Behind the flawless movements and happy expressions is a series of rules dictating what these women can do. Life becomes a harsh reality for these ladies, and some of them are outdated and should definitely go! Here are some of the most extreme or strict rules governing their lives:
Income for the Uniform
The uniforms cheerleaders wear bring the excitement. While they might look small while on the woman, they use many materials and cost a lot of money. These ladies have to pay for them. They only earn about $10/hour, but uniforms can cost $500 or more!
Timing Is Everything
Cheerleaders only get paid minimum wage, so most of them work second jobs. However, those must be done around rehearsals. NFL cheerleaders must be on time to practice or lose their standing. Some even get fines, which come out of their own pockets!
No Sitting
Once the cheerleaders welcome the team onto the field, they must still cheer on the sidelines. That means they can’t sit down. The only time that changes is if game officials ask them to move away. Otherwise, they’re standing for the entire game!
Sitting Pretty
While cheerleaders don’t sit down much, they have a guide to tell them how to do it correctly! That means crossing their legs, maintaining their postures, and using a “ladylike manner.” Who knows what that definition is, but they have to do it!
Strict Hair Rules
Hair is an identifying factor, and you can tell more from a person by their hairstyle than anything. However, cheerleaders don’t have the option for creativity here. They must stick with one hair color, which has to be approved by the superiors.
Vibrant Hair Color
That one-color rule comes with specifications and requirements. The hairstyle chosen by the cheerleader must be bold in color, whether black, brown, or blond. Otherwise, they could be benched for the entire season. Plus, that cost comes out of their pockets!
Not What They Signed Up For
When a cheerleader is hired by the NFL, the contract states that they can’t change their appearance without approval. That means they can’t get new piercings, develop skin conditions, or update their hair color or style!
Refined Language
Cheerleaders aren’t hired by how they speak, but the NFL still controls what they say. These ladies must be careful of their words while off-duty and on the field. That means no slang, such as “I seen it,” “ain’t,” “dude,” and “like.”
Knife and Fork
Some meals are just easier to eat with your fingers, but NFL cheerleaders don’t have that luxury. They must use a knife and fork, even when it doesn’t make sense. These bombshells also have to keep in time with their dining partners!
Makeup Touch-Ups Are Private
Cheerleaders have that image of untouchable beauty. While it’s natural for most, makeup does help. Since it’s not permanent, touch-ups are often necessary, but these ladies can’t do so in a public space. Apparently, that would be admitting that they’re not perfect!
Online Shares with Standards
Social media tells you about people and the lives they live outside the public eye. However, NFL cheerleaders must present a persona that matches their profiles online. Therefore, they can only post “appropriate” photos, and someone regularly checks their social media!
Fake It to Make It
Sometimes, football teams encourage the cheerleaders to mimic a celebrity’s appearance instead of telling them what to do. However, stars have unique looks, causing a cheerleader to go to the extreme to achieve it.
Professionally Done Nails
Even those with front-row seats can’t see a cheerleader’s nails, especially when they use pom-poms. However, there are strict rules in place about maintenance. Most teams require a professional manicure (at the woman’s expense)!
Two-Part Job
Cheerleaders often become the face of their represented team. They also have sex appeal, so they’re required to pose for that team’s calendar. However, they must also sell the products during the games, and there are often quotas to meet each day!
Thirst By Game Plan
The Carolina Panthers must stand throughout the entire game, and water breaks are monitored closely. Regardless of how thirsty the cheerleaders get, they can only take sips while players are on the offense.
No Sponges or Loofas
In many team handbooks, it claims the ladies can’t wash with sponges or loofas because they carry bacteria. If they wash an open cut, it could lead to an infection, but it also traps bacteria in the pores. Regardless, it seems bizarre!
Pre-Approved Products for Private Parts
Many of the handbooks also specify the products a cheerleader can use to wash private areas. Buffalo Bills has an entire section outlining correct items, and they can’t include chemically enhanced or scented products. Who checks to make sure these ladies are following the rules?!
No Undergarments on Game Days
Cheerleaders can’t wear bras or underwear on game days because the bra strap could pop out of the top, or the undies might be seen during a high kick. Some teams even demand no undergarments worn during practice!
The Slouchy Breast Exception
While cheerleaders can’t wear bras on game day (and sometimes during practices), there is an exception. If the woman has slouchy breasts, she must wear undergarments to make her chest seem perky. However, the bra must be invisible and seamless!
Give Me a Smile
NFL cheerleading handbooks insist that women have energetic and happy facial expressions at all times during the game and practice. Cheerleaders for Buffalo Bills and Raiderettes must agree to a constant smile when signing the contract.
