A Guide to Understanding the United Scoring System Scoresheet
Updated March 30, 2023
Scoring is consistently one of the hottest topics in competitive cheerleading. First and foremost, scoring cheerleading is complicated. Second, there are a lot of opinions about how the scoresheet should change and how it should be administered.
This guide is to help understand how the United Scoring System has been administered for the 2022-2023 season, primarily at Varsity All Star events. Several different event producers use the 2022-2023 United Scoresheet; however, some event producers administer the scoresheet differently. More than 25 partners are listed on their website, including Varsity, JAMZ, All Out Championships, and others. The United Scoring website includes links to master score sheets, scoring rubrics, level-appropriate documents, the deduction system, and international scoresheets.
To learn the United Scoring scoresheet, you must understand where judges can award points and how teams balance difficulty and execution. Most programs choose athletes for each team based on the required percentage of participation in each section outlined in the scoresheet. The scoresheet has changed quite a bit over the past few seasons, and coaches must learn a new system each season.
When choreographing a routine, there is a give and take based on what each athlete brings to the mat. Coaches begin with maximizing each athlete’s skills before adding formations, transitions, and other choreography. It is a meticulous exercise that starts early in the season. In this guide, we describe how a team receives each score on the United Scoring scoresheet.
This guide is only for entertainment purposes – please refer to the United Scoring website for official rules, rubrics, and explanations.
Table of Contents
How to Decipher a Scoresheet
Reading a scoresheet can be confusing because several abbreviations are similar. There are 17 different score sections on the United Scoring scoresheet. Seven of the score sections have two scores – the first is the difficulty score, and the second is execution. We will walk through how each of these scores is determined below.
Example of a United Scoring Averages Report Scoresheet From NCA All Star Nationals 2023:
Concepts to Understand in the United Scoring System
Level Appropriate Skills
Each level has a level-appropriate document that outlines what skills are considered Level Appropriate, Advanced Level Appropriate, and Elite Level Appropriate. The skills increase in difficultly from Level Appropriate to Advanced Level Appropriate to Elite Level Appropriate (considered the most difficult skills). These terms are used several times in the following guide to demonstrate how judges score skills. The documents include skills for each of the following sections.
- Stunts: inversion style, release style, twisting, combination skills, coed style, and dismount style
- Tosses: non-twisting and twisting
- Tumbling: standing and running
You can find the level-appropriate documents on the United Scoring website.
Definition of Majority, Most, and Max
The number of athletes performing a skill is used to determine a score in many sections. The terms Majority, Max, and Most are used to decide those scores. The quantity grids individually define Majority, Max, and Most in the United Scoring documents. The “max” is approximately 70% of the lowest number of athletes within the defined range. The “most” is about 60%, and the “majority” is approximately 45% of the lowest number of athletes within the defined range. There is a building quantity chart, a coed quantity chart, a max building quantity chart for level 6/7, and a tumbling/jump quantity chart. The tumbling/jump quantity chart is different for level 6 and 7 and is highlighted in yellow. These charts appear in different sections on the United Scoring rubrics, available on their website.
Subjective Points
In our description of how many points are available in each section, we share how many difficulty points are subjective. This refers to the number of points a judge can award at their discretion and is influenced by their personal feelings, tastes, or opinions.
Stunt
This is the base score determined from the number of elements performed by a specific number of stunt groups in a routine. Judges determine the stunt score by counting the number of stunt skills performed, outlined in the level-appropriate document. This category is not subjective or based on how well the skills are performed. The minimum score a team can receive is 2.5 out of 4.5. Coed teams must incorporate a coed stunt to receive the maximum score. Non-Tumbling teams must also perform an additional skill in each range to receive credit.
- Top score: 4.5
- Bottom score: 2.5
- Total available subjective points: 0
Coed and All-Girl (Tumbling Teams)
Coed and All-Girl (Non-Tumbling Teams)
St. DDD (Stunt Degree of Difficulty Driver)
The Stunt Degree of Difficultly Driver awards points for the difficulty of the skills performed. If the skill performed by the required number of stunt groups is “Advanced,” then .1 is awarded to each of the skills performed up to 4 skills, for a total of 0.4. If the skill performed by the required number of stunt groups is “Elite,” then .2 is awarded to each skill performed, up to 4 for skills, for a total of .8. Coed teams must incorporate a coed style skill to receive the maximum score. The Degree of Difficulty Driver is worth .2 more points in the non-tumbling divisions and they can perform an additional skill to secure those points.
