Cheerleading stunts are organized into six USASF levels. Level 1 tops out at two-leg stunts at prep height, Level 6 allows rewinds and released flipping transitions. The table below lists 25 core stunts in progression order with the prerequisite skill for each.
Two notes before the list. Level rules describe what a stunt group may compete, not what an individual athlete is ready for; always check your event producer's current rules, because details shift slightly season to season. And the prerequisite column is the teaching order that keeps athletes safe: a group that cannot hold a stunt should not be twisting into it.
The stunt list, Level 1 through Level 6
| Stunt | Level | Prerequisite |
|---|---|---|
| Thigh stand | L1 | None; the entry point for every group |
| Shoulder sit | L1 | Thigh stand |
| Prep (half) | L1 | Thigh stand; solid base grip |
| Prep-level single leg (below prep on some scoresheets) | L1 | Prep held 3 counts |
| Straight cradle from prep | L1 | Prep; back spot controls the catch |
| Extension | L2 | Prep held clean through a full 8-count |
| Prep-level liberty | L2 | Extension; flyer one-leg balance drills |
| Prep-level heel stretch | L2 | Prep-level liberty; flyer flexibility |
| Half-up to prep | L2 | Prep from smoosh or load-in |
| Extended liberty | L3 | Prep-level liberty held 3 counts |
| Extended heel stretch | L3 | Extended liberty; heel stretch at prep |
| Extended arabesque | L3 | Extended liberty; flyer back flexibility |
| Full-twisting cradle | L3 | Straight cradle; flyer twist drills on mat |
| Straight-ride basket toss | L3 | Cradles; four-person toss technique |
| Extended scorpion | L4 | Extended heel stretch; scorpion pulled on floor |
| Extended scale | L4 | Extended arabesque |
| Full-up to extension | L4 | Half-up; flyer controlled twist |
| Tick-tock, prep to extended | L4 | Extended liberty both legs |
| Toe-touch basket toss | L4 | Straight-ride basket; strong toe touch |
| Full-up to liberty | L5 | Full-up to extension; extended liberty |
| Extended-to-extended tick-tock | L5 | L4 tick-tock; body positions both legs |
| Double-full-twisting cradle | L5 | Full-twisting cradle |
| Kick-full basket toss | L5 | Toe-touch basket; flyer kick-full timing |
| Rewind (backflip entry to stunt) | L6 | Standing tuck; elite base timing |
| Double-up to extended stunt | L6 | Full-up to liberty, mastered |
How to read the progression
The list climbs three separate ladders at once, and a group needs all three:
- Height: thigh stand, prep, extension. Nothing goes extended until it is boring at prep.
- Single-leg body positions: liberty, heel stretch, arabesque, scorpion, scale. The flyer earns each position on the floor and at prep before it goes to the top.
- Twisting transitions: quarter-up, half-up, full-up, then double-up. Twist difficulty in the entry is what separates L4 and L5 groups more than the end position does.
Pyramids follow the same logic one level behind your stunts: a solid L3 stunt group makes a good L2-style pyramid section. Braced skills let flyers do more than they could in an open stunt because connected bracers add stability, which is exactly why pyramid rules are strict about what the bracers must be doing. Build pyramids from stunts your groups already own, never as a shortcut to a skill they do not.
Basket tosses are their own ladder: straight ride, then toe touch, then kick-full and beyond. The ride quality, a tight body and a full lift before any trick, matters more than the trick. A crooked straight ride is a reason to stop, not a reason to add a kick.
Every position has its own ladder
Stunts fail at the weakest role, so progress all four athletes, not just the flyer. Bases need squat and shoulder strength plus matching timing with their partner base; a good drill is bench-pressing a weighted bar on the flyer's counts. Back spots own the count, protect the head and shoulders on every cradle, and are usually the reason a "new" stunt hits. New flyers earn air awareness with body-position holds on the floor, then on a base's hands at smoosh height, before anything goes to prep. When a stunt group changes even one member, treat the group as one step lower on the ladder for a week.
Safety notes that are not optional
- Qualified supervision. New skills go up only with a credentialed coach present and, for anything extended or twisting, a dedicated spotter who is not part of the group.
- Matting. First reps happen on appropriate mats or a spring floor, never on grass or gym tile because the schedule was tight.
- Progressions are never skipped. The prerequisite column is a floor, not a suggestion. A group that hits a full-up once at a clinic has not earned it in a routine.
- Regression is normal. After a fall, a growth spurt or a lineup change, drop one step down the ladder for a week. It costs seven days and saves seasons.
The practical problem for coaches is tracking all of this per athlete: who has an extended heel stretch on the left leg, which group is cleared for full-ups, what regressed after the flyer swap. That is a skills ledger, and it belongs in your cheer practice plans rather than in your head, so every assistant coach runs the same progression you would.