What Is a Back Handspring in Cheerleading?

Quick answer: a back handspring is a backward tumbling skill in which the athlete springs backward onto the hands and blocks back up onto the feet - one of the most common connecting skills in cheer tumbling, performed standing or as part of a running pass.

What Does It Look Like?

The athlete sits back into a jump, reaching the arms back and down to place both hands on the ground behind them, snaps through a brief handstand-like position, and blocks powerfully off the shoulders to land back on both feet, facing the same direction they started.

Who Is Involved?

Tumbling is performed individually, though multiple athletes typically perform back handsprings together, in unison, as part of a connected tumbling pass.

Where It Fits in a Routine

The back handspring is one of the most frequently used connecting skills in cheer tumbling - following a roundoff, and often leading into an airborne skill such as a tuck, to form a full running pass.

How the Term Is Used

"Back handspring" is often shortened to "BHS" in tumbling pass shorthand, such as "RO BHS back tuck," describing a roundoff into a back handspring into a back tuck.

Related Skills

The back handspring shares its backward, arching shape with the back walkover, but uses a springing block rather than a slow, controlled motion, and is typically performed standing or connected after a roundoff.

Level / Division Context

Under the USASF All Star rules (2026–27), back handsprings are not allowed at Level 1. Level 2 allows a single standing back handspring and running handsprings in series (such as roundoff back handsprings), and Level 3 adds standing series (back handspring back handspring). The standing back handspring is usually the harder of the two for athletes to master, which is why it's so often treated as the Level 2 benchmark skill.

What Judges Look For Conceptually

Judges are generally looking for a strong backward spring, straight body lines, correct hand placement, and a controlled, powerful block back to the feet.