Skill

Forward roll in tuck

Technique & Drills

To start the roll the gymnast needs to squat with knees together
and place both hands flat on the floor in front. The gymnast
should then tuck his/her head to the chest while pushing with
the legs. The back of the gymnasts head or even shoulders

Stand to the s
the head down
other hand, ge
over the shou
hands by the h
side if theyre

should make contact with the mat never the top of the head,
as that can hurt the neck! S/he should be sure to keep some
weight supported on the arms. Gymnasts should be encouraged
to stand up without pushing on the floor with their hands
Drills/Progressions:

Roll down wedge mat

Roll on level mat

Roll on floor

Gymnast performs rock & roll to squat position, hands

reaching forward

Gymnast performs rock & roll to stand, reaching up &

forward
Straddle forward roll

Stand in straddle position. Reach down, tucking chin, legs

straight and straddled. Tip hips over while keeping chin on
chest, rounding back. Push off floor with hands, then quickly
reach forward between straddled legs to grasp floor once the
hips have rolled over the body. Complete roll by leaning
shoulders forward and pushing off floor, keeping legs in
straddle. Have the gymnast think of lifting the toes in the
straddle.

Stand behind
the gymnast h
upper thighs f
is right side u
push the weig

Drills:

Gymnasts can rock on their backs with their legs straddled

and reaching forward to get the feel for this roll.

Roll down wedge, then progress to a level mat, then to the

floor.
Tucked backward roll

Stand straight & tall, hands in pizza position, chin tucked to

chest. Squat down, keeping shoulders close to knees. Roll back,
keeping shoulders and knees close, and reach back with hands
to squash pizzas. Push off the floor while kicking feet over to
land on the feet and finish in a straight stand. The backwards
roll is all about pushing with the arms.
Drills/Progressions:

Candlestick: From sit with pizza hands, roll back onto

Stand to the s
behind the sh
throwing thei
also helps rem
knees. Once t
the hips & lift
because to pre
s/he doesnt p

back while licking legs forcefully up to ceiling. The hands will

reach back over the shoulders to mash onto the floor. Legs lift
as high as they can so that body attains straight hollow with
open hips and the bodys weight rests on the shoulders. Legs
straight during candlestick, arms beside ears throughout.

Down a wedge from sit: Sit on the high end of a wedge,

hands in pizza position, chin to chest. Roll back, reach for mat
(keeping hands close to shoulders), while kicking toes over the
nose. Land on feet & stand up.

Down a wedge from stand/squat: See above, with the only

change being start position.

Straddle backward roll

On the floor from stand/squat

Stand in straddle stand, hands up, chin tucked to chest. Reach

down and through legs while pushing hips backward. Once
bottom touches floor, hands quickly move to pizza position &
push off floor next to shoulders while straddled legs kick up &
over the head. Finish in a straddle stand. Keep legs straddled
throughout. Again, its all about the push through the arms.

Stand in front
other. As the
grasp his/her
important to l
neck, in case s
arms.

Progressions:

Backward roll to pike

Roll down a wedge from a straddle sit.

Roll down a wedge from a straddle stand.

Begin in straight stand, arms up. Lean hips back, while chest
lowers to legs and arms reach back to behind knees to break the
fall, chin lowering to chest. Once the hips contact floor, the
hands move to pizza position to push off floor next to
shoulders while straight legs kick over head to resume pike
position. Finish in straight stand.

See spotting b

Progressions:

Backward roll to push-up position

Roll down wedge mat from pike sit.

Roll down wedge mat from stand.

Begin in a straight stand, squat and roll backwards. Once the

hands push off the floor, kick the legs up and back over the head
to finish in a push-up position.

See spotting b

Drills/Progressions:
- Straight arm backward roll off panel mat: Lie on back on
panel mat with edge at shoulders, arms by ears, hands turned
in. Push arms back behind ears while lifting both legs up & over
body. Once arms contact floor, pike at the hips and land in
straight arm piked position.

Backward roll on the floor.

Kneel beside g
over as well as


Back extension roll

Roll down a wedge mat.

Begin in straight stand, arms up and hands turned toward each

other. Squat and push back to do a backward roll, passing
through candlestick position, reaching back with straight
arms. Kick forcefully up to a handstand as soon as the feet are in
view, keeping the shoulders open. Step out and finish in a
lunge. A back extension roll should be performed with the head
in, looking toward the toes. It helps to have the gymnast hook
his/her fingers together with palms facing the ceiling. The
initiation portion of this skill is important. Most gymnasts tend
to lean forward or reach for the ground as they go into the roll.
The hands should be kept up and the torso should be vertical.
The gymnast should sit back bending knees slightly, and shortly
before the bottom contacts the ground aggressively push
backward for momentum. From here the legs should be kept
straight and directed toward the ceiling. Once in a handstand,
the gymnast steps down and finishes in a lunge.

