The following are the rules and safety guidelines for the 2002 National Collegiate Cheerleading Championships and other PCA run events for the 2002-2003 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. 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.
- 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.
- The performance area is 42' x 48' and will be covered by a 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
- 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 entering the OPEN Division, must not include ANY members currently enrolled in high school. The minimum age is 18 yrs as of the date of the competition and there is no maximum age limit. Team members may be students of a college or university but may NOT be cheering at/for that institution.
*Teams may have any number of athletes on the floor (ie you are not limited to 20)*
STUNT RESTRICTIONS and PERMISSIBLE ELEMENTS
- Split catches and "free flight" toe pitch flips are prohibited.
- Twisting and flipping dismounts from a chair are prohibited.
- 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.
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. EXCEPTION: 3/4 FRONT roll /flips dismounts ARE permitted with free flight or non-contact.
- 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