Rules

Click on the buttons to download rules by category or read them below.
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to open downloaded files.
I. GENERAL INFORMATION, CHEER RULES AND GUIDELINES General All teams must be supervised during all official functions by a qualified director/coach. Coaches must require proficiency before skill progression. Coaches must consider the individual, group, and team skill levels with regard to proper performance level placement. All teams, gyms, coaches and directors should have an emergency response plan in the event of an injury. Soft-soled shoes must be worn while competing. No dance shoes/boots, and/or gymnastics slippers (or similar) allowed. Shoes must have a solid sole. If you can roll it up and put it in your pocket, it’s illegal. Jewelry of any kind including but not limited to ear, nose, tongue, belly button and facial rings, clear plastic jewelry, bracelets, necklaces and pins on uniforms are prohibited. Jewelry must be removed and may not be taped over. (Exception: medical ID tags/bracelets, and uniform rhinestones. Rhinestones are illegal when adhered to the skin as opposed to a uniform. Temporary tattoos are also allowed.) Routines shall not exceed 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Cheerleaders must have at least one foot on the performing surface when the routine starts. Any height increasing apparatus used to propel a competitor is prohibited. (Exception: spring floor) Flags, banners, signs, pom pons, and megaphones are the only props allowed. Props with poles or similar support apparatus may not be used in conjunction with any kind of stunt or tumbling. All props must be safely discarded out of harms way (e.g. throwing a hard sign across the mat from a stunt would be illegal). Any uniform piece purposefully removed from the body and used for visual effect will be considered a prop. Casts that are hard and unyielding or have rough edges must be appropriately covered with a padded material. On the level grid, all skills allowed for a particular level encompass all skills allowed in the preceding level. Required spotters for all levels must be your own team’s members. Drops including but not limited to knee, seat, thigh, front, back, and split drops from a jump, stunt, or inverted position are prohibited unless the majority of the weight is first borne on the hands/feet, which breaks the impact of the drop. Shushinovas are allowed. JUDGING CRITERIA The judges will score the squads according to the judging criteria on a 100-point system. In keeping with the proper role of cheerleading/dancing, emphasis will be placed on practicality of material. Any squad in violation of the Specific Safety Regulations or level guidelines will be assessed a 10 point deduction for each violation HOW TO HANDLE PROCEDURAL QUESTIONS Any questions concerning the rules or procedures of the tournament will behandled exclusively by the captain and/or the advisor of the squad and will be directed to the Tournament Director. Such questions should be made prior to the squad’s competition performance. Any questions concerning the squad’s performance should be made to the Tournament Director immediately after the squad’s performance. Questions concerning the final scores or squad ranking must be handled exclusively by the advisor of the squad and should be directed to the Tournament Director. SPORTSMANSHIP All participants agree to conduct themselves in a manner displaying good sportsmanship throughout the tournament. The advisor and/or captain of each squad are responsible for seeing that squad members, coaches, parents and any other persons affiliated with the squad conduct themselves accordingly. Severe cases of unsportsmanlike conduct are grounds for disqualification as explained in this document above. SCORES AND RANKINGS Each judge has the responsibility and authority to review and submit his/her final scores and ranking of squads, prior to the final tally of the scores for all squads. Individual judges score sheets and critique cassette tapes will be made available to the coaches of each squad after the presentation of awards. These items will be available to the coaches at the REGISTRATION TABLE. II. USASF LEVEL RULES View USASF Level Rules

1. Each team’s presentation must include at least one cheer or sideline chant.  The  musical portion must not exceed one minute and thirty seconds, total time limit is two minutes and thirty seconds.  Timing will begin with the first movement, voice or note of music.
2. Any squad in violation of the Specific Safety Regulations for schools will be assessed a 10 point deduction per judge for each violation.

