While cheerleaders are usually not allowed to wear undergarments at all, there is one exception. If a cheerleaders’ breasts are “slouching,” they’re required to wear some sort of bra to perk them up.
The bra must be seamless and cannot be visible beneath the cheerleaders’ outfit. If their breasts are slouching, they could be benched, either for one game or for the entire season.
They Must Use Approved Products
As if the hygiene rules aren’t bad enough already, some NFL teams like the Buffalo Bills decided to dictate which products their cheerleaders could use.
In the Bills’ handbook, an entire section outlined the appropriate products for women to use when washing their private areas. They weren’t allowed to use anything scented or chemically-enhanced. While we’re not sure how this mandate was enforced, the girls could potentially face consequences if their bosses found that they weren’t following the rules.
They Can’t Wear Undergarments
On game days, most cheerleaders are prohibited from wearing undergarments with their skimpy ensemble. Instead, they have to go au-naturel for fear that their garments might pop out during a game.
To ensure that cheerleaders adjust to this rule, some teams forced their girls to go commando during practice. While the rule makes sense in some regards, it can’t be the most comfortable feeling for the cheerleaders.
Their Face Expressions Must Be Positive
While demanding that the cheerleaders wear two-piece outfits on Tuesdays, the Raiderettes also instituted a rule that banned the girls from making negative facial expressions. The facial expressions were included in conjunction with rules that banned crude language and slang.
Apparently the cheerleaders have to look happy and energetic all the time, and the Raiderettes aren’t the only ones instituting this type of rule. The handbook for the Buffalo Bills’ cheerleaders has a similar mandate. Better get those smiles ready girls!
They Cannot Attend Parties With Players
After some of these rules came to light, a lawsuit was filed against the Raiderettes for the way they treat their cheerleaders. During the lawsuit, it came out that the guidebook also told the women they weren’t allowed to attend player parties.
Although the cheerleaders worked alongside the players multiple times per week, they weren’t allowed to socialize with them. The rule specified that players might use drugs at their parties, and such behavior would ruin a cheerleader’s reputation. To keep that from happening, the cheerleaders were banned from the parties altogether.