General Information/Routine Requirements:
Music:
- Be sure to follow the music guidelines listed on usacheer.org.
Performance Area:
- CHEER:All teams will compete on a 54’ x 42’ Springboard Floor
- DANCE: All teams will compete on a Marley Floor.
Warm Up Area:
- 54’ x 42’ Carpet bonded full floor
- 42’ x 12’ (Minimum) Double Wide Tumble Strip
- Dance Teams will have the opportunity to warm up skills on a Marley surface, similar to the competition floor
- Musical Player Provided ( CD/MP3 Compatible) for full floor run through
- *Please be prepared with an alternative digital back up
Traditional Cheer Routine:
- All Cheer Teams may perform a maximum of 2.5 minutes (minimum 2 minutes) including any or all of the following; cheer, dance, tumbling, and building to best showcase their team’s abilities.
- Recreational and Scholastic Cheer Teams may select to perform their entire routine to music
- Elite Reserves the right to ADD, DELETE, COMBINE OR SPLIT divisions in the interest of the competition
USA-Cheer/AACCA: https://www.usacheer.org/high-school-cheer#_order
- Please refer to NFHS Guidelines:Click Here
- Score sheets: Please click here
- Scoring rubric: Please click here
High School Cheer
Varsity Grades 9-12
For all categories: Small 12 & Under, Medium 13-16, Large 17-20, Super Large 21-30
Category Division
Mount Small, Medium, Large, Super Large, Co-ed (2 or more males)
Non-Mount Small, Medium, Large, Super Large, Co-ed (2 or more males)
Non-Gymnastics Small, Medium, Large, Super Large, Co-ed (2 or more males)
Category Division
Junior Varsity 7th-12th grade Mount, Non-Mount, Non-Gymnastics
Junior High Grades 7,8,9 Mount, Non-Mount, Non-Gymnastics
Middle School Grades 6,7,8 Mount, Non-Mount, Non-Gymnastics
Elementary 6th Grade and Below Mount, Non-Mount, Non-Gymnastics
Cheer Game Day
The Cheer Game Day Routine’s focus should be on crowd involvement. This routine will consist of three sections: a sideline, a traditional cheer (timeout or floor), and a musical portion (band dance, band chant, fight song, etc). Each section should be no more than 1 minute for a total time not to exceed 3 minutes. Any incorporation of tumbling or building should be used to enhance the crowd leading of the routines, but is not required. The score sheet will consist of a section for the cheer/sideline and a section for the musical portion. At Battle in the ‘Burgh! Game Day competition, announcer will NOT announce the required elements.
The order for the Game Day Division will be as follows:
1. Sideline (choice of offense, defense, or other crowd leading sideline)
2. Traditional Cheer (timeout or floor)
3. Musical Portion (Fight Song, Band Chant, Band Dance, etc)
Specific Game Day Skill restrictions The following are prohibited in the Game day Division
1. All Tosses
2. Stunt inversions
3. Released Twisting dismounts
4. Single Leg Stunts are limited to liberties and liberty hitches
5. Running Tumbling
6. Standing Tumbling is limited to single skills * * Standing Tuck is allowed. No Standing Fulls. Jump Tumble Connection is allowed
Dance Game Day
The Dance Game Day Routine is an opportunity for your team to showcase the skills that they perform when supporting their school programs. Teams will have a maximum of 3 minutes to perform a FIGHT SONG, SPIRIT RAISING PERFORMANCE, and PERFORMANCE ROUTINE. Scoring for these portions is based on your team’s synchronization, execution of movements, overall impression, game-day material, crowd connection and interaction, and overall choreography. At Battle in the ‘Burgh! Game Day competition, announcer will NOT announce the required elements.
Category descriptions (See score sheets for more specifics)
- Fight Song: This section should incorporate skills and choreography that showcase a traditional fight song style routine.
- Spirit Raising: This section should highlight a segment with emphasis on crowd appeal. It should showcase routines that are performed during quick time outs, a pause in the game, or other Game Day relevant portions.
- Performance Routine: This section should represent a typical game day appropriate performance that is meant to entertain. It can be based in Jazz, Pom, Hip Hop, Kick, or any combination of these previous styles. This section should be choreographed to a specific piece of music that can be related to their school team or popular music.
Divisions:
Junior High Game Day 9th grade and below (male/female) maximum 30 members
Junior Varsity Game Day 7th to 12th grade (male/female) maximum 30 members
Varsity Game Day 8th to 12th grade (male/female) maximum 30 members
Dance Divisions
All Dance divisions will be offered in Small (12 and under) and large (13 and over) groups
All Dance teams may perform a maximum of 2 minutes and 15 seconds.
Category Division
High School Dance Grades 9-12 Jazz, Pom, Hip-Hop
Middle School/Junior High Grades 9 and Below Jazz, Pom, Hip-Hop
Recreational Divisions
Division Age
Twerps 6 and under
Termites 7-9
Mighty Mites 10-12
Midgets 12-14
Rules Interpretation:
If you have any questions concerning the safety guidelines or legality of a stunt, pyramid or dance move, please follow the steps listed below:
Compliance with the rules is the coach’s responsibility.
- All correspondence must be in written form. Due to the difference of interpretation and terminology, no phone calls will be accepted with regard to this matter.
- Send a videotape which contains the mounting and dismounting of the stunt, pyramid or dance move in question.
- We will review and respond back to you in written form.