What Is a Straight Ride in Cheerleading?

Quick answer: a straight ride is a toss skill with the same full release as a basket toss, but the flyer holds a straight, extended "pencil" body line in the air instead of performing a trick - the difference is the shape held mid-air, not how much the flyer is released.

What Does It Look Like?

Like a basket toss, bases interlock hands to form a basket and drive the flyer fully into the air. In a straight ride, the flyer fully extends the body into one straight line - arms by the ears, legs together - and holds that shape all the way up and back down, rather than performing a shape like a toe touch or a twisting trick.

Who Is Involved?

A straight ride involves the same team as a basket toss - two main bases forming the basket, additional support bases, a back spot, and the flyer.

Where It Fits in a Routine

Straight rides are typically used to showcase toss height with a clean, simple line, sometimes within the same toss sequence as trickier basket toss variations.

How the Term Is Used

"Straight ride" refers to this specific straight-body shape held through a full toss, distinguishing it from basket toss variations named for a trick performed in the air, such as a toe-touch basket.

Related Skills

The straight ride is closely related to the basket toss - both are fully released tosses - and both typically end in a cradle catch.

Level / Division Context

Under the USASF All Star rules (2026–27), the straight ride is the only toss allowed at Level 2 - tosses aren't allowed at all at Level 1, or in Prep and Novice divisions. From Level 3 a trick can be added to the toss.

What Judges Look For Conceptually

Judges are generally looking for toss height, a fully extended, straight body line held throughout the air time, and a confident, well-timed cradle catch.