REC / YOUTH CHEER
Recreational & Youth Cheerleading
Rec cheer is the entry point for most athletes — league-based, community-organized, and often tied to youth football programs. Pop Warner / YCADA is the dominant system in the US, with AYC, AAU, and JAMZ providing additional options.
📅 Key date: June 1
YCADA publishes new Rules/Scoring Packets effective June 1 each year. Routines choreographed before June 1 may use last season's rules. Age is determined by the age of the oldest team member on July 31— different from USASF's birth-year grid.
DOMINANT SYSTEM
Pop Warner / YCADA
RULES CYCLE
Effective June 1 annually
AGE RULE
Oldest team member on July 31
ALSO AVAILABLE
AYC, AAU, JAMZ
SEASON
Fall (tied to football), spring competition
TOP EVENT
Pop Warner National Championships
HOW REC CHEER IS ORGANIZED
Pop Warner / YCADA
The largest rec cheer system in the US. Pop Warner is the football + cheer league organization. YCADA (Youth Cheerleading and Dance Association) publishes and manages the scoring and rules packets. Affiliated teams follow Pop Warner league structure. Non-affiliated teams use YCADA-NA packets for events like JAMZ NA Nationals.
💬 For parents: If your child cheers on a team that also has a Pop Warner football team, this is almost certainly the system you're in.
AYC — American Youth Cheer
Tied to American Youth Football. 8-region structure. National Championship in Kissimmee, FL. Includes an Inspiration Division for athletes with disabilities. Runs separately from Pop Warner.
AAU Cheerleading
Amateur Athletic Union — runs cheer programs across many sports. AAU cheer requires routines to include cheer, dance, tumbling, and at least 3 different jumps. Tumbling follows USASF L1-L5 guidelines. National championships run through AAU events.
JAMZ
JAMZ runs both Pop Warner-affiliated and Non-Affiliated (NA) events. The JAMZ NA Nationals uses YCADA-NA scoring packets. JAMZ events are popular in the Western US.
AGE DETERMINATION — REC VS. ALL-STAR
Pop Warner / YCADA
Age of the oldest team member on July 31 determines the team's division for the entire season.
USASF (All-Star)
Each athlete's birth year determines their eligible age division individually, per the USASF Age Grid. Teams are built around eligible athletes.
NFHS (School)
School grade determines eligibility, overlaid with state association rules. No national birth-year grid.
Also see: Rec Scoring & Rules Docs · All-Star Tier · Scoring Glossary