Pop Warner Cheer Nationals 2026: Pop Warner Cheer Competition Rules, Divisions and Levels.
Charlotte, December 6 to 10. Getting there takes a top two finish at League in October and at Region in November, a squad placed in the right age, skill and size division by September 15, and a budget for a stay to play hotel package that starts at $396 a head. Here is the whole road for a Pop Warner cheer coordinator, from the rulebook, not from last year's flyer.
Written for association cheer coordinators and head coaches. Every rule and fee comes from the 2026-2027 Pop Warner rulebook, the YCADA scoring packet and the August 24, 2026 Nationals manual.
Pop Warner nationals in seven lines
- December 6 to 10, 2026, Charlotte Convention Center
- League in October, Region in November, top 2 advance
- Divisions and roster locked September 15
- Age on July 14 sets the division for the season
- Small 5 to 10, Medium 11 to 20, Large 21 to 35
- Hotel package from $396 per athlete and coach
- No tryouts, no cuts, 2.0 grade minimum
Rosters with the four required documents, practice hour caps, skill progression and every championship date for all your squads.
The short answer
Pop Warner Cheer and Dance Nationals 2026 run December 6 to 10 at the Charlotte Convention Center. Teams qualify by finishing first or second in their age, skill and size division at a League Championship in October and again at a Region Championship in November; third to fifth at Region also go with a score of 80 or more within 5 points of first. Divisions combine an age band set by the athlete's age on July 14, a YCADA skill level from Show Cheer 1 to 4, Core Cheer or Sideline Performance Cheer, and a size band of 5 to 35 athletes. Routines are scored out of 100 per judge, and Nationals is stay to play, from $396 per athlete and coach.
How to qualify for Pop Warner cheer nationals
There are three ways into Nationals, and only one of them is the one most parents know about. The rulebook sets out the first two; the third arrived with the Queen City Crown Open.
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| Stage | When | Who moves on |
|---|---|---|
| Division declaration | September 15 | Age, skill and size are declared in the Pop Warner Roster System. After approval they change only through the Region Cheer and Dance Coordinator. No athlete may be added after this date. |
| League Championship | October | Top 2 in each age, skill and size division. Third may advance by regional invitation. No minimum score. |
| Region Championship | October 24 to November 28, by region | Top 2 per division. Third, fourth or fifth also qualify with a final score of 80 or more that is within 5 points of first place. |
| Show Cheer 4 | League and Region | Every Show Cheer 4 team that competes at League and Region may advance, whatever its placing. |
| Queen City Crown Open | Nationals week, Charlotte | Open to Pop Warner teams that did not advance. A division winner moves into Nationals the same day. |
| Cheer and Dance Nationals | December 6 to 10, 2026 | First to third per division. The highest score in each skill division takes the trophy and championship rings. |
The 80 point door
A third place team at Region with 82 points, 4 behind the winner, goes to Charlotte. A second place team always goes, even on 71. So a small division where the winner runs away with it sends only two teams, however good third place was.
Early registration is a commitment
Registration opened September 1. Registering early means registering for Nationals week: qualifiers go to Nationals and everyone else is placed in the Crown Open. There is no withdrawal for failing to qualify, and early registrants pay in full by November 16.
The Statement of Acceptance
A team that advances signs a Statement of Acceptance that commits it to Region and, if it places first or second there, to Nationals. All Regional and National fees must be paid before the team takes the floor in the postseason.
2026 Region Championship dates
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| Region | Date | Venue in the manual |
|---|---|---|
| Southwest | October 24 | Dallas to Fort Worth area, venue to be announced |
| Eastern | October 25 and November 7 to 8 | Cure Insurance Arena, Trenton, NJ |
| Mid-America | November 7 to 8 | Schaumburg Convention Center, IL |
| Mid-South | November 8 | John T. Rhodes Myrtle Beach Sports Center |
| Wescon | November 8 | Listed as San Diego Convention Center, Anaheim, CA |
| New England | November 14 to 15 | MassMutual Center, Springfield, MA |
| Pacific Northwest | November 15 | Reno-Sparks Convention Center, NV |
| Southeast | November 27 to 28 | Silver Spurs Arena, Kissimmee, FL |
Southeast teams finish Region on November 28 and have eight days before Charlotte; Southwest teams have six weeks. For a late region, music for Nationals goes to the Region Coordinator two days after Region, and nothing can be changed on site, so the Nationals mix has to be final before Region, not after it.
