If you’re new to color guard, there will be a lot of new terminology to learn. 📖 This “Guardie Glossary” will help you figure it all out.
- 45 toss: A toss that spins on a 45 degree angle.
- Air blade: A plastic, kind of gun-shaped, more uncommon piece of equipment.
- Air flagging: Going through the motions of spinning equipment, without actually spinning equipment.
- Auxiliary: Fancy term for color guard. Could also refer to more parts of a visual ensemble.
- Blade toss: Releasing a sabre toss from the blade.
- Blade: The long, skinny part of your sabre.
- Butt: The heavier, wider end of your rifle.
- Cheaters: Two places where tape is wrapped around the pole. Used for hand placement.
- Crutch tips: The ends of your flag pole.
- Cutting the plane: Going out of your toaster. Cutting the vertical plane.
- Diag: A diagonal formation in drill.
- Dip/Lock: Creating an angle with your equipment before a toss to increase momentum.
- Dot book: A little notebook to help you learn drill, your marching formations, while on the field/floor.
- Drill sheets: Drill sheets tell you where you are on the field throughout your marching show.
- Drill: Marks where you are on the field or floor at certain parts of your show.
- Drop spins: Standard up and down consecutive spins on any equipment.
- Fish flop: A fun dance move similar to a backwards somersault. Slightly resembles a flopping fish.
- Flag feature: Part of a marching show where everyone spins together on flag.
- Flag: The big flag you spin.
- Flourish: A back and forth motion with any equipment. Something that resembles a cool lightsaber twirl.
- Free arms: What your arms are doing while the toss is airborne.
- Gloves: Fingerless gloves made for protecting your hands while spinning. Worn especially by those who spin weapon.
- Hilt toss: Releasing a sabre toss from the hilt.
- Hilt: The handle on your sabre.
- Loose weights/bolts: When weights in your pole aren’t super taped in, or don’t fit perfectly, and they make rattling noises.
- Looser angle: Holding your equipment at a flatter angle.
- Out: Letting go for a toss. Sending equipment “out” of your hands.
- Parallel toss: A toss that spins horizontally.
- Pirouette: A traditional spin in dance.
- Plié: A very pretty, technical squat. Both knees bend simultaneously.
- Pole: The shiny part of the flag.
- Push hand: The hand that pushes to make a toss.
- Release hand: The hand that releases the toss.
- Release point: Where in space you release the toss.
- Rep: Repeating something over again.
- Rifle: The gun you spin.
- Rookie: A first-year member.
- Sabre: The sword you spin.
- Sail: When the silk catches on itself and bunches up.
- Sauté: A jump where you land on the same foot.
- Silk: The fabric on your flag.
- Splitting: Placing a hand between the first and second cheaters on your flag. Splits the pole in half.
- Spotting: Whipping your head around and looking at the same spot in front of you in between turns/spins. Helps dizziness and keeps a straight line.
- Staying in your toaster: Keeping equipment in a vertical plane.
- Tape: The tape that connects the bottom of your flag to the pole.
- Tighter angle: Holding your equipment at a steeper angle.
- Tip: The lighter, skinnier end of your rifle/sabre.
- Toss: Equipment is thrown into the air to be caught.
- Turn out: Rotating your leg outward from the hip.
- Under body: What your body is doing while the toss is airborne.
- Up count: The count where the butt of your rifle or the hilt of your sabre hits the vertex of your toss.
- Veteran: A member that isn’t new to guard.
- Weapon line: Part of a guard that spins weapon equipment.
😎 What do you think about this list? Did I miss any guard terms? Let me know in the comments and I’ll update my list!
