The following are the rules and safety guidelines for the 2003 National Collegiate Cheerleading Championships and other PCA run events for the 2003-2004 season. Teams operating under other safety guidelines may do so at their own institutions.
GENERAL COMPETITION RULES & GUIDELINES
- No jewelry is permitted during performances. (Including belly button rings and all oral jewelry)
- The use of mini-tramps, springboards or any other height enhancing apparatus is prohibited.
- Casts of any type are not permitted. Exposed metal hinged or fibreglass supportive braces should be covered if possible.
- Each team must bring at least two copies of their music to the competition. It MUST be in CD (Compact Disk) format. Cassette Tapes will NOT be permitted nor will there be a tape player provided.
- Mascots in routines are not permitted to participate in any stunts, pyramids or as spotters or catchers.
- Officials have the right to stop a routine if there is an injured athlete still performing on the floor. In this event the routine is scored accordingly and is not re-run.
- Cheating of any kind is not tolerated. If you are caught your team will be disqualified from the competition.
- FLAGS depicting the school name, logo, and mascot etc are allowed. Generic coloured flags, fabric ribbon/banners and wavers etc. are NOT permitted. Provincial and National flags are NOT permitted within the routine.
- Note. Regarding "uncontrolled" falls. Minor stumbles and incidental contact with the floor will not be considered "falls". Rather, such errors are assessed under "execution" flaws. All judges have the latitude to evaluate the severity of a fall and score it accordingly. Stunts, pyramids or skills which require the (external) spotters to engage will be assessed per situation re. Controlled or Uncontrolled. Likewise, judges have the latitude to assess the wisdom of including a skill in the routine with respect to safety and execution even if the maneuver is "legal". These assessments are NOT open to debate or appeal and in most cases the judges will favour lesser penalties over greater.
- All judges decisions are final.
ROUTINE PARAMETERS
- The routines are ALL MUSIC format. Teams are not required to cheer. If they do so, the evaluation of the cheering will not be judged as a stand alone element rather as a part of the Overall Impression Category. Vocal inclusions may be performed over top of the music if desired.
- The maximum routine time limit is 2 minutes 15 seconds. Timing starts at the first obvious movement or sound and ends when the end of the routine is obvious to the officials.
NEW - The performance area is 42' x 54' - nine (9) strips of carpeted gymnastics mat. Participants are permitted to step off the mat without penalty. Props may be placed or toss on/off the mat without penalty.
ELIGIBILITY NOTE: This section is specific to the Nationals ONLY. The Best of the West and PCOC stunt competitions require only 1 course registration
COLLEGIATE DIVISION - Each competitor must be enrolled in a minimum of 3 classes - regardless of credit value - in the term of the competition. Students currently in a faculty appointed work term, graduate students, teacher's college students, etc. are also eligible.
*Teams may have any number of athletes on the floor (ie you are not limited to 20)*
OPEN DIVISION -
The following conditions apply ONLY to PCA competitions. The Sr All Star information has been included to help alleviate confusion on cross over athletes (Sr to Open)
Open All-Star Division
OAS-1. All athletes 18 years of age or older and not attending high school at the time of the competition must compete on "Open" All-Star teams
OAS-2. All athletes (regardless of their age) enrolled at a post secondary institution of any kind (university, college, trade school) at the time of the competition must compete on "Open" all-star teams.
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Senior All-Star
SAS-1. All athletes currently enrolled in high school, are eligible to compete on senior all-star teams (regardless of their age).
SAS-2. All athletes under the age of 18 at the time of the competition and not enrolled at high school or any form of post secondary institution must compete on senior all-star teams.*
SAS-3. Athletes 18 years of age and older who are enrolled at high school may opt "up" to compete at the University/College and Open Nationals (November) and/or the Open Division of the PCOC or Best of the West Competitions, but may not later in the same season, switch back to compete in the Sr All-Star or High School division(s) of any PCA events.
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January or First Term Graduates.