Pop Warner cheer divisions and age groups for 2026
The rule is one line: the athlete's age on July 14 is her age for the whole season, which runs July 15, 2026 to July 14, 2027. The bands overlap by design. Placement follows the football team the squad cheers for, and a first time athlete goes to the lowest age and skill division she qualifies for. Once certified at an age level she can move up that season but never back down.
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| Division | Ages on July 14 | Cheer levels offered | Nationals day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jr. Tiny Mite | 3, 4, 5 | One division only: Show Cheer 1 Limited, Core Cheer Limited or one dance category. Max 3 hours a week. | Exhibition at League and Region |
| Tiny Mite | 5, 6, 7 | Show Cheer 1 Limited, Core Cheer Limited, Show Cheer 1 | Wednesday, December 9 |
| Mitey Mite | 6, 7, 8, 9 | Core Cheer, Show Cheer 1 and 2, Sideline Performance | Thursday, December 10 |
| Jr. Peewee | 8, 9, 10, 11 | Core Cheer, Show Cheer 1 to 4, Sideline Performance | Sunday, December 6 |
| Peewee | 9, 10, 11, 12 | Core Cheer, Show Cheer 1 to 4, Sideline Performance | Tuesday, December 8 |
| Jr. Varsity | 10 to 14 | Show Cheer 1 to 4, Sideline Performance, Partner Stunt, Mascot | Monday, December 7 |
| Varsity | 12 to 16 | Show Cheer 1 to 4, Sideline Performance, Partner Stunt, Mascot | Tuesday, December 8 |
| Bantam | 14 to 18 (18 only if still in high school) | Show Cheer 1 to 4, Sideline Performance, Partner Stunt, Mascot | Tuesday, December 8 |
| Challenger | 5 to 18 | Adaptive teams, 1:30 exhibition routine | Exhibition slot, December 6 to 10 |
Pom, Theme and Hip Hop dance run in every age division, Challenger included. Dance days follow the manual: all dance on December 9.
The age chart most associations still share is out of date
The only cheer age matrix PDF linked from popwarner.com is the 2024 edition. It uses an August 1 to July 31 season and older bands: Mitey Mite 7 to 9, Jr. Varsity 10 to 13, Jr. Tiny Mite 3 to 4. The 2026 rulebook, brochure and age calculator all use July 14 with Mitey Mite 6 to 9 and Jr. Varsity 10 to 14. A six year old or a 14 year old placed from the old chart ends up in the wrong division, and an overage or underage athlete is one of the rulebook's three ineligibility findings with no appeal: the team forfeits every competition she was in.
No older and lighter rule for cheer
Weight limits and the older and lighter asterisks on the Pop Warner age calculator belong to tackle football. Cheer and dance place athletes on age alone. Proof of age is a certified birth certificate, passport or military ID; anything else is accepted only if the team agrees to forfeit its schedule if the document turns out to be false.
Pop Warner cheer team sizes and the September 15 roster
A team may start pre-conditioning with up to 35 athletes, and each football team can carry at most three rostered cheer and dance teams. Size is counted from the roster as it stands on September 15, and only actual cheerleaders count.
