Florida high school competitive cheerleading
FHSAA Cheer and FHSAA Competitive Cheer for 2026-27
FHSAA competitive cheer is one routine of 2 minutes 30 seconds, scored out of 100 by each judge: 40 points for building, 35 for the cheer and 25 for everything else to music. Regionals run February 12 to 20, 2027 and the state finals are February 25 and 26 in Lakeland, five weeks later than last season. College coaches recruit from the stunts and tumbling inside that routine, and Florida's own programs hold tryouts from April to May.
From the FHSAA 2026-27 Competitive Cheerleading Sport Manual, the 2026-27 handbook and calendar, and the FHSAA record book.
2027 FHSAA state series
100
points per judge, 40 of them for stunts, pyramids and tosses
75
raw score a regional champion or runner up needs to go straight to the finals
40
athletes a school can list for the state series
15
state titles for West Nassau, the record, after its 2026 win
FHSAA competitive cheer scoring
How a 100 point FHSAA score sheet splits
Florida runs competitive cheer as a single routine under the NFHS Spirit Rules Book, with the FHSAA's own sport manual on top for divisions, timing and scoring. The music portion is worth 65 points and the cheer 35, so the voice and sign work that sideline squads do every Friday is more than a third of the score. Three score sheets are used per team, and ties go to fewer deductions, then to the majority of the three sheets, then to the higher cheer score.
Building
40
Stunts, pyramids and tosses, judged on execution and difficulty during the music portion.
Cheer
35
At least one cheer or sideline chant, judged on crowd leading, voice, signs and motions.
Overall
25
The rest of the music portion: tumbling, jumps, motions, transitions and the routine as a whole.
What a champion's sheet looked like
Windermere won 2A Small Varsity in January 2026 with 88.10, and the Orange Observer reported the split: 34.9 of 40 for building, 32.6 of 35 for the cheer and 20.6 of 25 overall. The cheer was the strongest part in percentage terms. Tate finished at 87.60 and Cooper City at 86.60, so half a point of cheer was the margin.
Deductions and timing
A traditional routine runs 2:30 in total with no more than 1:45 of music; Game Day gets 3:00. Running 3 to 5 seconds over costs 1 point and 6 or more costs 2. A general rule or uniform violation costs 2 points each, a specific safety violation 5. Too few athletes on the floor for the division costs 2 points, and too many is a disqualification. Scores go only to head coaches, and questions wait 24 hours.
FHSAA cheerleading divisions
Four division families in two classes, 1A and 2A
Schools are classified 1A or 2A by enrollment and the number of teams in each division, then the coach picks the division by floor count. In 2025 that produced 22 state champions. A school can list up to 40 athletes for the series, so on a large roster not everyone performs every routine.
All Girl
Small up to 12, Medium 13 to 16, Large 17 to 20, Extra Large 21 to 30
Full tumbling and building under NFHS spirit rules. Female athletes only.
Non-Tumbling
Same four sizes, 0 to 2 males
No skill with feet passing over the head, not even a roll or walkover. Legal inversions into or out of stunts are allowed.
Coed
Small 1 to 2 males and 20 max, Medium 3 to 4 males and 25 max, Large 5 or more males and 30 max
Medium and Large Coed run in 2A only, according to the 2027 results template.
Small Game Day
Up to 12, 0 to 2 males
Band chant, crowd leading and fight song, three minutes. Stunts stop at preps and extensions, tumbling at back handsprings.
How to qualify for the FHSAA state finals
The 75 and 65 point lines at regionals
Qualifying is decided by raw score, before deductions, at one of four regionals. Each team needs at least four contests during the season to be eligible, and a varsity team may enter one preseason classic and ten regular season competitions.
Regional champion or runner up
Straight to the state finals
Champion or runner up below 75, and any other team at 65 or more
State semifinals, where one team per three advances to the finals
Every remaining team
Season over
The calendar moved. In 2025-26 first practice was September 29, regionals ran January 9 to 17 and the state finals were January 22 and 23, 2026. For 2026-27 everything shifts about five weeks later, so the state finals now land about five weeks before Florida's college tryout reels start to come due in April.
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October 12, 2026
First practice and tryouts
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November 2 to 7, 2026
Preseason classics
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November 9, 2026
First regular season competition, rosters due
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February 11, 2027
Last regular season date
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February 12 to 20, 2027
Four regionals: Clay, The Villages, Plant City, South Fork
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February 25 and 26, 2027
State semifinals and finals, RP Funding Center, Lakeland
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April and May 2027
Tryouts at UF, UCF and most Florida programs
FHSAA cheer state champions
2025 and 2026 state champions and the title leaders
The top score in 2025 was Niceville's 94.60 in 2A Large Varsity, its sixth straight title in the division. The FHSAA had already reset its results page for 2027 when we checked, so the 2026 list below covers the divisions reported by newspapers and schools.
