The formations you use in cheers and routines can be an important tool in your cheerleading arsenal. Formations refer to the physical placement of cheerleaders on the field, court or mat. Bad formations, those that are boring or off in some way, can ruin the effect of your performance. Spend some time considering the importance of your formations, and then devise a plan to use them to make your squad more effective.
Formation Diagrams
Start with a piece of paper and a pencil and make a diagram of the formation you are planning. It is important to use pencil for this process, because you will likely make many changes before your formation is finalized. Initial planning of a formation diagram can be done simply with an X standing for each cheerleader; however, as your plans progress, replace each X with the initials of the cheerleader who should be in that spot.
Game Formations
Game formations will differ slightly from competition formations. Foootball game formations should be slightly flat, as most cheers at a football game take place on the track in front of the football field. Use the ends of the bleachers where your team's fans are sitting as the width for your formations. Staggered lines work well as formations at football games. For basketball, you will typically have an entire basketball court as your boundary. If you have a large squad, devise a formation that spreads across the entire court. A large X formation stretching from corner to corner is a nice choice for a large squad. If your squad is smaller, choose a tighter formation like a pyramid shape with one person in the front.
Competition Formations
For competition, you must consider many different things. Begin by making sure you know the exact dimensions of the cheer mat each competition will use. Make use of as much of the mat as you can with your formations. Next consider the fact that you will need several formations with corresponding transitions. Judges do not want to see your squad standing stationary in one spot on the mat. While you need to switch up your formations, be careful not to have cheerleaders traveling all over the mat to get to their new positions. This looks sloppy and chaotic.
Practice Makes Perfect
Whether it is for a game or a competition, spend time perfecting your formations. Make sure your cheerleaders understand what shape their formation is making. Formations must be orientated both by physical location on the floor and in relation to other cheerleaders as well. Train your cheerleaders to set their formations on a specific landmark, like the logo painted at center court or the tape line on the competition mat. After they set their location have them take a cursory look around to make sure their position in relation to those around them is correct. Spend time at practice perfecting the lines and placement of your formations.
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