Three days after banning cheerleaders on the sidelines of newly begun spring high school football, California officials reversed their decision Friday, March 19.
“Today, (California Department of Public Health) will clarify that sideline cheer is an allowable sport under the state’s youth and adult recreational sports guidelines,” a department spokesperson wrote in an email Friday. “Sideline cheer is considered comparable to competitive cheer as a moderate-contact sport and should follow all requirements of other outdoor moderate-contact sports.”
The department will update its Youth Sports Q&A issued Tuesday, March 16, on Friday afternoon to clarify the change, the spokesperson wrote.
On Tuesday, the California Department of Public Health shocked parents who had expected that cheerleading — recognized as a high school sport in state law in 2016 — would be allowed to return to a normal state of affairs this spring alongside football by banning cheerleaders from the sidelines, lumping them in with “observers,” who were limited to one adult per household.
“Sideline cheer, band, drumline or other supporting groups are not allowed to attend sporting events at this time,” Tuesday’s guidelines read, in part.
Friday’s change will reclassify sideline cheer from a supporting group to a recreational sport, subject to the same rules as outdoor competitive cheer, which is allowed for counties in the red coronavirus tier. Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties all entered the red tier in recent weeks.
Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, author of the 2016 bill that recognized high school cheerleading as a sport, had expressed outrage over Tuesday’s sidelining of cheerleaders on the sidelines.
“I was a cheerleader, a cheer coach and a cheer Mom. Cheerleaders understand strict rules, spacing and safety. Barring outdoor sideline cheerleaders, who can safely distance themselves from one another & wear masks, shows a disregard for these (mostly) young women,” she wrote on Twitter. “If we can safely resume high school sports, this must include outdoor activities that can also be done safely, including sideline cheer.”
State health officials did not clarify whether the change would apply to band members or other supporting groups not subject to the sport guidelines.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
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