Important: teams can mix advanced and elite skills to achieve this score, but the most difficult skill, according to the level-appropriate document, will be used to calculate this score.
- Top score: 0.8 (1.0 for Non-Tumbling Teams)
- Bottom score: 0.0
- Total available subjective points: 0
Coed and All Girl (Tumbling Teams)
Coed and All Girl (Non-Tumbling Teams)
Example of Skills Performed by Most (the required number of stunt groups):
- 1 advanced skill + 5 elite skills:
- Even though there is one advanced skill, the 4 skills used to calculate the St. DDD score will be of the elite category equaling a total score of 0.8.
- 3 advanced skills + 2 elite skills:
- The 2 elite skills will be used first, followed by 2 advanced skills performed, equaling a total score of 0.6.
- 4 advanced skills + 0 elite skills:
- The 4 advanced skills will be used to calculate the score equaling a total of 0.4.
- 0 advanced skills + 3 elite skills:
- The 3 elite skills will be used to calculate the score; without a 4th stunt skill being performed, the team will only receive the credit awarded to the 3 skills performed by the number of groups required equaling a total score of 0.6.
Examples of Skills Performed by Less Than MOST (the required number of groups):
If a team only builds the required number of stunt groups, in this case, MOST, and one stunt falls during an advanced or elite skill, the team then falls out of range for receiving the degree of difficulty driver for that skill. In addition, the base score is reduced because the total number of skills required no longer meets the requirement for the highest stunt score. This is why raw scores decrease when teams have more deductions.
For Coed Teams Only – Degree of Difficulty Coed Credit
- Only Coed Style skills will count (based on a group of 3 – base, top person, and spotter, the entry must be toss or walk-in, the base must be under the stunt, and base and spotter may not be chest to chest).
- Rippled or synchronized in the same section without recycling athletes.
- Stunts must be held for 4 counts. These counts will start once the stunt hits the
intended level.- Ex. Toss hands: counts begin when the stunt stops at prep level
- Ex. Toss hands press extension: counts begin when the stunt stops at extended level
- Coed stunts must dismount /pop off to the performance surface to receive full Coed credit.
- Coed Stunts that become a pyramid will not receive coed credit
St. MPD (Stunt Max Participation Driver)
Judges award 0 or in the range of 0.4-0.6 for the Stunt Max Participation Driver. If a team does not meet the minimum requirement for a 0.4, then a judge will award 0 points. Judges award a score according to a single stunt skill performed by the minimum required stunt groups at ONE TIME.
To achieve the minimum score for this driver, a team must perform a single-level appropriate skill by MAX or an advanced skill by MOST. To achieve the highest score for this driver, a single elite skill is required to be performed by MAX.
- Top score: 0.6
- Bottom score: 0
- Total available subjective points: 0
PCD (Pace and Connection Driver)
The Pace and Connection Driver is all or none for a score of 0.1. A judge decides if the timing between skills/transitions is fast enough and consistent during the building skills.
- Top score: 0.1
- Bottom score: 0.0
- Available subjective points: 0.1
- Total available difficulty points for all Stunt skills (including Stunt, St. DDD, St. MPD, and PCD): 3.5 (3.7 for Non-Tumbling Teams)
- Subjective points: 0.1
Pyramid
The Pyramid score is based on the number of level-appropriate skills and structures performed during the routine’s defined pyramid section. This difficulty score allows a judge to subjectively give a score in a range after determining the number of skills and structures. First, a judge identifies if the team performs the minimum skills and structure requirements for the tier’s scoring range.
Then the judge identifies other skills, structures, transitions, the number of groups used, and the timing of each transition/skill to add to the score at the bottom of the range for which the team qualifies. The minimum score a team can receive is 2.0 out of 4.0
Important: this is the ONLY skill difficulty category with a range of values at the discretion of the building judge.
