In October 2018, the International All Star Federation (IASF), the world-wide governing body for cheerleading, announced the addition of level 7.
The United States All Star Federation (USASF) was formed in 2003 by various cheerleading competition companies to act as the national governing body for all star cheerleading. The main objective was to create a standard set of rules for judging that would be followed by all competitions sanctioned by the USASF. Meanwhile, cheerleading coaches organized themselves for the same purpose, to standardize rules for competitions. The organization of coaches called themselves the National All Star Cheerleading Coaches Congress (NACCC).
In 2005, the USASF absorbed the NACCC and used the expertise of the coaches to serve as their rule-making body. In 2006, the USASF expanded its mandate to create the International All-Star Federation (IASF), the first international governing body for cheerleading. The rule system for levels 1-6 is democratically regulated by the IASF. The six-level system existed for at least 13 years. Then the announcement about level 7.
How did they do that? Remember the movie “Spinal Tap?” The lead guitarist, Nigel, had an amazing amplifier for his guitar. Nigel explained that when his squealing guitar solo needed a little push to reach the next level, he would turn the amp from the normal maximum of volume 10, up to level 11. The camera zoomed in to reveal the existence of the 11th notch on the volume control.
With every new season, the USASF brings new changes, the majority of which are minor tweaks to the rule structure. The biggest change the USASF has made is to move restricted 5 to level 5, level 5 is now renamed to level 6, and level 6 named up to “level 7.” Level 6 will introduce free-flipping inversion skills like rewinds. Toe pitch, leg pitch or similar type tosses are allowed in initiating free flipping skills in level 7.
Level 7 teams were scheduled to compete for the first time at Cheerleading Worlds in April 2020. Due to COVID-19, the world premiere of level 7 is postponed until next competition season in spring 2021.
