Cradle in cheerleading: the flyer is caught on her back in an open pike position. Roles, rules, common mistakes, and why head protection matters here.
The cradle is the standard dismount in cheerleading: the flyer is caught on her back by the bases in an open pike position. The rulebooks describe it like this: the top person lands face up in a V, pike or hollow-body shape, legs straight and together, below prep level; the bases carry her with their arms under back and legs [1].
Why this guide matters more than it looks: dismounts carry a collision risk. The 2012 "double down" rule change shows it: it banned a dismount with two full twists (720°) for high-school teams and below. Afterwards, US emergency-department data on 6- to 18-year-olds showed fewer head injuries and fewer collisions with teammates [3]. So dismounts can be made safer through rules and technique.
You do not learn the cradle to fly, but to arrive safely.
Where it starts in the rulebook: in the ICU Beginner level, waist-level cradles and cradles from higher stunts are not yet allowed; the team gets down to the floor through assisted dismounts instead. In Novice only straight pop-downs and basic straight cradles are foreseen, and from Intermediate quarter turns are added [2]. So the cradle is a building block that is extended level by level.
Two catchers catch under back and legs. The spotter secures head and shoulders. Who does what is fixed before anyone goes up. Catchers stand on the surface when the skill starts [1].
Milestone: everyone explains their job without hesitation.
The flyer practises the pike/hollow shape: legs straight and closed, upper body slightly back, tension in the abdomen. Rule of thumb: the stiffer you are, the easier you are to catch.
Milestone: 30-second hollow hold.
From a low position the team rehearses the dismount without a throw. Important: straight cradles. The ICU rules allow only straight cradles and pop-downs at lower levels [2].
Milestone: five clean repetitions without coach intervention.
With spotter, catchers and coach. The flyer stays straight, the bases catch and carry softly. Everyone's attention is on the head and shoulder area.
Milestone: three dismounts in a row without correction.
The bases absorb the energy with their legs, not with locked arms. Then the flyer places her feet on the floor under control.
This guide explains and motivates but does not replace supervised training. You do not practise cradles without a coach, spotter and catchers.
Before you practise the cradle from the stunt, talk through the failure case: what do catchers and spotter do if the flyer arrives crooked or leaves too early? A team that talks this through beforehand reacts faster when it counts. This is coaching experience, not a study.
Let the team practise the cradle without a flyer: the catchers line up, count the rhythm and perform the arm motion dry. That trains timing without risk. It is a practice trick, not a study.
A dismount in which the top person lands face up in a V, pike or hollow-body shape and is caught by the bases under back and legs [1].
From multi-base stunts the ICU rules require two catchers plus a spotter protecting head and shoulders; from single-base stunts a spotter with at least one hand at waist to shoulder [2].
The flyer tightens abdomen and legs and stays straight; the bases absorb with their legs. How high the load can be in landings is shown by the measured ~6 body weights in the pop-off [6].
The spotter protects the flyer's head, neck, back and shoulders and typically stands to the side or behind the stunt [1]. The spotter cannot count as a base at the same time and must stay attentive without taking on other tasks [1].
No. The rulebooks require supervision by qualified coaches and trained spotters [2].
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