Quick answer: a toe touch is a symmetrical cheer jump in which both legs extend straight out to the sides at hip height or above, arms held straight out to the sides in a T shape - one of the most recognisable jumps in the sport. Despite the name, current technique keeps the arms in that T rather than reaching down toward the toes.
What Does It Look Like?
From a jump takeoff, the athlete extends both legs out to the sides, keeping the legs straight and toes pointed, while holding the arms straight out to the sides in a T, creating a wide, symmetrical shape at the peak of the jump before landing with control. The hips rotate so the knees point up (or slightly back) rather than forward, which is what lets the legs lift towards parallel with the floor.
How the Term Is Used
"Toe touch" refers specifically to this side-split jump shape; it's one of the first named jumps most athletes learn and one of the most consistently used across all levels. Reaching the arms down toward the legs is a common technique error, not the goal - it tends to roll the chest forward and reduces leg height, so coaches generally teach athletes to keep the arms in the T and bring the legs up to meet them.
Where It Fits in a Routine
Toe touches typically appear in a routine's dedicated jump sequence, performed by the whole team in unison, and are also sometimes used individually to punctuate a formation change or transition.
What Judges Look For
Judges are generally looking for leg height at or above hip level, straight legs with pointed toes, a symmetrical shape, and - critically - the whole team hitting the jump at exactly the same moment.
Level Context
Jumps aren't restricted by level in USASF All Star rules. A toe touch connected straight into a back handspring - a "toe-touch back handspring", common in standing tumbling - counts as tumbling and is first allowed at Level 3; a jump directly into a flip is first allowed at Level 5.
Related Jumps
The toe touch is often compared with the herkie, which is asymmetrical, and the pike jump, which extends both legs forward rather than to the sides.