NFHS Rules Changes For downloads, updates and rules interpretations, visit spiritrules.com

General Rules Rule Participants must not chew gum or have candy in their mouth during practice or performance. This includes all FOOD. Rule Participants must not stunt or tumble during a basketball or volleyball game when the ball is in play, including free throws in basketball and just prior to the serve in volleyball.

Section 3 – Apparel/Accessories * Rule – Jewelry of any kind is prohibited except for the following: A religious medal without a chain is allowed and must be taped and worn under the uniform. A medical-alert medal must be taped and may be visible. * Rule – A watch, post earrings covered with tape, a religious medal on a chain, a naval ring, fish line or spacer through a piercing, a dermal piercing without the jewelry adornment removed, and a gauge in a stretched ear piercing are all examples of ILLEGAL jewelry. These must not be worn at practice, parades, games, competitions, or camp. Rule Hair must be worn in a matter that is appropriate for the activity involved. Hair devices and accessories must be secure. Rule A participant in a full head and/or body costume must not stunt or tumble, except for a forward roll or cartwheel.

Specific surface restrictions The following skills are only allowed on a mat, grass or rubberized track surface. a. Basket tosses, elevator/sponge tosses and other similar multi-base tosses. b. Partner stunts in which the base uses only one arm to support the top person. c. Twisting tumbling skills (Arabians, full twisting layouts, etc.). EXCEPTION: Cartwheels, roundoffs and aerial cartwheels are allowed on surfaces other than a mat, grass or rubberized track.

Kids camp or clinics Section 1 – General Art. 1… Participation in spirit team activities during interscholastic contests and spirit competitions must be limited to bona fide students of the school who are designated as members of the school’s spirit team(s). Only those students may participate in spirit team activities on the sidelines, court, field or contest area during an interscholastic event, except when exhibitions during a pregame, halftime or postgame period are authorized by the administration, if applicable. Only cheerleaders are allowed to cheer in front of the crowd at games. Kids clinic kids or kids camp kids are only allowed to perform at ½ time pregame. They cannot cheer during the game. This rule includes coaches or random kids from the crowd cheering or stunting with the cheerleaders during the game.

OSAA handbook The OSAA handbook is available on the OSAA website and should be printed yearly. You need to print the main handbook as well as the cheerleading handbook. Moratorium week – July 24 th - July 30 th. During this week “there shall be no high school facility usage by administrators/coaches/directors/advisors and students, and no contact between administrators/coaches/directors/advisors and students.” Any “coach” who works with your teams more than 3 times in a season must be certified and have taken the certification classes listed on the OSAA website. Print yearly!!

Summary of Changes Braced rolls (top in contact with someone on the ground) no longer require two bracers. Braced flips still require two bracers, but they do not have to be on opposite sides. Static inversion may release to prep level stunt or below. Dismounts from inversions can ¼ twist. During transitions from inverted to non-inverted, the bases may release the upper body while still slightly inverted.

Summary of Changes Vertical release moves from prep level allowed. Extended stunts may brace each other hand/arm to hand/arm. In splits in transition (i.e. prep, drop to shoulder split), only three bases are required instead of four. In dismounts to the performing surface that include a skill (toe touch or twist), a spotter is still required to be in position, but is not required by rule to make contact with the top person.

There are three types of braced inversions; braced inversions that start inverted and move to non-inverted, braced rolls, and braced flips. 1) Braced inversions that do not flip or roll, such as a braced handstand, follow all normal pyramid rules. (Same as last year) If they do not release, there are no specific requirements for the bracers or spotters. If they release, then the release pyramid rules apply, and there must be one hand/arm connection and any standing bracer at prep level must be spotted : Braced Inversions (non-flipping)

2) Braced rolls, where the top person is braced, but is also connected at all times to a base or post on the ground, USED TO follow the braced flip rules. This has changed. They now follow the braced inversion rules, meaning that since there is no loss of contact with someone on the ground, it is not considered to be a release skill. It may have one bracer, and that bracer does not require a spotter by rule : Braced Inversions (non-flipping)

Braced Rolls Only one bracer required.Note: Spotter not required.Note: Double Base not required.

Braced Rolls This is now considered to be a braced roll, since someone on the ground is in contact with the top person. It is legal with the new rules.

