Briefly in English

cheerleading in finland

Cheerleading is a fast-paced, versatile and spectacular team sport that engages already 15,000 people throughout the Finland! Cheerleading is one of the fastest growing sports in Finland and the fourth most popular sport for girls aged 12-18 in Finland. The acrobatic elements and intensity of the sport make it technically difficult, but also surprising and entertaining for the audience. There are 60 cheerleading clubs in Finland.

Cheerleading consists of different elements such as, pyramids, stunts, tosses, acrobatics and dance. There are two different categories in cheerleading, cheerleading and cheer dance (freestyle pom).

cheerleading

Cheerleading focuses on stunts, pyramids, basket tosses and tumbling. In the competition routine, also cheer (shouts of encouragement for your own team), flow of the routine and overall presentation are valued by judges.

Cheerleading is divided into 6 levels where each level allows different skills to be performed. The level system starts with level 1, followed by level 2. In Finland, level 6 means the highest level. Due to the level system, clubs can choose which level their teams compete at and provide safe path to hobbyists and atheletes from lower levels to higher levels.

• Competition routine duration max. 3 minutes (cheer 0:45 min + routine 2 min)
• 14 m x 16 m safety mat is used in competitions and practises
• Team size max. 24 persons + substitutes and spotters

cheer dance (pom)

Cheer dance (pom) involves a variety of demanding dance techniques, such as pirouettes, cheer and dance jumps, cheer pom techniques (movements) and various elements of flexibility.

The judging criteria for this discipline include technical difficulty, variety of choreography, speed and purity of performance. In addition to the obligatory movements, a good choreography includes many pattern changes, different dance styles and fast and athletic dancing, without forgetting animation and showmanship.
The routine lasts a maximum of 2.00-2.15 minutes and the series is competed on a surface of 14m x 16m, which can be dance floor or parquet.

frequently asked questions

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