How to Do the Basket Toss

The basket toss is one of the fundamental moves in cheerleading. Four people are required, with one person leaping and three tossing and catching. Extreme caution should be exercised when trying to complete the catch, because it could go terribly wrong if a cheerleader is dropped. Matting and a trainer are necessary to avoid an injury.

Things You'll Need

  • Mats
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Instructions

    • 1

      Grab just above the right wrist of your partner with your left hand. Grab your left wrist with your right hand. Allow your partner to grab your left wrist with her left hand and her own left wrist with her right hand. This will form a basket.

    • 2

      Extend your hands to your knees and squat with your and your partner's feet shoulder-width apart. Allow a third partner to put one foot on the basket. He or she will grab the shoulder of each of the two squatting partners to prop him or herself up, along with the help of a fourth partner who pushes him or her up by the waist into a standing position. He or she then puts both feet on the basket.

    • 3

      Squat down about a foot with your partner before pushing up with your legs and lifting with your arms to launch the partner into the air.

    • 4

      Resume the squatting position with your legs shoulder-width apart as the jumper leaps into the air, then spreads his or her arms apart. Get your arms ready in a 90-degree L shape to catch him or her with one arm at the back of the knees and the other in his or her mid back-section. The partner at the back who propped him or her up must also catch the falling cheerleader, with arms locked under the armpits. The jumper then falls into his or her partners' arms with his or her arms wrapping around their backs to support his or her weight. As the cheerleader makes his or her way into your arms, absorb the descent with your knees and arms.

    • 5

      Help the jumper leap back up by lifting back up. The jumper must stretch his or her legs a bit after the descent to bounce back into the standing position.