Competitive cheerleading isn’t just about spirit; it’s a sport that demands precision, athleticism, and creativity. And like any sport, a solid scoring system is essential to fairly evaluate routines and provide teams with constructive feedback.
That’s where the United Scoring System comes in. This system is designed to assess cheerleading routines based on both the difficulty of the skills performed and how well those skills are executed. The goal? A transparent and equitable assessment of each team’s performance.
This guide provides a comprehensive breakdown of the United Scoring System. We’ll explain the key components and how they contribute to a team’s overall score. Whether you’re a coach, a cheerleader, a judge, or simply someone interested in learning more about competitive cheerleading, this article will help you understand the ins and outs of the United Scoring System and how it impacts the sport.
Understanding the United Scoring System Scoresheet
The United Scoring System uses a scoresheet to evaluate different aspects of a cheerleading or dance routine. Think of the scoresheet as divided into sections, each looking at a different element. You’ll see sections for Stunts, Pyramids, Tosses, Tumbling, Jumps, Dance, and Showmanship, among others.
To really understand how the scoring works, it’s important to understand some key concepts. For instance, you’ll see the term “Level Appropriate” skills. This means that the skills performed match the level of competition. You’ll also see terms like “Majority,” “Most,” and “Max” used to describe how many team members are participating in a skill.
Understanding the scoresheet is essential for both coaches and athletes. By looking at the scoresheet, a coach can figure out how to best build a routine to get the most points. The scoresheet will also help the team target areas for improvement, focusing on the areas where they are weakest.
Decoding the Stunt Section
The stunt section of the score sheet can be a bit tricky, but it boils down to three key elements: difficulty, participation, and how well the stunts flow together.
Stunt Degree of Difficulty Driver (St. DDD)
This is all about how complex and challenging the stunts are. The judges look at whether the skills performed are appropriate for the level of the team – Level Appropriate, Advanced Level Appropriate, or Elite Level Appropriate. The harder the skills, the higher the score.
It’s important to note that there are separate scoring considerations for coed and all-girl teams, especially when it comes to tumbling. The rules make accommodations based on the tumbling skill level of the team. Also, coed teams can get extra credit for incorporating coed-specific stunt elements.
Stunt Max Participation Driver (St. MPD)
This part of the scoring focuses on how many athletes are involved in performing a stunt. The more athletes participating, the higher the potential score. The scoring guidelines use terms like “Majority,” “Most,” and “Max” to define the thresholds for participation.
Pace and Connection Driver (PCD)
This driver looks at the overall flow and seamlessness of the stunt transitions. It’s about how well the stunts connect together and how smooth the routine looks. A routine with good pace and connection will leave a better impression on the judges and will likely score higher in terms of execution.
Pyramid Scoring: Difficulty and Execution
Pyramids are a visually stunning and technically challenging element of cheerleading routines. Judges consider both the difficulty of the pyramid and the execution of the skills when assigning a score.
Pyramid Difficulty Drivers
Several factors contribute to the difficulty score of a pyramid. The height, stability, and overall complexity of the structure are all taken into account. The more levels, the more intricate the connections, and the more athletes involved, the higher the potential difficulty score.
The number of transitions and releases within the pyramid also adds to the difficulty. A routine with multiple, creative transitions will generally score higher than one with static poses.
While many aspects of scoring are objective, some elements, such as the overall visual appeal and creativity of the pyramid, involve subjective judgment from the judging panel.
Execution in Pyramids
Even the most difficult pyramid won’t earn a high score if it’s not executed cleanly. Smooth transitions between formations are crucial for a high score. Wobbles, stumbles, and any visible instability will negatively impact the execution score.
Falls, of course, result in significant deductions. Even minor errors, such as a shaky hold or a missed hand placement, can affect the overall execution score and bring down the team’s overall score.
Tosses: Scoring and Recycling
In the United Scoring system, tosses are judged based on a few key things: height, the number of rotations, and how stable the landing is. A higher toss with more rotations that sticks the landing will obviously score higher than a wobbly, low toss.
