Virginia High School League

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2009 VHSL CHEER RULES CLINIC
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Purpose

• Explain new NFHS rule changes and review
  important safety information
• Review important VHSL policies and information

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Clinic Attendance

• If your school has cheerleaders, a coach must
  attend the annual cheer rules clinic.

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Clinic Attendance

• Competition judges must attend each year to be
  eligible for varsity and post-season consideration

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NEW

• Officials who are unable, due to extreme or
  unusual circumstances, to attend one of the VHSL
  Rules Clinics, MAY be given an opportunity to
  meet the clinic requirement by viewing the
  PowerPoint presentation online.

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NEW

• The request must come from the association
  commissioner or assignor.
• Past clinic attendance and present circumstances
  along with any additional pertinent information
  will be considered in the decision to grant or
  deny the request.
• If the request is granted
• The official must pay a 25 administrative fee to
  VHSL in order to receive credit for attendance
• The association commissioner/assignor must verify
  that the official did in fact view the
  presentation

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NEW

• Ditto for coaches
• The request must come from Athletic Director or
  Principal.
• Past clinic attendance and present circumstances
  along with any additional pertinent information
  will be considered in the decision to grant or
  deny the request.
• 25 fee must be paid to VHSL.
• Coach must take online rules exam.
• Coaches or officials who falsify information will
  be subject to disciplinary action.

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Important DatesSideline Cheerleading

• Aug. 3
• Aug. 28
• Graduation Date

• First Practice
• First Performance
• Season ends

Local restrictions may apply
20 daily practices required for each individual
prior to first competition or first performance
involving stunting
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Important DatesCompetition Cheerleading

• First Practice
• First Competition
• District Deadline
• Regional Deadline

• Aug. 3
• Aug. 28
• Oct. 31
• Nov. 7

Local restrictions may apply
20 daily practices required for each individual
prior to first competition or first performance
involving stunting
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Important DatesCompetition Cheerleading

• Competition cheer squad may NOT be selected prior
  to August 3
• If your school participates in both sideline and
  competition cheer, and you selected sideline
  cheerleaders prior to the end of the 08-09 school
  year, you MUST hold a tryout for competition
  cheer on or after August 3.

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Important Dates Competition Cheerleading

• VHSL State CompetitionNovember 14, 2009Stuart
  C. Siegel Center (VCU)

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Important Dates (Cont.)Exam Date for Judges

• Exam will be taken online
• Begin July 26, end Sept. 12
• Go to exams.nfhs.org to take the exam

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SPORTSMANSHIP
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SPORTSMANSHIPIS OUR1 PRIORITY
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Sportsmanship

• Sideline cheerleaders
• Are a support group
• Lead or direct cheering of student and adult fans
• Aid school and game officials in the promotion of
  good sportsmanship
• Performing is secondary

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Sportsmanship

• Effective cheerleading squads enhance the
  atmosphere in which a game is played.

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Sportsmanship

• Examples of poor sportsmanship include
• Directing cheers at the opposing student body
• In-your-face or one-upmanship tumbling
  tumbling intended to challenge the other squad
  to do the same.
• Yelling at or otherwise attempting to distract
  opposing players at any time
• Using megaphones as noisemakers (other than for
  amplifying ones voice)

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Sportsmanship

• Taunting anyone
• Booing anyone
• Interfering in any way with game officials,
  including not getting out of the way when asked
  to do so
• Leading or participating in actions or cheers
  that are clearly negative and/or show disrespect
  for participants
• Failure to abide by NFHS Spirit Rules

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Sportsmanship

• Cheerleaders have a responsibility to
• Treat opposing cheerleaders and players as they
  would want to be treated as a guest or
  acquaintance
• Select positive cheers which praise your team
  without antagonizing or belittling the other
  team.
• Begin popular, positive cheers when booing or
  inappropriate chants begin
• Respect the integrity and judgment of game
  officials.
• Provide positive support for your team and lead
  others in doing the same.

