- Dec 4, 2009
- 14,108
- 19,303
- Moderator
- #1
Starting from our Cheeropedia thread and getting some traction with @BlueCat we want to re-define what it is to be in a stunt and how many people are required for it.
BEFORE anyone goes off the deep end, the changes actually make a LOT of sense so read through them first. Bluecat will submit them at some point to @RulesGuy . I want everyone to take a look at them and point out the flaws.
First change - anyone who is responsible to hold up a flyer is called a base. Group stunts can have up to 4 bases (main base, side base, back base, front base). As long as your job is to get a stunt to hit you are a base.
Second change - a spotter is someone who's job is NOT to assist in helping a stunt hit, but to be available in case the stunt falls and assist in catching the flyer. This just makes sense and LEGALLY (not all-star rules legal but in court cases type legal) this also makes a lot of sense.
So why all the fuss for this? First it makes way more sense to all people new to cheer. A spotter on tumbling when you are learning is known to assist for learning and safety purposes... NOt to correctly attempt and hit the skill. Applying this logic across all of cheer makes sense.
Second it will help scoring for the new push for coed stunts. Stunts have either 1, 2, 3, or 4 bases. 3 or more bases are considered group stunts. 2 base stunts can be considered single base with an assist. 1 base stunts are considered true single based. Single bases stunts would require a spotter, but that spotters job would ONLY be the defined version up top AND to help on the cradle (which makes sense). If a team attempts 5 single based stunts but the spotters go in and help 3 of them than the spotter instantly turns into a base. 3 of those stunts are now single based assist. It truly rewards single based stunting.
Third - it gets rid of that STUPID rule saying someone is only a spot if they grab the ankle or wrist. Why is it stupid? If any of you have ever lifted weights you know that that you lift with both arms evenly, you do not lift one arm bent and the other straight. It makes no anatomical sense. You are strongest and most stable when you can push evenly. If a 'spot' is required to hold the ankle and bend right arm OR hold the toe and bend the left arm to grab the wrist we are actually making the stunt less safe, more difficult, and not really changing the look or difficulty of the stunt except a stupid grip. This is akin to us old school stunters who would toss and catch stunts on their closed fist instead of an open hand because it was harder. Why? Cause we thought it was cool... but really though it looked the exact same, no one would compete it because you could barely tell, and you would drop them... a lot. As someone who has taught a LOT of coed stunts and side based people who are learning I can tell you I could train and help a base learn a lot as long as I could grab and lift evenly. For fun I used to take my wife and teach little tumblers rewinds with me as a side base. I could never have done that if I had to grab ankle or wrist. Anyways!
Specifically for a spring floor (because that is the safest surface to stunt, tumble, or do anything on) bluecat has created this matrix. This matrix is nice because it can be adjusted for non spring, grass, basketball court, grass, a running track, your personal room your gym gets at a competition. As well the matrix shows cradle requirements. Feel free to question, tear apart, and what not.
BEFORE anyone goes off the deep end, the changes actually make a LOT of sense so read through them first. Bluecat will submit them at some point to @RulesGuy . I want everyone to take a look at them and point out the flaws.
First change - anyone who is responsible to hold up a flyer is called a base. Group stunts can have up to 4 bases (main base, side base, back base, front base). As long as your job is to get a stunt to hit you are a base.
Second change - a spotter is someone who's job is NOT to assist in helping a stunt hit, but to be available in case the stunt falls and assist in catching the flyer. This just makes sense and LEGALLY (not all-star rules legal but in court cases type legal) this also makes a lot of sense.
So why all the fuss for this? First it makes way more sense to all people new to cheer. A spotter on tumbling when you are learning is known to assist for learning and safety purposes... NOt to correctly attempt and hit the skill. Applying this logic across all of cheer makes sense.
Second it will help scoring for the new push for coed stunts. Stunts have either 1, 2, 3, or 4 bases. 3 or more bases are considered group stunts. 2 base stunts can be considered single base with an assist. 1 base stunts are considered true single based. Single bases stunts would require a spotter, but that spotters job would ONLY be the defined version up top AND to help on the cradle (which makes sense). If a team attempts 5 single based stunts but the spotters go in and help 3 of them than the spotter instantly turns into a base. 3 of those stunts are now single based assist. It truly rewards single based stunting.
Third - it gets rid of that STUPID rule saying someone is only a spot if they grab the ankle or wrist. Why is it stupid? If any of you have ever lifted weights you know that that you lift with both arms evenly, you do not lift one arm bent and the other straight. It makes no anatomical sense. You are strongest and most stable when you can push evenly. If a 'spot' is required to hold the ankle and bend right arm OR hold the toe and bend the left arm to grab the wrist we are actually making the stunt less safe, more difficult, and not really changing the look or difficulty of the stunt except a stupid grip. This is akin to us old school stunters who would toss and catch stunts on their closed fist instead of an open hand because it was harder. Why? Cause we thought it was cool... but really though it looked the exact same, no one would compete it because you could barely tell, and you would drop them... a lot. As someone who has taught a LOT of coed stunts and side based people who are learning I can tell you I could train and help a base learn a lot as long as I could grab and lift evenly. For fun I used to take my wife and teach little tumblers rewinds with me as a side base. I could never have done that if I had to grab ankle or wrist. Anyways!
Specifically for a spring floor (because that is the safest surface to stunt, tumble, or do anything on) bluecat has created this matrix. This matrix is nice because it can be adjusted for non spring, grass, basketball court, grass, a running track, your personal room your gym gets at a competition. As well the matrix shows cradle requirements. Feel free to question, tear apart, and what not.