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| Division type | Size bands | How the split works |
|---|---|---|
| Show Cheer 1 to 3, Sideline Performance | Small 5 to 10, Medium 11 to 20, Large 21 to 35 | At Region: under 4 teams compete together; 4 to 9 split Small and Large; more than 10 split three ways |
| Show Cheer 4 and all Dance | Natural Break | Under 4 teams compete together. At 4 or more, the average team size becomes the top of Small, with at least two teams on each side |
| Core Cheer | 5 to 35, no size split | Routine written for 12; bigger teams use everyone in motions and jumps |
| Co-ed | 3 or more male athletes on the roster | Placed in a Co-ed category within the age division |
Your coaches cap your roster
One head coach, 21 or older, covers up to 12 athletes including mascots, and each additional 12 needs another assistant aged 18 or older, with a maximum of four assistants. A 30 athlete squad needs at least three rostered coaches before it can practice.
Five on the floor or no score
A team needs at least five active athletes rostered and on the floor to compete at a championship. Late additions are closed after September 15, apart from a second half window from January 1 to March 31, 2027.
One team per athlete
An athlete can be rostered on only one Pop Warner cheer team. Rostering her on a second team in the same sport is one of the mandatory cuts, and no Pop Warner association may enter a team in any other youth cheer organization.
Pop Warner cheer levels: what each one allows
The Pop Warner rulebook does not contain the skill grids. They live in the YCADA 2026-2027 Rules and Scoring Packet, which the rulebook links to. The head coach declares the level from those grids and files a Skills Progression Sheet with the association coordinator, and it is a required Team Book document. Any skill from a higher level costs 1.0 per violation. The ceilings below are summaries; the packet has the full list and exceptions.
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| Level | Tumbling ceiling | Stunts | Tosses and dismounts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Show Cheer 1 Limited (Jr. Tiny and Tiny Mite) | Rolls, cartwheels, round offs, handstands, bridges. No walkovers. | Two leg stunts at prep level; single legs only at knee stand | No tosses. Step off and pop off dismounts only, no cradles |
| Show Cheer 1 | Adds walkovers, back limbers, valdez. No handsprings. | Two leg stunts through extended, 1/4 twist, no free standing extended | No tosses. Straight and 1/4 cradles from group stunts |
| Show Cheer 2 | Standing single handspring, running handspring series, dive rolls. No flips. | Extended two leg stunts, prep level single legs, 1/2 twist | Straight body tosses only. Straight, 1/4 and single trick cradles |
| Show Cheer 3 | Standing handspring series, running tucks and aerials. No standing flips, no twisting flips. | Extended single leg stunts, 1 full twist at prep level | Single trick tosses to 1 1/4 twists. Dismounts to 1 1/4 twists |
| Show Cheer 4 | Flips in any position with up to one flip and one twist | 1 1/2 twists in load ins and transitions, no double ups | Two trick tosses to 1 1/4 twists, kick full allowed, no flipping tosses |
| Sideline Performance Cheer | Up to a single back handspring | Prep level two leg stunts, show and go to extended | No tosses, no inversions. Straight cradles only |
| Core Cheer | Compulsory routine supplied by YCADA | Written stunt counts; under 12 athletes must still hit them | Judged on execution only, 1.0 omission penalty |
Rules that apply at every level: tosses (Levels 2 to 4 only) are caught in a cradle by the original bases and never travel or invert; stunts at prep level and above need a continuous back spot; no partner tumbling and no tumbling over or under stunts; mini tramps and springboards are banned. On the football field, twisting mounts, twisting dismounts and basket tosses need a mat, and nothing is stunted while the ball is live. For how these levels line up with all star and school levels, see our cheerleading levels guide and the cheerleading stunts by level.
How Pop Warner cheer competition is scored
Each judge scores out of 100 on the YCADA sheet, comparing teams within the division. The weighting is the thing to understand before you build a routine: execution is capped at 1.0 point in each skill category, while stunt difficulty and pyramid difficulty are worth 15 each. Falls are handled as deductions instead.