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Sportsmanship

• Cheerleaders do NOT need to
• Be on the field or court at the conclusion of a
  game
• Participate in post-game handshakes with opposing
  players
• Other support groups (pep bands, dance teams)
  dont shake hands with opposing PLAYERS why
  should cheerleaders??????
• Cheerleaders are not players you did not play
  the game there is no need for you to shake
  hands with the players who did. Players shake
  hands with Players. If you want to shake hands
  with someone, shake hands with the other schools
  cheerleaders.

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Sportsmanship

• It is critical that cheerleaders represent their
  schools and communities in a positive manner and
  that they encourage, through their actions and
  leadership, others to do the same.

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Sportsmanship

• VHSL has established clear guidelines for
  players, coaches, cheerleaders and other support
  groups, and fans.
• Districts and Regions have been encouraged to
  adopt these guidelines for regular season play

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Sportsmanship

• Cheer coaches and sponsors are responsible for
  knowing the guidelines and requiring that your
  squad follow them.
• Failure of a cheerleading squad to follow the
  adopted guidelines at a VHSL State Tournament
  will result in their removal from the contest.
• Repetitive failure to comply with the guidelines
  could result in the suspension of all
  cheerleading activities.

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Sportsmanship

• Sportsmanship violations MUST be reported to the
  VHSL office
• Incidents that occur during athletic contests
  must be reported by the school.
• Incidents that occur at cheer competitions should
  be reported by the appropriate cheer commissioner.

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Sportsmanship

• The sole purpose of VHSL and other
  education-based athletics and activities
  programs is to provide students with
  opportunities to learn skills that will make them
  better people.
• Your role as a coach is to facilitate this
  process.
• Understand that YOU are a role model.
• Your leadership, poise, timeliness, character,
  honesty, integrity, the way you treat people
  these are just some of the ways your students
  will learn.
• Make sure you are teaching the right things!

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Sportsmanship

• Courtesy and respect are the keys!
• If your words or actions are not respectful of
  those they are intended for, then dont say it,
  and dont do it.

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2009-10 Rule Changes
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NFHS Spirit Rules

• The Virginia High School League (VHSL) is a
  member of the National Federation of State High
  School Associations (NFHS).
• VHSL member schools must follow NFHS rules.
• These rules apply to ALL cheerleading programs,
  sideline and competition.

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2009-10 Rule Changes
Risk Management

• Rule 2-4-7 A spotter is required for stunts in
  which the supporting arm(s) of the base(s)
  is(are) fully extended above the head, except for
  the following
• New sub-article h (2-4-7h) added to the list of
  exceptions to permit a triple base Swedish fall
  provided all three bases face the flyer.
• When all three bases face the flyer, the front
  base is in a better position of safety to protect
  the flyer if assistance is needed.

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2009-10 Rule Changes
General Risk Management

• Rule 2-6-2b (NEW)
• For all cradle dismounts, the flyer must not hold
  props (signs, etc.) that are made of solid
  material, and have corners or sharp edges.

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2009-10 Rule Changes
General Risk Management

• Rule 2-10-5
• Toe/leg pitches to a jump or tumbling skill are
  illegal
• This clarifies the intent of last years rule
  change permitting a forward suspended roll from
  the performing surface.

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2009-10 Rule Changes
General Risk Management

• Rule 2-6-7 (NEW)
• A twist to a cradle involving more than one
  rotation is permitted only on appropriate mats,
  grass, rubberized and soft-yielding surfaces.
• Non-twisting or single twist cradles are
  permitted on any appropriate surface.

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2009-10 Rule Changes
General Risk Management

• Coaches are responsible for knowing and
  understanding ALL NFHS Spirit rules.
• All cheer coaches are encouraged to take the
  AACCA Safety Course

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REMINDER

• Basket tosses and other similar multi-base tosses
  are permitted only on appropriate mats, grass,
  rubberized and soft-yielding surfaces.