The No Party Rule
Cheerleaders are forbidden from attending a player’s party, but NFL teams go above and beyond, claiming that players and cheerleaders can’t socialize or fraternize at all. This gets complicated! If a cheerleader is eating at a restaurant and a player walks in, she must leave!
Virtual Interactions Aren’t Allowed
Cheerleaders can’t follow football players on social media networks. If it’s discovered by management that a player followed a cheerleader, she gets in trouble, but the other party doesn’t! She could get fined or fired.
No Ring on the Finger
Some teams allow cheerleaders to date players, but they must find out if he’s married first. The Raider handbook states that players lie about being married, so the woman has to call the NFL to get confirmation. It doesn’t seem worth it all!
Off-Duty Outfits
You might think cheerleaders could go home at night and wear whatever they want. However, dress codes are in place for public and off-duty needs. For example, these ladies can never wear sweatpants, but there’s a huge list of clothes they’re not allowed to use.
3-Pound Leeway
The NFL strictly watches a cheerleader’s weight, using scales to make sure she stays within range. The ideal weight is calculated, and these women have a 3-pound leeway. However, they don’t figure it out based on wellness data. It’s based on the scale the day they have the audition.
No Jiggle
Every cheerleader faces the jiggle test. Since they’re moving around all day on the field, you might think that was part of it. However, they can’t have too much bouncing, and the crew watches during practices while women perform jumping jacks.
Pom-Poms Match
Cheerleaders are iconic because of their pom-poms, and these accessories are used to match the outfits. If a woman brings the wrong pair to games or practices, they get in trouble. That correlates to a hefty fine, so it’s expensive to mess up.
Shoe Shines
A cheerleader must be perfect from head to toe. During games, they often wear boots that match the uniform. Oakland Raiderette cheerleaders must polish their shoes. If they don’t shine, that lady is banned from cheering!
Fines for Forgetfulness
If cheerleaders forget a part of their uniform (including pom-poms), they have to pay. This rule makes some sense because a uniform is part of their job. However, humans are naturally forgetful, so that can be a huge financial burden.
Fines Are the Least of the Fear
Nobody wants to get a fine, but cheerleaders often prefer that because the alternative is being docked a full day’s pay. While she doesn’t get her money, she must still perform and buy the pieces of the uniform she forgot!
High Expectations for Low Wages
NFL cheerleaders get paid little and must attend events that they don’t work at. This seems like a slap in the face since hot dog vendors earn more than they do! Plus, these ladies get in trouble if they can’t make an unpaid and scheduled event.
Eating Is Cheating
Cheerleaders are bound to get hungry while working all day at the stadium. However, they can’t eat while wearing their uniforms. Plus, she must tell others she’s not hungry if they offer her food. They can only have water during games!
No In-Uniform Pictures
Women put a lot of hard work into being NFL cheerleaders, and they want to flaunt that position on social media. However, they can’t post selfies. It’s quite sad, considering that these ladies paid for the uniforms and aesthetic enhancements to get to that point!
Say Only Sweet Things
With all the restrictions, some cheerleaders might get snippy with each other. However, another rule is there to control that. These women can’t complain or gossip, even in private. No negative discussions can be had by anyone!
Silence Is Golden
Everyone should have a voice and be able to argue about their treatment. However, a concerning and outdated rule shines on the NFL. Cheerleaders are to be seen and not heard. In a sense, their beauty outweighs their conversation abilities.
Watch the Body Language
Words are only one way to communicate. However, cheerleaders can’t even use body language if it doesn’t meet with the NFL’s approval. They must monitor all actions and movements and are even trained to do this!
No Runs in the Tights
Ladders or runs in the tights are annoying. However, cheerleaders must be prepared in case it happens before the performance. The NFL doesn’t forgive these simple mistakes, and cheerleaders might get benched for the full season!
The Horror of Chewing Gum
With the Seattle Seahawks, cheerleaders can’t chew gum unless given permission from the director. It does make sense because no one wants to see a huge ball of gum, and there’s the choking hazard. However, it’s seen as a power play instead of a safety issue.
Photoshoot Privileges
Most women see it as an honor to pose for the team’s cheerleading calendar. However, these bombshells don’t have a say in the poses they make. The Washington Redskins learned that the hard way. The photographers took the ladies’ passports until they posed nude!
You’re Expendable
NFL teams are ruthless with rules because they never run out of cheerleaders. These ladies know they’re replaceable. One handbook insulted these ladies by explaining that stadiums are always full of fans, whether they perform or not, acknowledging that they’re not important!