The Rules for Being an NFL Cheerleader May Surprise You
Purported guide tells women to make a point to find out if a player is married.
Jan. 28, 2014— -- This Super Bowl Sunday, let's all spare a thought for the NFL's other troopers of the gridiron -- the cheerleaders.
While the standards the cheerleaders are held to vary by team, a purported "super secret" handbook allegedly given to the Oakland Raiders' dancers has been making waves after details were published in the Los Angeles Times.
"Make a point to find out if a player is married … In most cases, he won't tell you!" the handbook urges, according to the LA Times.
In a section about fraternization, the purported guide alludes to a former player who threw Halloween parties attended by many Raiderettes and was later accused of date rape.
"For you on the squad who have attended those parties, just think how narrowly you missed having your photo in all the local papers and/or being assaulted," the guide says, according to the LA Times.
The guide was leaked to the newspaper one week after a Raiderette identified as Lacey T. filed suit against the team alleging cheerleaders were not paid adequately or on time.
The Oakland Raiders did not return a request for comment from ABCNews.com.
It seems they aren't the only NFL team with stringent rules for cheerleaders, though.
The Seattle Seahawks' dancers, known as the Sea Gals, must agree to a three-page list of rules that dictate their lives all the way down to gum chewing.
"The Sea Gal Director may dictate policies regarding gum chewing, smoking, eating, drinking, use of drugs and other activities whenever such activities may reflect negatively on the Seahawks' organization," read the audition rules, which are posted on the team's website.
Even the slightest changes, from weight gain to muscle tone, to skin and hair conditions, can also lead to a cheerleader being suspended or dismissed from the squad.
And remember at the end of a high school sports season when you had to give back your uniform? The Sea Gals aren't any different.
The cheerleaders are also paid hourly, are eligible for overtime and receive their paycheck on the last day of the month, according to the rules.
While the guide doesn't address fraternization to the extent of the rules posted in the purported Raiderettes handbook, the Sea Gals are discouraged from fraternizing, dating, cohabiting, or marrying Seahawks players, coaches, management and even the mascot.
2014 Super Bowl Cheerleaders: Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos declined ABCNews.com's request for an interview regarding their rules for cheerleaders, and it did not appear a list was posted online. According to the Broncos website, their cheer squad is evaluated on dance technique, "tested on football knowledge, judged on work ethic during rehearsals and observed on interaction with the other finalists during the process."
