The American Association of Cheerleading Coaches & Administrators Announce New Safety...

The American Association of Cheerleading Coaches & Administrators Announce New
Safety Rules
AACCA Takes Pro-Active Steps to Keep Cheerleaders Safe

MEMPHIS, Tenn., July 10 /PRNewswire/ -- In an ongoing effort to keep high
school cheerleading a safe and rewarding activity, the American Association of
Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators (AACCA) has published their revised
High School Cheerleading Safety Rules for the 2008-2009 school year.
The most significant action taken by the rules committee was to limit the
types of stunts that can be performed on a basketball court surface. The new
rules prohibit certain tosses, inverted skills and twisting skills on the
court surface unless they are performed on a mat. The new rules are consistent
with national collegiate rules.
Additionally, minor changes were made in order to clarify certain existing
rules. Some of these include specifying the number and position of spotters
for certain pyramids, and adding definitions to clarify the various roles in
pyramids. The complete set of rules with more in-depth explanations can be
found on the AACCA website at http://www.aacca.org.
AACCA Executive Director Jim Lord commented, "The rules committee did an
outstanding job in furthering safe participation by the young women and men
that take part in high school cheerleading. Taken as one element of an
overall safety program, these rules help provide a framework where today's
cheerleaders can find the balance between being an athlete, a performer and a
leader for their schools." Lord added, "In addition to safety rules, schools
should require that their coaches are trained in the proper skills development
and risk management techniques that are outlined in AACCA's Cheerleading
Safety Certification Program."
While steeped in tradition, cheerleading is an ever-evolving activity,
which involves athletic maneuvers performed by individuals and groups of
individuals working in unison. The AACCA rules committees meet annually to
review the current safety rules and to make adjustments for safety where
needed.
Over three million young women and men participate in cheerleading across
the country. Unlike traditional sports that have specific seasons of
activity, cheerleading takes place all year long. While emergency room visits
for cheerleading are lower than the majority of athletic sports, the AACCA
pro-actively invokes rule changes in order to provide a safe environment and
proper skills development for cheerleaders.
American Association of Cheerleading Coaches & Administrators
The AACCA was organized in 1987 to improve cheerleading safety through
coaches' education and safety rules. There are currently over 15,000 members
across the United States. In addition to annual rules reviews and revisions,
the AACCA conducts over 5,000 safety courses annually based on the
Cheerleading Safety Manual. The AACCA works in partnership with the National
Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Federation of State High
School Associations (NFHS) and the US All Star Federation (USASF).
SOURCE American Association of Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators

Jim Lord, +1-901-387-4309, jimlord@aacca.org, American Association of
Cheerleading Coaches and Administrators