Quick answer: walkovers and handsprings both rotate through a handstand, forwards or backwards. A walkover is slow and controlled, never leaves the floor and lands one foot at a time. A handspring is fast and explosive: the athlete jumps onto the hands, pushes off and lands on both feet together. Walkovers are allowed from Level 1 in USASF rules; handsprings from Level 2.
| Walkover | Handspring | |
|---|---|---|
| Airborne? | No - always in contact with the floor | Yes - there's a flight phase |
| Speed | Slow, controlled | Fast, explosive |
| Landing | One foot at a time | Both feet together |
| What it needs most | Flexibility, especially through the back and shoulders | Power and a strong push from the shoulders |
| First allowed (USASF) | Level 1 | Level 2 |
The Core Difference
Both skill families come in forward and backward versions - front and back walkover, front and back handspring. The USASF glossary draws the line clearly:
- a walkover is a non-airborne skill: the athlete moves through a handstand and brings the legs over one at a time, always supported by one or both hands;
- a handspring is an airborne skill: the athlete jumps from the feet through a handstand, then blocks off the hands - pushing from the shoulders - to land back on the feet.
Why It Matters for the Level Rules
That airborne/non-airborne distinction is exactly what the level rules use. Level 1 only allows tumbling that keeps contact with the floor - rolls, cartwheels, roundoffs, walkovers and handstands - so walkovers are fine but handsprings aren't. Level 2 adds a single standing handspring and handsprings in series in running tumbling, and Level 3 adds standing back handsprings in series.
Why the Progression Matters
Walkovers build the flexibility, handstand control and body awareness that handsprings rely on, so many athletes learn walkovers first. Handsprings then add speed and power. The two need different things: a walkover depends heavily on back and shoulder flexibility, while a handspring depends on power and timing - so some athletes find one much easier than the other.
How They're Used Differently
Walkovers appear in Level 1 routines, in choreography and as controlled transitions. Handsprings are the engine of cheer tumbling: the back handspring in particular connects skills in standing and running passes - "roundoff, back handspring, back handspring, tuck," for example.
What Judges Notice
In a walkover, judges look for straight legs, a split through the top of the skill and a controlled finish. In a handspring, they look for a strong, straight body, a powerful block off the hands and a clean landing that connects well into the next skill.
Related Skills
See Standing Tumbling and Running Tumbling for how these skills fit into passes.