1. All pyramids and partner stunts are limited to two persons high. “Two high” is defined as the base having at  least one foot on the ground.
2. The top person in a partner stunt, pyramid or transition may not be in an inverted (head below the waist)  position and cannot transition to another stunt, the ground or a dismount in an inverted position. Exceptions to this rule are the following: 
   1. Suspended forward rolls.  
   2. The top person in a stunt may begin in an inverted position on the performing surface and be loaded into a non-inverted position shoulder height or below provided that they have constant contact with a base or spotter until they are in the non-inverted position.  A base or additional  spotter if necessary must be in a position to protect the head, neck and shoulder area of the top  person.
3. Bases of extended stunts must have both feet in direct weight-bearing contact with the performing surface.
4. Suspended splits in a transition are allowed provided there are a total of four bases that support the top  person; at least three of the bases must support under the legs of the top person, and the fourth base may support under the legs or make contact with the hands of the top person. Top person must have hand contact with bases during transition.
5. Partner stunts and pyramids higher than shoulder stand level must have a continuous spotter for each person over shoulder stand level. Spotters are considered part of the squad with regard to the squad member maximum limitation. For single-based extended stunts, the spotter may hold at the ankle of the top person and/or  the wrist of the base. If the spotter is supporting under the sole of the foot in any way, they are  considered to be a base and would require an additional spotter. 
6. When one person is bracing another (including over lapping of arms), one of the individuals must be at shoulder height or below. Exceptions to this are the following:
   1. Extensions (double base or single base) may brace other extensions. 
   2. Double Cupies (two cupies being held by the same base) are allowed. If the stunt is dismounted to cradles, there must be three people for each top person being cradled. This exception does not include variations such as Double Heel Stretches. 
   3. Chair
   4. Multi-base deadman lift.
   5. Multi-base straddle lift.
7. If a person in a partner stunt or pyramid is used as a brace for an extended stunt, that brace must not be supporting a majority of the top person’s weight. (To demonstrate this, the foot of the top person’s braced leg must be at or above the knee of their supporting leg.) 
8. Extended Straddle Lifts must have an additional spotter for the head and shoulders of the top person (similar position to a Double Based Elevator). 
9. Hanging pyramids (Example: Diamond Head) must have a continuous spotter for each shoulder stand involved in suspending another person. 
10. In pyramid transitions where the top person is released from their primary bases and assisted in an up and down transition the following rules apply: 
    1. At least 3 bases must be under top person throughout the transition. 
    2. Person(s) bracing the top person in the transition must have a spotter in place during the transition movement. 
    3. The top person must be in contact with the bracers during the up and down transition. The top person may not be supporting on any other body part of the person(s) assisting other than their arms. (i.e. shoulders of the bracer). 
    4. The top person must be continuously in motion and cannot be supported so that they pause at the top of the transition. 
11. Basket tosses, toe pitch tosses, elevator tosses or similar tosses are limited to no more than four tossers and must be dismounted to a cradle position by two of the original bases, plus an additional spotter at the head and  shoulder area. These tosses may not be directed so that the bases must move to catch the top person. 
12. Participants may not pass over or under other participants from tosses. Exceptions to this rule are the following: 
    1. Single based tosses can go over another person. 
13. The flyer in a basket toss must not hold objects in his/her hands.
14. Free falling flips or swan dives from any type of toss, partner stunt or pyramid are prohibited. 
15. Partner stunts, pyramids and participants may not pass over, under or through other partner stunts or pyramids.
16. Single based stunts in which the top person is parallel to the performing surface and the bases’ arms are extended must have a continuous spotter at the head and shoulder of the top person (i.e. Bird, Side T, Single  Based Flatback, etc.).
17. Multi-based tosses that land in stunts (i.e. basket to elevator, etc.) are allowed; however, they cannot significantly exceed the height of the intended stunt. Multi-based tosses cannot land in a loading position.  Exception to this rule: 
    1. A single based toss (one base touching during the toss movement) is allowed into a loading position to  that original base.
18. Backward suspended rolls are prohibited. 
19. Cradle dismounts from partner stunts or pyramids shoulder height or above require one spotter in addition to  the original bases). 
20. Cradle dismounts from partner stunts (other than basket tosses, sponge tosses or similar tosses) to another set of bases must be caught by three bases. Any type of     gymnastics movement (1/2 turn, twist, toe touch, etc) is prohibited. 
21. Twists greater than two rotations in stunts, tosses or dismounts are prohibited. Exception to this rule: 
    1. Side facing stunts (i.e. Arabesque, Scorpion, etc.) may add a one-quarter twist in order to cradle to the front. 
22. Basket tosses, sponger tosses and similar tosses are considered one stunt and twists must not TOTAL more than two rotations. Exception to this rule:   
    1. Double twisting basket tosses may add a one quarter twist in order to initiate skill prior to the double full  twisting dismount (i.e. kick double full basket toss, etc.) 
23. A minimum of two catchers are required when the top person falls away from the bases to a horizontal, flat-body position. 
24. Tension drops are prohibited. 
25. Helicopter tosses may not rotate more than 180 degrees.
26. Single based split catches are prohibited. 
27. The use of mini-trampolines, springboards or any other height-increasing apparatus is prohibited. 

1. Dive rolls are prohibited. 
2. Flips greater than one rotation are prohibited. 
3. Twists greater than one rotation are prohibited.  
4. A forward three-quarter flip to the seat or knees is prohibited.
5. articipants may not tumble over, under, or through partner stunts or pyramids, or over or under individuals.
6. Participants may not land in a partner stunt or in a catching position from an aerial tumbling skill. (Example: A back flip from a tumbling pass into a cradle is prohibited; however, rebounding from a back handspring into a  cradle is allowed.)
7. Landings for all jumps including knee drops must bear weight on at least one foot. (Example : A toe touch jump or kick to a hurdler position, to the seat, knees, or landing with both feet back, or to a push-up position are prohibited.)