Stand next to
the handstand
nearest leg or
toward the ce
steps out into

Drills/Progressions:

Sitting candlestick: Sit in a pike position, straight arms

above ears, hands turned in to point to each other, fingers
linked together. Roll back onto the shoulders, arms reaching
hard over head so the entire arm rests on floor and the palms
push off the floor. Kick up to candlestick, then resume pike
position. Continue to kick up harder & harder until reaching a
handstand. The arms should remain straight during this drill.
-

Straight arm backward roll to push up position on floor.

- Straight arm backward roll to feet landing on 12" mat.

Finish in hollow position.
- Back extension in hollow position to 3/4 handstand with feet
hitting mat leaned up against a wall.

Dive forward roll

Back extension down a wedge mat.

Take a few steps, punch forward off both feet to hands, chest
hollow, chin tucked to the chest as the hands contact the
floor. The body is in flight before hands contact the
floor. Complete as a regular forward roll.
Drills/Progressions:

Standing roll with springboard & 8 mat: Stand on

springboard facing 8 mat. Jump off springboard to do a
forward roll on mat without flight.

Standing roll with springboard & 8 mat: Slightly jump to

hands, reaching forward and execute a forward roll. Place a
small barrel on 8 mat to encourage reaching forward & pushing
off legs.

Dive roll with springboard & 8 mat: Run & punch off

Kneel on 8 m
s/he reaches f
tuck the chin
punch & reach

springboard from both feet. Place small or large barrel on 8

mat to encourage push, stretch, and reach depends on ability
and level of gymnasts. Execute dive forward roll.

Dive forward roll on Tumble Track: See dive roll with

springboard & 8 mat drill above. Add 4 skill cushion on
Tumble Track.
Punch front tuck

Take a few running steps, then hurdle onto 2 feet, forcefully

pulling arms overhead. Punch hard off the floor, tuck knees to
chest, rounded back, pulling hips up & over, while grabbing
knees and driving heels. Make sure to tuck at the top of the
jump, keeping chest up to get enough air to perform the
salto. Spot a point in front, and open to land once that point is
spotted during completion of salto. The legs should cowboy a
bit to prevent hitting the face during the tuck.

Stand slightly
punch off his/
gymnasts sto
your far arm w
rotation starts
control the lan

Drills/Progressions:

Punches across the floor. Starting on one side of the floor,

with a straight body and arms above the head, bounce across the
floor, pushing through the toes. Heels should never contact the
floor. (Good for overall punching ability).

Standing front tuck off Tumble Track into pit.

Front tuck on trampoline in spotting belt.

Front tuck on trampoline without spotting belt.

Front tuck off Tumble Track into pit with a short run &
punch off feet.

Punch front into pit off springboard, then punching off

floor.

Standing back tuck

Punch front on 8 mat from springboard.

The gymnast starts from a standing position, belly & chest

sucked into a hollow position. She forcefully swings her arms
up & back behind her ears, keeping her head in a neutral
position, while lifting her shoulders, then hips, then knees to flip
backward. She needs to push hard through her toes & lift her
knees quickly. The tighter she tucks into a ball, the faster she
will flip through the air. If she drops her shoulders down/back,
her rotation will be too low & she will have a mire difficult time
getting her knees to her chest.
Drills:

Lie on floor in layout position. Practice stretching the body,

Spotting the s

Stand dire

in front to cat

back onto the

foot forward.
waist. As she

direction of he
weight in the

again on the f

then lifting the hips & knees to a tucked candlestick.

Have the gymnast practice setting from a stand onto the

Spotting the t

coachs shoulder, first in hollow position with shoulders leading

back. Once straight hollow is mastered, work on setting &

Stand next to

tucking onto the coachs shoulder, so the gymnast makes it

comfortable)

through the first of the skill safely.

gymnasts kne
middle of the

Standing back tucks off folded panel mat, balancing on toes,

little during th

heels over edge of mat.

facilitate the t

during the spo

gymnast.
Round-off back handspring back
tuck

See individual skills (ie. Round0off, back handspring, & back

tuck). Make sure to connect the skills without dropping the
arms down in front, but reaching up/back directly into the
following skill. Also be sure that the gymnast has a good set
into the tuck. Without a good set, the gymnast will end up
doing a whip-back or falling on his/her head.

Stand on the f
gymnast will s
forward or ba
or more steps

Drills/Progressions:

Spotting the s

Standing back tuck

Round-off 2 continuous back handsprings

Round-off back handspring set on coachs shoulder

See above
gymnast finis
catch the gym
behind the gy
can stand just
push away the

Round-off back handspring set onto resi plus 8

Back handspring back tuck on trampoline with spotting belt

Round-off back handspring back tuck on Tumble Track with

spot

Spotting the t

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the legs up &
hand/arm pos
gymnast to pr