But there’s another element to consider: “recycling” athletes. This means using the same athlete in multiple toss sequences throughout the routine. Think of it like this: instead of having a bunch of different flyers, you might have a core group that’s repeatedly tossed and caught. Recycling isn’t inherently good or bad, but it does impact scoring and how a team constructs their routine. Teams that recycle athletes skillfully can maximize their points, but it requires careful planning and execution to avoid deductions from fatigue or errors.
Tumbling: Standing and Running
Tumbling skills are divided into two categories: standing and running. Here’s how each of those skills are scored under the new United Cheer scoring system.
Standing Tumbling (ST)
Standing Tumbling scores are determined by two drivers: Degree of Difficulty and Max Participation.
ST Degree of Difficulty Driver (ST DDD)
This driver rewards teams for performing complex and difficult standing tumbling passes. Skills that require a high level of strength, flexibility, and control will contribute to a higher difficulty score. Think about skills like standing fulls, or intricate combination passes.
ST Max Participation Driver (ST MPD)
The ST MPD considers how many athletes are performing standing tumbling. Like with other sections, the “Majority,” “Most,” and “Max” thresholds apply here, rewarding teams that can execute difficult skills with a greater number of athletes.
Running Tumbling (RT)
Like standing tumbling, running tumbling is judged based on Degree of Difficulty and Max Participation.
RT Degree of Difficulty Driver (RT DDD)
This driver evaluates the difficulty of the running tumbling passes and combinations that are performed. Teams that incorporate advanced skills like whips and full twists will score higher in this category.
RT Max Participation Driver (RT MPD)
The RT MPD rewards teams for high athlete participation in running tumbling. The more athletes that perform a running tumbling skill, the higher the score will be.
Jumps, Dance, Formations & Transitions, and Routine Creativity
The United scoring system takes a holistic view of cheerleading and dance routines, giving credit to many aspects of the performance. Here’s a quick look at some of the elements that can contribute to a team’s overall score.
Jumps
Judges consider the difficulty of the jumps, looking at height, proper technique, and combinations. Scores are also influenced by how many athletes on the team successfully perform the skill.
Routine Creativity (RC)
Originality and innovation are rewarded. Teams that present unique choreography and creative elements can earn a higher score in this area.
Formations and Transitions (F&T)
Smooth, dynamic transitions between formations enhance the visual appeal of a performance. Seamless transitions also contribute to the overall flow of the routine, which can raise the team’s score.
Dance
Dance elements are judged on technique, synchronization, and style. Judges look for precision, musicality, and choreography that engages the audience.
Showmanship and Execution
As you can see, United Scoring considers a wide range of factors when determining a team’s final score. Two of the most important are showmanship and execution.
Showmanship
Showmanship is all about connecting with the audience and bringing energy and enthusiasm to the performance. Teams that demonstrate strong showmanship leave a lasting impression, which is reflected in their score.
Execution
Execution refers to the technical aspects of the routine. Judges look for technique, precision, and a generally clean performance. This applies to the entire routine, but specific criteria are used to evaluate the execution of stunts, pyramids, tumbling, tosses, and jumps.
For example, when judging stunts, the focus might be on the stability and control of the flyer and the strength and precision of the bases. For tumbling, judges will look for proper form, power, and landing technique. Each section has its own set of criteria that contribute to the overall execution score.
Understanding Deductions
In the United Scoring System, deductions are penalties that can reduce a team’s final score. These deductions are applied when teams make errors or violate specific rules.
Here are some common types of errors that can result in deductions:
- Falls
- Bobbles
- Other obvious mistakes
Teams also receive deductions for violating specific rules outlined in the scoring guidelines. Because deductions can significantly lower a team’s score, minimizing errors is crucial for success in competitions that use the United Scoring System.
In Conclusion
The United Scoring System analyzes routines based on difficulty and execution across different sections of the performance. Coaches and athletes can benefit from understanding the ins and outs of the scoresheet.
Rules and guidelines are updated, so teams should stay current on the latest changes. Seeking feedback from judges and other experts can also help teams improve their scores.
When you understand the United Scoring System, you can construct routines strategically, so they perform well in competitions. With a strong grasp of how routines are scored, your team can achieve success in competitive cheerleading.