General  Guidelines

General Guidelines guidelines are stated below. Strict compliance with the US All-Star Federation (USASF) competition and safety guidelines are required. A penalty will be deducted from your score for each rule infraction. The amount of the penalty depends on the severity of the infraction.

USASF Cheer Rules
Athletic Championships adheres to the USASF Cheer Rules.  Click here for the USASF Cheer Rules for 2009-2010.

USASF Dance  Rules
Athletic Championships adheres to the USASF Dance rules. Click here for the USASF Dance Rules for 2009-2010.

USASF Dance Glossary
Click here for the USASF Dance Glossary for 2009-2010.

School and Youth / Rec Team Guidelines 
(Youth and Rec are offered at all Athletic Championships.  School divisions are only offered in Chattanooga at our school team championship)
Click here for the School and Youth / Rec Team Guidelines

Participants Eligibility
Divisions are determined by the age of the participant according to USASF Guidelines. Click here for the USASF All Star Divisions.  Persons wishing to challenge a participants eligibility must submit a formal complaint with proof to the USASF Disciplinary Committee.

Two-Day Competing Format
All teams compete both days with the first day score accounting for 40% and the second day score accounting for 60% of the overall score.

Grand Champion Format
The Grand Champion is the team with the highest overall score within there level.  We will offer a Grand Champion award to one team from each level represented at the event as well as a dance Grand Champion Award. Each winning team will receive a Grand Championship trophy as well as Championship medals for each team member..

Judges
ATHLETIC will have a total of 8 Judges on one panel for every Championship this year; 2 for each Category (6 total) and 2 Point Deductions/Safety Judges. 

Score Sheets
Each squad will receive their "Athletic Championships Score Sheets" as well as the "Deduction Sheet". These sheets will be available at the registration desk approximately 45 minutes after completion of the division on day one and at the National Championships Awards booth after final awards.

Video Review
Athletic Championships deduction judges and the event director will review any deduction via video review prior to handing out a rules violation or deduction.  If you feel that you have been given an inappropriate deduction then the head judge and event director will review the video.  The Coach will not be present at this viewing, and the decision of the head judge and event director is final and can not be challenged. Any questions regarding deductions or violations WILL NOT be allowed after the posting of rankings for that division. 

Performance Area
All team members must start within the performance area.  The performance area will be a 54' x 42' Coil Spring floor with carpet-bonded foam strips running front to back with 8 velcro strips along the seams of the mats and 3 cross velcro strips.   In the event that we have 10 or more dance teams we will provide a 54 x 42 Marley dance floor. Please see the Deduction sheet regarding excessive out of bounds.

Music
Routine time limits are 2:30 for cheer and 2:15 for dance.  Your entire routine may be choreographed to music but it is not a requirement may do your entire routine to music, but it is not a requirement. Athletic Championships will be providing a CD player, tape player, and Ipod hook up for your music on the main practice floor as well as the main stage.

Interuption
In the event of routine being interrupted due to the failure of ATHLETIC CHAMPIONSHIP equipment, facilities, and/or any outside interference, etc., you will be permitted to restart your routine from the beginning of the routine. We will place you in the next available time slot which will be at least 15 minutes from the previous performance time.  Judging will begin at the point of the interuption. No additional warm-up time will be given.

If the interruption is due to failure of your equipment, you may either continue the routine without music or you will have the option to start your routine again at the point of malfunction in the next available time slot.

Injuries
In the event that an injury occurs in the warm up area you will be given 45 minutes to rework the routine with the available members (available members would be anyone within yourprogram that is age eligible for that team). If any part of the routine is unable to continue due to the absence of an available member then those parts of the routine will count as a missed skill.

If an injury occurs on the competition mat it is at the discretion of the judging director or a team coach to stop the routine.  If the routine is stopped, the team will be given 45 minutes to rework the routine with the available members (available members would be anyone within yourprogram that is age eligible for that team). If any part of the routine is unable to continue due to the absence of an available member then those parts of the routine will count as a missed skill.  The routine will then be judged from the point where the injury occurred.

Spotters
Athletic Championships does not provide spotters at our championships with the exception of the Dallas and Houston event.  You may, however provide your own spotters for the routine.  Here are the AACCA guidelines for spotters:

While team spotters are already required for specific classes of skills, teams should be allowed the opportunity to provide their own additional, experienced spotters during their routine.  The team may allow the competition organizers to provide additional spotters with the understanding that these spotters may not be intimately familiar with the specific routine. Competition organizers may allow teams to waive the requirement for additional
spotters if the team feels that is in the best interest of safety for their team.  Regardless of the spotting policy utilized, the actual policy must be made available to the teams prior to registration for the event.

These additional spotters are designated as “routine spotters” to differentiate them from “team spotters” that are part of the actual team. The “routine spotters” are in addition to the team and do not take the place of “team spotters” required by rule. For example, if an extended stunt requires a spotter by rule, that skill must be spotted by a member of the team and not the additional “routine spotter.” “Routine spotters” must not take
part in the routine choreography and are there solely to be in a position to spot an errant skill.

Jewelry
Jewelry of any kind is prohibited. Jewelry needs to be removed and cannot be disguised or covered up. The types of jewelry that are prohibited include, but are not limited to: earrings, tongue, nose and belly rings, anklets, necklaces and pins.

Props
The only props allowed are signs, megaphone and poms. Signs must be used to evoke a crowd response. All props must be carried onto the performance area by the competitors. No stationary props allowed (ex. placing props on floor to help mark spacing). All Props must be used in the routine.