What Is a Handstand in Cheerleading?

Quick answer: a handstand is a foundational tumbling position in which the athlete balances upside-down on the hands, body extended in a straight line - one of the most important building blocks behind cartwheels, walkovers and handsprings.

What Does It Look Like?

The athlete kicks or presses up into an inverted position, balancing entirely on the hands with the body held in one straight, extended line from hands to toes, arms fully locked and shoulders open.

Who Is Involved?

Tumbling is performed individually, though handstands are typically drilled repeatedly, often against a wall or with a spotter, as a core conditioning and technique exercise across every level.

Where It Fits in a Routine

Handstands are rarely held as a stand-alone skill in a competitive routine, but the position itself is the shared foundation running through cartwheels, walkovers and handsprings - nearly every tumbling skill passes through, or is built from, this same inverted, extended shape.

How the Term Is Used

"Handstand" refers to the position itself, and "handstand strength" or "handstand hold" are common coaching terms for the conditioning work built specifically around improving this foundational shape.

Related Skills

A strong handstand underpins the cartwheel, front and back walkover, and the front and back handspring - improving handstand technique tends to improve all of these skills together.

Level / Division Context

Handstand training is foundational and continues at every level, since even advanced tumbling skills depend on the same straight-body, inverted control a handstand builds.

What Judges Look For Conceptually

Where a handstand-based shape appears within another skill, judges are generally looking for straight arms, a fully extended body line, and tight, controlled shoulders - a strong handstand shape is one of the clearest markers of good tumbling technique overall.