F L O R I D A H I G H S C H O O L A T H L E T I C A S S O C I A T I O N FHSAA Competitive Cheerleading Sport Administrator: Kellie Doucette ext. 450

F L O R I D A H I G H S C H O O L A T H L E T I C A S S O C I A T I O N Christina Bohler– Indian Rocks Christian School (Largo) Kathy Brannon– Orange Park High School (Orange Park) Gina Davis– Bay High School (Panama City) Tanya Jones– Miramar High School (Miramar) Cheryl Shimmel– Olympic Heights High School (Boca Raton) Carolyn Shoemaker– Sebring High School (Sebring) Mary Singletary– Dillard High School (Fort Lauderdale) TiAnn Stark – Newberry High School (Newberry) Next Meeting Scheduled for Tuesday, March 3, Advisory Panel

F L O R I D A H I G H S C H O O L A T H L E T I C A S S O C I A T I O N Competitive Cheerleading Sport Season October 13, 2014 – January 31, 2015 Note: If your team wishes to compete at High School Nationals on February 7 th & 8 th or any other competition that weekend, your AD may submit a request in writing to Dr. Dearing and he can approve “Sunday Participation” for you. However, that would be the ONLY weekend an exception could be provided.

F L O R I D A H I G H S C H O O L A T H L E T I C A S S O C I A T I O N FHSAA Competitions Region Events Region 1: (Week 30) Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015 at Marianna High School Region 2: (Week 29) Saturday, Jan. 17, 2015 at Flagler Palm Coast HS Region 3: (Week 29) Friday, Jan. 16, 2015 at Plant City High School Region 4: (Week 30) Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015 at Dillard High School (Fort Lauderdale) State Championships January , 2015 Site: Silver Spurs Arena (Kissimmee) Hosted by: Experience Kissimmee

F L O R I D A H I G H S C H O O L A T H L E T I C A S S O C I A T I O N Region Divisions Small Varsity – Up to 12 Female Participants Medium Varsity – Female Participants Large Varsity – Female Participants Extra Large Varsity – Female Participants Small Co-Ed – 1-4 Male Squad Members/Max 26 Participants Large Co-Ed – 5 + Male Squad Members/Max 26 Participants Small Non-Tumbling – Up to 16 Female Participants Large Non-Tumbling – Female Participants

1A and 2A Small Varsity – Up to 12 Female Participants 1A and 2A Medium Varsity – Female Participants 1A and 2A Large Varsity – Female Participants 1A and 2A Extra Large Varsity – Female Participants 1A and 2A Small Co-Ed – 1-4 Male Squad Members/Max 26 Participants 1A and 2A Large Co-Ed – 5 + Male Squad Members/Max 26 Participants 1A and 2A Small Non-Tumbling – Up to 16 Female Participants 1A and 2A Large Non-Tumbling – Female Participants State Championship Divisions

Region and State Divisions Each team may choose one (1) division to compete in with their Varsity Competitive Squad. Each school will indicate their chosen division on the State Entry List that is due to be submitted online via C2C Schools no later than Monday, November 10 th. The division (i.e. Small Varsity, Medium Varsity, Small Co-Ed) chosen at the Region level will be the same division each team will compete in on the State level. Each division at State will be divided into two (2) classes based on school enrollment (i.e. 1A and 2A) for a total of 16 State Championship Divisions At both the Region and State levels, the FHSAA reserves the right to combine divisions and/or classifications as deemed necessary due to the number of competing teams in two or more divisions/classifications.

Advancement of Teams Regional Competitions to State Championship: –All Region Champions and Region Runner- Up in each division will advance directly to the “finals” round of competition at the State Championship in their respective division.

Advancement of Teams Cont’d Any team earning a minimum raw score (point deductions not included) of 60 points, will advance from the Regionals to the “Semifinals” round of competition at the State Championship. Teams that do not earn a raw score of 60 or higher, will be eliminated from the competition and will not advance to the State Championship.

Advancement of Teams Cont’d State Championships: –At the State Championship, Semifinals and finals will be conducted in each division with 10 or more teams qualifying. If a division has less than 10 teams qualified, there will be finals only. –When calculating the number of teams that will advance from semifinals to finals in a given division, the FHSAA will advance 1 team for every 4 teams that qualified for semifinals. –THIS WILL BE IN ADDITION TO THE TWO (2) TEAMS THAT QUALIFIED FOR THE FINALS AT EACH REGION.

