GLOSSARY OF COMPETITIVE CHEER TERMS

Aerial: A skill performed free of contact with a person or surface.

Aerial Cartwheel: The skill begins in a standing position, arm position optional. The arms are free of the surface during the inverted rotation. Legs will be inverted straddle position. The skill is completed when both feet are in contact with the mat. Arm position is optional at the end of the skill. The aerial cartwheel must be performed parallel to the cheer judges in Round 2.

Arabesque: A one-legged flair with free leg lifted in a parallel-to-floor position behind flyer.

Back Handspring: Begins in half squat position. Back rotation occurs as hands are placed on cheering surface. Skill is completed when both feet touch mat. Skill must be performed parallel to the judges in Round 2.

Back Walkover: At beginning of skill, arm positions are optional. Begins in standing position. Lead leg starts continuous rotation, hands are placed on mat, rotation occurs with legs in extended inverted split position. Skill ends when lead leg touches mat. Skill must be performed parallel to the judges in Round 2.

Backward Dismount: The flyer dismounts backwards, with or without the feet being held, to catchers who are not the original bases.

Backward Roll: This skill must begin in a squat position. Arm position optional. Hands are placed on the cheering surface as the tucked back rotation occurs. The backward roll ends in a squat position. The skill can be performed either parallel to or facing the judging panel in Round 2.

Balance/Scale: An upright or inverted body position that is held. It is designed to show an artistic body position.

Base: A person who is in direct weight-bearing contact with the performing surface and provides primary support for another person.

Basket Toss: The tossing of a flyer by three to four bases, two of which must have their hands interlocked in a basket position.

Box Out: An extended stunt (an exception to requiring a spotter) in which the flyer has one leg in an elevator position and one leg (bent) in an extended position by the base.

Bracer: A bracer is a flyer who stabilizes a stunt by direct contact with another flyer. The stunt would remain stable without a bracer.

Cartwheel: Begins when lead foot initiates inverted rotation while inverted legs extend in "X" position. Skill is completed when trail foot contacts the cheering surface. Cartwheel must be performed parallel to and torso facing the judges in Round 2. Arm positioning is optional at the end of the stunt.

Chair: A single-base stunt (an exception to requiring a spotter) in which the flyer's bent leg is in the base's extended arm and the straight leg is in the base's bent arm.

Cradle Catch: The flyer is caught in a face up position with the catcher's hands/arms up and by placing one arm under the back and one under the thighs of the flyer.

Cupie: A flair with flyer held in a feet together standing upright position.

Dismount: Releasing the flyer to a cradle or onto the performing surface. A dismount is the end of the stunt.

Double Hook Jump: Keeping torso straight, bring knees and legs up. At the peak of the jump, the legs are bent at the knee and hip in the same direction and parallel to cheering surface. It is optional to bend legs to the left or right. Hand/arm position is optional. The jump must be performed facing the judges in Round 2.

Double Nine Jump: At the peak of the jump, one leg and arm of the same side of body are fully extended in front of the body and parallel to the mat. The other leg and arm are bent at the knee/elbow reaching horizontally toward the inside of the knee/elbow of the extended limbs. The bent leg and arm should also be parallel to the mat. In Round 2, the skill may be performed facing or parallel to the judges. When performed parallel to the judges, the bent leg and arm must be the side closest to the judges. The skill ends when the jump has landed.

Drops: Dropping is the action of landing on the performing surface, but appearing to fall onto the performing surface.

Elevator: A stunt in which the supporting arm(s) of the base(s) are bent and at shoulder level and the flyer is standing in the hand(s) of the base(s).

Extended Suspended Splits:  The flyer is in a split position suspended between two bases who are extending the flyer at arms length above their heads. Another base acts as a post in front of the flyer to support her hands/arms.

Extension: A stunt in which the supporting arm(s) of the base(s) is fully extended above the head, and the flyer is standing n the hand(s) of the base(s).

Far Arm Cartwheel: Begins when lead foot initiates inverted rotation. The trail hand only contacts the mat. While inverted, legs extend in "X" position. The skill is completed when trail foot contacts the mat. In Round 2, the far arm cartwheel must be performed parallel with torso facing cheer judges when in inverted position. Arm position is optional at the beginning and end of the skill.

Flair: An enhancement to a stunt.

Flatback: The flyer is transitioned from a vertical position to a horizontal face-down or face-up position between two or more bases.

Flip: An aerial skill involving head over heels rotation (same as "salto").

Flyer: A person who receives primary support from another person anytime during a stunt.

Formation: A position on the cheer surface identified by viewing the placement of all team members and their relationship to each other.

