Call to action- rubric changes

[cheerub]

Now that this season is over, what can be done regarding possible changes to the rubric?? Last year changes were made to address the issue of teams with fewer than 16 being able to max out stunts, and I believe that these changes occurred because people spoke up.

A rubric should not have multiple areas where subjectivity is so prevalent. There are specific elements that must be included in the dance, just as with the cheer. Either teams do or do not have those. That should be the only thing to "judge." There are the bottom three sections of the scoresheet where the judges can be subjective- formations/transitions, creativity, crowd appeal-that are worth 3 points each. Dance being 8 points leaves entirely too much room for subjectivity, especially when there are specific elements that must be incorporated into the dance. In my opinion, anything that specifies elements to be included must also have a DOD along with the execution score. Or, take out the requirements that must be included in dance and cheer.

Teams that throw more fulls than the required 3 for standing tumbling and 4 for running tumbling should be rewarded for those. Same with stunts- a full up to heel stretch should be scored higher than a full up to extension; two man bows should be higher than two man libs or stretches. Yes- clean and well-executed should definitely be a factor, but at some point why not reward those teams that do go above and beyond the required minimum?

Finally, I would be interested to see an area where judges can actually write in comments/suggestions. If I give a team a 6 in execution for jumps, I should be able to offer something to help fix those and get them to an 8. Too often we have seen judges mark "good height" and "good form" but give a 6 or 7 for execution. As a coach, I would want to know what I need to do to get that 8.


These are just some of my thoughts while watching this season. I've been part of this sport for over 20 years now, as both a competitor and a spectator. The evolution of competitive cheer is incredible- I just think that we can do more for the athletes who give so much of themselves to this sport.

[cheer4all]

I feel if they are going to distinguish between 3 vs 4 stunt groups then they should also do the same for 2 vs 3 stunt groups because the same argument applies: it's harder to put up three than two....

[Cheerknowledge]

POST FROM CHEERMOM - Had to merge due to issues.

Agree with everything you said and I'm glad you opened up this topic.[/size]A few thoughts of my own and I apologize if some of what I say is based on any misunderstandings of how scoring works...1)  The rubric should account for a minimum # of stunts or skill sets based on the number of people on the team.  For example... a team with 16 members should not immediately have the advantage to max out only because of the number on the floor.  A team with 11 should still have the same opportunity to max out but be required to do a % of stunts or skills based on the number of people on the floor.  2)  ALL judges scores should be included in the final tally.  If the judge that witnessed and marked execution down for a major issue currently has their score sheet removed because they were the lowest score of the 5 judges... then basically you just erased the mistake from happening for that team... wheras their opponent might have hit everything.  3)  The DOD seems easier to focus on and design a performance around in order to max out the score.  However the Execution portion seems to be more confusing for the coaches and it seems for the judges as well.  For example... some teams strive for routines that are very structured and clean breaks showing a move is complete... whereas others strive for more of the Allstar appearance with a more rapid and fluid upbeat pace.  Both are performed with perfection and accuracy... however they can be difficult to know if a judge will prefer one or the other.  We need a better understanding of these gray areas.  What would constitue 3 points for creativity vs. a team only getting 2?  Is it a routine with a theme that carries it the whole way through or is it seeing a new move in the pyramid that we have not seen before?  The point here is that the DOD, execution and remaining scoring sections should be VERY clearly documented as to how one could achieve that State title.  This takes out some of the subjectivity in the sport.

[cheerub]

In response to cheer4all- Actually the rubric does do this already- the number of stunt groups determines what you can get in DOD. So, a team of 16 should have 4 stunt groups, which would put them at 8 for DOD, providing that they hit the body positions and skills. My problem is that a team of 14 or 15 could put up fewer stunts, but could get the same execution score as a team that maxed DOD. Since execution is higher than DOD, I don't see how having 4 or 3 stunt groups even matters if we can still get the same score in execution.

[UPro Media]

I am stating this with the knowledge that GHSA would never implement anything like this, but I loved loved loved the old Athletic Championship scoring system where they gave bonus points for skills thrown above the minimum for the published DOD of that division.  So exciting!!
We have got to rewards teams that go the extra mile to gain new/bigger skills!!!

[cheerchamp1]

I would also like to see the top 4 teams perform their routine 3 times to get the winner right. Every other sport has more than one opportunity to get it right. This may help with choosing the wrong team. What do yall think? I know it wold take planning, but it would be worth in my opinion. You could do it over a series of 2 to 3 days.

[OnThisDayIseeClearly]

The rubric can always be improved.  But what good does it do if the judges don't follow it or squads can still do the same thing they did before?  I was in Columbus to watch AA.  Several squads didn't have 16 on the mat.  But they also had at least one full.  Gordon Lee had three or four.

Despite having three stunt groups and in some cases less than spectacular stunts (Armuchee dropped a stunt) they were in the top ten.  As long as squads can load up on tumbling and there are judges who are either incapable or won't score other aspects of the routine correctly (IE: stunts) it won't matter what changes are made.

[Queenofcheermoms]

I would also like to see the top 4 teams perform their routine 3 times to get the winner right. Every other sport has more than one opportunity to get it right. This may help with choosing the wrong team. What do yall think? I know it wold take planning, but it would be worth in my opinion. You could do it over a series of 2 to 3 days.

I agree with this 100%!! Once the top 6 are announced, they should perform again the next day to get the top 3.  Then you must hit your routine 3 times to win.

[cheerchamp1]

Yes, I feel like it will give judges the opportunity to get things right. It will also let the cheerleaders feel more confident instead thinking their whole season rides on one 2 min 30 sec routine. If they make a mistake the fist time, they can get it right the next time.

[Cheerknowledge]

Part of our sport rides on being prepared for that moment.  I think Performing it, performing it to get the top 3, then performin git 3 times is a little crazy.  I would never suggest anything more than back to back days.  The unfortunate part is, you would have to cut out how many you take from region.  It would be too many teams to handle over that period of time.

[UPro Media]

I would have to say that asking these athletes to perform their routine 3 times in a single day would likely be dangerous and unwelcome by them.  These routines are incredibly difficult and take so much energy to perform in a manner that can win a championship. 
I do feel that video replay could take the place of multiple performances though, and have been providing free live video streams for the purpose of showing that it is easily possible to have a quick and reliable platform for video replay.  The spectators have it now, the judges need to accept it and use it to check their rankings, penalties, and point structures.