* Athletes 18 years of age or older who finish high school after the first semester, must switch "up" to open division even if they were members of either a High School or Sr All-Star team during the first semester/term. (see rule OAS-1)
Note 1: Individual clubs may choose to permit continued membership on "first term" teams but should verify the eligibility rules for different organizations and competition bodies before recommending this policy to applicable individuals.
Sample Situations.
Age |
School Status |
Division Eligibility |
Under 18 |
High School |
Senior All-Star |
Under 18 |
Post Secondary |
Open All-Star |
Under 18 |
None |
Senior All-Star |
18 + |
High School |
Senior All-Star OR opt up to Open All-Star |
18+ |
Post Secondary |
Open All-Star |
18+ |
None |
Open All-Star |
See Senior-Open Information Page | CLICK HERE |
STUNT RESTRICTIONS and PERMISSIBLE ELEMENTS
- Free flight flipping dismounts from extended stunts are prohibited.
- All free flight flips from non-extended single based stunts must be cradled only and must utilize a second catcher. (ie. you can't free flip to the floor)
- An additional third catcher is required for double based front and back flip cradle dismounts.
- Flipping dismounts exceeding one rotation are prohibited.
- Double twisting dismounts require at least two catchers. Twisting dismounts exceeding two rotations are prohibited.
- The following one-armed stunts do not require an additional spotter when performed: cupee/awesome, one handed Liberty. The following stunts when performed as a one-armed lift, do require an additional spotter: heel stretch, arabesque, scorpion, scales, needles etc (ie stunts in which one leg is "away from the mid-line")
- Free flight flipping "re-wind" mounts are permitted. Toe pitches are not permitted as the propulsive force.
- horizontal (single person) "flat" spins or "helicopter" spins may not exceed 180 dgrees of rotation.
- Single based split catches and "free flight" toe pitch flips are prohibited.
- Full twisting and/or flipping dismounts from a chair are prohibited.
BASKET TOSS RESTRICTIONS
- Basket tosses must be performed with both bases feet on the ground and must be cradled by three catchers (the original two bases and an additional head spotter).
- Tosses/pitches may go from one set of bases to another. Two catchers are required but 3 is/are preferred.
- A top person IS PERMITTED to invert/flip (forward/front 3/4 only). The catchers must be in a clear line of visibility with the toss and the toss may not go over stunts, pyramids, people or props. The catchers should not be involved in another stunt or activity at the time of the toss. Please keep it safe.
- tosses of any type may not travel over, under or through stunts, pyramids, people or props
- Flipping basket tosses exceeding one rotation and twisting basket tosses exceeding two rotations are prohibited.
PYRAMID RESTRICTIONS
- Pyramids over 2.5 people high are prohibited. (ie. the height maximum is 2.5)
- Free flight flipping pyramid mounts and dismounts are prohibited. EXCEPTIONS: 3/4 FRONT roll /flips dismounts ARE permitted with free flight or non-contact. Free Flight 1/2 flip rotations on or off of pyramids are permitted. (ie. flat back to Swedish Fall or Extendd push-up rotation to cradle)
- Foot first pyramid dismounts require only one catcher. Cradle dismounts from pyramids require at least two catchers except in the case of connected partner stunts.
- Twisting dismounts from 2.5 high pyramids require three catchers (the third catcher must be designated to the head)
- Pyramids involving 2.5 high extended partner stunts (ie. 2-high lib) require a front and back spotter.
- The mid level of a 2.5 high pyramid may not be extended. This means that the mid level person cannot be extended if he/she is also supporting a person one level up.
TUMBLING RESTRICTIONS
- Twisting tumbling elements exceeding 2 rotations and flipping tumbling elements exceeding 1 rotation are prohibited.
- Although there is no penalty for stepping off of the mat during competition, athletes are discouraged from starting and more importantly finishing their tumbling passes un the un-matted surface.
Questions regarding the rules and safety guidelines may be directed to
POWER CHEERLEADING ATHLETICS
Phone PCA toll free: 1-800-567-7221