USASF Rules 2026-2027: USASF Cheer Rules by Level, Routine Time Limits, Credentialing and What Changed.
The cheer rules did not change this season, and that is the trap. The parts that draw deductions and disqualifications are not the level charts everyone studies. They are the fifteen general rules on page ten, the uniform standards on page eleven, and the tier differences at the back: Prep and Novice ban every toss, Novice teams are rated rather than scored, and a Youth crop top is an illegal uniform before the music starts.
Everything below was read from the USASF Cheer Rules for 2026-2027, effective June 1, 2026, in the revision dated September 8, 2026, plus the age grid effective August 18, 2026. Both are USASF copyrighted member documents, so this page explains and cites them rather than reproducing them. Confirm against usasf.net before you compete.
The rulebook in six lines
- Effective June 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027; cheer unchanged, dance changed
- Routine caps: Elite 2:30, Prep 2:00, Novice 1:30, Non-Tumbling 2:00
- A skill banned at a level is banned at every level below it
- No tosses at all in Prep, Novice, Level 1 or Mini Level 2
- Exposed midriff only in Senior, Senior Open, U18 and International Open
- International teams start at 16 athletes, club teams at 5
Log every tumbling pass and stunt per athlete at the level it belongs to, so a routine is built from skills you know are legal.
The short answer
The USASF rules for 2026-2027 are the same cheer rules as last season, effective June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2027, published as one document containing a glossary, fifteen general rules, the Athletic Performance Standards for uniform and choreography, and level by level charts for tumbling, stunts, pyramids, dismounts and tosses from Level 1 to Level 7. Routines are capped at 2:30 for Elite, 2:00 for Prep and Non-Tumbling, and 1:30 for Novice. Prep and Novice ban all tosses, International teams need at least 16 athletes, and coaches must hold a USASF credential for the level they put on the floor. The only rule changes this season are in dance.
What the USASF cheer rules actually contain
"USASF rules" is really a set of documents. The cheer rulebook is 24 pages, and the age grid is a separate 17 page document with its own effective date. A program has to work from both, because a legal skill on the wrong roster is still a violation. Here is what each section does and who in a gym should own it.
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| Section | What it governs | Who needs it |
|---|---|---|
| Glossary (pages 3 to 9) | Definitions every rule depends on: prep level, extended, inverted, release move, trick, bracer, spotter. Clickable from every rule in the PDF. | Choreographers and any coach reading a level chart |
| General Rules and Routine Requirements (page 10) | Fifteen numbered rules that apply at every level: surfaces, spotters, jewelry, casts, props, drops, routine time, starting position, code of conduct. | Every coach, and whoever checks uniforms on comp day |
| Athletic Performance Standards (page 11) | Uniform coverage, makeup, hair, bows, and what counts as inappropriate choreography or music. Judges may warn or deduct. | Uniform buyer, music producer brief, choreographer |
| Level rules, Levels 1 to 6 (pages 12 to 17) | Tumbling, stunts, pyramids, dismounts and tosses in a six column grid, one column per level. | Head coach of each team, skill tracking |
| Level 7 (pages 18 to 20) | The top level: rewinds, free flipping transitions, 2 1/2 high pyramids, flipping tosses. | Level 7 programs only |
| Division specific rules (pages 20 to 22) | International (16 athlete minimum), Prep, Novice and CheerABILITIES differences from Elite. | Program director placing teams into tiers |
| Cheer Age Grid (separate, effective 8/18/26) | Which birth years may compete in which division, crossover caps, Division I and II, tier moves. | Program director and registrar |
| Routine Interruption Guidelines (separate) | Suggested procedure when a routine stops for injury or a music failure. | Coach on the floor at competition |
Two structural rules sit above everything in the level charts. General Rule 1 says every skill allowed at a level includes every skill allowed at the level below, and a skill that is not allowed at a level is also not allowed at every level beneath it. General Rule 2 says coaches must require proficiency before progression and must place athletes with the group and team skill level in mind. That second rule is the one an event producer or an insurer points at after an injury, and it is the reason the level a team enters should be decided from logged skills, not from the level the parents expect.