2026 champions reported
- 2A Small VarsityWindermere 88.10
- 2A Medium VarsityBartram Trail 87.00
- 1A Small Non-TumblingBishop Snyder 90.50
- 1A Medium Non-TumblingWest Nassau 88.50
- 1A Small CoedClay 80.80
Lake Mary, Fort Walton Beach (1A Game Day) and Cardinal Gibbons (1A) also won 2026 titles; scores not published.
Most FHSAA state titles through 2026
Record book totals through 2025, plus 2026 wins reported for West Nassau and Lake Mary. Winter Park, Bartow and Strawberry Crest totals come from the record book's summary table; its year by year lists show 11, 8 and 9.
state titles for West Nassau, the record, after its 2026 win
| 2025 class | Division | Champion | Score | Runner up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2A | Large Varsity | Niceville | 94.60 | Bartram Trail 93.80 |
| 2A | Game Day | Freedom (Orlando) | 93.10 | Sebring 92.00 |
| 2A | Extra Large Varsity | Lake Mary | 92.50 | Newsome 87.30 |
| 2A | Small Coed | Western (Davie) | 90.40 | Choctawhatchee 88.50 |
| 2A | Medium Varsity | Winter Park | 90.40 | Doral Academy 89.40 |
| 2A | Large Coed | Hudson | 89.80 | Bartow 87.70 |
| 2A | Small Non-Tumbling | Hagerty (Oviedo) | 89.70 | Colonial 86.30 |
| 2A | Small Varsity | Windermere | 88.90 | Tate 87.60 |
| 2A | Medium Coed | Strawberry Crest (Dover) | 88.40 | Navarre 74.85 |
| 2A | Medium Non-Tumbling | Plant City | 85.90 | University (Orlando) 80.90 |
| 2A | Large Non-Tumbling | Olympic Heights | 85.50 | Bloomingdale 84.10 |
| 2A | Extra Large Non-Tumbling | Wellington | 85.30 | Lakeland 84.90 |
| 1A | Medium Varsity | Lourdes (Miami) | 91.60 | Providence 90.30 |
| 1A | Game Day | Clearwater Central Catholic | 90.40 | Hilliard 86.50 |
| 1A | Large Varsity | St. Brendan (Miami) | 89.35 | Chiles 86.10 |
| 1A | Medium Coed | Clay | 88.40 | Fleming Island 78.20 |
| 1A | Small Non-Tumbling | Bishop Snyder | 88.00 | Robinson 86.40 |
| 1A | Medium Non-Tumbling | West Nassau | 87.60 | Keys Gate 80.20 |
| 1A | Small Coed | Calvary Christian (Clearwater) | 87.10 | Hernando 81.80 |
| 1A | Large Non-Tumbling | Foundation Academy | 85.80 | Immaculata-LaSalle 77.90 |
| 1A | Small Varsity | North Bay Haven | 80.80 | Nease 80.70 |
| 1A | Extra Large Non-Tumbling | Oak Hall | 79.80 | Cardinal Gibbons 79.00 |
2025 state finals, January 31 and February 1, 2025, RP Funding Center, Lakeland. From the FHSAA Competitive Cheerleading Record Book 2025-26.
Florida college cheer programs
Florida colleges that recruit cheerleaders
Florida had the top two coed teams at UCA College Nationals in 2026. In January, South Florida beat Central Florida by 0.1 for the Division IA Coed title, and Florida State was third in All Girl. Both national championships are held in the state, UCA in Orlando in January and NCA in Daytona Beach in April, so a Florida family can watch the level their athlete is aiming at without getting on a plane.
Most Florida programs pick their teams in spring. UF took highlight reels until April 30, 2026 and held in person rounds May 1 and 2; UCF tried out May 7 to 10. FIU is the exception, with a fall video tryout for students already enrolled.