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| Score sheet | Building | Jumps and tumbling | Overall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Show Cheer 1 | 38 (stunts 15, pyramid 15, dismounts 5, plus execution) | 22 (jumps 10, tumbling 10, plus execution) | 40 (choreography 10, performance 10, dance 4, motions 16) |
| Show Cheer 2 to 4 | 44 (adds toss difficulty 5 and execution) | 22 | 34 (motions drop to 10) |
| Sideline Performance | Crowd leading 40 (material, skills, props, voice, 10 each) | Motions 30 | Overall 30 |
| Core Cheer, Mitey Mite to Peewee | Stunts 20, dismounts 20, pyramids 20 | Jumps 20 | Motions 20 |
Deductions
- Safety or level grid violation: 1.0 each
- Major stunt fall 1.0, stunt fall 0.8, stunt bobble 0.2
- Tumbling fall 0.4, tumbling touch 0.2
- Overtime of 4 seconds or more: 0.4
- Boundary step: 0.1
- Pop Warner uniform or appearance violation at a championship: 1.0
The minimums hide in the Coach's Cheat Sheet
Difficulty ranges are earned by headcount. "Majority" means more than half the team, and tumbling ranges count 25 percent of athletes. A 20 athlete team needs 5 tumblers, 11 athletes on jumps and motions and 3 stunt groups just to reach the bottom of a range. Adding four athletes in August quietly raises the number of stunt groups and tumblers the routine must show.
Score sheets go to the head coach after the event, with a separate legality deduction sheet. At Nationals, a coach whose team took a deduction gets a text about ten minutes after performing and may ask for a video review, but the manual warns that a review can add violations as well as remove them. For a side by side with all star and school sheets, our cheerleading score sheet page breaks down the USASF and NFHS scoring.
What Pop Warner cheer nationals costs a team
Nationals is stay to play: every athlete and coach buys a package at a partner hotel with a three night minimum. The last column is our arithmetic for a 20 athlete squad with three coaches, before flights or bus and before meals.
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| Item | Published price | 20 athletes, 3 coaches |
|---|---|---|
| Stay to play package, athlete or coach | From $396 per person, 3 nights, taxes included, no transportation | $9,108 |
| Team deposit | $1,500 non-refundable, or $1,000 early with a $500 balance | $1,500 |
| Second routine | $100 per team | Only if entered |
| Costumed Mascot or Partner Stunt entry | $50 each | Only if entered |
| Spectator package | From $211 per person | Per parent traveling |
| Guest pass without a package | $30 a day, $50 a week, under 2 free | Per guest |
That is $10,608 for the squad, about $530 per athlete if the association spreads coach packages and the deposit across the 20 athletes. The manual does not say whether the deposit is credited against packages, so budget it on top until your Region Coordinator confirms. Cancelling after final payment forfeits the deposit plus $100 per room and $125 per attendee. Since an early registrant cannot withdraw for failing to qualify, the fundraising calendar has to be built before League, not after Region. Our cheer competition fees breakdown compares this with all star event pricing.
Pop Warner cheer rules coaches trip over
Coaches who come from all star or school cheer bring habits that Pop Warner does not allow. These are the rules that change how a season is run.
No tryouts, no cuts
Tryouts, assessments and evaluations used to place athletes are all banned, and nobody who wants to cheer may be cut for competition. Substitutions need a written medical reason.
Four documents or no athlete
Parental consent, a medical form with an exam in the past two years, proof of age and scholastic fitness. Missing any one is a mandatory cut.
2.0 grades, and no higher
The academic floor is a 2.0, 70 percent or the equivalent, and no team, association or league may make it stricter.
Practice hour caps
Before Labor Day: 10 hours a week, 2.5 a day. After: 6 hours a week, 2 a day. 20 hours of conditioning first, including for athletes added later. No extra practice for the postseason.
Volunteer coaches only
Coaches may not be paid. The one exception: teams on the League, Region and National path may pay for routine choreography.
Every coach, every year
Annual background check, Pop Warner volunteer application and YCADA online education before any duties. One coach at every practice holds current CPR and first aid.
No all star teams, no individual awards
No "best flyer" or "best jumper" trophies; any individual award goes to every team member. One competition a week at most.
Outside events need approval
Camps, clinics and non Pop Warner competitions need an Event Request Form approved by League, Region and National Office in advance.
