- A braced forward or backward flip in a pyramid is allowed provided all of the following conditions are met:
- The top person maintains continuous hand-to-hand/arm contact with a separate bracer on each side.
- The bracers must be in double based shoulder stands or elevator preps (no single base, shoulder sit or thigh stand bracers).
- Each bracer has a separate spotter.
- The bases remain stationary except as necessary for safety adjustments.
- The top person has at least two bases and a separate spotter.
- The top person is limited to one and one quarter (1 ¼) flipping rotations
- The top person is not allowed to twist.
- The top person is caught by the original bases in a loading position, stunt or cradle.
Comments: This is a new skill for high school cheerleading. Be sure to practice the proper progressions for this skill including having solid prep bracers, practicing braced flips on the performing surface, and simple up/down releases and catches. In order to keep from being illegally inverted themselves, the bracers should be careful to bend their legs instead of bending over at the waist
Interpretations/Situations/FAQ:
Q1: I only have have 11 on my team. Can we do a braced flip?
No. A braced flip requires three under the top person (4 total) and both bracers must be in elevator preps with spotters (4 total each) for a minimum of 12.
Q2: Can a prep be a bracer for two suspended flips? We have a bracer prep, flipping prep, bracer prep, flipping prep and a bracer prep where the middle bracer is bracing both of the flips.
Yes, they can. The rule is that each person flipping must have two bracers. (see video below)
Q3: Can you explain the start and end position a flyer must be to do a backflip in a pyramid?
They can be in nearly any legal position to start: load-in with both feet, basket load-in position, one foot on the ground, both feet on the ground, flatback, prep, extended liberty, etc.
They can be in any of those positions to end other than with both feet coming to the ground. So they could go back to a cradle, stunt or loading position (both feet or one foot in the hands, the other going to the performing surface).
Q4: Can a double based prep without a back spot be a bracer for a back flip in the middle of a pyramid?
No. Every bracer must have a spotter.
Legal Versions:
Loading position, Back Flip to Cradle: Legal
Ball-back, Front Flip to Ball-Back: Legal
Braced Flip From Pike – Backspot Holds Ankle: Legal
Two braced flips using three bracers: Legal
Illegal Versions:
Braced Flip with Single Based Bracers: Illegal
Comments: If the bracers were both in double base preps with spots, this would be a legal pyramid. The braced flip can start from the ground and can land in a stunt.
Side Sumi/Front and Back Bracers: Illegal
Comments: The rule only allows “front and back” flips, and requires that the top person have bracers “on each side”. This illegal version performs a sideways flip, and the bracers are in front and back.
Can the bracers on each side (in preps) be pushed up to an extensions to give the flip more height? Or do they have to remain at the prep level at all times?
They must be in “double based shoulder stands or elevator preps”, which is a shoulder-level skill. They cannot be extended.
Note that this rule says the bracers have to be in the prep position for the top to legally flip/roll. The bracers can start in a loading position and be brought up to prep as the top in the middle goes into the roll/flip. This is actually very safe and helps on certain types of visuals (top starting on the ground as an example).
Now this says for high school, however in the middle/elementary school restrictions this is not mentioned. Does that mean I can do this pyramid with a group of 7th & 8th (middle school) girls?
That is correct. The only additional restriction for middle schools is basket tosses.
Can the braced back flip be caught in an extended stunt? For example a braced “rewind” caught in an extended stunt?
Yes! When you get it, post a video!
That is great! LOL
Are we 100% sure this is legal? I was told at a coaching conference that it was illegal but the way i read the rules, it is legal…
Christina, initially the braced rewind was thought to be technically illegal by NFHS rule because it didn’t “begin” in a pyramid as the rule references. However, upon further discussion, once the top person is lifted off of the ground, it becomes a pyramid by definition and is therefore legal. We will be posting a clarification.
I have 18 on my team, can I do double braced suspended flips? (Example: bracer shoulder stand with backspot, flip, bracer prep bracing both flips, flip, bracer shoulder stand with backspot) THANKS!
