CHEER NOVICE DIVISION BASIC GUIDELINES
NOVICE CHEER CATEGORY
Novice Cheer is offered in Cheer level 1 only, in all ages.
* Novice Cheer sections will be divided where possible into Divisions 1, 2 & 3, if there are 3 or more teams in each section and 9 or more teams in the division.
Novice is open for beginner All Star Cheer teams at Level 1 only (apart from OPEN age as we now have the NEW Adult Division), may that be brand new athletes/teams or just beginner athletes/teams within an established program; a gentle way of easing new coaches and beginner athletes into our sport and understanding how it all works. The idea of Novice Cheer is for the athletes to perfect the very basic skills on the competition floor before attempting harder skills.
Cheer Level 1 Novice team athletes are strictly not permitted to compete in any other cheer team Level 2 or above. However, they are permitted to cross over into a level 1 team.
Novice Cheer is not compulsory for new teams but an option. If your team competed in All Star during the season, you cannot move into Novice for Nationals (unless recommended by the organisers via judging panel at States).
Novice Cheer teams will not have points deducted (unless extreme circumstance of putting athletes at risk of injury or unfixed warned skills from prior Championships); they will have warnings to initiate them into the rules of our sport. Nevertheless, any teams seen to be intentionally breaking the Novice RULES by repeat offending will be deducted with the full legality points for each illegal skill performed.
The teams in the NOVICE Cheer sections will not be included in any Highest Scoring or Grand Champion awards. Novice also pays a slightly cheaper entry fee.
2020 NOVICE CHEER RULES (PDF, opens in new window)
DANCE NOVICE DIVISION BASIC GUIDELINES
NOVICE DANCE CATEGORY
Novice: is offered in Pom, Jazz, Hip Hop and now Lyrical/Contemporary, in all ages.
Novice is open for beginner All Star Dance teams; may that be brand new teams or just beginner teams within an established program; a gentle way of easing new coaches and beginner athletes into our sport and understanding how it all works.
The idea of Novice Dance is for athletes to perfect the very basic dance skills on the competition floor before attempting harder skills. We encourage only “dance” related skills in this category, focusing on the appropriate style of Dance as well as the associated basic skills required for the style of Dance. Please avoid using athlete’s prior skills from other sports in Novice as this retracts from its purpose of learning the associated skills needed for Dance to then move out of Novice.
A dancer CANNOT compete in a Novice division and a regular division within the same style. i.e. if an athlete competes in Novice Jazz they cannot compete in a regular Jazz division but can compete in the regular Pom, Hip Hop and Lyrical/Contemporary divisions.
Novice Dance is not compulsory for new teams but an option. If you are competing in All Star during the season, you cannot move into Novice for Nationals (unless recommended by the organisers via judging panel at States).
Novice Dance teams will not have points deducted (unless extreme circumstance of putting athletes at risk of injury or unfixed warned skills from prior Championships); they will have warnings so as to initiate them into the rules of our sport. Nevertheless, any teams seen to be intentionally breaking the Novice RULES will be deducted with full legality points for each illegal skill sets performed.
The teams in the NOVICE Dance sections will not be included in any Highest Scoring or Grand Champion awards. Novice also pays a slightly cheaper entry fee.
NOVICE DANCE RULES
Novice must follow the relevant USASF Rules for Dance in the chosen category and age group but with the following amendments:
Turns - Stationary (pirouette) turns are limited to one turning rotation.
Series non-travelling turns such as fouette’s are not allowed.
Series turns which intentionally travel must not involve a jump or leap
Clarification -travelling turns which involve jumps or leaps include axel turns and turn jetes (tour jeté). These are not allowed in any novice section.
Leaps and Jumps – ‘Russian’ or ‘Switch Jetes’ in any position are not allowed.
Inverted Skills – Non-airborne skills must involve hand support with at least one hand throughout the skill (example: shoulder stall)
Tumbling and Tricks – All hip overhead skills must involve hand support with at least one hand throughout the skill.
Airborne hip overhead rotation skills are not allowed
Clarification: aerials and handsprings are not allowed in novice regardless of age group or category including hip hop.
Exception – round-offs.
Partnering and lifts – Any lift in which the executing dancer has their head, neck and torso above extended arm level must involve 3 or more supporting dancers with at least 1 of these in a position to protect the head and neck
Inverted lifts - Any lift in which the executing dancer becomes inverted while not in contact with the performance surface are not allowed (example: cartwheel lift over supporting dancer’s legs are illegal in novice)
*Any time a dancer becomes inverted they must have contact with at least one hand on the performance surface.