Routine time limits are set per tier, not per level
The 2:30 figure that every music producer quotes is the Elite cap. Three other caps exist in the same rule, and a Prep team that bought a 2:30 mix has a thirty second problem it cannot edit out the night before. Timing starts with the first movement, voice or note of music, whichever comes first, and ends with the last of the three, whichever comes last. A held pose after the music stops is on the clock.
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| Tier or division | Maximum routine time | Tosses | Minimum team size |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Star Elite (club), Levels 1 to 7 | 2:30 | Per level, from Level 2 | 5 |
| All Star Elite International | 2:30 | Per level | 16 |
| Non-Tumbling divisions | 2:00 | Per level | 16 (International) |
| All Star Prep, Levels 1.1 to 3.2 | 2:00 | None, including sponge tosses and waist level cradles | 5 |
| All Star Novice, Levels 1 to 3 | 1:30 | None, including sponge tosses and waist level cradles | 5 (Tiny 3) |
| CheerABILITIES | Per division | None | 5 |
Brief the producer with the tier, not just the level. The published rate cards on our cheerleading music prices page all quote a 2:30 mix as the default product, and shorter edits are a separate line. Prep and Novice teams should order the 2:00 or 1:30 edit from the start rather than pay for a cut later.
The level ladder: what each level adds, in one row per level
The rulebook presents each level as a column of exceptions. Read across instead of down and the progression is simpler than it looks: every level unlocks one more rotation in the air, one more twist in a stunt, and one more trick in a toss. The rows below are the ceiling for each level, summarized from the 2026-2027 charts. The full skill by skill detail lives on the cheerleading stunts by level and cheerleading tumbling by level pages.
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| Level | Tumbling ceiling | Stunt height and twisting | Tosses | Dismount twist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1 | Constant contact skills only: rolls, cartwheels, walkovers, handstands. No handsprings. | Waist level single leg, prep level two leg. Up to 1/4 twist. No inversions. | None, including waist level cradles and sponge tosses. | Straight pop downs and basic straight cradles. |
| Level 2 | Single standing back handspring; running handspring series. No flips. | Prep level single leg, above prep two leg. Up to 1/2 twist. Ground level inversions only. | Straight ride only. No tosses in the Mini division. | Straight pop downs, straight cradles, 1/4 turn cradles. |
| Level 3 | Standing handspring series and jump into handspring; running round off handspring tuck, front tuck, aerial cartwheel. No standing flips. | Extended single leg. Up to 1 twist to prep or extended two leg, 1/2 twist to extended single leg. | 1 1/4 twists, max 1 trick. | 1 1/4 twist or 1 trick from two legs; 1/4 twist from single leg. |
| Level 4 | Standing tuck, 1 flip 0 twist; running 1 flip 0 twist. | Up to 1 1/2 twists to prep or extended two leg, 1 twist to extended single leg. | 2 1/4 twists, max 2 tricks. | 2 1/4 twist from two legs, 1 1/4 from single leg, max 2 tricks. |
| Level 5 | Standing jump flip, 1 flip 0 twist; running 1 flip 1 twist (the full). | Up to 2 twists to prep or extended two leg, 1 1/2 to extended single leg. | 2 1/2 twists, max 3 tricks. | 2 1/4 twists, max 3 tricks. |
| Level 6 | Standing and running up to 1 flip 2 twists (the double), with entry requirements. | Up to 2 1/4 twists. Rewinds allowed with 1 flip, 0 twist, except Junior 6. | 2 1/2 twists. | 2 1/4 twists. |
| Level 7 | Up to 1 flip 2 twists, standing and running, with looser entry rules than Level 6. | Up to 2 1/4 twists. Free flipping transitions from the ground up to 1 1/4 flips and 1 1/4 twists. Pyramids to 2 1/2 high. | Flipping tosses to 1 1/4 flips plus 2 skills; non flipping to 3 1/2 twists. | 2 1/4 twists; front flipping dismounts to the floor allowed. |
Three age qualifiers cut across the ladder and catch programs that only read the level column. No single based or assisted single based extended stunt is allowed in Youth and below at any level. No tosses and no waist level cradles are allowed in the Mini division at Level 2. And Junior 6 is excluded from the Level 6 rewind exception. Each of those is an age grid fact and a rulebook fact at the same time, which is why the USASF age grid has to be read alongside this page and not after it.