- Top score: 4.0
- Bottom score: 2.0
Pyramid Difficulty Drivers
- Maximizing the number of groups performing each level appropriate transition
- Utilizing level appropriate stunts into structures/within sequence
- Combination of skills (level and non-level appropriate)
- Pace & Connection of skills performed
- Total available Pyramid difficulty points: 2.0
- Subjective points within the top range: 0.5
Toss
The Toss score is based on the number of required groups to perform a level-appropriate basket toss. Interestingly, the 1.5 and 2.0 scores require the same number of individuals to complete a level-appropriate toss. However, to achieve a 2.0, the required number of tosses must be rippled or synchronized in that section without recycling athletes.
- Top score: 2.0
- Bottom score: 1.0
What does recycling athletes mean?
Recycling athletes means the skill is cumulative/additive throughout the routine.
For example, a single toss is performed at the beginning of the routine, another toss is performed at the end, and four tosses are performed synchronized at one time. This equates to six tosses using “recycled” athletes but four tosses within the same section without using “recycled” athletes.
- Total available Toss difficulty points: 1.0
- Subjective points available: 0
ST (Standing Tumbling)
The Standing Tumbling difficulty score is based on the total number of skills performed. A judge awards a score based on the number of skills performed that meet the “level appropriate” criteria to “elite” on the level-appropriate document. This category is objective and not based on how well the skills are performed. The minimum score a team can receive is 1.5 out of 3.0. Standing Tumbling is cumulative, and a single athlete can do more than one pass to help achieve the required number.
- Top score: 3.0
- Bottom score: 1.5
- Total available subjective points: 0
ST DDD (Standing Tumbling Degree of Difficulty Driver):
The Standing Tumbling Degree of Difficulty Driver is worth up to 0.6 based on the number of skills and their designation in the level-appropriate document. However, this driver has two parts that are awarded separately. A team must perform a minimum of two different passes to be eligible for both parts of the driver. The ST DDD driver is cumulative, and a single athlete can do more than one pass to help achieve the required number.
Top score: 0.6
Bottom score: 0.0
Total available subjective points: 0
An analogy to understand ST DDD:
Imagine you have two buckets to fill with different colored balls. Each different skill has its own colored ball. You can’t place the same colored ball in both buckets, but you need to fill both buckets. You choose your skills to maximize the number of balls in each bucket, which results in the maximum points for the driver.
To achieve the maximum score, one bucket needs to be Advanced/Elite by MAJORITY, and another bucket needs to be Elite by MOST. Once each bucket is complete, you receive the driver worth up to 0.2 for the bucket that meets the Advanced/Elite MAJORITY and up to 0.4 for the bucket that meets the Elite by MOST. You can score other point values based on the chart below.
An example for a level 6 team with 38 athletes – 14 skills are MAJORITY, and 18 skills are MOST.
Typically teams will try to maximize their standing tumbling scores by going after the larger bucket first, and judges will also try to fill the highest point value bucket first. With 38 athletes, this means a team will try to perform 18 (MOST) Elite skills first.
First Bucket
- A yellow ball is a standing full (Elite), and a red ball is a standing three-backhand springs to double (Elite).
- You do 12 standing fulls and 10 three-backhand springs to doubles.
- Bucket number one is full now with 22 combined yellow and red balls (more than what is required).
- Point Value: 0.4
- You then need to fill the second bucket with balls of a different color, i.e., a different skill.
- A green ball is a two-to-full (Advanced), and an orange ball is a two-to-whip double (Elite).
- You do ten two-to-fulls and two two-to-whip fulls; you now have 12 combined green and orange balls.
- Bucket number two is still not full because you need 14 skills.
- You do 3 standing fulls at the end of the routine; remember, these are still yellow balls. These yellow balls cannot be in the second bucket because you cannot have the same color ball in both buckets.
- Point Value: 0
- If the team added two more Advanced or Elite skills, they would score 0.2 points.
- If the team performed 14 Level Appropriate skills(i.e. jumps to back tuck), they would score 0.1 points.
