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STUNT: The Head-to-Head Cheer Sport

STUNT is a head-to-head team sport built from cheer skills. Two teams perform the same standardized routines against each other and are evaluated on execution, so the team that performs the skills more cleanly wins the point. Amy Haney, USA Cheer's Director of College & High School STUNT, explained the format on Episode 38.

Last reviewed 2026-09-11· Event & program specifics require verification

Why it matters

Why parents care

  • It is another collegiate pathway for athletes coming out of All-Star and high school cheer.
  • The format rewards specialists, not only all-around athletes.
  • It is easier to follow from the stands than a traditional routine — you can see who won the point.

From the show

What the show taught us

Four quarters, same skills, head to head

As Amy described it in Episode 38, a STUNT game runs in four quarters: partner stunts, pyramids and tosses, jumps and tumbling, and a team routine. Both teams run the same standardized routines, which puts the whole contest on execution.

Execution is the scoreboard

Because the choreography is standardized, difficulty isn't the differentiator — cleanliness is. The point goes to whichever team performs the routine better, which makes the sport unusually legible for parents watching.

Specialists have a home here

Amy explained that STUNT teams need athletes with different strengths — bases, flyers, tumblers, jumpers — rather than requiring every athlete to be elite at everything. That widens who gets a collegiate roster spot.

Expert context

Who explained this to us

  • Amy Haney

    Episode 38

    Director of College & High School STUNT, USA Cheer — format, quarters, execution scoring and collegiate expansion.

  • Lauri Harris

    Episode 38

    Executive Director, USA Cheer — where STUNT sits inside USA Cheer's work and the sport's growth.

Parent questions

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