The 'weight list' and 'nutrition journeys'. All the ways the DCC are made to fit their uniforms.

Cheerleading has got Netflix viewers in a chokehold right now off the back of the docuseries, America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders.

From wanting more information on the women featured in the series to outrage over some of the controversiesthat unfolded throughout the show, our appetite for cheer content knows no bounds. 

There's a lot to be taken away from the seven episodes, but one thing fans can't get over is just how strict the guidelines are for the 36 women who make the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders team. 

Watch the trailer for America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. Post continues after video.

These gals might look like they're living the dream, but trust me, it's not all pom-poms, big hair and high kicks. 

The rules date back to the early days of the team in the '70s, with Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders expert Sarah Hepola saying there was a rule book "the size of old phone books" handed out to the girls in the '80s and '90s.

Let's break down some unexpected rules these women must follow.

These are the 15 rules the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders must follow.

1. No canoodling with the NFL players, ever!

The whole 'cheerleaders dating the school jock' stereotype does not fly at the DCC. It's quite the opposite, as the team has a strict 'no fraternising with players' policy. So, sorry to the NFL players, but dating a DCC member is prohibited. A former cheerleader told Inside Edition that not only could cheerleaders never date players but "you couldn't even be around the players."

According to Hepola, the 'no fraternisation' rule has been in place since 1972. She says Coach Tom Landry implemented the rule after the squad moved from having high school cheerleaders to professional adult women. Hepola believes the rule was more about keeping concerned player's wives happy, more than anything else.

However, the rule hasn't always been followed. 

"I will say, the women running the cheerleading squad were [always] strict about it. The coaches weren't really paying attention to it," Hepola revealed on the No Filter podcast. "If some quarterback, who will go unnamed, had a reputation for nosing around the cheerleaders and trying to give his phone number, the coach isn't really going to care. The cheerleader is going to get in trouble. And that's where it becomes really, super unfair, right?"

At one point, Hepola said that current Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones even wanted to encourage the cheerleaders to date players. He wanted their uniforms to be sexier. He would attend practice and watch from the stands. 

"I interviewed someone that said it was like it was Christmas and he was opening up all his toys, and one of his toys was the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. It was an energetic shift away from the previous ownership."

At times, the cheerleaders took it upon themselves to uphold the fraternisation rule when no one else would.

"There's a story about Troy Aikman wanting to date a cheerleader he had a crush on, and he goes to Jerry Jones and Jerry Jones is like, 'Yeah, I don't care, that's fine.' So Troy goes to the cheerleaders and they're like, well, that's not okay with us. Twenty years [after the rule was instituted] it's become such a tradition that the women are like 'Don't do this to us.'"

In the instance of Aikman, the cheerleader had to leave the team in order to keep dating him. He continued to play for the Dallas Cowboys. And there have been a few more similar controversies since then.

"It's this weird double standard," Hepola said.

Listen to No Filter's episode on The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, featuring expert Sarah Hepola. Story continues below. 

2. Tattoos are a no-go. 

Got some ink? Better invest in some heavy-duty concealer, girlie. While tattoos aren't totally banned, they need to be completely hidden when in uniform. 

3. Chewing gum is blasphemy! 

This hails back to the days when Suzanne Mitchell was the DCC director: she had a huge issue with the women chewing gum. Netflix dug up the DCC rule book from her era, which said in all-caps: "NO GUM, CANDY, SOFT DRINKS, ETC. ARE ALLOWED IN THE STUDIO. CANDY IS FATTENING & GUM IS UNLADYLIKE!" 

In the same section, one rule reads that "excessive intake of water during any rehearsal is not permitted." Ah yes, how dare these women drink too much water! The nerve! Praying that these are no longer official rules. 

4. Always be camera-ready, even on your day off. 

Think you can pop to the shops in your trackies? Think again! DCC are expected to maintain a "clean image" at all times. That means full hair and makeup, even when you're just grabbing a coffee down the street. 

The women can't alter or receive new uniforms. Image: CMC. 

5. They have to maintain their weight. 

There might not be any specific height and weight requirements, but if you read in between the lines, the cheerleaders are expected to maintain their figure in order to fit into the one (and only) uniform they will receive. 

One former cheerleader revealed that "once you're fitted for that uniform, that size is the size that you get. You don't get to go up. If you go up, they're like, 'Why does this not fit you?'"

On No Filter, Hepola spoke about the weigh-ins that used to leave cheerleaders stressed out for days on end. They would result in public lists about things the cheerleaders needed to work on, including 

"In the '70s a woman named Suzanne Mitchell had taken over, and she had a real boot camp mentality. One of the things she would do was post everybody's weight once a week, you would get weighed at least once a week," Hepola said. "And when you walked into the dressing room, it would have your all your names listed and then it would have your weight and then it would have areas you needed to work on.