The fifteen general rules that apply at every level
Page ten of the rulebook is one page long and it produces more comp day penalties than the six pages of level charts. Grouped by who has to act on them.
Surface and equipment (rules 3 and 4)
No stunts, pyramids, tosses or tumbling on concrete, asphalt, wet or uneven surfaces, and carpet laid over an inappropriate surface does not fix it. No height increasing apparatus to propel an athlete, with the spring floor as the only exception. That rules out the mini tramp at a pep rally on a gym floor as well as at practice.
Spotters and personnel (rules 5 and 6)
Every required spotter must be a member of your own team and trained in spotting. The athletes who begin a routine must be the ones who finish it; a performer may not be replaced mid routine for any reason. A stopped routine is handled under the separate Routine Interruption Guidelines, not by substitution.
On the athlete (rules 7 to 10)
Nothing in the mouth, including gum, candy and cough drops. Soft soled shoes with a solid sole; no dance boots or gymnastics slippers. No jewelry of any kind, not taped over, medical ID excepted; rhinestones on the uniform are legal, on skin or hair illegal. Unaltered braces and soft casts need no padding, altered ones need half inch closed cell foam for stunting, and a hard cast or walking boot removes the athlete from stunts, pyramids, tumbling and tosses entirely.
Props and drops (rules 11 and 12)
Only flags, flat banners and signs, poms, megaphones and pieces of cloth are legal props, none may bear weight, none may be used with a stunt or tumbling if it has a pole, and a uniform piece used for effect becomes a prop. Knee, seat, front, back and split drops from a jump, stunt or inversion are illegal unless the weight lands on hands or feet first. Shushunovas are allowed.
Time and start (rules 13 and 14)
Elite 2:30, Prep 2:00, Novice 1:30, Non-Tumbling 2:00, timed from first movement or sound to last. Every athlete must have a foot, hand or body part other than hair on the floor at the start, or have their feet in the hands of a base whose hands are resting on the floor.
Placement and conduct (rules 1, 2 and 15)
Levels are cumulative in both directions. Coaches must require proficiency before progression and place athletes by group and team skill. Everyone is bound by the USASF Code of Conduct and Compliance, which is its own document and applies to coaches, athletes and parents.
The uniform rules that make a purchase order illegal
The Athletic Performance Standards give judges the right to warn or deduct when the overall presentation is not "appropriate", and they spell out what that means for uniform, makeup, hair, bows, music and choreography. The uniform paragraph is the one to read before a uniform order ships, because a top that is legal on one team is illegal on the next one down.
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| Item | The rule | Where programs get caught |
|---|---|---|
| Exposed midriff | Allowed only for Senior and Senior Open in the Club Elite tier and U18 and International Open in the International Elite tier. Not allowed in any Prep or Novice division. | One gym wide uniform with a crop top. Every Youth, Junior, Prep and Novice athlete in it is out of compliance. |
| Top construction | Must be secured by straps or material over at least one shoulder or around the neck. Tube tops are not allowed. | Strapless designs sold for dance. |
| Skirt | Briefs required under a skirt. Skirt must fully cover the hips, completely cover the briefs, and fall at least 1 inch below regular or boy cut briefs. | Skirts ordered one size short for a growing Junior team. |
| Shorts | Minimum 2 inch inseam when shorts are part of the uniform. | Practice shorts worn as a uniform at a showcase. |
| Makeup | Uniform across the team and age appropriate, neutral colors for eyes and skin. No face or eyelid rhinestones. False lashes allowed but not decorated with rhinestones or jewelry. | Tiny and Mini teams copying a Senior look. |
| Hair and bows | Hair secured off the face in a simple, unexaggerated style. Bows not excessive in size, adequately secured, and never falling over the forehead or blocking the view. | Oversized bows on a stunting Youth team. |
| Cover ups | Athletes in non full top uniforms must wear a t shirt or cover up except in warm up, traveling directly to and from warm up, or on stage. | Walking the venue in uniform between performances. |
| Music and choreography | Suitable for family viewing and listening. Swear words replaced by sound effects can still be inappropriate. Mocking gun use, hip thrusting and inappropriate touching are named examples. If in doubt, assume it is inappropriate and remove it. | A producer edit that bleeps a lyric everyone in the arena still knows. |
The competitions that follow IASF guidelines can be stricter still; the rulebook notes that exposed midriffs are not allowed in any International division at The Cheerleading Worlds. Since a competition uniform is the largest per athlete purchase most programs make, the coverage rules belong in the spec you send the vendor. Our cheer uniform cost breakdown covers the price side of the same decision.