The answer to the first part of the question is “yes, you can do two braced flips with 18″. However, the example you gave would be illegal. The rule is that the suspended flip top person must be braced on each side by a prep or double based shoulder stands with spotters.
So the way you could do this with 16 cheerleaders is to make an inward-facing square/circle, where each bracer is bracing each flip. We’ll see about finding a video to post. If anyone has a video of this, please share the link.
Can should sits be used as the pull for the inversion pyramids without a spot? Or would you require 3, the two in the shoulder sit with the spot?
No, they cannot. The rules regarding braced inversions are very specific with the requirements. We have tried to write the rule so that you can use it as a checklist. They must be braced on both sides by preps with spotters or double based shoulder stands with spotter. See E6.2 above.
Can braced flips be done directly from the performance surface (meaning not in a pyramid). Example: A forward ‘pitch flip’ 4 person stunt, where the top girl uses a handshake grip palms down, and the bases grasp top girls’s hands with wrists palms up and also grasp under the arm pit. The backspot stands sideways behind one of the bases. The top girl extends her leg (nearest the backspot) back where backspot’s hands are placed under leg on each side of knee, and then on the designated count, the top girl is pitched forward in a flip and lands with both feet on the surface. After releasing leg, the backspot grabs waist to slow momentum so that top girl has a gentle landing on surface.
This is a suspended forward roll, and is legal by Rule E.2 in the Inversion section
do the bracers have to have both hands on the top girl that is doing the flip or may they just have one?
It does not require two hands by the bracers. Each bracer can just hold with one hand.
As a further clarification on braced flip/rolls and the positions the top can land in…the top CANNOT land in an inverted stunt, even if the point of contact is below shoulder level.
Can the new braced flip/roll pyramid be performed on a traditional basketball court?
Yes it can.
Can you further explain why a forward flip is not allowed w/ shoulder sit stunts as bracers? We have 10 girls & I was hoping to have a set up like this:
shoulder sit bracer, flip (2 bases & a backspot), shoulder sit bracer. I would think it would be safe considering it is only slightly below a prep level & there is more stability at a shoulder sit level than a shoulder stand.
I can’t speak for everyone on the rules committees, so I can only give you my opinion. First, this is a new class of skills being introduced to this group (school cheer). Whenever a new class of skills is introduced, it is done so with an overabundance of caution to allow teams and coaches to learn the skill and develop it safely. An example of this is when release pyramids were first allowed by the NFHS years ago. The first year, you could release from a lib to a lib only, and you had to have a bracer on each side. The next year all vertical releases were allowed (so no flatbacks or ball backs). The next year, the bracer was only required on one side, and you could do anything other than inverted. It was introduced slowly and once the skill was developed and rules committees felt comfortable, they took the next steps.
In what you’ve described to me, I’d be concerned that the shoulder sits as bracers would not allow the top person to have enough height to safely complete a flip back into a cradle or stunt. She would have to flip low and very fast. That’s not something I would want to allow for the first year of introducing the skill.
Ok, that all does make sense. We did try it (before we knew the legalities) & used our 2 tallest girls for the shoulder sit bases. It did succeed after numerous tries. The shoulder sit girls reached up high & the bases gave a good toss to the flier doing the flip for extra power, but we won’t attempt that stunt anymore now that we know it’s illegal.
I do have another question. We tried another stunt using shoulder sits. Can you please let me know if this one is legal?
Set up is shoulder sit facing in, 2-3 bases w/ flier in a flatback position, shoulder sit facing in. On count, the bases lifted the flatback flier into an extended position while one shoulder sit flier grabbed her hands in a criss-cross fashion, & the other shoulder sit grabbed the inside ankle. After going into an extended flatback position, the bases & shoulder sits brought the flier down to a prep level where they then twisted the flier who landed in a cradle position. Would this be considered a legal stunt?
Sarah, this is one that I’d have to see on video before being able to reply.
Is a braced sideways flip legal in a pyramid?
