Choose age groups vs subdivisions

Choose the right structure for grouping gymnasts within a level.

Visual guide: View the decision tree in Figma

Prerequisites

• Create a level first.

The decision

When you set up a level, you need to choose between two structures:

1. Subdivisions only (2-layer) - All gymnasts compete together. You split them into groups only for scheduling purposes.

2. Age groups + subdivisions (3-layer) - Gymnasts are separated by birth date for ranking. Then you can optionally split each age group into subdivisions for scheduling.

Here is how to figure out which one you need.

Do gymnasts of different ages need separate rankings?

Yes - Use age groups. A 7-year-old and a 12-year-old in the same level will be ranked against others in their own age range, not against each other.

No - Use subdivisions only. All gymnasts in the level compete head-to-head regardless of age.

Do you have more gymnasts than can fit in one session?

Yes - Add subdivisions to split them across sessions. This applies to both structures.

No - A single subdivision (the default) is fine.

Should each session group have its own awards ceremony?

Yes - Enable "treat subdivisions as award groups" in score settings. Each subdivision gets its own 1st, 2nd, 3rd.

No - Leave it disabled. All subdivisions are ranked together for a single set of awards.

Quick reference

Scenario	Structure	Award groups?
Small meet, all ages together	Subdivisions only, 1 subdivision	No
Large meet, all ages together, multiple sessions	Subdivisions only, multiple subdivisions	Optional
Age-specific awards (8-9, 10-11, 12+)	Age groups + subdivisions	Yes (usually)
Age-specific awards, large level, multiple sessions per age group	Age groups + multiple subdivisions per age group	Yes

Examples

Small recreational meet

Level 5 has 20 gymnasts ages 7-12. They all compete in one session and are ranked together.

Use subdivisions only, 1 subdivision, award groups off.

Large state meet

Level 5 has 80 gymnasts. You want ages 8-9 and 10-11 ranked separately. Each age group has 40 gymnasts split across two sessions.

Use age groups (8-9 and 10-11), 2 subdivisions per age group, award groups on.

Split sessions, same rankings

Level 7 has 50 gymnasts. You need two sessions (Saturday AM and PM) but want all 50 ranked together for awards.

Use subdivisions only, 2 subdivisions, award groups off.

What's next

• How to create subdivisions - For the 2-layer approach

• How to create age groups - For the 3-layer approach

Related

• How do competitions, age groups, and subdivisions work?

• How to configure individual score settings