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VHSL COMPETITIONS
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Contest Limitations

• Regular season competitions . . . . 5
• Any competition that is not part of your
  district, regional or state competition
• The competition season begins on the first
  practice date as published on the VHSL Calendar
• Cannot select competition squad prior to this date

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Sanctioning

• Competitions involving more than one non-district
  opponent must be sanctioned
• Competitions sponsored by outside groups must
  be co-sponsored by a VHSL member school and must
  be sanctioned

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Sanctioning

• Sanctioned events are listed under Resources on
  the main cheer page of the VHSL website
• For more info about sanctioning Lora Bickley
  (VHSL office) lbickley_at_vhsl.org

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Contest Limitations

• The competition season ends on the Regional
  Deadline (see VHSL Calendar), or with the
  squads elimination from District, Regional or
  State competition, whichever is later.

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Contest Limitations

• Once your season has ended, you may not compete
  in other competitions
• The VHSL State Competition is the last legal
  competition for any VHSL school

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Contest Limitations

• Any event in which one squads performance is
  compared/ranked to other squads performances is,
  by definition, a competition.
• NO VHSL school may permit any cheerleading group
  to represent that school in any competition after
  the VHSL State Competition.

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VHSL Competitions

• Routines
• Minimum 2 ½ minutes
• Maximum 3 minutes
• Music not to exceed 90 seconds
• Squad Size
• Maximum of 20 cheerleaders plus 1 mascot

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Routine Score
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Routine Score (Cont.)
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Technical Score
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Technical Score (Cont.)
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OTHER INFORMATION
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Insurance

• Judges Insurance
• American Specialty (see VHSL web site)
• Cheerleaders
• Covered by Leagues insurance at all cheer
  practices and competitions that comply with VHSL
  rules

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Heat Hydration

• Fall season athletes are especially susceptible
  to heat related difficulties
• Recognition
• Management
• Prevention
• VHSL web site Sports Medicine

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Practice Guidelines

• You need a written policy
• Schools may adopt VHSL Fall Season Practice
  Guidelines or develop their own
• Check with your AD/DSA
• BE SMART
• Athletes need to acclimate to heat AND to activity

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Frequently Asked Questions

• Question Since the season for Sideline cheer
  ends on graduation day, may a schools sideline
  squad participate in a competition in January?
• Answer NO. See previous slide!

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Frequently Asked Questions

• Question May a school select its sideline
  cheer squad in the Spring prior to the end of the
  school year?
• Answer Only if permitted by your school. This
  is because, technically, the sideline season
  does not end until a schools graduation date. A
  separate tryout for a competition squad must be
  held on/after the first Fall practice date as
  published in the VHSL Calendar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

• Question May a school permit its sideline
  cheerleaders to practice during the summer?
• Answer NO. This is a violation of VHSL Rules.
  Further, the athletes who participate in such
  illegal practices are not covered by VHSL
  catastrophic insurance.

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Frequently Asked Questions

• Question May a school permit its cheerleaders
  to do general conditioning during the summer?
• Answer Yes. But, conditioning may not be
  sport specific in other words, no tumbling,
  cheering, or stunting. Weight training, rope
  jumping and other general conditioning exercises
  are permitted. The conditioning sessions must be
  open to all students (cannot limit to just
  cheerleaders or prospective cheerleaders).

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For more information

• Questions about the cheerleading program AT YOUR
  SCHOOL should be directed to your athletic
  director.
• Do not contact the VHSL directly without
  permission from your AD.
• www.vhsl.org go to the cheerleading landing
  page for general information.

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• If you have a question regarding the legality of
  a stunt, email your question to the VHSL
  Cheerleading Rules Interpreter, BILL AHERN, at
  bahern_at_uca.com.
• Include as a cc. on your email, the
  commissioner who assigns judges for your area
  competitions.
• VHSL Program Coordinator for Cheerleading is
  Joyce Sisson, VHSL Assistant Director

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Clinic Cards

• Please PRINT legibly if we cant decipher it,
  you werent here!
• One card per person fill out both sides if you
  officiate and coach