As cheerleading gear professionals, the experts at Gear4Cheer have compiled a list of positive and negative things competition judges are looking for.
1. Cleanliness
Keep in mind when
choreographing, a clean skill always beats a sloppy, more advanced skill. With
that in mind, if you have an individual struggling with a double down cradle,
make it a clean single. Don’t hesitate to bring difficulty down a notch when
the skill cannot be completed safely and cleanly. Cleanliness makes it easier
for a judge to see what is happening in front of them. When a routine is not
clean, it often appears to be chaotic, making it difficult for a judge to award
points appropriately for the skills completed because they can’t determine what
the skills they actually saw.
2. Energy and Spirit
This can make or break a
routine. Cheerleading was created with spirit and excitement as core
principles, and that has not changed. A routine should get the crowd and judges
excited. There is nothing better than contagious energy. Be sure that your
routine isn’t so draining that by the end the squad has no energy left. Our
panel of judges commented that they often see teams who have crammed an
incredible amount of skills into a routine but lack the ability to maintain the
energy throughout the routine. In many cases, a routine with far less
difficulty can beat the jam-packed routine simply because of the spirit and
energy. Another tip is to practice like you’d perform it. Many cheerleaders
feel silly giving facials during practice, but it develops muscle memory. So
even when the adrenaline kicks in and the routine is moving a mile a minute,
the performance aspect has become automatic through practice.
3. Follow the Rules
This tip seems like a
no-brainer, but our judges agreed that they almost always have at least one
great team lose significant points because it has not followed all of the
guidelines. There are general safety rules that every competition company
provides, in addition to skill-level-specific rules. The penalty for not
following these rules can range from fractions of a point to several points per
occurrence. It is simply not worth the risk, so be sure to read and adhere to
the up-to-date version of the rules and regulations for each competition you
plan to attend.
4. Sportsmanship
Judging is a biased job.
There are guidelines in place to keep the scoring as impartial as possible, but
in reality, a judge is being asked to render her opinion of the skills your
team has produced. All this is to say that a judge can take all she has seen of
your team and subconsciously factor that in when scoring in categories like
overall performance. So be conscious of your team’s attitude and behavior on
and off the competition mat. Sportsmanship is important. The last thing a judge
wants to see is cheerleaders boo’ing or taunting other cheerleaders. Remind your
team that they are being judged all day. The beauty of this is that it works
both ways. Good sportsmanship can often yield rewards
Things that make judges cringe… also known as the “no-no’s” for
competition season:
1. Inappropriate Uniforms
In today’s society,
children are being forced to grow up way too fast in many aspects of life.
There has recently been an overwhelming push by competition judges and
competition companies to take that power back by enforcing appropriate dress
rules and guidelines. Be sure to carefully review the uniform guidelines
for every competition company you plan to use throughout the year. Many have
recently updated their policies. When asked, our panel of judges overwhelmingly
replied that uniforms need to be age-appropriate, as well as appropriate for
the body of every girl on the squad. So when deciding whether or not to put
your peewee team in crop tops, keep that pointer in mind. There are hundreds of
great uniform options that will wow the crowd and judges without baring it all.
Check out the incredible options within the Cheerleading
Company’s uniform. Also, if your team does use crop top
uniforms or shorter skirts, make sure that everyone is comfortable in the
uniform. It is far more distracting to see a girl pulling at her uniform
throughout the routine than to see one member with a full length top or longer
skirt.
2. Inappropriate Movements
& Gestures
Again, judges aren’t interested in watching young cheerleaders engaging in
inappropriate dance. Our panel of judges specifically mentioned hip thrusts and
other provocative gestures and movements as things that make them cringe. This
is not to say senior level routines should be made up of these types of
movements either, but keep age-appropriateness in mind at all levels. Secondly,
judges don’t want to see bad sportsmanship or gestures made directly to other
teams within your routine. That sends the message loud and clear that the coach
of this squad has little regard for other competitors and/or sportsmanship.
3. Music
There are several
“no-no’s” when it comes to selecting the music for your routine, whether it be
for spirit or competition purposes. As stressed in the last two points, keep
age-appropriateness in mind. No, your pee-wee team doesn’t have to dance to
Hannah Montana, but try to avoid suggestive lyrics. Additionally, avoid songs
that provide your choreography for you. Songs such as the cha-cha slide, the
cupid shuffle, and the hokey pokey all give verbal cues for movement. The
judges want know if you can be creative and innovative, not if you can follow
directions. The same goes for trendy songs that have dances associated with
them, such as the dougie, the stanky leg, whip my hair, etc. It is almost
impossible to have an entire squad do a dance of that nature and look like one
cohesive unit. Remember that cleanliness is always a main goal.