F L O R I D A H I G H S C H O O L A T H L E T I C A S S O C I A T I O N Rules & Regulations All NFHS Spirit Rules as found in the NFHS Spirit Rules Book are applicable. Each school received a complimentary copy of the NFHS Spirit Rules Book in August. All rules books will be mailed to your Athletic Director. A complete list of FHSAA Rules & Regulations are available at under ‘manual’ or by clicking this link Cheer ManualCheer Manual

F L O R I D A H I G H S C H O O L A T H L E T I C A S S O C I A T I O N Rules & Regulations Cont’d Penalties– 2pt. penalty per violation instead of point penalties per judge. Safety violations are 5pts. per violation. 65 possible points for music portion and 35 possible points for cheer portion. Judging panel – 2 cheer judges, 2 music judges and 1 head judge per panel.

F L O R I D A H I G H S C H O O L A T H L E T I C A S S O C I A T I O N Competition Routine Music & Sideline Cheer/Chant The musical portion must not exceed one minute and thirty seconds, total time is two minutes and thirty seconds.

F L O R I D A H I G H S C H O O L A T H L E T I C A S S O C I A T I O N FHSAA Competitions Score sheet information can be found at the bottom of the FHSAA cheer page under forms. Click on the link below.

F L O R I D A H I G H S C H O O L A T H L E T I C A S S O C I A T I O N FHSAA Competitions Coaches Requirement - In order to participate in FHSAA Competitive Cheerleading, all Head Varsity Coaches must be: AACCA Safety Certified A copy of each Head Coach’s AACCA Safety Certificate is due to be submitted no later than Monday, November 10th. All Head Varsity Coaches’ must submit a certificate to the FHSAA Office on an annual basis!

F L O R I D A H I G H S C H O O L A T H L E T I C A S S O C I A T I O N AACCA Courses Available For a list of Available AACCA Safety Courses in click on the link below and visit the AACCA website: AACCA can be taken on line or in person. Please see their web site for more information on completing this required training.

F L O R I D A H I G H S C H O O L A T H L E T I C A S S O C I A T I O N You must be “Committed To Participate” in FHSAA Competitive Cheer, in order to compete at the State Championships. Please have your Athletic Director complete and submit the AT12 form, to add the sport if he/she has not done so already! The deadline to enter (submit the AT12 form) is November 10 th, when the State Entry Lists and AACCA Certificates are also due. All competing schools are listed on the FHSAA Competitive Cheerleading page under the Assignments tab. Please check the website to be sure that you’re entered! If your school is not on this list, you are not entered and will not be able to participate in FHSAA Competitive Cheerleading. Commitment to Participate

F L O R I D A H I G H S C H O O L A T H L E T I C A S S O C I A T I O N State Entry List The State Entry List must be generated via C2C Schools. This list is more specifically, a “squad roster” of all eligible participants, to be completed by your school’s FHSAA Representative/Athletic Director. Please be sure your AD selects the appropriate division for your team. The division submitted on your Entry List is the division you will compete in! In order to submit the State Entry List via C2C Schools a login id and password is required, so please see your Athletic Director. State Entry List Due Date: Monday, November 10, 2014

F L O R I D A H I G H S C H O O L A T H L E T I C A S S O C I A T I O N State Entry List Cont. If changes are made to the State Entry List after the due date, there will be a $50 fee for each change that is made. All changes must be made on the State Entry List via C2C and resubmitted to the FHSAA. Changes should not be necessary as the form is unlimited as to the number of eligible student-athletes that may be listed! Therefore, you should list all eligible participants just to be on the safe side!

F L O R I D A H I G H S C H O O L A T H L E T I C A S S O C I A T I O N 4-Contest Policy Any student-athlete who wishes to compete, must have been on your roster and participated in at least 4 contests during regular season. If a student-athlete and/or your team has not participated in 4-contests, you are not eligible to participate at the Region and State Championship Contests. All competition schedules and student-athletes must be entered in C2C Schools.