3) Braced flips, where the top person is released from all bases, posts, and spotters on the ground, have numerous restrictions, such as: They must be braced by two double based preps with a hand/arm connection. Those preps must have spotters. There must be three people under the top person. These cannot be done with fewer than 12 participants : Braced Flips

Braced flips still require two double based prep bracers with spotters. However, the new rule does not require those bracers to be “on each side”. This allows one to be behind the top person while the other is on one side. Each arm of the top person must be held by a bracer, which prohibits two bracers on one side only holding one arm. This skill still requires a minimum of 12 participants : Braced Flips

Braced Flips Bracers no longer have to be on opposite sides. However, each of the top person’s arms must be connected to a bracer, and the top person has to be in front of or beside the bracer. This version is legal with the new rules.

In , the spotter of a handstand stunt did not have to make contact. In , the wording of the rule made it so they had to maintain contact with the upper body. This was not the intent of the committee. The rule returns to the previous requirement, that in an inversion at handstand level, there must be two bases or a base and a spotter. The spotter is not required to be in contact with the top person, allowing transitions that were inadvertently removed last year b: Spotting Inverted Stunts

When going from an inverted stunt to a non-inverted stunt, the bases are allowed to release the top person prior to the top person becoming non-inverted. This removes the interpretation about when bases release the shoulders of someone going from a handstand to an upright stunt. There is often a point where the top person is moving upwards, but is still slightly inverted when their upper body is released by the bases. Since the slightly inverted top person is moving away from the ground, this is not a safety concern, and this rule removes the rules infraction for this type of skill f: Contact w/ Inverted Stunts

Previous rules allowed a static inversion, such as a handstand at shoulder level or on a basket, to release to a dismount such as a cradle or to the performing surface. The new rules allow a static inversion to release to a stunt as long as it : Is shoulder level or below. It cannot make more than ¼ twist, and It requires a spotter. Examples: Inversion at shoulders, release to load. Handstand on basket, release to prep c: Released Inverted Stunts

Released Inverted Stunts

Previously, the only extended stunts that could brace each other were extensions with both feet in the hands of the base(s). New rules allow all static* extended stunts to brace each other. HOWEVER, the connection must be a hand/arm to hand/arm. This means that in addition to liberties, “paper dolls” are legal as long as each person is connected to the other by a hand to arm type of connection. The top person of one heel stretch cannot hold the leg of the stretch next to them, and they cannot touch/hold the shoulder Braced Extended Stunts

“Static” in this case will be interpreted to mean staying at the same level or maintaining the same body position, not both. Legal Examples: Low Liberty, interlock, then press to extended Liberty. (different level but same body position) Extended Liberty, interlock, pull stretches. (same level, but different body position) Illegal Example: Low Liberty, interlock, press to extend and pull stretches. (different level AND different body position) Braced Extended Stunts

Legal

Braced Extended Stunts Legal Paper Dolls version: Connection must be hand/arm to hand/arm.

Braced Extended Stunts Illegal Paper Dolls version: Connection must be hand/arm to hand/arm.

Previous rule allowed release tick tock from prep level to any level. New rule allows any vertical stunt at prep level to release to any vertical stunt. This will allow for proper progression in these release skills, using one or two feet during the transition. Limited to 1 ¼ twist. Most of the body, including legs, must remain vertical. Legal: Prep, release to load. Prep, release, ½ twist to load, prep, or extended Low lib, release, ½ twist to lib. Single base in hands, release to “X” position (can then suspend roll out, since there is already a spotter for the initial stunt.) Illegal: Load in, release to prep. This is considered to be a toss. Extension, release, ½ twist to prep. The release must initiate at prep level. To do this legally, the extension would have to be brought down to prep before going up to the release. That can be a “pump and go” movement b. Vertical Releases

Shoulder splits in transition used to require 4 bases; 3 under the legs and 1 under the legs or holding the hands of the top. The new rule requires only 3 bases; 2 under the legs and 1 under the legs or holding the hands of the top. All other parts of this rule remain the same (top in contact with the bases once she is in the split position, etc.) Splits in Transition

The rule required that a dismount to the performing surface that included a skill (toe touch or twist) required an additional spotter who had to make contact with the top person. It was determined that in some cases, the requirement for spotter contact may actually hinder the ability of the base to catch the top person. The new rule requires a spotter to be in position, but they are not required to make contact with the top person Dismount to Ground

Who to contact Legality of stunts – contact the OSSA Spirit Rule Interpreter Michelle Long – Kelly Foster at the OSAA – (503) ext.233 OCCA (Oregon Cheerleading Coaches Assn.) Click on Exec. Board for appropriate contact