What Is Non-Tumble Cheer?

Quick answer: Non-Tumble (often written "Non-Tumbling") divisions are for teams that perform a full routine - stunts, pyramids, tosses, jumps and dance - without any tumbling passes. They exist at entry levels for developing teams, and at the very top of the sport: the Cheerleading Worlds includes Level 6 and Level 7 Non-Tumbling divisions.

What Does This Division Mean?

A Non-Tumble team performs a full routine but leaves out tumbling entirely, so the routine is judged on building skills, jumps, motions and dance. That makes it a fit for two very different kinds of team: newer teams whose tumbling is still developing, and advanced (often coed) teams built around elite stunting rather than tumbling.

What's Allowed

In the USASF rules for international divisions (2026–27), Non-Tumbling teams may not tumble, with one exception: forward rolls, handstands, cartwheels and roundoffs may be used as part of a stunt or to change formation, as long as they follow the level's inversion rules. Routines are capped at 2 minutes, rather than the usual 2 minutes 30 seconds. All other skills follow the normal rules for the team's level.

Why Non-Tumble Divisions Exist

Tumbling has a high physical-skill barrier, and many athletes - particularly in college-age and adult programs - are strong stunters without being strong tumblers. A Non-Tumble division lets those teams compete against others facing the same constraint, rather than being scored against routines that include tumbling difficulty.

Typical Stunt, Jump and Motion Expectations

Non-Tumble teams are judged on the same stunt, pyramid, toss, jump and motion criteria as tumbling divisions at the same level - the difference is simply that no tumbling is performed or scored.

Division / Governing Body Differences

Whether Non-Tumble is offered, and at which levels, varies between governing bodies and event producers. Some offer it across several numbered levels; others mainly at entry levels or only at major championships. Check your event's division list.

Parent Questions

Parents sometimes ask if Non-Tumble teams are "less competitive" - they aren't. At the highest levels, Non-Tumbling teams perform some of the most difficult stunting in the sport.

Related Levels

See the tumbling overview, Level 6, Level 7, or the levels hub for the full system.