Prep, Novice, International and CheerABILITIES: what differs from Elite
The back of the rulebook is written as differences from the traditional Elite rules. That framing hides how large the differences are. A Novice program is not a smaller Elite program; it is a rated, toss free, 90 second format with its own tumbling exceptions.
All Star Prep (Levels 1.1 to 3.2)
Routines capped at 2:00. No tosses of any kind, including sponge, load in and squish tosses, and no waist level cradles. Spring floor or carpet bonded foam. May be offered at one and two day events, but a Prep team competes or is evaluated once only and must exhibition if a second performance is offered. The split level notation is explained on the cheerleading levels page.
All Star Novice (Levels 1 to 3)
Routines capped at 1:30. No tosses. Teams are evaluated on a rating scale, Outstanding, Excellent or Superior, and are not scored against each other. Tumbling follows the level rules but is neither rated nor required. Level 1 stunts stay at or below waist level for single leg, with only quarter twists. Tiny Novice: cartwheels and forward rolls are the only tumbling allowed, and no building skills at all, meaning no stunts and no pyramids.
All Star International
Minimum 16 athletes in every division, three times the club minimum of 5. Males on a Coed team may not exceed two thirds of the roster. Routine time 2:30, or 2:00 for Non-Tumbling. Non-Tumbling divisions allow forward rolls, handstands, cartwheels and round offs only for stunting purposes or formation changes, following the level inversion rules.
CheerABILITIES
Follows the general rules and APS with no tosses. Any stunt or pyramid at prep level or above performed without a coach or assistant needs an additional spotter who is a coach or assistant. Assistants wear a contrasting t shirt and dark pants, never a uniform. Mobility devices are part of the athlete, and any weight bearing use of a wheelchair in a stunt must be pre approved through the USASF Coach App.
The tier decision is also a roster decision. An athlete competes in one competitive tier, Prep or Elite, and may add Novice on top; changing tier after taking the floor needs USASF approval and is granted once per season. The birth years for each tier, the crossover cap of three cheer teams per competition and the Division I threshold of 126 Elite athletes are all on the USASF age grid 2026-2027 page.
What changed for 2026-2027, and what did not
Cheer rules: no changes
The USASF confirmed no changes to the cheer rules or the cheer age grid for 2026-2027. The rulebook was reissued in a grid style layout and marks any adjustment since 2025-2026 in red, and any major change since the early release in blue. The cheer age grid was reissued with an effective date of August 18, 2026 and every birth year moved forward by one, which changes placements without changing a single rule.
Dance rules: two changes
The maximum routine time for the Intermediate and Premier dance tiers dropped from 2:15 to 2:00. A new Groups and Pairs safety rule in the Premier division says an executing dancer may not pass through or stop in an inverted position with downward momentum when the hips originate above head level. The dance rules document in force is dated September 14, 2026.
Worlds 2027 scoring
The USASF released an updated score sheet for club divisions at The Cheerleading Worlds 2027 that moves from a 170 point format to a 100 point format, aligning with the IASF scoring structure. Scoring is separate from the safety rules on this page, but a Level 6 or 7 program planning a Worlds routine is planning against a different sheet than last season.