Appearance is stricter than YCADA
Midriff covered at attention, no jewelry of any kind including studs, no 3D bows, no face paint or hair color for cheer. Each violation at a championship costs 1.0.
Two of those are the opposite of all star cheer. USASF Senior and Senior Open divisions allow an exposed midriff in Club Elite, and Elite routines run 2:30 with tosses and flipping skills that Pop Warner saves for Show Cheer 4. If your athletes also cheer all star, the USASF rules page covers that side. Note that the rulebook bars a Pop Warner association from entering a team in any other youth cheer organization.
Check before you rely on it
Six places the Pop Warner documents disagree
- 1. The age chart. The 2024 age matrix (August 1, JV 10 to 13) against the 2026 rulebook (July 14, JV 10 to 14). The popwarner.com FAQ still says Bantam is 14 to 17; the rulebook says 14 to 18.
- 2. Mascots. Page 61 of the rulebook says mascots cannot compete and do not count toward team size, and then, on the same page, that a costumed mascot counts and one may be in the routine. Nationals now has a scored Costumed Mascot division.
- 3. The size date. Size is fixed from the September 15 roster, but the Show Cheer 4 and dance Natural Break uses rosters final on October 1.
- 4. The early deposit window. The Nationals page says the $1,000 early deposit runs September 1 to 30; page 2 of the manual says September 1 to October 31.
- 5. Partner Stunt. The manual says routines may not exceed "60 minutes" and are scored out of 50; the division flyer says 60 seconds and a 100 point sheet.
- 6. Earrings in dance. YCADA dance rules allow post stud earrings. Pop Warner bans them for everyone and says its uniform rules override YCADA, with a 1.0 deduction at its championships.
When two documents disagree, get the answer from your Region Cheer and Dance Coordinator in writing and keep it in the Team Book.
How a Pop Warner association keeps its squads compliant
An association with four football teams can have up to twelve cheer and dance teams, each run by volunteers, each with its own Team Book, each with the same September 15 cliff. The failures are rarely about skills. They are a missing medical form, a sixth practice hour after Labor Day, an athlete placed from the old age chart, or an assistant whose YCADA course lapsed.
1. A roster that holds the Team Book
Consent, medical form, proof of age and scholastic fitness marked per athlete, with each athlete's birth date on file for the July 14 age check, so certification day is a check and not a hunt.
2. Practice hours that add up by themselves
Timed practice plans with attendance on every session, so each squad's weekly hours sit on record against the 10 and 6 hour caps, and a late addition's 20 conditioning hours can be shown.
3. A skills record per athlete
The Skills Progression Sheet is a required document. Logging each athlete's skills against the Show Cheer level makes the declaration defensible and shows how many tumblers and stunt groups the routine can really field.
4. One calendar for every squad
September 15, League in October, your Region date, music due two days after Region, the November 16 payment and December in Charlotte, next to the football schedule every squad cheers.
That is what Cheerleaders does for a youth program. The roster keeps every athlete's documents and contacts on one record, the practice planner keeps timed blocks and attendance for every session, and skill tracking backs up the level you declare. One squad runs on the Team plan at $29 a month. An association coordinator running up to five squads with three coach seats uses the Program plan at $79 a month, and larger associations take the unlimited teams plan. See pricing or how the rec and Pop Warner cheer software works for volunteer coaches.
When is Pop Warner cheer nationals 2026?
Pop Warner Cheer and Dance Nationals run December 6 to 10, 2026 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Each age division competes on one day: Jr. Peewee on December 6, Jr. Varsity on December 7, Peewee, Varsity and Bantam on December 8, Tiny Mite and every dance division on December 9, and Mitey Mite on December 10.
How do you qualify for Pop Warner cheer nationals?
Win or place second in your age, skill and size division at your League Championship in October, then place first or second at your Region Championship in November. Third, fourth or fifth at Region also qualifies with a final score of 80 or higher that is within 5 points of first place. Every Show Cheer 4 team that competes at League and Region advances, and Queen City Crown Open division winners move into Nationals the same day.
