RULES FOR CHEER COMPETITION

(Teams competing in the Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond divisions, plus College)

Routine length is limited to 3 minutes with no more than 2 minutes and 30 seconds of music.
Timing will begin with the first organized motion, word, or note of music and end with the last organized motion, word, or note of music.
Squads must adhere to the National Federation Spirit Rules Guidelines (www.nfhs.org) (AACCA for College teams – AACCA.org) as well as any specific restrictions or allowances their individual organization requires.
All squads must use the mat provided to perform their routine. Squads will be performing on an official competition mat. All stunts and gymnastics must be performed on the matted area.
Safety Judges will evaluate all stunts in the practice room for compliance with the rules, but it is ultimately the coaches responsibility to ensure the legality of all skills in their team’s routine. Safety Judges will assist teams in eliminating or changing illegal and/or out-of-level skills in the warm-up area prior to competing their routine. Teams with out-of-level skills will also have the option of moving up into a higher level which allows the skills they are performing, rather than changing them. Any illegal or out-of level skills done during the competition will result in that sequence being ignored by the judges, as though it had not been performed. No points will be accrued for those skills.

Medical release forms for all participating cheerleaders must be turned in to the registration table on the day of the competition.

Sportsmanship

All participants agree to conduct themselves in a manner displaying good sportsmanship throughout the contest. The advisor and/or captain of each team is responsible for seeing that team members, coaches, parents, and any other persons affiliated with the team conduct themselves accordingly. Severe demonstrations of unsportsmanlike conduct are grounds for disqualification.

DANCE RULES

Time limit will be a maximum of 2 minutes and 30 seconds. This does not include entrances; exits and positioning which will not be judged. If music is used for the entrance and/or exit, it will be timed in the 2:30 minutes as part of the routine. Timing will start with the first note of music.
Teams must adhere to the safety guidelines presented by the National Federation specifically for dance teams. These rules can be found online at www.NFHS.org. Dance teams will also follow rules set out by UDA for their routine choreography: http://uda.varsity.com/Competitions/Rules-Divisions-Scoresheets
Teams can choose to perform their routines on the marley floor laid on the rubberized surface of the field house or on the cheer mats (see diagram on website). Teams must signify their choice when registering for the competition, not the day of the tournament.