Cheer Jumps Explained

Quick answer: cheer jumps are timed, technical jumps with a specific leg and arm shape at the peak - such as a toe touch, herkie or pike - usually performed by the whole team in unison. Judges look for height, straight legs, pointed toes, a clean shape and, above all, matching timing.

The Core Jumps

A handful of jumps form the foundation of most cheer routines:

• Toe touch - a straddle jump with both legs lifted out to the sides and the arms in a T.
• Herkie - one leg straight out to the side, the other bent with the knee pointing down.
• Hurdler - one leg straight out in front (front hurdler) or to the side (side hurdler), the other bent.
• Pike jump - both legs straight out in front, together, with the arms reaching forward.
• Tuck jump - both knees pulled up to the chest.
• Spread eagle - a beginner jump with the legs apart and arms in a high V, so the body forms an X.
• Double nine - one leg and arm straight out in front, the other leg and arm bent in towards them.

Beginner and Advanced Jumps

Tuck jumps and spread eagles need little flexibility, so they're usually the first jumps athletes learn and are common on young and entry-level teams. Toe touches, herkies, hurdlers and pikes need much more flexibility and strength to reach hip height, and they make up most of the jump sections in competitive routines.

Anatomy of a Jump

Every cheer jump has the same phases, and judges watch all of them:

1. Prep - the arm motions and counts before the jump (often a clap, a high V and a swing of the arms).
2. Lift - the take-off, where the athlete jumps upward before moving the legs into shape.
3. Peak - the moment the shape is hit, at the top of the jump.
4. Landing - feet snapping back together and landing in unison, with control.

What Judges Look For

Judges generally look at jump height, leg and toe position, how tight and clean the shape is, and - critically - how well the whole team hits the same jump at the same moment. A technically strong jump landed even slightly out of time with the team will still lose credit. On many score sheets, jump difficulty also depends on how many athletes perform the jumps, the variety of jumps used and whether they're connected.

Single vs Connected Jumps

Jumps can be performed individually or connected into a sequence - for example a toe touch immediately followed by another toe touch, or a front hurdler followed by a toe touch - which is generally considered more difficult than a single jump. Some combination jumps are performed within a single jump, such as the "around the world", which hits a pike and then whips the legs around into a toe touch.

Jumps and the Level Rules

Jumps themselves aren't restricted by level in USASF All Star rules - any team can perform any jump. The rules do cover connecting jumps to tumbling: a jump connected straight into a back handspring (such as a "toe-touch back handspring") is first allowed at Level 3, and a jump directly into a flip at Level 5.

Where Jumps Fit in a Routine

Most competitive routines include a dedicated jump sequence, and jumps also appear in transitions, at the end of dance sections, and - very often - in sideline cheer, where a jump is the classic way to finish a cheer.

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