NCA’s Scoring Grid
Justin Carrier sent the following email on May 1st:
Coaches,
I wanted all of you to have a first look at NCA’s revised scoring system for the upcoming season. Point ranges, definitions, and values have been tweaked ever-so-slightly based on feedback from our customers and judges.
2008-2009 NCA All-Star Scoring Grid
The first page is a grid charting skills into specific point ranges. These point ranges are contingent on a majority of the team executing the skills with a high level of perfection. The second page is the NCA’s Sliding Criteria — examples of traits and qualities of the execution to help the judges determine skill placement within the point range.
Highlights:
- The 10 - 11 Pyramid Category has been opened up to 9 -11. This will move a majority of the Level 4 Pyramids into the 9 range and a majority of the Level 5 Pyramids into the 10 range.
- Level of execution of jumps will be a priority in placing teams within a jump range. Jump Combinations, Additional Skills, Difficulty Level, and Variety will be the sliding criteria that moves a team within the range.
- The Motions/Dance Ranges have been tweaked to take some of the emphasis off of choreography and directed towards execution and energy level. Remember, even though this category is listed on the AS grid, it will always be inherently subjective when scored by judges.
For those of you attending the NCA Coaches Conference this weekend, I look forward to seeing you there!
Thanks,
Justin Carrier
Executive Director - Strategic Development
NCA/NDA
UCA All*Star Scoring System
UCA has sent out detailed information on their scoring system:
The Cheer Standard
I’ve heard repeated requests for more standards in cheerleading; standard rules, standard score sheets, standard scoring grids, standard floor types, standard floor colors, standard floor sizes, and so on. I think some of these requests, such as standard rules and floor sizes, are valid because they provide basic boundaries for cheerleading, much like the rule books used by football or basketball. Other requests will lead to the demise of creativity and originality in cheerleading. And please don’t tell me all of the standards will help to legitimize the sport when right now the World’s most popular sport doesn’t even have a standard field size for the World’s most popular sporting event.
The more we standardize the more we move towards everyone having the same routine. Gone is the originality and creativity that made cheerleading beautiful. Why not just imitate the short program in figure skating and give each team a list of elements they must perform and see who does it the best. Gone are the difference that allowed a companies like Cheersport and Jamfest to grow from nowhere in 10 years. Let’s say we started standardizing things 10 years ago. All*Stars would not have levels (which would be fine with me) or be using spring floors because Cheersport, the company that really made these popular, was just a baby 10 years ago. All*Stars would not be competing on a 9 panel floor or with 35 people. What makes us think we have it right now?
What was wrong with having a cheer in the routine? Has this diminished UCA High School and College Nationals. What was wrong with with having Semi-Finals and Finals? Has this taken away from the College Championships? Why can’t NCA All*Star still have the Challenge Cup and give away Worlds bids. Why are we limiting our ability to evolve by saying every bid competition must be near exactly the same? If we continue standardizing the only differences between competitions will be the dates and locations.
Simply put, there is no standard of perfection in cheerleading. Why are we trying to artificially create one by standardizing unnecessary elements of cheerleading. Does may preference for Stunts and Pyramids take away from the beauty of Flipping, Twisting, and Dancing? Does my preference for Cheersport take away from the prestige of NCA? I don’t think so because it is just my opinion, a personal preference, a single opinion. Shouldn’t each competition have its own flavor? Shouldn’t there be choices in cheerleading? Shouldn’t each company be able to go back to what made them different, unique, and special?
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