"I interviewed somebody, her name is Amber, she was a '90s cheerleader. But you know, her life revolved around that weight list; when are they going to weigh you?"

As many viewers noticed while watching America's Sweethearts, the DCC leaders no longer directly mention weight as their reasons for cutting or not promoting a cheerleader. But, Hepola said they speak in code.

"I think they do it less now because there is scrutiny but I'm sorry, they still do — you see that in the character Victoria. You know, one year she's too heavy, the next year she's too thin. They keep using these coded words like 'fuel', and I'm like, what is 'fuel'? Did she have a gas tank?"

"They don't get cut for weight, they get cut for not 'fueling properly'. They don't 'have stamina'. They're not 'on the right nutrition journey'," Hepola said of the intentionally vague, weight-related reasons a woman might be cut.

Yikes.

The documentary's breakout star Victoria. Image: Netflix. 

6. Social media influencer dreams? Crush them now. 

Unlike your favourite Instagram influencers, DCC are strictly prohibited from doing sponsored content. So don't expect to see any #ad posts from these gals anytime soon. This is despite the women earning wildly low salaries each year.

The Huffington Post confirmed this with an anonymous former cheerleader from 2021, who said cheerleaders aren't permitted to earn an income with spon-con or influencing.

7. They're always on call. 

Reckon you'll have time to binge-watch your favourite shows? Think again! Cheerleaders are expected to be available for events and photoshoots, even on their days off. I'm tired just thinking about this. 

8. They cannot sit during games. Lol. 

When the DCC are at the game, cheerleaders have to be standing at all times. There is no sitting down for a quick breather, ladies! 

Damn, sitting is my favourite hobby. 

9. No touch-ups allowed. 

Smudged your lippy? Too bad! During games, cheerleaders aren't allowed any makeup retouches or wardrobe adjustments which explains why they arrive five hours before kick-off. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (@dccheerleaders)

10. Go commando under the uniform. 

Here's a fun fact that'll make you feel uncomfortable: underwear is a no-no when in uniform. Yep, you read that right. The reasoning? To avoid any wardrobe malfunctions during performances. Thankfully, they are permitted to wear a sports bra. Imagine those puppies bouncing around during the high kicks? I can't. 

11. You have to eat a "proper diet" and never attend events where alcohol is served. 

In the Netflix series, we copped a peak at a rule book with current Director Kelli Finglass' name at the top, suggesting it was an updated version. The notes said cheerleaders had to take vitamins, eat a healthy breakfast, drink eight glasses of water every day and stop eating after 6pm. 

Hmm, that 6pm curfew sounds problematic but sure.

Another rule that seeks to limit the kinds of food and drink that cheerleaders consume is banning them from attending any event or party where alcohol is served. The New York Times reported that this rule was still kicking in 2018.

12. You have to look "well-proportioned" in dancewear.

Netflix viewers clocked this divisive rule in the part of the series where prospective DCC members had a fitting. It wasn't just expected that these women were conventionally thin, but they had to be 'right' shape, with Kelli even measuring how far their belly button sat from the top of their shorts. Ugh. 

13. The makeup rules are low-key deranged.  

There are a plethora of makeup rules to be followed which include: you must "wear shades that compliment your natural beauty"; no glitter is to be used on faces, opting for "mostly mattes for eye shadows" instead; false eyelashes are allowed but you must "avoid false eyelashes" that "make eyes appear heavy and too dark; loud colours of cheek and lip colours are to avoided; and finally, you must avoid "orange tones" when choosing a spray tan. 

Image: Netflix. 

14. You can't be late to, or skip, any rehearsal.

Okay, this is literally the only rule on this list that makes sense. Obviously, DCC members are discouraged from being tardy or missing any rehearsals.

15. But wait, they can't pout???

I'm not kidding. There's a reason that a smile is permanently fixed on the faces of the DCC: pouting is not permitted. 

According to Inside Edition, pouting is a serious offence. 

You can't make this stuff up.

But you can stream America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders on Netflix now.

Continue reading about Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: 

Where are the cast of Netflix's America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders now?

This is the most prestigious thing you can do in cheerleading but all anyone can talk about is their pay.

'10 infuriating thoughts I had while watching America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders on Netflix.'

Jinelle Esther was at the peak of Australian cheerleading. Then she joined the Dallas Cowboys.

Lack of respect and minimal pay: What it's really like to be an NRL cheerleader.

Victoria is the breakout star of Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. After filming, she quit the team.

Feature image: Getty. 

Calling all Australians aged 16+ years! Take our survey now to go in the running to win a $50 gift voucher.