What Is a Layout in Cheerleading?

Quick answer: a layout is an airborne backward flip performed with the body kept straight and extended, rather than tucked - generally considered more difficult than a tuck because a straight body rotates more slowly and demands more power.

What Does It Look Like?

Taking off from both feet, the athlete jumps backward and up while keeping the body in one straight, extended line from head to toe, rotating through a full backward flip in that straight position, before opening to land on both feet.

Who Is Involved?

Tumbling is performed individually, though multiple athletes typically perform layouts together, in unison, at the end of a connected tumbling pass.

Where It Fits in a Routine

A layout is most commonly the final skill in a running tumbling pass, following a roundoff and back handspring, in place of a tuck for teams at a higher skill level.

How the Term Is Used

"Layout" describes the straight-body shape itself; it's the base shape used before adding twisting elements, such as in a full.

Related Skills

The layout builds on the tuck and is itself the foundation for twisting skills like the full, which adds a complete twist to the same straight-body shape.

Level / Division Context

Under the USASF All Star rules (2026–27), Level 3 allows only tucks (and only in running tumbling), while Level 4 allows any single non-twisting flip - which is where layouts first appear. Athletes usually learn layouts once they have a consistent, well-controlled tuck.

What Judges Look For Conceptually

Judges are generally looking for a fully straight, extended body line throughout the rotation, good height and power, and a stable, controlled landing.