ST MPD (Standing Tumbling Max Participation Driver):
The Standing Tumbling Max Participation Driver is based on the required number of skills a team must perform in a single section of a routine. Athletes may be recycled within the same section but not throughout the routine.
The driver is also based on the designated difficulty level of the tumbling skills outlined in the level-appropriate document. This driver can be awarded at 0.0-0.4. If a team does not meet the minimum requirement for a 0.4, then a judge awards 0 points.
- Top score: 0.4
- Bottom score: 0.0
- Total available subjective points: 0
- Total available Standing Tumbling difficulty points (including ST, ST DDD, & ST MPD): 2.5
- Total subjective points: 0
RT (Running Tumbling)
The Running Tumbling difficulty score is based on the total number of skills performed. A judge can award a team a score within this category based on the number of skills performed that meet the designation “level appropriate” to “elite” on the level-appropriate document. This category is objective and not based on how well the skills are performed. The minimum score a team can receive is 1.5 out of 3.0. Running Tumbling is cumulative, and a single athlete can do more than one pass to help achieve the required number.
- Top score: 3.0
- Bottom score: 1.5
- Total available subjective points: 0
RT DDD (Running Tumbling Degree of Difficulty:
The Running Tumbling Degree of Difficulty uses the same methodology as the Standing Tumbling Degree of Difficulty (ST DDD).
- Top score: 0.6
- Bottom score: 0.0
- Total available subjective points: 0
RT MPD (Running Tumbling Max Participation Driver)
The Running Tumbling Max Participation Driver uses the same methodology as the Standing Tumbling Max Participation Driver (ST MPD).
- Top score: 0.4
- Bottom score: 0.0
- Total available subjective points: 0
Total available Running Tumbling difficulty points: 2.5
Total subjective points: 0
Jumps (Jump Difficulty)
Jump Difficulty is based on the number of athletes performing a predetermined number of jump elements. Teams must perform at least two different jumps to score at least 1.5 out of 2.0. Teams who perform three jumps with at least two connected jumps by the MAX number of athletes will score a maximum of two. The lowest score a team can receive in this category is 0.5 out of 2.0. Lower scores are given if the team only performs jump combinations with MOST of the team or fewer jumps/jump combinations.
- Top difficulty score: 2.0
- Bottom difficulty score: 0.5
- Total available subjective points: 0
RC (Routine Creativity)
Routine Creativity is a combination of innovative, visual, and intricate ideas in the routine. This is an average of the building, tumbling, and overall judges’ creativity score. Each judge type awards a Routine Creativity score for their respective section. The stunt judge provides a creativity score based on the building skills of the routine, a tumbling judge provides a score based on the tumbling skills, and an overall judge scores based on the routine from start to finish.
- Top score: 2.0
- Bottom score: 1.5
- Total available subjective points: 0.5
F&T (Formations and Transitions)
The Formations and Transition score is based on the formations, movement, and spacing within each routine section. For example, if the spacing is not uniform in stunt elements, a judge could reduce the score by 0.1. A judge can reduce a team’s score by .01 for any instance they determine lacks “precision.”
- Top score: 2.0
- Bottom score: 1.0
- Total points: 1
- Total available subjective points: 1.0
Dance
The Dance category is divided into two scores, difficulty and execution. A judge can award 0.5 to 1 for each score. The difficulty elements of dance will receive a score based on dance elements, including visuals, partner work, speed, floorwork, footwork, and formation changes. The execution of dance is based on how well the team performs their dance, and it is similar to the execution score judges award for the building and tumbling skills.
Difficulty elements:
- Top score: 1.0
- Bottom score: 0.5
- Total points: 0.5
- Total available subjective points: 0.5
Execution:
- Top score: 1.0
- Bottom score: 0.5
- Total points: 0.5
- Total available subjective points: 0.5
Showmanship
This is an average of the building, tumbling, and overall judges’ showmanship score based on energy, enthusiasm, eye contact, facial expressions, etc.
- Top score: 2.0
- Bottom score: 1.0
- Total points: 1.0
- Total available subjective points: 1.0
Execution
The execution scores allow judges to deduct points based on issues teams have performing each section’s skills. This is the second score that you see in the Averages Report, boxed in red below.
