College cheerleading rules changes for the 2021-22 school year have been released, with minor changes from 2020-21 that focus on rules clarification.
This year is considered to be a “minor changes” year in the “major/minor” alternating format used by USA Cheer for college rules changes. Feedback from the college cheer community regarding 2020-21 season COVID restrictions kept the rules proposals to a minimum, mirroring the rules process for high school cheer.
“With so many programs having modified seasons, it makes sense to keep consistency in the rules for the coming year,” said Jim Lord, Director of Education and Programs for USA Cheer. “College cheerleading teams can focus on returning to full cheer activities without having to teach new skills based on rules changes.”
The specific changes included removing the term “Helicopter Toss” from the definitions due to previous removal of rules using the term and clarification of two rules regarding flips in partner stunts and releases from handstands.
The College Cheerleading Rules can be found in their entirety on USA Cheer’s website at usacheer.org under the “Safety/Education” tab. In addition to the current rules, coaches may submit proposals for rules changes or wording changes for clarity.