from cheersafety.org:
- Use proper spotting techniques and a safe surface for cheerleading stunts
AACCA Releases Cheerleading Rules for High School and Younger
The AACCA released its “2010-11 School Cheer Safety Rules” today which include some changes for all school teams along with the first ever set of rules specifically for elementary, middle and junior high school cheer teams.
Changes affecting all school teams:
- Released stunt transitions must be braced on at least one side. This effectively removes skills such as free-standing Tic Tocs. Load-in releases such as a Switch Lib are still allowed as they do not begin in a stunt.
- In stunts where the top person falls away from the bases in a flat body position (also known as a Pendulum) the top person must be caught by at least three catchers. Previous AACCA rules required a minimum of two catchers.
While these particular skills have not had specific safety issues, the changes were made to further the continued efforts by the AACCA and National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) to have a more consistent set of cheerleading rules. This change effectively means that there is only one remaining major difference between these two sets of rules. The AACCA restricts all released twists on basketball court surfaces without a mat, while the NFHS Spirit Rules currently allow up to one and one-quarter twists on the basketball court surface.
Changes affecting elementary, middle and junior high school teams:
- All basket tosses and double full twisting dismounts are prohibited on all surfaces.
This year is the first time there have been different rules for these school divisions. Over the past years, those in the cheerleading industry, including safety organizations such as AACCA as well as administrators and event producers, have seen more teams at these levels performing advanced skills for which they were not prepared. Poor execution results in more falls, and more falls increase the opportunity for injury.
In addition, high school coaches are seeing more incoming cheerleaders who have advanced too quickly and do not have the proper fundamental technique for performing some of the upper level skills. For these reasons, the AACCA rules committee decided to add a further restriction on stunts for elementary, middle and junior high school teams.
While there are certainly teams at this age level that can safely perform these skills, the rules are not written for the elite just as they aren’t written for the beginner. These changes will allow coaches, who are nearly always full-time teachers in the school, to focus on fundamentals without the pressure of having to teach the most advanced skills. Cheerleaders at these schools will perform more repetitions of elevators, extensions and even full twisting dismounts before arriving at the high school level where they can develop more advanced skills.
About the AACCA rules
These rules are written for school teams and do not directly address all-star or youth recreational programs. There is a difference in the focus of school cheerleading, a limit on the talent pool from which teams are selected, and a certain level of risk acceptance on the part of administrators of a public entity.
Since there have been no rules other than those written specifically for high school teams, many elementary, middle and junior high schools and state associations have directed their cheerleading teams to follow the high school rules. We strongly recommend that in addition to the rules (NFHS or AACCA) that they currently follow, they add the restrictions included in section F of the 2010-11 AACCA School Cheer Rules.
Clarifications/FAQs
As we get email questions, we will update this section with clarifications on the new rules. If necessary, we will update the actual rules page. Please check back often. Send questions to jimlord@aacca.org
- These rules apply to practice, game and competition.
- (Rule C-5) “Low to High” Switch Liberties where the back remains in contact with the top person are not “released”, therefore they are not prohibited. At the point of release from the bases, the backspot becomes the main base and the bases become the spotters, which reverses once the original bases are back in contact with the top person.
- (Rule C-5) A load-in position where the top person is off of the ground and supported by bases (Example: elevator load-in, sponge load) is considered to be a stunt by definition. Therefore an elevator load-in, ball up to stretch is illegal unless it is braced before the release from the bases/backspot. A basket load-in to extension would be legal if braced or if the backspot remains in contact throughout the transition.
- (Rule F-1) “Multibased tosses” means sponge tosses or elevator tosses that originate from below shoulder level and use a throwing motion to get the top person into the air. An elevator or extension cradle does not meet this criteria. Elevator cradles and extension cradles are not “tosses” and are allowed.
- (Rule F) The basket toss and double down prohibitions are for elementary school, middle school and junior high school teams. A 9th grade or JV team in a high school is not restricted by the middle school/jr. high rules.
Read the Complete 2010-11 School Cheerleading Rules from AACCA
Here’s the entire Press Release from AACCA.org:
Cheerleading Safety Group Announces Stricter Rules to Help Make Cheer Safer the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators introduces first rules for elementary, middles and junior high school middle school squads
(MEMPHIS, Tenn.) – In an ongoing effort to minimize the risk of cheerleading-related injuries, the American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators (AACCA) has announced stricter new safety rules and introduced the first set of cheerleading rules developed specifically for elementary, middle and junior high school squads.
“Each year the AACCA rules committee reviews our existing safety guidelines to identify more ways to help protect the safety of cheerleaders and minimize the risk of injury,” said Jim Lord, executive director of AACCA. “As cheerleading evolves, we are constantly looking for ways to improve safety for all cheerleaders, and sometimes that means restricting or eliminating certain moves.”
Rules changes affecting all cheerleaders include more stringent restrictions for partner stunts, pyramids and tosses. And the new elementary, middle and junior high school rules are designed to help ensure that younger cheerleaders learn proper fundamental techniques before progressing to more advanced skills.
“This is a major change for these teams, and it focuses on one of the most important preventative measures for cheerleading safety known as skill progression,” Lord said. “The intent of these changes is to keep younger school cheerleaders performing more fundamental skills. This will improve safety at these levels as well as at the high school level where they will be allowed to progress to more advanced skills if they have demonstrated proficiency.”
Lord said in recent years, many in the cheer industry had noticed that more teams at the elementary and middle school levels were performing advanced skills for which they were not prepared.
“This is how injuries can occur,” Lord said. “These rules will ensure better skills development.”
To address these concerns, the AACCA rules committee decided to prohibit all basket tosses and double full twisting dismounts, regardless of the surface for all elementary, middle school and junior high cheerleaders. Previously, there were no exclusive rules for these squads, which often followed high school regulations or guidelines set by AACCA or the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS).
“While the high school guidelines are appropriate for older squads, younger squads should have more restrictive rules to reflect their ability and skill level,” Lord said.
The AACCA strongly urges associations that govern elementary, middle and junior high school cheerleaders to adopt these additional restrictions regardless of whether they currently follow the NFHS or AACCA Cheerleading Rules.
High school rules also updated
The AACCA high school rules committee made three changes to help align their rules with rules from the NFHS. These include a ban on released stunt transitions, a requirement to have three catchers when a top person performs a controlled fall into a flat-body position, and specifications for the use of religious or medical medallions.
“These changes are important to help align the two major sets of rules used by high school teams,” Lord said. “While we felt that the previous rules for these skills were safe, having consistency between these sets of rules is also important.”
With these changes, the only one major difference remains between the NFHS and AACCA rules, Lord said. The AACCA restricts all released twists on basketball court surfaces without a mat, while the NFHS Spirit Rules currently allow up to one and one-quarter twists on the basketball court surface.
These rules are only for school-based teams, as AACCA does not publish rules for non-school cheerleading such as all-star or youth recreational leagues. School cheerleading is different from these classifications due to the limited population from which schools can choose their teams, and the primary role of school cheerleading is one of leadership and support.
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About AACCA
The American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators represents more than 20,000 cheerleading coaches and are the leading advocates of cheerleading safety in the U.S. AACCA is the most recognized source for cheerleading safety education. The AACCA manual, composed by a team of doctors, lawyers, cheerleading industry professionals and Gerald S. George, PhD, has been endorsed by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the University Risk Management and Insurance Association, the Women’s Sports Foundation and the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, as well as the NCAA and NFHS.
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