Cheerleading Glossary: Terms Every Cheer Parent Should Know

A plain-English glossary of the stunt, tumbling and jump terms you’ll hear at practice, tryouts and competitions.

Base – the athlete(s) who stay on the floor and support or lift the flyer during a stunt.

Backspot – positioned behind the stunt, responsible for the flyer’s head, neck and shoulder area, and for timing the stunt.

Flyer – the athlete lifted into the air during a stunt.

Spotter – an athlete or coach positioned near a stunt specifically to assist or catch if it becomes unstable.

Prep (Elevator) – a stunt position where two bases and a backspot hold the flyer at shoulder height on both feet.

Extension – a stunt with the flyer held fully above the bases’ extended arms.

Liberty – a one-leg stunt, typically held at extension height.

Scorpion – from a liberty, the flyer grabs the free foot and pulls it up behind or near the head.

Heel Stretch – from a liberty, the flyer grabs the free foot and extends the leg out to the side, near or above head height.

Arabesque – a flyer position with the free leg extended straight back and the torso leaning forward.

Full-Up – a stunt load where the flyer completes a full 360° twist while being lifted directly to a higher position.

Tick-Tock – a release move where the flyer shifts from one foot to the other mid-air without dismounting.

Cradle – the standard dismount: bases catch the flyer under the thighs and back after a toss or release.

Basket Toss – a toss using three or more bases who throw a flyer high into the air; the flyer performs a skill before being caught in a cradle.

Pyramid – a formation where two or more stunt groups are connected, or one flyer supports another flyer’s weight.

Round-off – a cartwheel-like skill that converts forward momentum into backward momentum, typically setting up a back handspring or tumbling pass.

Tuck (Back Tuck) – a backflip performed with the knees tucked to the chest.

Layout – a backward aerial flip performed with the body straight rather than tucked.

Tumbling Pass – a connected sequence of tumbling skills performed across the floor, such as round-off, back handspring, back tuck.

Toe Touch – a jump with the legs in a straddle position and arms in a T; the signature cheer jump.

Herkie – a jump with one leg bent and one leg extended to the side, named after NCA founder Lawrence Herkimer.

Motion – the fundamental, sharp arm positions (high V, low V, T, and similar) that structure cheer routines.

Cheer Mat – the performance surface, often spring-loaded, used in competitive all-star cheer.

Spirit Stick – a decorated stick awarded at cheer camps and competitions not for skill but for team spirit and enthusiasm, a tradition started in 1948 by NCA founder Lawrence Herkimer.

STUNT – a separate competitive format, distinct from traditional cheer, where two teams perform identical pre-set routines head-to-head, scored on execution.