Cheer Safety Rules Every Coach Should Know

If you coach youth or high school cheer, or supervise cheer coaches as a board member or athletic director, these are the safety basics for every practice and game. The short version: get certified, teach skills in order with trained spotters, only stunt on proper surfaces with a coach present, pull any athlete with concussion signs, plan for heat, and have a written emergency plan and an injury report process before the first practice. The exact rules depend on who governs your squad, so check with your organization or state association.

Who Sets the Cheer Safety Rules for Your Squad

There is no single national rulebook for all cheer. Who sets your rules depends on what kind of program you run.

• High school squads follow their state high school association. Many associations base their spirit rules on the NFHS Spirit Rules Book, which the NFHS updates each year. Some states use a different rule set or add their own. Ask your athletic director which book your state uses. The Huddle guide to high school cheer stunt and pyramid rules covers the NFHS limits.
• Youth programs (rec leagues, youth football and cheer organizations, community programs) follow the rules of their own national or regional organization. Your league director should be able to tell you which rules apply.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, in its 2024 cheerleading policy statement, recommends that practices and competitions be held only at facilities that meet safety guidelines from groups such as USA Cheer, the NFHS or the US All Star Federation.

Coach Safety Certification: What Is Out There

The AAP recommends that cheer programs be supervised by qualified coaches who are certified in both training and spotting for stunts. Several organizations offer coach safety training on their public sites:

• NFHS and USA Cheer: The NFHS Learning Center lists a 5-hour Cheer and Dance Safety Certification course developed with USA Cheer (formerly AACCA), covering legal and medical duties, performer readiness, equipment, spotting and skill progressions.
• USA Cheer: Its safety training page lists a Risk Management Course and an Athlete Protection Course, and says coaches should be trained in risk management, first aid and CPR/AED.
• US All Star Federation (USASF): Its coach credentialing program, mainly for all star coaches, tests rules knowledge and safe skill teaching by level. Credentials are valid for five years.
• CDC HEADS UP: A free online concussion course for youth sports coaches.

Which of these you need, if any, is set by your state association, school district or youth organization. Requirements vary by state and organization. Get the list in writing and keep each coach’s certificate and expiration date on file.

Spotting, Progressions and Surfaces

Teach skills in order

The National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s cheer safety handout puts it simply: cheerleaders must show skills on the ground before they take to the air. Nationwide Children’s Hospital advises that stunts match each athlete’s and the squad’s evaluated ability, and that correct spotting be used until every athlete has mastered the skill.

Spotters are not optional

The AAP recommends that short pyramids be no taller than two people and that spotters always be present, and the 2026-27 NFHS book caps partner stunts and pyramids at two levels.

Check the surface every time

The AAP notes that basket tosses are now limited to grass, mats or rubberized track, not hard surfaces like a basketball court, and that this restriction is linked to a 74% drop in catastrophic injuries over a 10-year period. Nationwide Children’s advises doing tumbling, stunts, pyramids and jumps only on appropriate surfaces. Surface rules differ by rule book, so confirm what yours allow on a gym floor or track.

Never stunt without a coach present

Nationwide Children’s says practices should be supervised by a qualified coach in a safe location. Make it a team rule that nobody stunts, tumbles or builds pyramids before the coach arrives, after the coach leaves, or during a break when the coach steps away.

Concussions: Know the Signs and Pull the Athlete

The AAP says concussions made up 31% of cheer injuries reported by athletic trainers from 2010 to 2019, up from 4% to 6% in 2006 to 2009, which may partly reflect better reporting.

The CDC’s HEADS UP coaches’ guide lists signs a coach may see:

• Looks dazed or stunned
• Is confused about the routine or forgets instructions
• Moves clumsily or answers questions slowly
• Loses consciousness, even briefly
• Shows mood, behavior or personality changes
• Cannot recall what happened before or after the hit or fall

Athletes may report headache, nausea, dizziness, blurry vision or just “not feeling right.” The CDC plan is: remove the athlete from activity (“when in doubt, sit them out”), have a health care professional evaluate them, tell the parents, and keep the athlete out that day and until a health care professional says it is OK to return.