F L O R I D A H I G H S C H O O L A T H L E T I C A S S O C I A T I O N FHSAA Competitions Format of Events: Region competitions will be “finals only”. At State, there will be a semi-final and final round for each division in which more than 10 teams participate. Both rounds for a given division will be held on the same day and all events will take place at the same location. A generic schedule for the competitions will be created once all entry lists are received! This schedule will define the start time and end time for each division. However, the teams will not be added until approximately 1-week prior to the competition date. Do not be late submitting entry lists!!! Remember, State Entry Lists are UNLIMITED so there is no reason that you shouldn’t be able to meet the deadline!

FHSAA Competitions Participant and Coaches Passes Each team will be provided: 2 Coaches Passes Enough participant passes for each competing member of your team. Example: Large Non-Tumbling Division = Max 26 participant passes Total passes for a Non-Tumbling team packet = Max 28 Alternates and additional coaches will be treated as spectators and must purchase a ticket!

FHSAA Competitions Rules and Regulations It is the coach’s responsibility to ensure that all routines comply with the written rules and regulations of the FHSAA and NFHS. Teams who perform an illegal skill during the competitions will be penalized according to the Rules and Regulations. Please see the FHSAA Handbook or “Manual” online to review updates. Any squad in violation of the General Rules or Specific Safety Regulations will be assessed a deduction for each violation unless otherwise noted. A copy of the score sheets can be found on the Competitive Cheer webpage under “Forms”.

FHSAA Competitions Process for Determining Finalists In order to ensure fairness, the number of teams advancing to finals will be one (1) team per every four (4) entered in a given division in addition to the 2 teams advancing from regionals. For example, if there are 22 teams in 1A small non-tumbling, 5 teams will advance from semis to finals (22 ÷ 4 = 5.5). Since we do not round up, we’d only take 5 in this case. That would mean there would be 13 teams in finals; 5 from semis as mentioned above + the regional winner and regional runner-up from each region. If fewer than 10 teams compete in a given division, there will be “finals only” (no semifinals).

Process for Determining Finalists All teams in a given division will be judged by the same panel of judges. There will be 5 judges on each panel. Finals are “Clean Slate”. Therefore, your scores from the previous round do not count and you are judged only on your finals performance during the finals!

FHSAA Competitions Awards Region Champion and Runner-Up teams in each division may purchase a Region Champion or Region Runner-Up trophy from The Trophy Shop. The Trophy Shop order forms can be found by clicking here: Trophy Shop Forms.Trophy Shop Forms State Champion and Runner-Up teams in each class and division will receive trophies and medals during the awards ceremonies at State.

Spring Practice Spring Competitive Cheerleading practice is a continuation of the regular fall competitive cheerleading season. Spring practice is confined to a maximum of 20 sessions exclusively during the month of May. Students who are seniors may not participate in spring practice. Students who are not enrolled and in attendance in a school cannot participate in spring practice at that school. Incoming 9th grade students cannot participate in spring practice.

F L O R I D A H I G H S C H O O L A T H L E T I C A S S O C I A T I O N Frequently Asked Questions Coaches – It is important that you discuss this information with your Administration. Your own school policies may differ from some of the answers given below. Do all member schools have to participate? No. Each member school has the option to participate if they so choose, as is with any other sport. However, teams who do not compete with FHSAA may not compete in any other outside competition either. How much will the sport cost? Entry is FREE!! Can participating schools still compete in outside competitions, such as UCA Nationals, Jamfest, State Fair, etc in addition to the FHSAA competition? Yes, as long as the event is held within the said sport season. If an exception is needed for the last weekend of the season, your AD may submit a request in writing to Dr. Roger Dearing. How do I know if my team is entered? Go to and click on Competitive Cheerleading. From there, click on the Assignments tab. If your team is listed, you are entered. If your team is not listed, you are not entered. What do I do if my team is not entered/on the list? See your Athletic Director. He/She will need to submit the AT12 form no later than November 10th (State Entry List/AACCA Certificate due date) for your team to compete. Once entered, you will still be required to meet all deadlines regardless of the delayed entry.

