Have you ever watched a cheerleading routine and wondered, “What level is this team?”
To an experienced coach or cheerleader, certain stunts, tumbling skills, tosses and pyramids can reveal the answer within seconds.
This guide provides a simple overview of cheerleading Levels 0 to 6 and highlights some of the most recognisable skills at each level.
Please note: This article was written using the ICU cheerleading rules for the 2019/2020 season. Cheerleading rules are updated regularly, so the exact skills permitted at each level may have changed since publication.
Why Were Cheerleading Levels Created?
In the early years of competitive cheerleading, there were fewer standardised guidelines controlling which skills teams could perform.
Routines were often judged mainly on creativity and their overall “wow” factor. As teams attempted increasingly difficult skills, however, athlete safety became a growing concern.
Governing bodies such as the International Cheer Union, commonly known as the ICU, developed structured levels to classify skills according to their difficulty and risk.
Under the rules used for this article, cheerleading ranged from Level 0 to Level 6.
Level 0 introduced beginners to the foundations of cheerleading, while Level 6 allowed highly advanced skills such as flipping tosses and multi-level pyramids.
As the levels increased, teams could perform more difficult:
- Stunts
- Tumbling skills
- Tosses
- Pyramids
- Twisting and flipping transitions
Here is a quick look at what made each level different.
Level 0: The Beginner Level
Level 0 was an ideal starting point for new and younger cheerleaders.
Stunts remained at approximately waist level, allowing athletes to focus on basic body positions, timing and teamwork. Each flyer also required an appropriate spotter.
Tosses and cradle dismounts were not permitted at this level.
Common Level 0 tumbling skills included:
- Forward rolls
- Backward rolls
- Cartwheels
Level 0 pyramids involved connected stunt groups performing skills at waist level.
The main goal was not to perform impressive tricks. It was to develop strong foundations before progressing to higher and more challenging skills.
Level 1: Building the Foundation
At Level 1, teams could perform two-legged stunts up to prep level, which is around the bases’ shoulder height.
One-legged stunts generally remained below prep level. However, certain one-legged stunts could be performed at prep level when the flyer was properly braced by someone connected to the ground.
Common Level 1 tumbling skills included:
- Forward and backward rolls
- Cartwheels
- Round-offs
- Front and back walkovers
Athletes were generally required to maintain contact with the floor throughout the tumbling skill.
Tosses were not permitted, although a straight cradle dismount from a stunt could be performed.
In pyramids, teams could perform braced extended stunts and certain braced one-legged skills.
If you saw walkovers, prep-level stunts and no basket tosses, you were probably watching a Level 1 team.
Level 2: Extending the Basics
At Level 2, routines began to include more height and power.
Two-legged extended stunts became a major feature, with flyers lifted above the bases’ heads while the bases’ arms were fully extended.
Common Level 2 stunt skills included:
- Two-legged extensions
- Cradles from extension
- Liberty sequences at prep level
- Half-twisting stunt entries or transitions
- Certain inversion entries, such as mounting from a handstand or walkover
Tumbling also became more dynamic.
Teams could perform standing back handsprings and round-off back handsprings.
Another exciting addition was the straight ride basket toss, where the flyer was launched into the air without performing a trick.
Level 2 pyramids commonly included braced, extended one-legged stunts.
If you saw back handsprings, straight basket tosses and extended stunts, the team was likely competing at Level 2.
Level 3: Twists and Turns
Level 3 introduced more twisting, switching and inversion skills.
Flyers could perform extended one-legged stunts such as liberties, while stunt sequences could include full-twisting skills at prep level.
Common Level 3 stunt skills included:
- Extended liberties
- Single-twisting cradles
- Tic tocs
- Switch-ups
- Inversion skills
A tic toc involves the flyer switching from one leg to the other while remaining in the stunt. A switch-up involves changing the standing leg while travelling into the stunt.
Running tumbling passes could end with a back tuck, and athletes could perform standing back handspring series.
Jumps could also be connected directly to a back handspring.
In basket tosses, flyers could perform one trick, such as:
- A toe touch
- A pike
- A single twist
Level 3 pyramids often featured braced release moves, inversions and twisting transitions.
This was the level where routines started to become noticeably faster, more airborne and more complex.
Level 4: Double Trouble
Level 4 took many Level 3 skills and added more height, twisting and release elements.
Common Level 4 stunt skills included:
- Switch-ups to extension
- Tic tocs travelling to extension
- Released inversion skills
- One-and-a-half twists to prep level
- Full twists to extension
- Double-twisting cradles from two-legged stunts
- Single-twisting cradles from one-legged stunts
In tumbling, athletes could perform layouts.
A layout is a backward flip performed with the body extended rather than tucked. Standing back tucks were also commonly seen at this level.
Teams could combine jumps with a back handspring and tuck, creating more difficult connected sequences.
Basket tosses could include two elements, such as kick-single or double-twisting tosses.
Level 4 pyramids became especially exciting, with flyers performing release moves and inversions while connected to one or more bracers.
At this level, it often looked as though flyers were travelling in every direction!
Level 5: Elite Skills
Level 5 featured fast, highly technical stunt sequences and advanced tumbling.
Stunts commonly travelled directly to extended positions and included several difficult skills within one sequence.
Level 5 stunt skills could include:
- Double-twisting entries to extended stunts
- Released inversions to extension
- Tic tocs at extension
- Complex transitions between one-legged stunts
- Double-twisting cradles from one-legged stunts
Running tumbling passes could end with a full-twisting layout, often called a full.
This skill involves the athlete flipping backwards while completing a full twist.
Some teams also connected jumps directly to a back tuck to increase the difficulty of the sequence.
Level 5 basket tosses frequently included several movements, such as the iconic kick double, in which the flyer kicks before completing two twists.
Pyramids became extremely dynamic and could involve:
- Braced release inversions
- Twisting transitions
- Flyers changing bases
- Multiple connected skills performed in quick succession
Level 5 routines demanded excellent technique, body control and precise timing from every athlete.
Level 6: The Ultimate Level
Level 6 included many of the skills seen at Level 5, with the addition of free-flipping stunt entries, tosses and advanced pyramid structures.
One of the most recognisable Level 6 stunt skills was the rewind.
A rewind involves a flyer performing a free backflip into a stunt. More advanced versions could begin from a back handspring or round-off.
Under the rules used for this article, Level 6 tumbling was similar to Level 5 tumbling, with passes commonly ending in a full-twisting layout.
The clearest difference appeared in tosses and pyramids.
Level 6 tosses could include free-flipping skills such as:
- Back tucks
- Arabians
- X-outs
- Fly-away tosses between stunt groups
Level 6 pyramids could feature two-and-a-half-high structures, where middle-layer athletes supported top flyers above them.
These routines often included dramatic free flips, twists, mounts and dismounts.
When you saw athletes flipping freely into stunts or performing towering multi-level pyramids, you were probably watching Level 6.
Can You Identify the Level Now?
Cheerleading levels help athletes develop their skills gradually and safely.
Each level builds upon the one before it, beginning with strong body positions and basic tumbling before progressing to twisting stunts, flipping tosses and advanced pyramids.
This guide does not include every permitted skill, and cheerleading rules continue to change as the sport develops.
However, the next time you watch a routine, look out for the team’s highest-level stunts, tumbling passes, tosses and pyramids.
With a little practice, you may soon be identifying cheerleading levels like a pro!
