The sprung competition and training floor. It offers roughly 22 times the critical fall height of concrete and is cheerleading's single biggest safety factor.
In cheerleading the surface is the most important piece of equipment, ahead of shoes or clothing. A spring floor combined with crash pads cuts ankle sprains roughly in half and the severity of falls by about 60 percent — and the ankle is by far the sport's most frequently injured joint. Just how much surface rules matter is clear from one example in the rulebook: after basket tosses were banned on hard ground, the rate of catastrophic injuries dropped by roughly three quarters. The typical mistake is the quick “let me just show you” on a gym floor or on the grass after practice. And the limit: a spring floor lowers the consequences of a fall, not its probability. Mats, spotters and level rules still apply unchanged.