No, it is not. The rule reads “braced forward or backward flips…”
Can a team of 12 do 2 braced flips? Middle group in a prep, two outside groups in a load in position, top girls on outside connect to prep in the center hand to hand, and connect hand to hand with one of the bases who also toss the outside girls, then do the braced flip??? Similar to the exception made in the 2011-2012 USASF level 3 braced flips?
So I guess what i’m asking is, can the bracers be below prep level at any point in the pyramid??
The bracers cannot be below prep level during the flip portion of the skill. However, they could be in loading positions to start the pyramid, then load up to prep level by the time the top in the flip is released.
No, they cannot. The AACCA and NFHS rules have no similar exception. Therefore, doing it this way would mean that the braced flip is not braced on both sides by a bracer in a double based shoulder stand or double based prep.
Can a top girl braced on both sides land on her belly after an inversion? aka a 3/4 flip backwards to belly or 1 1/4 flip frontwards to belly? would it require an extra spot on the front for the head and shoulders?
Leah, they can land in a prone position. The rules for high school only state that they have three people under the top.
Hi Jim!
It is legal to do 1 1/4 flips, so we could do a ball back forward flip to prep or extended stunt correct? Also could you explain the rule for landing on the ground from a front flipping pyramid? I was told that you were required to land one foot at a time (step out) in order for it to be legal.
The answer to your first question is “yes”.
As for landing on the ground, the rule says you must land in a stunt, a cradle or a loading position. The idea is that they don’t come down so low and fast as to pull the bracers down. The “loading position” allows for a back flip that lands with one foot in the hands and the other foot tapping down, like a walk-in liberty starting position.
In order for you to land and “step out” it needs to land in a flatback type of stunt enough that a rules interpreter would call it a stunt that sets out to a dismount. If you simply took it straight to the ground with one foot landing first, that might not be enough to be considered legal.
Can you do a “leap Frog” but the flier do a front flip over the post that is bracing her to either cradle or load position? So she is braced by a post that is on the floor. If it is legal for her to flip can flip like that to a different set of bases or does it have to be the original ones?
No. That would be a suspended forward roll where the top person does not have the required hand to hand grips with two bases or two posts.
Is there any rule on the actual body position of a flyer while performing a braced flip? Can it be a layout, stepout, pike, etc? Great site by the way!
No, there is not. The flip itself can be in any body position.
I was told that my forward flipping pyramid was illegal at a competition this weekend and wanted to make sure since I was told it was legal during the webinar back in April. I have a 5 person pyramid. Both main flyers are supported by two double based elevator preps. The two main fliers are holding hand/hand with the center flyer and the outside bracers are holding the hand of the main flyer with one hand and the foot with the other. The main fliers then prep at an elevator level (while still in a hitch and still holding hands with 2 bracers) and then front flips to a cradle. Can you explain why this is illegal?
It’s hard to give a definitive answer without a video, but if all of the braced flip requirements are in place, then holding the foot in addition to the arm does not make it illegal. We have seen instances where a rules interpreter thinks that the foot can’t be held and that is not the case. The foot can’t be the ONLY thing held by the bracer, but if they are holding the arm and a foot, that is legal as long as all of the other things are in place.
Can you please review the picture in this link?
http://www.desertdiamondsallstarcheer.com/sparkle#!__sparkle/stackeraccordion4=8
It looks like the flyers are about to do or already did some sort of inversion stunt (forward roll or flip to surface?). Would this be legal with shoulder sits as the bracers? Also, if what they did were ball backs, would it be considered legal?
Thanks.
Braced flips for school teams require that the bracers are in shoulder level preps with backspots. They can be in nothing else but that stunt. If you did a release to a ball back that did not flip, then you can use shoulder sits for bracers.
We have some confusion about front spotting at the middle school level. For what stunts or pyramids are these required? And can we do a simple twist up to a half without a front spot? What about to an extension? 2 bases, 1 back, no front.
Thanks!
Our rules and NFHS rules do not require front spots for any skill.