What Is a Cartwheel in Cheerleading?

Quick answer: a cartwheel is one of the most foundational tumbling skills, in which the athlete moves sideways through a handstand-like position, placing one hand and then the other on the ground, before landing on their feet.

What Does It Look Like?

The athlete steps into the skill, places one hand on the ground followed by the other, kicks the legs up and over in a sideways rotation through a momentary handstand shape, and lands with feet apart, facing sideways relative to the direction they started.

Who Is Involved?

Tumbling is performed individually, though multiple athletes typically perform cartwheels together, in unison, as part of a foundational or connecting tumbling element.

Where It Fits in a Routine

Cartwheels are usually one of the earliest tumbling skills a team includes, and they continue to appear at higher levels as a connecting or transitional element between other skills.

How the Term Is Used

"Cartwheel" refers specifically to this sideways, sequential-hand skill; a similar skill performed without hands touching down is called an aerial.

Related Skills

The cartwheel is closely related to the roundoff, which uses a similar sideways entry but finishes facing backward with both hands landing together, making it useful for building running momentum.

Level / Division Context

Cartwheels are typically among the very first tumbling skills introduced, often before a team competes at all, and remain part of the tumbling vocabulary at every level afterward.

What Judges Look For Conceptually

Judges are generally looking for straight arms and legs, a controlled sideways line through the skill, and a stable, balanced landing.