The 2026-27 NFHS Spirit Rules Book says the same for high school squads: an athlete with signs of a concussion must be removed right away and may not return until an appropriate health-care professional clears them. According to the CDC’s sports concussion policy page, all 50 states have a return-to-play law, and these laws include removal from play. Who can clear an athlete differs by state, so ask your state association.

Heat, Hydration and Game-Day Conditions

The NFHS Sports Medicine Advisory Committee’s heat illness position statement is written for high school sports in general, not cheer specifically, but its basics fit any outdoor squad:

• Ease into hot-weather practice with shorter, lighter sessions in the first days. The statement notes most heat deaths happen in the first few days of practice.
• Have a hydration plan and give frequent water breaks. Energy drinks are not a hydration fluid.
• Cut intensity and add rest as heat stress rises.
• If an athlete collapses or is confused in the heat, stop, call 911 and start rapid cooling on site: cool first, transport later.

Ask whether your school or league has its own heat policy.

Emergency Action Plan and Injury Reporting

The AAP recommends a written emergency action plan for every gym and facility used for practice or competition. The NFHS heat statement adds that the plan should be practiced and cover every team and site. For cheer, that includes the football field and away venues.

A workable plan answers these questions for each site:

1. Who calls 911, and what address and entrance do they give?
2. Where is the nearest AED, and who has the key to it?
3. Who stays with the injured athlete, and who meets the ambulance?
4. Who calls the parents?
5. Where are the athletes’ emergency contacts and medical information kept?

After any injury, write it down the same day: who, what skill, what surface, what happened, what care was given and who was told. In its 2025-26 spirit points of emphasis, the NFHS asks coaches and administrators to promptly report emergencies such as cardiac events, concussions and catastrophic injuries to their state association or the NFHS. Youth programs should ask their organization what it wants reported and how.

Pre-Practice Cheer Safety Checklist

Run through this before every practice.

Common Questions

What safety certification does a cheer coach need?

It depends on your state association, school district or youth organization. Options include the NFHS and USA Cheer Cheer and Dance Safety Certification, USA Cheer’s risk management course, USASF coach credentials for all star coaches, and the free CDC HEADS UP concussion course. The AAP recommends coaches be certified in both training and spotting. Ask your athletic director or league for the required list.

Do high school cheer teams follow NFHS rules?

Many do, because their state association adopts the NFHS Spirit Rules Book, but not every state uses it the same way. Some states add their own rules or use a different rule set. Your state high school association decides. Ask your athletic director which book applies this season.

Can cheerleaders practice stunts without a coach there?

They should not. Nationwide Children’s Hospital advises that practices be supervised by a qualified coach. Make it a clear team rule that no stunting, tumbling or pyramids happen before the coach arrives, after the coach leaves, or at a teammate’s house.

What should a cheer coach do if a flyer hits her head?

Remove her from activity right away and do not let her return that day. The CDC’s HEADS UP guidance says to have a health care professional evaluate the athlete, tell the parents, and keep her out until a health care professional says it is OK to return. Follow your state’s clearance steps.

Can cheerleaders stunt on a basketball court?

Some skills may be allowed on a gym floor and some may not, depending on your rule book. The AAP notes that basket tosses are now limited to grass, mats or rubberized track, not hard courts, and that this change is linked to a large drop in catastrophic injuries. Check your state association’s or organization’s surface rules before planning a halftime routine.

Does a cheer squad need an emergency action plan?

Yes. The AAP recommends a written emergency action plan for every gym and facility used for practice or competition. Cover who calls 911, the address to give, where the AED is, who stays with the athlete, and who calls parents. Make one for each site your squad uses.

How do I keep cheerleaders safe in the heat?

Ease into hot-weather practice, plan frequent water breaks, cut intensity as heat rises, and watch for athletes who are confused or collapse. The NFHS heat position statement says most heat deaths happen in the first days of practice and recommends cooling on site before transport.

Do I have to report cheer injuries to anyone?

Write every injury down the same day for your own records. For high school squads, the NFHS asks coaches and administrators to promptly report emergencies such as concussions, cardiac events and catastrophic injuries to their state association or the NFHS. Youth programs should ask their organization what it wants reported and how.

Paper binders work if someone keeps them current. If you would rather keep a written plan for each field with game-day jobs assigned, see how emergency plans work in MCM360 Sports. You can also track each coach’s safety training in one place with coach clearances, and log injuries with incident reports.