What is the Queen City Crown Open?
The Queen City Crown Open is a second competition held during Nationals week in Charlotte for Pop Warner teams that did not advance, including teams that did not qualify out of League. It runs the same divisions as Nationals. A team that wins its division at the Crown Open advances into Cheer and Dance Nationals later that same day. A team cannot compete in both events.
What are the Pop Warner cheer age groups for 2026?
An athlete's age on July 14, 2026 sets her division for the whole season. The 2026 bands are Jr. Tiny Mite 3 to 5, Tiny Mite 5 to 7, Mitey Mite 6 to 9, Jr. Peewee 8 to 11, Peewee 9 to 12, Jr. Varsity 10 to 14, Varsity 12 to 16, Bantam 14 to 18 and Challenger 5 to 18. The bands overlap on purpose and should match the ages of the football team the squad cheers for.
What are the Pop Warner cheer levels?
Pop Warner cheer runs on YCADA skill levels: Show Cheer 1 Limited for the youngest teams, then Show Cheer 1, 2, 3 and 4, plus Core Cheer (a compulsory routine and music supplied by YCADA) and Sideline Performance Cheer (a crowd leading routine with props and no music). Show Cheer 1 allows no tosses and no handsprings; Show Cheer 4 allows standing and running flips with one twist.
How many cheerleaders are on a Pop Warner team?
A Pop Warner cheer team carries 5 to 35 athletes. Show Cheer and Sideline teams compete by size: Small 5 to 10, Medium 11 to 20 and Large 21 to 35, counted from the September 15 roster. Three or more boys on the roster moves the team into a Co-ed category. The coach ratio also matters: one adult coach per 12 athletes, with a maximum of four assistants.
How much does it cost to go to Pop Warner nationals?
Nationals is stay to play. Every athlete and coach buys a hotel package with a three night minimum, from $396 per person including taxes, and spectators from $211. The team deposit is $1,500 and non-refundable, or $1,000 for early cheer registration with a $500 balance later. A second routine adds $100, and Mascot and Partner Stunt entries add $50 each. Travel to Charlotte is extra.
Can you try out for Pop Warner cheer?
No. Pop Warner bans tryouts of any kind, including assessments and evaluations used to place a participant, and teams may not cut anyone who wants to cheer. Athletes are placed by age, and a first time athlete goes to the lowest age and skill division she qualifies for. The only required cuts are for missing paperwork, dual rostering, parental pressure or repeated discipline problems.
How long is a Pop Warner cheer routine?
Show Cheer 1 to 4 routines run up to 2:30, Show Cheer 1 Limited 2:00, Core Cheer 1:45 and Sideline Performance Cheer 1:30 with no music. Pom, Hip Hop and Theme dance routines are 2:30. Going four seconds or more over the limit costs a 0.4 deduction. Music must be an MP3 bought from an authorized source, with the receipt kept.
What grades do you need for Pop Warner cheer?
Pop Warner requires a 2.0 average, 70 percent or the equivalent, and the rulebook says no team, association or league may make that standard stricter. Report cards are checked at certification rather than at competition. Students below the standard or who are home schooled can use an alternative eligibility process monitored through progress reports.
Keep building the season
Rec and Pop Warner cheer software
Rosters, low season fees, uniform resale and parent messaging for volunteer run squads.
Cheer practice schedule
Days and hours a week by program type, useful against the 10 and 6 hour caps.
Used cheer uniforms for sale
Buy or sell team sets that already meet midriff and appearance rules.
Cheerleading music prices
What a licensed mix costs, since Pop Warner requires a receipt from an authorized vendor.
NFHS cheer rules
The school rules your Bantam and Varsity athletes meet in high school.
UIL Spirit State Championship
How Texas high school cheer runs its state event, for comparison.
Game day, every day
Get every squad to September 15 with a clean Team Book
Required documents per athlete, practice hours against the weekly cap, skill progression per level and every championship date on one calendar.
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