The problem is the RUBRIC. Remember- even with 16 on the floor, you still have the -2 for standing tumbling which means that only 14 girls have to tumble (with your requirements for fulls) in order to max out DOD. Wen the rubric changed, the statement was made (and I believe that it is still on the scoring and rubric guidelines somewhere, as well) that a team with fewer than 16 members would not be able to perform as intricate of a pyramid as a team with 16. However, that was before separate structures for pyramids were being counted as pyramids. For example, the pyramid requirements state
"Highly advanced pyramid that includes 2 or more structures with 2 or more advanced entries to the extended position (using 2 or more synchronized flyers), plus 2 or more advanced transitions/release transitions. Highly creative and very visual.
Structure: A place in a pyramid when flyers connect (hand?hand or hand?foot) and pause to show a defined position. This is also known as a picture."
Remember that teams can execute ALL of the specified skills required to max out pyramid (an 8 for DOD) yet still receive a 7 if judges feel that the pyramid could be more creative. This is the only place other than in dance where the DOD score is a range of 7-8 to max. All other areas are a set DOD score based on the required components. Creativity is SUBJECTIVE and should be scored in EXECUTION ONLY, not DOD.
My point is that the rubric can be "interpreted" in so many different ways, which gives coaches and teams the ability to compete with however many they want and still be able to get full credit for the components. Should teams with 16 be held to a higher standard of difficulty than teams with 15 or fewer? Should teams with 16 automatically be able to score higher than teams with 15 or fewer? Should the pyramid be changed to require a 5 wide (two 4 person extended groups, a 4 person prep group in the middle, two shoulder sits on the outside, for example) structure in order to max out? That structure would require 16 members, but then the whole "highly creative and highly visual" part would have to change because everyone would have to do essentially the same thing to meet the requirement. I'm STILL going to harp on the fact that the secondary stunt requirement of 5 stunt groups should be 5 two mans and a flyer (not four with a regular full stunt group as the 5th) to max there. I think that there was only one, maybe two, teams all weekend that did LEGIT 5 groups. To me, those teams should receive more points in stunts because they ARE executing more difficult skills in that area alone.
What I DID like seeing this weekend were the new teams, some who were considered "underdogs" coming in and placing in the top 4, beating out teams that are there every year. This makes me feel like some of the "politics" people have always felt were associated with ghsa cheer may not be so powerful anymore. It also showed that you can't win on name and reputation alone. I am not saying anything negative about the teams that we see placing or winning year after year, but I think that some of the new teams being there could help reassure athletes that they CAN, in fact, set goals and achieve them through hard work.
