Yes the teams to go at the end of the session consistently score higher. There were some statistics done for Worlds 2013 which were very telling and teams making or missing semis or finals became known as the "bingo ball effect"
I don't think ANY cheer judges could or would put the time in required. Ask ANYONE that's tested to judge gymnastics and they will tell you the DAYS they spent studying and they will compare it to a college final. I think it's a culture and mentality. I don't know the fix but I know in order for cheer judges to get better the whole process needs to be taken more serious. I'm curious what other sports are judged by the event. Meaning do the Dallas Cowboys use their referees or are referees trained independently? I think a judges association is crucial and it needs to be independent so it can be controlled without bias. Yes, there events where judges do a good job but still there is no way to judge judges. It is truly a guessing game. There is no standard. ANYONE can be a judge.
I agree completely. Until we form an official judging body, we will continue to look like a backyard activity as opposed to an official sport.
Which makes me wonder why comparative scoring is even being allowed on the new scoresheet. And what about the pancake dismount, for example. It looked creative when people first saw it, but then 500 other teams did it and it lost its sparkle. What if I am judging the Small Senior 4 (random, I know) division at a comp, and the first team on the floor does it, and I am wowed and score them high for creativity? How can that objectively compare to the last team that performs the same dismount (like every other team in the division)? I would have to give them a low score. Even worse, what if the judge sitting next to me has seen that same dismount at other competitions and they give the first team a low score? This can't be good. :banghead:
NFL officials (all Football officials down to high school , actually) are trained through an officiating organization. The officials travel as a crew to different stadiums each week. In levels below the NFL (SEC, PAC10, even high school) the coaches may request to NOT have a crew due to issues with past calls. Both coaches must agree for the crew to be changed. Could you imagine if this was an option in cheer?
Agreed 100%
