GHSA has got to do something about their inconsistency in scoring!

[NWGACheerMom]

It is so sad to read and see so many talented cheerleading teams are being scored wrong due to the lack of proper training and ill prepared judges at this high school level.  I am "venting" because there are too many amazing teams getting scored wrong because these judges have no consistency.  There is not any way to FIGHT for what is RIGHT and that is WRONG!  The judge's final decision with no ability to reverse what is truly a mistake on their part is what is heartbreaking to these teams. Multiple video can be used to determine a call.  Any judge can make a mistake but what shows TRUE character is admitting a mistake was made (after being reviewed) and doing what is RIGHT!  These kids, coaches and parents put too many hours upon hours, blood, sweat, tears and MONEY to be told Sorry!  GHSA GROW A PAIR and start building real charter of true cheerleading back.   If a team has not had an illegal stunt, pyramid, or motion called on them all season with the same judges judging them then how do you "finally" call it at sectionals or State finals?  GHSA JUDGES, have you not watched this routine up to Six times before?  UUh, YES YOU HAVE!   Costing any teams the ability to move on at region to compete at State or win the ultimate cheer title is insane.  It is time to stop the madness!  Schools, AD's, coaches and parents need to demand change!  Do you agree?  Has your team been affected by this? 

[Cheermom]

I don't know which team you are referring to but I know of 4 teams (keeping the names withheld) in different divisions this past weekend that were scored incorrectly.  For some it worked in their favor in which girls that completely stepped off the mat were missed as well as falls and tumbling busts with hands and knees on the ground.  There is not any "opinion" in these cases... clear and simple they happened. However the inexperience of these judges simply missed multiple mistakes and advanced certain teams with no deductions to the shock and awe of the other teams as well as parents on the team that gained the benefit.  On the other hand... exactly what you mentioned above.  Teams were hit hard with illegal deductions when the exact same routines have been performed all season to include sectionals/regionals.  Could every judge at 5 or 6 high school competitions as well as the regional/sectional competitions ALL be wrong?   At least in one case that I know of... the rule book is pretty clear and the determination of these judges was simply not in line with the GHSA rule book.

The only way for GHSA to bring back the honor in this sport and competition is to do what many Allstar competitions do... which is allow a short dispute period supported by video and the documented rule in the GHSA rule book in order to come to the fair and equitable decision as to who truly earned the highest scores.  These judges are human and as hard as they might try... these routines are fast and they are doing their best to document while the routine is being performed.  I imagine they must look down or even blinking could cause these mistakes to happen or be misunderstood.

With the mistakes that keep happening with GHSA, they are going to have to review their current practices and move with the times.  At the end of the day this is a business and generates a lot of revenue.  It is in their interest to create a fair competition environment for all versus the randomness of what we see today.  Hoping things will improve for next year to allow for video supported rebuttals.  I think all of us would support an extra 30 minutes wait period before awards to allow for this.