Scoring & Judging Criteria

Deduction System – updated 9/20

Routine Infractions

ATHLETE FALL – .25

Drops to the performance surface during tumbling and/or jump skills

Also includes the following*

• Hand, hands or head down in tumbling or jump skills
• Knee or knees down in tumbling or jump skills

BUILDING FALL – .75

Drops from a building skill or transition during a stunt, pyramid and/or toss

Also includes the following*

• Drops to a cradle and/or load in position
• Base or spotter drops to the performance surface during a building skill
• Single based stunts that drop to a coed load position

MAJOR BUILDING FALL – 1.25

Drops to the performance surface from a stunt, pyramid or toss by the top person and/or the bases/spotters

Also includes the following*

• Top person lands on a base and/or spotter who drops to the performance surface
• Multiple bases and/or spotters drop to the performance surface
• Top person's head, neck, back, shoulders or bottom comes in contact at any time with the performance surface
• Incomplete tumbling transitions in and/or out of a building skill

MAXIMUM – 1.75

When multiple deductions should be assessed during a stunt or toss (by a single group), or during a pyramid sequence, then the sum of those deductions will not be greater than 1.75.

Also includes the following*

• During pyramids where a fall continues to effect other portions of the pyramid, the deduction will not exceed 1.75.
• Separated pyramids will result in separate deductions.
• The MAXIMUM deduction for a pyramid will not exceed 3.5.

*All deductions may include but are not limited to, the following examples.

Rule Violations

BOUNDARY VIOLATIONS -.25

The performance surface is defined as the 42’ x 54’ competition floor. The competition boundary is defined as the performance surface and any immediate adjacent safety border. A .25 deduction will be assessed per occurrence for an athlete that makes contact with both feet outside the competition boundary. Stepping on, or just past the white tape is not a boundary violation.

TIME LIMIT VIOLATIONS – .25

1. Teams that exceed the allotted time by 1 or more seconds are subject to a .25 deduction.
2. Judges will use a stopwatch/clock to measure the official time.
3. Judges will not issue a deduction until their stopwatch/clock shows a time that exceeds 2 seconds over the allotted time, acknowledging the potential for variance caused by human reaction speed and sound system time variations.

Teams that exceed the allotted time per category below will be subject to the deduction:

All Star Novice – 1:30
All Star Prep – 2:00
All Star Elite & International – 2:30
All Star Non-Tumbling – 2:00
Global Divisions – 3:30
Routines must adere to the breakdown below

• Cheer: 0:30 seconds (minimum), 0:40 seconds (maximum)
• 0:20 seconds to move from Cheer to set for the music portion
• 2:30 maximum for the music portion

SAFETY VIOLATIONS

• 0.50 – Tumbling skills performed out of level and General Safety Guidelines will be issued a 0.50 deduction.
• 1.0 – Building skills performed out of level will be issued a 1.0 deduction.

IMAGE POLICY – .25

Inappropriate choreography, uniform and/or music, as well as violations that break the image policy, will be issued a .25 deduction.

UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT DEDUCTION – 1.0

When a coach is in discussion with an official, other coaches, athletes, and parents/spectators they must maintain a proper professional conduct. Failing to do so will result in a 1.0 deduction and removal of coach or disqualification.

Includes the following:

• Inappropriate and deliberate physical contact between athletes during the event
• Abuse of equipment or any items associated with the event
• Using language or a gesture that is obscene, offensive, or insulting
• Using language or gestures that offend race, religion, color, descent, or national or ethnic origin
• Failing to perform a routine
• Excessive appealing at Score Check
• Showing dissent towards scoring official decision by word or action
• The threat of assault to an event representative
• Public criticism of an event-related incident or event official

MINIMUM ATHLETE REQUIREMENT - 5.0

If a team competes with fewer than the minimum number of athletes for their specific division, a deduction will not be assessed if that team is registered and rostered with the minimum number of athletes required for that division. Teams that register, roster, and compete with fewer than the number of athletes required for a specific division will either be moved to the correct division or issued a 5-point deduction.

From a judging perspective, these teams competing with fewer than the number of athletes required will be scored as if they meet the minimum athlete requirement (in terms of majority and most) and will not be eligible for bids to any end-of-season events.

Eligibility Requirement -5.0

Any team that violates USASF age eligibility requirements submits inaccurate rosters or violates a crossover rule may be disqualified from the competition and lose eligibility for bids to end-of-season events. Pending investigations and due process, disqualification may occur after the competition is over.