Ever looked at a cheer scoresheet and thought… “What am I even looking at?”

In Part 2 with Gabby Mauro, the Dads go even deeper into the world of cheer scoring—and this is the episode every cheer parent (and honestly, a lot of coaches 👀) needs to hear.

We break down the real questions that don’t always get clear answers:

1. Why do some teams max out scores with obvious mistakes while others don’t?
2. How do degree of difficulty vs. participation actually work across stunts and tumbling?
3. What happens when teams “mark” skills—does it really not hurt their score?
4. Should teams water down routines or risk drops to stay competitive?
5. Why do teams throw harder skills if they’ve already “maxed out” the scoresheet?

Gabby also dives into:

1. The truth about judging panels at multi-day events
2. How pace & connection can impact scoring (and why some routines feel nonstop)
3. The strategy behind elite stunt sequences vs. simpler builds
4. How tumbling passes are evaluated (and what actually scores higher)

Plus, we hit some Quick Hits that every cheer dad and mom has wondered:

1. Does a toe touch tuck count as both jumps and tumbling?
2. How do you actually read those numbers on a scoresheet without losing your mind?
3. What are judges really looking for when it comes to showmanship?

If you’ve ever sat in the stands confused, frustrated, or just trying to understand how your athlete’s team scored the way they did—this episode is your cheat code.

Be sure to follow Gabby for more breakdowns and cheer education:

1. TikTok: @scoresheetswithgabbym
2. Instagram: @scoresheetswithgabbymauro

Show Notes

This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp.

Life gets overwhelming sometimes—on and off the mat. If you’re looking for support, visit betterhelp.com/cheerdad to get started.

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy