Coach Jay, Oct 6,
2022
Call out: “Dribble like you tryna make his legs fall off”
Whole team: “slow down… basketball, dribble like you tryna make his legs fall off. And I think I want to beat the ball now. Speed up, basketball... (Basketball 4x)” [then repeat the full cheer again
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Statistics for this video as of Dec. 12, 2022
total # of views - 104,289
total # of comments. 63
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Edited by Azizi Powell
Latest Revision -December 17, 2022
This pancocojams post presents information about the stomp cheer "Basketball" and how that cheer became the viral cheer known as "Pass The Ball".
Three YouTube videos are showcased in this post along with the lyrics for these cheers, and selected comments from the discussion threads of several YouTube videos.
The content of this post is presented for cultural and recreational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who played a part in making the "Basketball"/"Pass The Ball" cheer viral. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these videos on TikTok and on YouTube.
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SHOWCASE VIDEO #2: Pass The Ball Challenge Dance
Compilation #dance #challenge
One Challenge, Nov. 21, 2022
Pass The Ball Challenge Dance
Compilation #dance #challenge
Best TikTok, Dubsmash and Instagram Pass
The Ball Challenge Compilation and lit dance.
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Statistics for this video as of Dec. 12, 2022 at 1:14 PM ET
total # of views- 1,195,545
total # of comments - 171
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SHOWCASE VIDEO #3: Pass The ball cheer TikTok compilation
Orange TikToks, Nov, 9, 2022
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Statistics for this video as of Dec. 17, 2022 at 1:21 APM ET
total # of views - 25, 524
total # of comments - 6
-snip-
Added Dec. 17, 2022- This video replaces one that is no longer available. That video had a considerably higher number of views and comments.
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THE SONG SOURCE OF THE STOMP CHEER ENTITLED "BASKETBALL" THAT IS NOW KNOWN AS "PASS THE BALL"
The 2022 stomp cheer "Basketball" (which is most widely known as "Pass The Ball" has has the same tune as the chorus of Sage the Gemini's hit 2013 Hip Hop/Rap song “Gas Pedal” and the words to that cheer are purposely* adapted from that 2013 Hip Hop song.
*Purposely" here means that the words for this cheer were adapted on purpose instead of being accidentally made up through folk processing.
WARNING: "Gas Pedal" contains profanity, sexually explicit content, violent content, and also includes the "n" word.
"Slow down, grab the wallWiggle like you tryna make yo ass fall offHella thick I wanna smash 'em all, nowSpeed up, gas pedal, nowSpeed up, gas pedal"
-snip-
Some comments in the discussion thread for the "Basketball" cheer video that is given as Showcase video #1 in this pancocojams post indicate that this cheer was either written by Coach Jay, the publisher of that YouTube video, or was written by a person or persons in Coach Jay's cheerleading team. That video was published on October 6, 2022 and that date appears to be the earliest online example of or reference to that cheer.
The cheer's lyric structure and performance and the fact that all of the cheerleaders in that Oct. 6, 2022 video are young Black women strongly suggests that this cheer is of African American origin.
A description of that cheer's lyric structure is given in the next section of this post along with a description of the "Basketball' cheer's performance and the usual performance of the folk processed form of that cheer which is known as "Pass The Ball".
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WHAT TYPE OF CHEER IS "BASKETBALL"/"PASS THE BALL"? (given with performance information)
The lyric structure and the performance routine of "Basketball"/"Pass The Ball" mark it as stomp cheer that is a modified form of the African American originated "stomp and shake" type of cheerleading cheers.
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HOW THE "PASS THE BALL" CHEER IS PERFORMED
(Additions and corrections are very welcome)
As is indicated by the name "stomp and shake", in this type of cheerleading, the cheerleaders usually perform perform foot stomping movements alternating with hip shaking while they vocalize their cheers and chants.
The "Pass The Ball" cheer (that was originally called "Basketball") is a modified stomp and shake cheer, in part, because it doesn't include any hip shaking moves. The comment section for this pancocojams post includes a description of stomp and shake's "jiggle pop" hip shaking move and a description of stomp and shake "upstomps", another signature stomp and shake movement that isn't performed in the "Pass The Ball" cheer Tik Tok/YouTube clips that I've watched;
In stomp and shake cheers, one person (usually the team's captain) calls out the name of the cheer or the first line of the cheer before the entire group chants the cheer. That feature is retained in this "Basketball"/Pass the ball" cheer. As noted in the lyric section for "Basketball", one person calls out "Dribble like you tryna make his legs fall off” before the entire team chants the rest of the cheer.
In "Basketball"/"Pass The Ball", the foot stomping begins with the left foot. In that cheer while doing this foot movement, the cheerleaders' hands are held halfway up to their chin with their hands clenched in fists. These motions occur while chanting the word "Basketball" or the words "Pass the ball".
After performing the beginning foot stomp movement, the entire team claps their own hands in front of their chest. The entire team then imitates the dribbling ball motion, still standing in place but moving side to side while they chant "Dribble like you tryna make his legs fall off".
This imitative motion which interrupts the foot stomping/hand clap movement is another way that this cheer's routine differs from the usual performance of stomp and shake cheers.
In the Basketball cheer, the entire team of cheerleaders slide to the left after the chant that line. This is another movement that isn't usually a part of stomp and shake cheerleading routines.
After chanting that "dribble" line, the cheerleading team returns to the beginning movements as given above. On repeated words "Basketball" or "Pass the ball", one person or the entire team stands still while making circular hand clap motions slightly above her head. An alternative way of performing the repeated "Basketball"/Pass the ball" words is that the lead person continues performs the circular hand clap movements while the rest of the team continues to perform the beginning left foot stomp, hand clap movements (or vice versa). The circular hand clapping on the repeated word "Basketball" is part of that video. Another way of performing this cheer is that all the members of the cheerleading squad (or the group that is chanting this cheer) hold their hand waist high and continually clap to the beat while repeating the word "Pass the ball".
Some cheerleading teams (such as the popular rendition that is performed by a White male cheerleader and two Black female cheerleaders) give this cheer more "flavor" by adding interjections such as 'What" after the "dribble" line and ending their cheer by saying "Whoo! while leaning forward in an aggressive manner (as though you are getting in someone's face.) In the "Basketball" video, the entire cheerleading team leans forward when they chant the last repeated word "Basketball". They also stomp their left foot when they repeat this word.
Notice that, unlike "standard" stomp and shake cheers, the "Basketball"/Pass The Ball" cheer is performed without any (booty) shaking such as "jiggle pops" (fast butt shakes) or other wise. Furthermore, that cheer isn't performed with high step leg lifts (upstomps) or other usual stomp and shake movements.
Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2022/05/a-list-of-specific-stomp-shake-cheers.html for a 2016 pancocojams post that showcases lyrics and video examples of the now relatively widely known stomp and shake cheer entitled "Who Shakes The Best".
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WHY THIS CHEER IS MOST WIDELY KNOWN AS "PASS THE BALL"
The title "Pass the ball" is an example of "folk processing." Folk processing (also known as "folk etymology" occurs when people accidentally change a word or words because of misunderstanding (mishearing) or misremembering the words of a song, rhyme, chant, or speech.
In the case of this cheer, the folk processed form of this chant entitled "Pass The Ball" has far more TikTok/YouTube video views than the video for the original "Basketball" cheer. It also appears that very few people who chant the "Pass The Ball" cheer know that "PassThe Ball" isn't the original name for this cheer.
The title for this cheer isn't the only way that this cheer has been folk processed. A lot of commenters in various YouTube discussion threads of this cheer give the line "dribble like you tryna make his legs fall off" as "dribble like you tryna make your legs come off". Also, a lot of commenters in various YouTube discussion threads of this cheer give the line "I think I wanna beat the ball now" as "meet the ball". "Beat" or "meet" is also sometimes given as "be" ("I think I wanna be that ball").
Read the comment given as #29 below, for more information about the video and audio clip of the "Pass the ball" cheer that is most often used.
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THE "ORIGINAL" LYRICS FOR STOMP CHEER "BASKETBALL" THAT IS MOST WIDELY KNOWN AS "PASS THE BALL"
"Call out: “Dribble like you tryna make his legs fall off”
whole team: "slow down… basketball, dribble like you tryna make his legs fall off. And I think I want to beat the ball now. Speed up, basketball... (Basketball 4x)” [then repeat the full cheer again]"
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These lyrics are given in the description for the video that is given as Showcase Video #1.
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WHAT THESE LYRICS MEAN
(Additions and/or corrections are welcome.)
"Slow down" means to say the cheer with the regular tempo.
"Dribble to you tryna make his legs fall off" probably means that the basketball player is being encouraged by the cheerleaders to dribble so fast that the person guarding him on the other team becomes so tired that he feels like his legs are coming off (aren't working).
My guess is that the words "And I think I want to beat the ball now" (which are usually given in the "Pass the ball" versions as "meet the ball") means that the cheerleaders want their players to get ahead of the ball if the player who they are blocking on the other team is dribbling the ball ahead of them.)
"Speed up" means to say the cheer faster.
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THE "USUAL" LYRICS FOR THE STOMP CHEER "PASS THE BALL"
"Slow down
Pass the ball.
Dribble like you tryna make his legs fall off.
And I think I want to meet* the ball now.
Speed up
Pass the ball
Pass the ball
Pass the ball
Pass the ball
[The entire cheer is repeated multiple times.]
-snip-
*These are the lyrics that are chanted in most of the Tik Tok clips of this cheer. Read the comments in this post for minor changes in these lyrics.
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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THE YOUTUBE VIDEO THAT IS GIVEN AS SHOWCASE VIDEO #1
All of these comments are from November 2022 to December 13, 2022.
Numbers are given for referencing purposes only.]
1. Lauren maelyn
"I thought it was pass the ball"
**
Reply
2. iamhiswife4L_
"Wait so it not pass the ball?"
**
Reply
3. Keiara's WRLD
" @iamhiswife4L_ Yea if u listen to the cheer real close"
**
Reply
4. Keiara's WRLD
"@Lauren maelyn Listen to the song real close and the couch
put the lyrics at the bottom"
**
Reply
5. Rhandi Wallace
"its pass the ball but some cheerleaders do it differently"
Reply
6.
"it's originally basketball but there's no wrong cheer bcuz u
can change it to suit ur school"
**
7. pixxldreams
"Y’all cheer went famous"
**
Reply
8. Jarmani Jennings
"for real"
Reply
9.
"its not there cheer they took it from someone"
**
Reply
10. HSAM CHEERLEADING
"@Bri Bri
yeah this cheer is almost 10 years old, it came out shortly after the
gas pedal song came out, they just brought the cheer back"
**
Reply
11. th3y_luhmyaa
"Fr my dance team doing that"
**
Reply
12. Shyimani TV
"@Bri Bri it
is their cheer."
**
Reply
13. therealest
" @Bri Bri
they didn't take it they used it they bringing it back every cheer team
doing it"
**
Reply
14. Heavin Williamson
"What are the words"
**
Reply
15. aubriella
"dribble like you tryna make his legs fall off
slow down, pass the ball
dribble like you tryna make his legs fall off
and i think i want to be the ball now
speed up, pass the ball
pass the ball (4x)"
**
Reply
16. Editssforcharlie
"The correct words are in the description".
Reply
17.
"It’s meet not be"
**
Reply
18. KYRAHLANAE
"She gave you the wrong words ! It’s slow down basketball
dribble like you try to make his legs fall off & I think I want to meet the
ball so speed up basketball ball"
**
Reply
19. KYRAHLANAE
"@sky the person who made it gave us the lyrics and
its literally in the description go look at it & it always been basketball
people just made a new one that says pass the ball"
Reply
20.
"for this video they said “dribble like you trynna make his
legs fall of, slow down. basketball. dribble like your tryna make his legs fall
of. and i think i want to beat the ball now. speed up pass the ball. basketball
4x
some other people say pass the ball instead of basket ball
though."
**
Reply
21. Mariyah Brown
"So the call out is DRIBBLE LIKE YOU TRYNA MAKE HIS LEGS FALL
OFF
Slow down pass the ball Dribble like you’re trying to make
his legs fall off
And to think I want to meet the ball now speed up pass the
ball pass the ball pass the ball pass the ball pass the ball slow down Pass the
ball dribble like you’re trying to make
his legs fall off And to think I want to meet the ball now speed up pass the
ball pass the ball pass the ball pass the ball"
**
Reply
22. Itss Yannaa
"@Mariyah Brown It’s not pass the ball is Basketball the
correct words are in the description"
**
Reply
23. Mariyah Brown
"@Itss Yannaa I’m on a cheer team that what we say sooo🤷♀️"
**
Reply
24. HSAM CHEERLEADING
"@Mariyah Brown
it’s basketball"
**
Reply
25. Mariyah Brown
"@HSAM CHEERLEADING all I said is that’s what my cheer team says
SOO🤷♀️"
**
Reply
26. HSAM CHEERLEADING
"@Mariyah Brown
ok SOOO don’t get smart.:)"
**
Reply
27. Mariyah Brown
"@HSAM CHEERLEADING ok I’m not trying to be rude but if somebody
already told that the words was basketball so you didn’t have to even say
anything and I responded I’m on a cheer team and we say pass the ball sooo 🤷♀️
and it was over at that so you didn’t have to say anything thing in the first
place"
**
Reply
28. Mariyah Brown
"@HSAM CHEERLEADING and also if you go up to the rest of these
reply’s you will see that everybody said pass the ball"
**
Reply
29. HSAM CHEERLEADING
"@Mariyah Brown
the original cheer creator said it was basketball. look at the
description. they are only saying it’s pass the ball because the white boy that
redid the cheer thought they said pass the ball and it got more views :)"
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This comment refers to the first clip that is shown in the Tik Tok compilation that is given as Showcase Video #3 in this post. That same clip is given as the first clip in several other Tik Tok compilations or is otherwise included in most of the Tik Tok compilations for "Pass The Ball" cheers. Also, most of the Tik Tok clips for "Pass The Ball" use the vocals from that clip which features the White male cheerleader and two Black female cheerleaders.
I remember reading in one of the discussion threads for this cheer (but not this one) that the White male cheerleader let it be known that he wasn't the one who came up with the cheer. He also admitted that he might have gotten the words wrong. However, because his Tik Tok clip has been shared so often, the words he used have been widely given as the words to this cheer.
One of the female cheerleaders in that TikTok clip whose video/audio clip is most often used for the "Pass the ball" cheer spiced up that cheer by adding the word "What" after the line "and I think I'm gonna meet the ball". One of the female cheerleaders held her hands high and clapped her hands in a circle while chanting the repeated words "Pass the ball" and the male cheerleader added "Get up, now" after the line "I think I want to meet the ball". He also said "Whoo! at the end of that cheer. All of these embellishments add flavor to that clip which probably accounts for the fact that that clip is used for most of the Tik Tok compilations of "Pass the ball".
**
Reply
30. princess williams
"@aubriella
ahhhhhhhh wrongggggg its not pass the ball its basketball 🏀🗑🏀🗑🏀🗑"
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
With one exception, all of the YouTube/Tik Tok clips that I have watched as of this date (December 14, 2022) of the cheer "Basketball"/"Pass The Ball" feature Black females. (Significantly, that exception is a clip of a White male dressed in a cheerleading uniform who is later joined by two Black females who are also dressed in a cheerleading uniform. This is the first video clip that is shown in many compilations of "Pass The Ball" or is included in other compilations. (One example of that clip being the first one in a "Pass The Ball" compilation is the Tik Tok compilation that is given as given as Showcase video #2 in pancocojams post. That video has more than 1 million views as of Dec. 14, 2022.)
ReplyDeleteIt's not surprising that all but one of the Tik Tok clips that I've come across as of this date feature Black females, since stomp and shake cheerleading originated with Black females. Also, almost all of the YouTube videos of middle school, high school, and university cheerleaders who perform this sport are Black females, mostly from the southern region of the United States .
DeleteHere's a definition of "jiggle pop" that I received in 2012 via email from upstompjunkie, a man who is a former Winston Salem State University (WSSU) cheerleader:
ReplyDelete" "Jigga-pop" or some call a "double shake" is a little hard to put into words. It's where you throw your hip over so hard it "whips back". It's very difficult to catch on to if not taught properly."...
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In almost online comments about stomp and shake" that refer to this movement, it is called "jiggle pop" and not "jigga pop". It appears that male cheerleaders usually don't perform "jiggle pops".When the female cheerleaders are "jiggle popping", the mala cheerleaders rock back and forth or do some other motion.
(Additions and corrections are welcome.)
Here's a comment from a Facebook video demonstrating "upstomps" which are another signature stomp and shake movement (Neither "jiggle pops" or "upstomps" are found in "Pass The Ball" video clips that I've watched).
Deletehttps://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2480945182208611 What is an upstomp and downstomp".
"An upstomp is when you drive your right foot in the ground and you lift your left leg up in a 90 degree angle. You want to make sure that you're pointing your toes. That's very imperative when you upstomp 'cause if you don't it's not gonna look good. So you wanna make sure that you drive your right leg into the ground and then you're snapping your left leg up to a 90 degree angle with your toe pointed."...
UFIT Cheer and Dance specializes in Stomp N Shake cheerleading training, clinics, Charlotte, NC, United States, North Carolina