Stunt/Pyramid & Standing/Running Tumbling
- Athletes are expected to demonstrate excellent technique when performing each skill, and a team’s execution will be determined by all athletes performing the skill.
- Scores will start at a 4.0 and may be reduced by .1, .2, or .3 based on the lack of technical execution of each driver
- .1 – Minor technique issues by the team, not just one athlete in Tumbling or one athlete in Stunts/Pyramid
- .2 – Multiple technique issues by the team
- .3 – Widespread technique issues by the team
- No more than .3 will be taken off for a single driver.
- Stylistic differences will not factor into a team’s Execution score
Stunt/Pyramid Drivers
Each driver may include the below examples, but judges are not limited to this list.
- Top Person: body control, uniform flexibility, legs straight/locked, and toes pointed.
- Bases/Spotters: stability of the stunt, solid stance, feet stationary.
- Transitions: entries, dismounts, control from skill to skill.
- Synchronization: timing (teams that do not perform at least one level-appropriate skill/transition two or more groups in Stunts and Pyramids will automatically receive .3 off for Synchronization.)
- Top score for each driver: 4.0
Standing & Running Tumbling Drivers
Each driver may include the below examples, but judges are not limited to this list.
- Approach: arm placement into a pass or skill, swing/prep, chest placement
- Body Control: head placement, arm/shoulder placement in skills, hips, leg placement in skills, control from skill to skill in a pass, pointed toes.
- Landings: controlled, chest placement, finished pass or skill, incomplete twisting skills.
- Synchronization: timing (teams that do not perform at least one level-appropriate pass synchronized in a group with two or more athletes will automatically receive .3 off for Synchronization)
- Top score for each driver: 4.0
Toss & Jumps
Toss and Jumps receive an execution score out of 2. The same methodology is used for these two scores and is outlined below. Judges use a set of drivers to take points off based on how athletes perform the skills.
- Athletes are expected to demonstrate excellent technique when performing each skill, and a team’s execution will be determined by all athletes performing the skill.
- Scores will start at a 2.0 and may be reduced by .1, .2, or .3 based on the lack of technical execution of each driver
- .1 – Minor technique issues by the team, not just one athlete in Jumps or one athlete in Tosses
- .2 – Multiple technique issues by the team
- .3 – Widespread technique issues by the team
- No more than .3 will be taken off for a single driver.
- Stylistic differences will not factor into a team’s Execution score.
Toss Drivers
Each driver may include the below examples, but judges are not limited to this list.
- Top Person: body control, consistent execution of skill/trick, legs straight/toes pointed, arm placement.
- Bases/Spotters: using arms/legs to throw together (timing), solid stance, controlled, cradle.
- Height: Distance between top persons’ feet and hands of the bases (the value deducted will not exceed 0.1).
- Teams that only perform one toss will automatically receive .3 off for any driver that constitutes a reduction, regardless of the severity of the issue.
- Straight ride tosses will ONLY affect a team’s execution score in level 2.
- Top score: 2.0
Jump Drivers
Each driver may include the below examples, but judges are not limited to this list.
- Arm placement: approach, consistent entry, swing/prep, arm position within jump(s).
- Leg Placement: Straight legs, pointed toes, hip placement/rotation/hyperextension, height, legs/feet together, chest placement, landings.
- Synchronization: timing (the value deducted will not exceed 0.1).
- Top score: 2.0
Deductions
- Athlete Fall (-.15)
- Drops to the performance surface during tumbling and/or jump skills
- Building Bobble (-.25)
- Stunt and/or pyramid skills that almost drop but are saved
- Building Fall (-.75)
- Drops from a building skill or transition skill during a stunt and/or pyramid
- Major Building Fall (-1.25)
- Drops to the performance surface from a stunt, pyramid, or toss by the top person and/or the bases/spotters
- Rules Violations (-.05)
- Boundary violations
- Time limit violations
- Legality Infractions
- Image policy (-.01)
- General Rules/Out of Level Tumbling (-0.05)
- Building out of level (-.10)
- Building all level rules (-.50)
- If a skill is performed illegally or appears to be inherently dangerous
- If a skill is missing the number of required athletes to perform that skill legally