Stacked Cheerleaders, Pt. 2

[Freddy]

It happened. District playoff game, both teams stacked their cheerleaders in two rows out from the wall, necessitating a tactful but firm request that when we work down to the endline they should revert to single file along the wall and give us room.
No.
Third series of the game, I'm crossing over to rotate as lead and "OUCH!!!", my right foot rolls over some cheerleader's foot, just about knocking me out of the game.
Barely able to work today. Good thing that, albeit an old guy, this happened toward the end of the season where I might be termed reasonably in shape. Earlier in the year I'd have probably broken it.
Lesson: Request to the cheer coach prior to the game the proper protocol to allow us to work deep off the endline, and STAY IN SINGLE FILE!
I'm not a fan of stacked cheerleaders anymore.

[Adam]

Did you have them moved after that?

[Rich]

I figured I'd have to say the thread is useless without pictures.

We tend to work around the cheerleaders here. I won't allow them anywhere near the lane, but my space to work the game isn't usually a good enough reason for me to move cheerleaders. In some gyms, there's simply not enough room.

Slow down a step or two earlier and you won't run into them.

[Freddy]

Originally Posted by Snaqwells

Did you have them moved after that?

I reiterated the request to each team to move to the wall when we were on their end, this time with a little more stringency. Then at halftime I, not seeing the site supervisor available, expressed the request to each cheer coach. The limp with which I approached each of them spoke louder than my tactful pleas. Tomorrow I'm going straight to the site supervisor to have him seek compliance prior to our game. Our safety is his job, I figure.

[grunewar]

Shoulda known.....

I've had to move a cheerleader or two back and away from the endline before too. Never tripped over any though. Ouch.

I've also moved a cheerleading team or two to other areas where there was just more room to operate vice the endline.

Full disclosure - I was a cheerleader in college (D2) and had a blast. We normally had a lot of room to work with in our larger arenas/gyms and I can't recall this ever being an issue. HS gyms are obviously much more of a problem.

[Raymond]

Originally Posted by grunewar

...Full disclosure - I was a cheerleader in college (D2) and had a blast. ...

Not that there is anything wrong with that.

[grunewar]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Believe me, there's not!

[REFANDUMP]

I've found that they'll move back if you "accidently" step on their toes a time or two !!

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by BadNewsRef

Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Originally Posted by grunewar

Believe me, there's not!

I was asked to be a cheerleader in college. I declined, because I'm not very talented at those types of activities. (Shooting guard, no problem.)

When I think back to the athletic short blonde Polish girl that asked me to join, I slap myself upside the head.

[bob jenkins]

Originally Posted by JugglingReferee

I slap myself upside the head.

ewww. TMI.

[M&M Guy]

Originally Posted by grunewar

I was a cheerleader in college (D2) and had a blast.

Rich - this may be as good a reason as any to not have pictures, despite the mis-leading thread title.

Freddy, does your league, district, state, ets. have any cheerleader-specific rules? Before going to the site supervisor, make sure you have some backup for your requests. Remember, they spent time rehearsing and practicing to be at the game, so try not to unecessarily take away their part in the festivities. Around here, we also tend to work around the cheerleaders, as most gyms simply don't have the room. I have found that most cheerleaders know when you're there, so they have a tendancy to move out of your way as you move along the endline, even though it may seem like there's not enough room.

[GoodwillRef]

This is simple...move the darn cheerleaders before the game...I really don't care where the stand or sit...but WE MUST have room to work and MY personal safety and not the players is MY #1 concern. The players are a close second.

[Freddy]

Originally Posted by M&M Guy

. . . does your league, district, state, ets. have any cheerleader-specific rules? Before going to the site supervisor, make sure you have some backup for your requests. . .

No local or state rules. Made the request to one cheer coach earlier in the year who went to her AD to complain vociferously and had the AD tell her to shut up and listen to what we were telling her.
I could go to the state associate director, but he probably has about a zillion really important things going on now, so I'll check tomorrow with the site supervisor who is the host school AD and give him my request. If he's lukewarm on it, I can tactfully approach the cheer coaches personally by virtue of that citation in the rulebook which states that the official is responsible for a safe playing area, or something like that.
BTW, what was misleading about the title of the post? Oh...wait...I get it...sorry...my bad.
I'll be careful not to do that again. Not.

[Bad Zebra]

I was hoping the title of this thread meant something else and the Russian guy was back with more photos.

[rockyroad]

Originally Posted by bob jenkins

ewww. TMI.

ROTFL!

Nice, Bob...