Forward Roll: Begins in squat position. Arm position optional. Hands placed on cheering surface as tucked rotation occurs. Front roll ends in standing position. The skill can be performed either parallel to or toward the judges in Round 2.

Front Hurdler Jump: At the peak of the jump, the front leg is extended higher than parallel to the cheering surface and is in front of the torso. The back leg is bent in a flat, hurdle position, parallel to the cheering surface OR in a back leg, bent knee to surface and toe to ceiling position. The upper torso must be performed parallel to the judging panel showing the hurdle leg to the judging panel in Round 2. Arm positions are optional.

Gymnastic: Skills that tend to be stationary as opposed to moving. Examples are: handstand, heel stretch, splits, etc.

Handstand: An inverted straight body position in which the head, torso and legs are held above the hands and arms.

Hanging Pyramid: The flyer(s), whose feet are free hanging, is suspended by another flyer(s).

Heel Stretch: Standing in an upright position, one leg is held to the side and above the head in a straight leg position. In Round 2, the skill must face the judges. A leg is fully extended to a 45-90 degree position to the side. The angle of the leg must be the same for all team members. Arms are in a "V" position. Hand-to-foot (to arch, toes, heel or in-step) contact must occur in a held position in Round 2.

Herkie Jump: At the peak of the jump, front leg is extended above or parallel to the cheering surface and extended to 45°- 60° straddle position, the upper torso facing the judges in Round 2. Back leg is bent (knee to ground, toe to ceiling). Arm and hand positions are optional.

Horizontal: The flyer is parallel to the floor.

Inverted: The person's head is below her waist.

Inverted Entrance: An entrance in a skill where the flyer originates from an inverted position with hands on the performing surface to a non-inverted stunt shoulder level-height or below.

Inverted Exit: An exit in a skill where the flyer begins in a double-based cradle position and must be in continuous motion until no longer inverted. The flyer must move to the inverted position with hands on the performing surface and the landing must be step-down to the performing surface.

Jump: Pushing off from both feet to land on one or both feet.

Jump Rope: A flyer is swung between two bases. The hands are held by one base while the feet are held by another base. A third base assists with the rotation of the flyer during the swing.

Kick: A kick is a swinging, straight-leg motion that reaches waist high or higher. Arm positions are optional. The squad may either face the judging panel or can be sideward to the judging panel in Round 2. The skill begins when the foot leaves the cheering surface and is completed when return contact is made with the cheering surface. A kick can be directly in front of the torso or to the right or left, but cannot be directly to the side of the torso.

Layout: Straight body position.

Liberty: A one-legged flair with free leg bent, knee facing forward, foot touching inside knee of support leg.

Roll (tumbling): Rotating in a head over heels, tucked position.

Log Roll: A flyer held in a horizontal position is tossed then rotates parallel to the performing surface before being caught by the original base(s).

Mountain Climber: A flair where flyer "climbs" bases with hand-to-foot contact switching weight from base to base ending in an extension.

Near Arm Cartwheel: The skill begins when the lead foot initiates inverted rotation. Only the lead hand contacts the cheer surface. While inverted, legs extend in "X" position. The skill's completed when the trail foot contacts the mat. The near arm cartwheel must be performed with torso facing and parallel to the cheer judges in Round 2. Arm position is optional at the beginning and end of the skill.

Pendulum: A stunt in which the flyer in a straight body position falls forward and/or backward away from the base(s) to a horizontal position to catchers while maintaining constant hand-to-feet/legs contact with the base(s).

Pike: Bent at the hips with legs straight forward.

Pike Jump: Kick legs up parallel to the mat. At the peak of the jump, legs are together and extended in front of the body, parallel to the mat. In Round 2, The jump must be performed parallel to the judging panel showing the extended legs and arms. Hands and head must reach for the pointed toes.

Pop: The base(s) push the flyer upward to increase the height of the flyer who will be caught in a cradle catch.

Power Lift: A lift that involves a base in a standing position lifting another standing person from the floor to a shoulder sit position.

Power Press: A flyer in a one leg extension stunt (braced or not braced) is lowered on one leg to the shoulder/elevator level and immediately returned to the extension level still on one leg. The transition is one continuous action with the flyer in a one leg stunt.

Pyramid: Multiple stunts.

Reload: A flyer in a cradle catch is popped to a position in the bases' hands for the next stunt.

Retake: A flyer is lowered to the floor, from shoulder level or higher. One foot and the supporting weight of the flyer remains in the hands of the bases who instantly lift the flyer to the next stunt.

Rolls: Rolls are tumbling type skills rotating head over heels in a tuck position.

Roll Down Dismount: A flyer in a horizontal extended position, rolls down the front of the base(s) and is caught by the original base and a spotter.

