaysCuriousMom]

Besides injury, is there any other reason a coach would do this? Especially if the gymnast did very well in the level 6 meets she completed AND at level 5 states? Would a coach ever do this for logistical reasons? (If, for example, they didn't have a full level 6 team, etc...) In what instance would this be beneficial for the gymnast? Just wondering.

 

[wandrewsjr]

In additional to the "logistical reasons" - not having a full team at level 6, wanting to win team at level 5 - I can think of one what I would call "legitimate" reason. If a girl is having large fear issues on a particular skill - flyaway on bars or backwalker on beam would be the most common at level 6 - it may be beneficial for a gymnast to drop back and experience real success at the previous level. Then come back and revisit the fear issues once season is over and there is more time to work through it. In the middle of competitive season there really isn't much time for a coach to spend working through fear issues with an individual gymnast. We have to do what is best for the team as a whole.