state titles for West Nassau, the record, after its 2026 win
| College | Level | Program | Results and tryouts | Athletic aid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of South Florida Tampa |
NCAA DI, American | Coed and all girl, UCA | 2026 UCA Division IA Coed champion (89.2) and All Girl runner up; five UCA titles. Females need a solid standing tuck, all males base. | Not published |
| University of Central Florida Orlando |
NCAA DI, Big 12 | Coed, UCA | Second at UCA 2026 by 0.1 (89.1); titles in 2003, 2007, 2020 and 2024. 2026-27 tryouts were May 7 to 10, 2026. | Not published |
| University of Florida Gainesville |
NCAA DI, SEC | Sideline spirit | Highlight reel due April 30, 2026, in person rounds May 1 and 2, $35 fee. | Partial scholarships for every member each semester, by years, grades and need |
| Florida State University Tallahassee |
NCAA DI, ACC | Coed and all girl, UCA | Third in UCA Division IA All Girl in 2026; the 2023 UCA Small Coed champion. A standing back tuck is required. | Scholarships exist, amount not published |
| University of Miami Coral Gables |
NCAA DI, ACC | Coed and all girl, UCA | Seventh in Division I All Girl Game Day in 2026, moving back to traditional All Girl in 2027. | Not published |
| Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton |
NCAA DI, American | Spirit, NCA | Third in NCA Game Day Division IA and eighth in its first Advanced All Girl final, April 2026. | Not published |
| Florida International University Miami |
NCAA DI, Conference USA | Spirit, NCA | Fall video tryout closed August 21, 2026, $35, call back August 26. Must be enrolled. | Book scholarship |
| Florida A&M University Tallahassee |
NCAA DI, SWAC | All girl, NCA | Video due March 1, in person rounds April 18 and 19 for 2026-27, $55. Sixth in NCA Intermediate All Girl Division I in 2024. | Not published |
| University of North Florida Jacksonville |
NCAA DI, ASUN | Coed, NCA | Third in NCA Advanced Small Coed Division I in 2025, its first top three. 2026-27 tryouts April 24 to 26, 2026, 2.0 GPA. | Not published |
| Jacksonville University Jacksonville |
NCAA DI, ASUN | Spirit, NCA required | Tryouts April 25 and 26, 2026, $40 fee. NCA camp in August at about $440 per athlete. | An athletic scholarship the school calls minimal |
| University of Tampa Tampa |
NCAA DII, Sunshine State | All girl, NCA | Fifth in NCA DII Advanced All Girl in 2026, and College Classic champion in 2025 and 2026. | Not published |
| Saint Leo University St. Leo |
NCAA DII, Sunshine State | Cheer plus acrobatics and tumbling | Fourth in NCA DII Advanced All Girl in 2024. Its acro team went 6 and 1 in 2026 and finished ranked ninth. | Not published |
| University of West Florida Pensacola |
Moving to NCAA DI, ASUN | Student organization, NCA | Third in NCA DII Advanced Small Coed in 2026. | Club, no athletic aid stated |
| Florida Memorial University Miami Gardens |
NAIA | Competitive cheer | Second at the 2026 SSAC competitive cheer championship with 90.03, behind Xavier, then eighth at the 2026 NAIA nationals with 86.61. | NAIA limit of 12 equivalents |
| Florida Gulf Coast University Fort Myers |
NCAA DI, ASUN | Small coed, UCA | Won the Division I Small Coed overall award at the 2026 UCA college camp. | Not published |
Smaller programs recruit too. Warner in Lake Wales was the 2026 CCA small coed champion and grand champion, Southeastern in Lakeland placed fourth in UCA Open All Girl in 2026, its best national finish, and Chipola in Marianna held junior college tryouts on May 4, 2026. Two gaps are worth knowing. No Florida college fields a STUNT team, and Saint Leo is the only Florida school we found with varsity acrobatics and tumbling. For the national lists, see STUNT colleges, acrobatics and tumbling colleges and every NAIA cheer college by conference.
For the full national picture by titles, see the best cheer colleges page, and for the schools that publish a dollar figure, colleges with cheerleading scholarships.
From FHSAA competitive cheer to college
What carries over to a college tryout and what does not
Florida's format is closer to college cheer than most state formats. The routine is set to music with a cheer inside it, the building score rewards the same stunts and tosses college coaches test, and Game Day uses the band chant, crowd leading and fight song that UCA and NCA college game day divisions judge. An FHSAA athlete walks into a college tryout already used to performing crowd material with signs.
The gap is individual. A coach watching state finals video sees a team of 12 to 30 and cannot judge one flyer's body position or one tumbler's standing tuck. College programs ask for skills clips: USF wants a solid standing tuck from every female athlete, Florida State calls a standing back a definite requirement, and UCF and UF judge their own in person rounds. Film those skills on their own, one per clip, in the fall. Many Florida athletes add private tumbling lessons to get the standing skill clean on a hard floor.
Eligibility is simpler than many families expect. The NCAA has no cheer championship, so sideline and UCA or NCA teams at NCAA schools only require admission to the school. FHSAA eligibility itself needs a 2.0 unweighted GPA at the start of each semester, and a student who turns 19 before July 1 is no longer eligible.