The rules change process is the same every season: a Rules and Age Grid Change Proposal Form opens for the next eligible cycle, proposals are reviewed, an early release goes out in February, and the final rules are published in May for a June 1 start. A program that reads the February early release gets three months to re plan a routine; a program that waits for the summer PDF gets weeks. Routine skills can also be submitted through the USASF Coach App before a competition when legality is in doubt, which is cheaper than finding out from a safety judge.
The level rules apply to the coach as well as the athletes
The USASF enforces its rules through two channels: safety judges at competition, and coach credentialing before it. A coach who puts a Level 4 team on the floor is expected to hold the Level 4 credential for building and tumbling, and the event checks membership status at registration.
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| Item | Cost | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| USASF coach membership | $75 per season | Includes background screening, abuse prevention education and every written credentialing test. |
| Written level tests | Included | Taken separately for Building Levels 1 to 7 and Tumbling Levels 1 to 6. Credentials valid five years. |
| Practical testing | $25 | Optional, in person with an instructor, covers up to six level tests. |
| Positive Coaching Alliance course | $30 once | Paid directly to PCA. |
| Club membership | $100 per year | Separate from the coach fee; athletes are $49 per season on top. |
The full breakdown of what USASF credentials against what the USA Cheer safety course covers, and which one a school coach actually needs, is on the cheerleading coach certification page. Membership fees for the whole club are worked through on the USASF membership cost article.
How a program stays legal across 150 athletes and twelve teams
Nobody fails a safety check because they could not read the rulebook. They fail because the rulebook was applied once, in August, to a roster that changed six times before the first competition. Four habits fix nearly all of it.
1. Log skills per athlete at the level they belong to
General Rule 2 asks for proficiency before progression. A skill tracker that stores each tumbling pass and stunt position with a date, and the level that skill is legal at, gives you the evidence when a parent asks why their daughter is not on Level 4 and when an event producer asks why she is.
2. Decide tier before choreography, and brief the producer with it
The routine time cap, the toss ban and the midriff rule all follow the tier, not the level. A Prep team choreographed to a 2:30 Elite mix has bought thirty seconds of illegal routine.
3. Put the APS in the uniform spec
Write the coverage rule for each team into the purchase order: full top for Youth, Junior, Prep and Novice, skirt length one inch below briefs, two inch inseam. The vendor will build to it if it is in the spec, and cannot fix it after delivery.
4. Track coach credentials by level and expiry
Membership renews every season, credentials every five years, and a coach moving from a Level 2 to a Level 4 team needs a new test before the first competition, not after. Keep the level and the expiry date next to the coach on the staff roster.
That is what skill tracking against level requirements is built for: each athlete's tumbling and stunt skills logged against the level they are legal at, so team placement and routine content come from the record rather than from memory. It sits on the same athlete profile as the roster that holds the birth year for the age grid, which is the point: the rules and the grid are two checks on one athlete, and they should live in one place.
What are the USASF rules?
The safety and routine rules that govern all star cheer at USASF sanctioned competitions. The 2026-2027 cheer rulebook is effective June 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027 and contains a glossary, fifteen general rules, the Athletic Performance Standards for uniform and choreography, level by level charts for tumbling, stunts, pyramids, dismounts and tosses at Levels 1 to 7, and separate rules for International, Prep, Novice and CheerABILITIES divisions.
Did the USASF rules change for 2026-2027?
No cheer rule changes were announced. The cheer rules and age grid carry over, with every birth year on the grid moving forward by one. Dance did change: the Intermediate and Premier routine cap dropped from 2:15 to 2:00, and a new Groups and Pairs rule limits inverted movement with downward momentum. Worlds 2027 club divisions also move to a 100 point score sheet.
How long can a cheer routine be under USASF rules?
Elite routines may not exceed 2:30. Prep is capped at 2:00, Novice at 1:30 and Non-Tumbling divisions at 2:00. Timing begins with the first movement, voice or note of music, whichever comes first, and ends with the last, whichever comes last. International divisions use the same 2:30 cap with 2:00 for Non-Tumbling.