Round Off: Begins when hands touch cheering surface. Legs must come together at top of skill. Skill ends when feet touch the cheering surface. The round-off must be performed parallel to and torso facing the judges in Round 2.

Russian Lift: A single based stunt where bases arms are extended holding flyer by the armpits. Flyer lifts legs and holds in a straddle position.

Salto: An aerial skill involving head over heels rotation (same as "flip").

Scorpion: A one-legged flair which begins in a liberty and where the toe of the bent leg is pulled and brought up to almost behind the head.

Show-n-Go: A lifting of the flyer from below elevator level to a brief extended position or to a position in which the flyer's feet are above the bases' head, then returning instantly to a position that is below elevator level. The entrance and exit are part of the stunt.

Side Splits: Begins in squat position with hands placed on cheering surface. Legs are extended parallel to the judges. Hands during split must be removed from the cheering surface. Splits are completed by returning to the squat position.

Splits: Legs are in an extended forward and backward position from the torso or on each side of the torso.

Sponge: The flyer is lowered from shoulder level or above to a crouched position in the hands of her bases.

Spotter: A person who is in direct contact with the performing surface and may help control the building of, or dismounting from, a stunt. This person(s) shall not provide the primary support; meaning the stunt or pyramid would remain stable without the spotter(s) when the stunt is in a static position.

Spread Eagle Jump: At the peak of the jump the body is in a straight torso position. Arms are extended in a high V position and legs are extended with an inverted V position. Body should show an "X-like" position. Competitors must face judges in Round 2.

Standing Back Tuck: The skill begins in a standing position, arm position optional. The cheerer performs an uplift, tuck and inverted rotation of the body clear of the cheering surface before landing in a standing position. Arm position at the end of the skill is optional. The skill is performed parallel to the cheer judges in Round 2.

Straddle: Legs are bent at the hips with knees straight. Each leg is extended 45 degrees sideward from the front of the torso.

Stunt: A person is supported by one or more persons. It requires a base(s) and flyer(s).

Suspended Roll: The flyer rotates feet over head while both hands are in continuous hand to hand/arm contact with the bases.

Suspended Splits: The flyer is in a split position suspended between two bases at shoulder level.

Sweep: The bases push their arms forward to release the flyer into a cradle catch.

Swinging Stunt: The flyer is held by the hands and feet and is suspended between bases.

Switch Splits: Begins in the squat position with hands placed on the mat. First split is completed when position is reached and hands/fists are removed from the mat. While in the first splits, hips are switched so that the lead leg is opposite from the original split. The splits must be performed parallel to the judges in Round 2. The hands must be removed from the cheering surface when in the first and second split positions. The skill ends in squat position with hands on the mat.

Toe Touch Jump: A jump in which at the peak, the legs are extended in a full forward straddle. Arms are extended and hands reach for top of foot and toe. Head is up and back is straight. Upper torso must face judges.

Torch: A one-legged flair with leg bent, knee up, foot touching inside knee of supported leg, torso twisted to face judges.

Toss: The bases throw the flyer upward with enough power to allow the flyer to become free of contact from the bases.

Totem Pole: A pyramid in which a flyer(s) is stabilized by another flyer.

Transition: A motor skill initiated by the bases to move the flyer from one stunt to the same or another stunt without the flyer bearing weight on the performing surface. A transition can involve changing bases.

Triple Splits: The skill begins in a squat position with hands on the mat. The triple splits must show the left, right and center positions. Each split is completed when the position is reached and hands/fists are removed from the cheering surface. The center splits position shall be the third splits shown. Knees and shoelaces may be forward or upward as long as the entire team is performing the same. The skill must be performed parallel to the judges in Round 2. The skill ends in a squat position.

Tuck: Bent at the hips and knees with the knees drawn up to the torso.

Tumbling: Motor skills that are acrobatic in style when movement is involved. Examples are: handsprings, cartwheels, tucks, walkovers, rolls, etc.

Twist: An aerial skill involving rotation of the body around the vertical axis.

Universal Jump: The arms reach up as the jump thrusts up; at the peak of the jump, the legs are extended in a full forward straddle; the hands touch above the head and slice down at the peak of the jump with the hands together. In Round 2, the upper torso must face the judges with head up.

Valdez: The skill begins sitting of the floor with one leg outstretched forward and the other in a foot-to-floor bent knee position. The backward inverted position begins with the outstretched leg leading the body in the rotation followed by the trail leg in an outstretched position. The skill ends with both feet on the mat in a standing position. Hands and arm position at end of skill optional. The skill must be performed parallel to the cheer judges in Round 2.

Vault: The hands of the flyer are used when going over the top of the bases.