F L O R I D A H I G H S C H O O L A T H L E T I C A S S O C I A T I O N Frequently Asked Questions If my school dropped the sport last year, can we add it back this year? Yes. See your Athletic Director. He/She will need to submit the AT12 form no later than November 10 th (State Entry List/AACCA Certificate due date) for your team to compete. Once entered, you will still be required to meet all deadlines regardless of the delayed entry. How many squads can participate in Regions or State from a given school? One (1) Varsity Squad. Can a J.V. Squad participate in FHSAA Competitive Cheerleading? No. FHSAA state series contests are open to varsity competition only. Can incoming freshman or transfer students practice and/or tryout in the spring for Competitive Cheerleading? No. Once practice and/or tryouts are over in the spring, can we begin competitive practice? No. The first date for competitive practice is October 13th.

F L O R I D A H I G H S C H O O L A T H L E T I C A S S O C I A T I O N Frequently Asked Questions If I coached last year and submitted my AACCA Certificate to the FHSAA, do I need to submit it again this year? Yes. The FHSAA requires AACCA Certificates to be submitted on an annual basis. Deadline date is November 10 th. How do I submit my State Entry List? See your Athletic Director. He/She will need to submit the list no later than Monday, November 10 th via C2C Schools or give you privileges to do so. Be sure he/she enters your team in the correct division! If our school competes, can we compete in Spring Floor Competitions? No. Regardless of whether a team participates with the FHSAA or not, NFHS Spirit Rules prohibit competition on spring floors. By state statute, all FHSAA member schools, whether competing in Competitive Cheerleading or not are bound by NFHS Spirit Rules. If my team enters Medium Varsity (for example) and we lose girls before we compete or between Regions and State which causes our number of participants to drop down into the Small Varsity Division, can we change divisions? No. The division you enter will be the division your team remains in regardless of the circumstance. Please remember that if this happens, you’re also subject to deductions due to non-compliance with squad numbers. Be sure you have alternates!!!

F L O R I D A H I G H S C H O O L A T H L E T I C A S S O C I A T I O N Frequently Asked Questions Why was I not called for an illegal stunt at Regionals and now I’m penalized for that same stunt at State? You as a coach are responsible for knowing the rules. Just because an illegal stunt is not caught by a rules judge at a given competition, does not make it legal. Just like any other sport official and/or judge, there are times where calls are going to be missed. However, that does not render the routine “legal”. Why was one team warned for an illegal stunt and my team penalized? If a team is given a warning, the rules judge didn’t have absolute evidence that the stunt was illegal. Therefore, the team is warned. However, if your team was penalized, the rules judge actually witnessed the violation. How could our scores be so high at Regional's and at State they’re much lower. One panel of judges can score a little higher or lower than the next. Therefore, it’s all relative. For example, an 80 pt. score at Regional's could potentially put you in the top three, just as a 60 pt. score could at State or vice versa. Although we make our best attempt at keeping things consistent, it’s difficult when considering the judges panels are never the same from competition to competition and neither are the routines. How do I know if my routine is legal? Refer to the NFHS Spirit Rules Book. Each school receives a complimentary rule book in August and you are responsible for knowing the rules, just like any other coach in any other sport.

Frequently Asked Questions If tryouts are usually held in the spring, can a school still hold their tryouts in the spring? Tryouts & tryout procedures will all be on a school-by-school basis. However, the FHSAA has approved spring practice (tryouts) as long as they are completed within a maximum of twenty (20) consecutive sessions (excluding Sundays) during the month of May. Are we still going to be able to attend summer camps? Yes. (FHSAA Policy on Summer Participation below) Can we practice over the summer? Yes! You can hold any type of practice you see fit over the summer, this includes stunt clinics, camps, choreography, etc. According to FHSAA policy 20.2 the summer season is defined as the period of time outside the FHSAA sports year. This period is defined as beginning the day following the school’s last day of classes for the spring semester or the day following the school’s last day of spring athletic activities (including spring football practice), whichever is later, or June 1 for schools whose last day of classes for the spring semester occurs on May 31 or thereafter, and concluding with the Saturday of Week 2 in the FHSAA standardized calendar for the following school year.

F L O R I D A H I G H S C H O O L A T H L E T I C A S S O C I A T I O N Please click on the link below to receive credit for reading through this presentation: QUESTIONS? Contact: Kellie Doucette (352) ext. 450