Competitive Cheerleading

Any Cheerleading squad that stunts or tumbles (see below) will be considered a Competitive Cheer Squad and is subject to all SED and NYSPHSAA rules and regulations.  A team that does not stunt or tumble would be considered a traditional squad and not subject to SED and NYSPHSAA rules and regulations.

• Stunt:  One or more persons supporting one or more top persons off the ground.
• Tumbling:  Gymnastics skills that begin and end on the performing surface, including rolls, inverted extended skills (cartwheels, handstands, walkovers, handsprings, etc.), aerials, twists and flips.  NOTE:  Jumps, leaps and side rolls on the performing surface are not considered to be tumbling. 

NYSED Regulations

Schools with Competitive Cheer Squads are required to follow the following NYSED regulations:

• Mixed Competition
• Advanced Athletic Placement
• Coaching Certification:  Any outside clinician that works with a team more than 5 days during a season must be coaching certified.

NYSPHSAA/Section XI Guidelines

• Competitive Cheerleading Season is WINTER only in Section XI.  No teams are permitted to compete in any other season.
• All Competitive Cheerleading coaches must have a current AACCA safety course completed (Oct 2014); it is valid for 4 years
• NFHS Spirit Rule Book will be followed.
• All coaches should have an NFHS spirit rule book.
• Practice Requirements: 10 team/8 individual.
• Post Season Representation:  In order to qualify for post-season, a team or individual must have competed in at least four (4) competitions within New York State under the NYSPHSAA rules and regulations.
• Official fees and DJ cost will be split by all schools.
• Varsity will participate in 7 section scheduled contests. Up to 3 more at your discretion (example: regionals, nationals and 1 invitational; must be all sanctioned)
• JV will participate in 6 section scheduled contests.
• Middle school will participate in 3 section scheduled contests.
• Concession, spectator admission and t-shirt sales go to host school during the regular season.  There will be no team registration fees.
• If an injury occurs during a routine the team will have the option of starting over, however the score up to that point will remain and judges will score from end of injury to ends of routine.
• Maximum Number of Contests: The maximum number of competitions will be Varsity-10; JV-6; and Modified-3.
• Admission is not to exceed $4 dollars per person during the regular season. 
• Section XI SCORING WILL BE USED during Section XI scheduled contests and Suffolk County Championship. 
• Schools will be asked if they can host a competition and then selected by Section XI. 
• Schools with proper equipment (9 practice cheer mats & 9 competition mats) will only be selected; no wrestling mats.
• Warm-ups: 10 minutes on 9 practice cheer mats. Coach decides what to do in warmup.  Safety judge monitors time and looks for any illegal stunts etc.
• Once a division is selected and a date is set there will be no moving divisions.
• Order of teams at section scheduled events will be decided by Section XI and in County Championship it will be the order they finished during the year; example; highest point average 1^st and so on.
• Your average score will be tallied from the 7 section scheduled contests.  A forfeit will result in 0 points per forfeit.
• If a team cannot attend a Section scheduled contest (only because superintendent does not let bus out, weather) they will not be charged with a forfeit and their average score will be based on the contests attended.  Circumstances beyond the control of the athletic department, example; senior trip, will be taken into consideration and reviewed by the sports chair and executive director for an excusable exemption from a competition.

·         Recognizing the massive commitment and preparation in hosting a cheerleading competition, the next available date for a Varsity competition will be on Sunday (the day after the scheduled event). (For participating schools that are not permitted to attend due to weather related conditions, they will not be penalized in the season long scoring procedure).  

• Number of Night's Rest:  Minimum 1 night's rest between competitions.
• Competitions are limited to 1 per day.
• Competition Standards:  Duration of competition is 2 minutes and 30 seconds, including cheer and dance.

·         Competitive Divisions:  VARSITY; Three divisions: Small (5-12), Medium (13-16), and Large (17 & up).  No enrollment will be used during the season; everyone in each division competes against one another.  For the County Championship, enrollment will be used (Large School Division (1000+) Small School Division (999 and below); the top 50% will make counties in each division; resulting in 6 county champion’s small division 1 & 2; medium division 1 & 2; and large division 1 & 2).  If we participate in the State Championship, the County Champion in large will go and the team with the highest score between small and medium in the County final will go and represent Section XI (using the 750 number).  Should a team with a male(s) qualify for state championship competition, the team must either enter the co-ed division or not allow participation by the male(s) at the state competition.

·         JV (Small 5-12) Medium (13-16) & Large 17+)

·         Middle School (1 division)

 Post-Season Qualifying

Section XI Championship

• Qualification for Section XI Championship will be based on scores achieved during the competitive season using the Section XI scoring system.  Your average score will be tallied from the 7 section scheduled contests.  A forfeit will result in 0 points per forfeit. The top 50% of the schools based on the scores will qualify for the Section XI Championship.

• Admission will be $6 dollars

NYSPHSAA Championship

• The winner of each division will qualify for the NYSPHSAA Championship.  In the event of a tie in the Section XI Championship both teams will advance. 

 Awards

The winner and runner-up in each division at the Section XI Championship will receive a plaque.  Medals will be presented to the participants on the championship team for each division.  

SR/November 2018