Cheerleaders like to Tumble

As stated previously in this blog, there can be two separate seasons in cheerleading, typically if you are a high school or college cheerleader. For All-star cheerleaders there is only once season, and it is competition season. During competition season teams attend a series of competitions and championships. Unlike other sports who have a series of games to prove who is the champion, cheerleaders only get two minutes and thirty seconds, and within that time they have to perform skills in a either three or four components. For high school and college there are four components; stunting, tumbling, cheering, and dancing. For all-star cheerleading there are three components; stunting, tumbling, and dancing.
In this post I will be focusing on just the tumbling component of cheerleading in high school, college, and all star cheerleading.  At the high school level there are a set of safety regulations and precautions that must be followed. These rules are made for the best interest of the cheerleaders, and to prevent serious injury at this age level. Some of these regulations are as followed: 1) Dive Rolls are prohibited, this is when someone is standing two feet on the ground, extends their arms in front of them, jumps forward off the ground towards with their hands positions towards the mat, when the person hands hit the mat they are supposed tuck and roll and be able to position themselves to get back up on their feet. The reason this move is restricted, even tho sound simple is because it is hard to absorb the weight of ones body when jumping forward and rolling. If done incorrectly can cause serious injury to the neck, back, and arms. 2) Flips that exceed more than one rotation are prohibited, due to the high level of ability needed to complete this skill. Also when performed on cheerleading mats, if done incorrectly could cause serious injury. 3) Twisting tumbling moves such as a full twisting lay out are limited to only one rotation. Double full twisting layouts are prohibited.4) a three quarter flip to the bottom or to the knee is prohibited. This is when from the standing position one flips their body forward three quarter of a rotation and lands wither on their bottom or knee, this skill is prohibited because if done incorrectly and the weight of ones body isn't absorbs correctly could cause injury to the tailbone, knee, and ankle. 5) Aerial (skills completed with no hands) and rebound (skills completed with hands touching or rebounding off the mat) tumbling is prohibited over a individual or a prop 6) Back handsprings and standing back tucks are not allowed to be done with a prop in hand. (Cartwheels, rolls, and walkovers are allowed to be done with props and over individuals.) 7) Aerial skills (skills involving no hands) may not be done into a partner stunt, rebound skills may be done into a partner stunt. This meaning that the participant may do a  rebound skill into the loading or catching position of a stunt. 8) Dropping to a prone position on the performing surface from an airborne skills is prohibited.
These are all the restrictions placed on cheerleaders at the high school level. When you move on to college the restrictions become less strict. All-star cheerleading typically follows the same guide lines as college. Since college cheerleading is a more advanced level, restrictions are removed to allow more highly skilled moves.
The restrictions for college cheerleading are as followed: 1) Tumbling skills may not be performed under, over, or through partner stunts, pyramids, and individuals. 2) Tumbling skills may not exceed more than one rotation when flipping. 3) Dive rolls are also prohibited in college as in high school cheerleading 4) Twisting tumbling skills that exceed two full twists are prohibited. 5) Airborne drops to a prone position on the performance surface are prohibited.
There is a significantly less restrictions placed o college cheerleading, but the restrictions that remain are based off skills that have been the most prone to injuries.
For All-Star cheerleading, their tumbling restrictions differ from each level since there are multiple levels within all star cheerleading based on age and ability.
We will begin with the tumbling restrictions from the first level, they are as followed: 1) All tumbling must start and finish on the performance mat 2) No tumbling over, through, under an individual, stunt, or prop 3) Tumbling while holding or in contact with any prop is prohibited. 4) Skills must involve contact physical contact with the performance surface 5) Tumbling skills must involve hand support from both hand when passing through an inverted position 6) Dive rolls are prohibited 7) Participants may not complete a more difficult skill then a forward or back handspring.
For Level Two the following restrictions are applied: Restrictions 1,2, and 6 from Level One also apply to Level Two.  In addition the restrictions are :1) Flips and aerials are prohibited 2) Series of front and back handspring are not allowed 3) Jump skills following immediately after a tumbling skill is not allowed 4) Non airborne skills must involve hand support of at least one hand when passing through an inverted position 5) Airborne skills must involve hand support of both hands when passing through an inverted position 6) No twisting while airborne
For Level Three, restrictions number 1, 2, and 6 From Level One are also included in the restrictions for Level Three. In addition to those restrictions there are: 1) Flips are not allowed 2) Series of front or back handsprings are now ALLOWED 3) Airborne skills must involve hand support from at least ONE hand when passing through an inverted position. 4) No twisting while airborne 5) Back flips may only be performed in tuck position and only from a round off or a round off back handspring. This is when a participant does at lease three large speedy steps and puts their hand out first and lands with their feet together on the mat, from that position they are able to immediately rebound into a back handspring or a back tuck. 6) No tumbling is allowed after a flip or an aerial cartwheel
For Level Four, the same restrictions number 1 and 2 from level one apply here (Hence Dive rolls are now allowed). In addition to those the tumbling rule for Level Four are : 1) Standing flips and flips from back handsprings are now ALLOWED 2) Skills are allowed up to one flipping rotations and 0 twisting rotations. 3) Consecutive flip flip combinations are prohibited 4) Jump skills are not allowed immediately following a standing flip
Level Five is spilt into two different sections, youth and restricted level five.
For youth level five the following restrictions apply: The same restrictions Number 1 and 2 from Level One. 1) Dive rolls are ALLOWED 2) Tumbling skills are allowed with 1 flipping rotation and 1 twisting rotation 2) During a twisting skill no skill other than a twist is allowed to be performed 3) No tumbling is allowed to be performed after the twisting skill.
For Restriction Level Five the same restrictions that apply to Youth Level Five apply here.
For Level Six the tumbling restrictions include number 1 and 2 from Level One and also include the following: 1) Dive rolls are allowed 2) Tumbling skills are limited to 1 flipping rotation and 2 twisting rotations.
As you can see in all star cheerleading as the level become more difficult, the restrictions on tumbling lessen.
Each of these categories take the safety of the participants very seriously and that is why it is so important to follow these rules. Tumbling is one of the most difficult if not the most difficult portion of cheerleading and must be taken seriously by both coaches and cheerleaders.