What is not allowed in all star cheer?
At every level: jewelry except medical ID, anything in the mouth, technical skills on concrete or carpet over a bad surface, height increasing apparatus other than a spring floor, replacing a performer mid routine, weight bearing props, knee or seat drops that do not break on hands or feet, and any athlete in a hard cast or walking boot in stunts, pyramids, tumbling or tosses. Prep and Novice also ban every toss.
What is the difference between USASF Level 1 and Level 2?
Level 1 tumbling is constant contact skills only, with no handsprings; Level 2 adds a single standing back handspring and running handspring series. Level 1 stunts are waist level single leg and prep level two leg with up to a quarter twist; Level 2 allows prep level single leg, above prep two leg and a half twist. Level 1 has no tosses; Level 2 allows a straight ride, except in Mini.
Are tosses allowed in Level 2 cheer?
Yes, a straight ride toss from three or four bases caught in a cradle, with no tricks, no flipping and no twisting. The Mini division is the exception: no tosses and no waist level cradles at Level 2. Level 1 bans tosses entirely, including sponge tosses and waist level cradles, and so does every Prep and Novice division at any level.
Can cheerleaders wear jewelry in competition?
No. General Rule 9 bans jewelry of any kind, including ear, nose, tongue, belly button and facial rings, clear plastic jewelry, bracelets, necklaces and pins on uniforms, and it may not be taped over. The only exception is a medical ID tag or bracelet. Rhinestones are legal on the uniform and illegal on skin or hair, and false lashes may not carry rhinestones.
Are crop tops allowed in all star cheer?
Only for Senior and Senior Open in the Club Elite tier and U18 and International Open in the International Elite tier. Every other division, including all of Prep and Novice, needs a top with no exposed midriff, secured over at least one shoulder or around the neck. Skirts must fall at least one inch below the briefs and shorts need a two inch inseam.
What is USASF credentialing?
The written testing that licenses a coach to teach specific skill levels at all star competitions. It comes with USASF coach membership at $75 per season, which also covers background screening and abuse prevention education. Coaches test separately for Building Levels 1 to 7 and Tumbling Levels 1 to 6, credentials last five years, and optional practical testing is $25 for up to six level tests.
How many athletes are on an international cheer team?
A minimum of 16 in every All Star International division, against a minimum of 5 for club divisions. Males on a Coed International team may not exceed two thirds of the roster. International routines run up to 2:30, or 2:00 for Non-Tumbling, and follow the general rules plus the level rules for the level entered.
What are the USASF rules for Novice cheer?
Routines may not exceed 1:30, tosses of any kind are banned, and teams are rated Outstanding, Excellent or Superior rather than scored against each other. Tumbling follows the level rules but is not rated or required. Tiny Novice is the most restricted division in the sport: only cartwheels and forward rolls, and no stunts or pyramids at all.
Where can I download the USASF rules?
From usasf.net under Rules and Age Grid, where the current cheer rules, dance rules, age grids and routine interruption guidelines are posted. The documents are copyright protected and licensed to members for coaching, choreography and event production, not for republication, which is why this page explains and cites them. Confirm against the current document before a competition.
Keep building the season
USASF age grid 2026-2027
Every division by birth year, the split years, the crossover cap and the Division I threshold.
Cheerleading levels explained
What each level allows on the floor, from Level 1 through Level 7, and how athletes move up.
Cheerleading stunts by level
Every stunt name, what each level allows for stunts, pyramids and tosses.
Cheerleading coach certification
USASF credentialing against the USA Cheer safety course, and what a program pays per coach.
Skill and level tracking
Tumbling and stunt skills logged per athlete against the level they are legal at.
All star cheer programs
How a competitive gym runs registration, comp season and the USASF paperwork in one place.
Game day, every day
Build every routine from skills you know are legal
Log tumbling and stunt skills per athlete at the level they belong to, keep birth years on the same profile, and place teams from the record.
Takes 30 seconds. No credit card needed.