FHSAA and college cheer side by side
- Music
- Up to 1:45 inside a 2:30 routine
- The whole routine, except game day crowd material
- Cheer
- Required, 35 of 100 points
- Game day divisions only
- Rules
- NFHS Spirit Rules
- UCA or NCA college rules
- Team size
- Up to 30 on the floor by division
- Set by the college division entered
- Selection
- School tryouts from October 12
- Reel, then in person, mostly April and May
Middle column FHSAA, right column college. College rules vary by division and event.
Get seen by Florida and national college coaches
Have the skills reel ready before state finals
A recruiting profile on Cheerleaders holds the skills videos, position, graduation year, GPA, FHSAA division and state results, and only coaches with a verified college email can see it. For an athlete under 18, a parent runs the profile and every contact request goes to the parent.
The profile is free. Recruiting Pro adds featured placement, up to 10 skill videos and the list of coaches who viewed it, for $39 a month or $228 a year, with no contract.
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1
Film skills in the fall
Standing and running tumbling, the stunts she flies or bases, jumps. One skill per clip, one fixed angle.
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2
Add the numbers coaches filter on
Graduation year, GPA, position, FHSAA class and division, state results.
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3
Be on lists before February
State finals end February 26, 2027, and UF reels were due April 30 last spring.
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4
Let coaches come to the parent
Verified college coaches send contact requests, and the parent decides who to answer.
Questions
FHSAA cheer questions parents ask
How is FHSAA competitive cheer scored?
Each judge scores the routine out of 100: 40 points for building (stunts, pyramids and tosses), 25 for the overall music portion and 35 for the cheer. A panel of three score sheets is used, and deductions come off the total: 2 points for a general or uniform violation and 5 for a specific safety violation.
When is the 2027 FHSAA cheer state championship?
February 25 and 26, 2027, at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. First practice is October 12, 2026, the regular season runs November 9, 2026 to February 11, 2027, and the four regionals are February 12, 13, 19 and 20, 2027. That is about five weeks later than the 2026 state finals on January 22 and 23.
How do teams qualify for the FHSAA cheer state finals?
At regionals, the champion and runner up in each division go straight to the state finals if their raw score, before deductions, is 75 or higher. Any other team with a raw score of 65 or more goes to the state semifinals, where one team per three in the semifinal moves on to the finals. Below 65 the season ends.
What rules does FHSAA competitive cheer use?
The FHSAA uses the NFHS Spirit Rules Book for safety and uniforms, with its own 2026-27 Competitive Cheerleading Sport Manual for divisions, timing, scoring and advancement. Florida law also makes the NFHS spirit rules the statewide safety standard for sideline cheer, which is limited to two tier pyramids.
How long is an FHSAA cheer routine?
A traditional routine runs 2 minutes 30 seconds in total, and the music portion may not exceed 1 minute 45 seconds; the rest must include at least one cheer or sideline chant. A Game Day routine covers a band chant, crowd leading and a fight song in 3 minutes at most. Running 3 to 5 seconds over costs 1 point.
Which school has the most FHSAA cheer state titles?
West Nassau in Callahan, a non-tumbling program, had 14 titles through 2025 according to the FHSAA record book and won again in 2026, its 15th. Bishop Moore in Orlando and Winter Park follow with 12 each. Lake Mary won 2A Extra Large Varsity every year from 2017 to 2025.
Can FHSAA cheer help you get a college cheer scholarship?
Yes, because the 40 point building score and the cheer portion test the same skills college coaches recruit for, and Game Day mirrors the UCA and NCA college game day divisions. Florida programs pay modestly: UF gives every member a partial scholarship each semester and FIU a book scholarship. Coaches still recruit from individual skill clips, not team video.
How many athletes can be on an FHSAA competitive cheer team?
A school can list up to 40 athletes for the state series, but the number on the floor must fit the division it entered: up to 12 for Small, 13 to 16 for Medium, 17 to 20 for Large and 21 to 30 for Extra Large. Too few costs 2 points, and too many is a disqualification.
Related
MHSAA competitive cheer
Michigan's three round format, its Finals and the Michigan colleges.
GHSA cheer rules
Georgia competitive cheerleading next door, with its own score sheet.
Best cheer colleges
Four year programs ranked by UCA and NCA titles, USF and UCF included.
Alabama cheer
How Alabama recruits from a November highlight reel window.
State finals in February, college tryouts in April
Put your athlete in front of college cheer coaches while the FHSAA season is still running.