Saw this at a prep cheerleading competition, and it happened TWICE, so let’s assume it’s true. When a team is performing on the mat and one of the team members falls from the top of the pyramid and gets hurt, not only does the performance stop, but, -- now get this – the team gets to come back later in the day and finish its performance.
How bizarre?
Name another sport in which, when a team member gets hurt, the entire team gets to stop for a while, then come back later and finish the performance?
Sure seems like part of the performance is keeping everybody upright and avoiding injury. Dropping someone and having an injury occur should end the performance for the day.
I competed at that competition, and it is not the first time I've seen it happen. I completely agree. It is not fair to those that do well when a squad that fails to hit every stunt gets to perform again, especially when they get to start off from where they left. They aren't as tired. Another rule of cheerleading that takes the fun out of the sport.
In every major sport, competition continues IMMEDIATELY after an injury occurs. Actually they try to take care of the injury and get the individual off the scene as soon as possible so the the game/sport and continue where it left off.
I did see this happen at a state level competition last year - the trick is, and I use that word intentionally, to feign injury initially, but with some quick R & R back stage, gain the ability to return to the floor and finish the routine. The squad that was allowed to do so (and this was under the second year of the IHSA cheer competition, not the better organized and more fun ICCA) actually used a different routine from the fall forward. I know this because I saw both of their routines. The routine they started with had given them trouble, as was evidenced by their 2nd and 3rd place standings prior to state. The new routine was used just once, and even that just placed them in the top 5. The old routine was safe - and that's what they finished with. Word of advice to squads out there: if you fall, and are not truly hurt - lay there until someone feels sorry for you. You'll get your chance to come back, and earn a spot you don't deserve to move on!
I totally agree. I feel that teams WOULD use this for an advantage, no matter how wrong it may be. It's competitiveness for ya, and it doesn't get much worse than that.