What Is a Backward Roll in Cheerleading?

Quick answer: a backward roll is a basic tumbling skill in which the athlete rolls backward along the length of the body, from feet over the shoulders and back to feet - a foundational skill for backward body awareness ahead of skills like a back walkover or back handspring.

What Does It Look Like?

Starting in a crouched position, the athlete sits back, tucks the chin, and rolls backward over the shoulders, pushing through the hands as they pass overhead to continue the momentum back up onto both feet.

Who Is Involved?

Tumbling is performed individually, though backward rolls are typically taught and practised as a group foundational exercise before athletes move on to more advanced backward tumbling.

Where It Fits in a Routine

Like the forward roll, the backward roll is rarely performed directly in a competitive routine - its value is foundational, building the backward body awareness and shoulder strength that skills like the back walkover and back handspring rely on later.

How the Term Is Used

"Backward roll" refers specifically to this basic, controlled rolling skill, distinguishing it from skills that leave the ground entirely, like a back walkover.

Related Skills

The backward roll is typically taught alongside the forward roll and handstand, forming the earliest foundation before progressing toward back walkovers and back handsprings.

Level / Division Context

Backward rolls are foundational and typically learned before a team's first competitive season, rather than being a skill specific to any particular level.

What Judges Look For Conceptually

Because backward rolls are rarely performed directly in competition, judges more commonly assess the body control and technique built from this foundation as it shows up in later, more advanced backward tumbling skills.