Competition FAQ

  • How is sideline cheer connected or separate from competitive cheer? "Regular Cheer"or "Sideline Cheer" is made up of youth who cheer exclusively for a sport (football or basketball for example) and do not attend sanctioned competitions. Sideline cheer is a separate program than competitive and cheerleaders in that program generally do not participate in competitive activities. Sideline activities are a part of competitive cheer, but competitive cheerleaders do not participate in sideline as a separate program. 
  • What is the Difference between All-Star Competition Cheer and Rec Competition Cheer?  All-Star programs are associated with a USASF sanctioned gym (NOT your local high school gymnasium!), generally have paid coaches and staff and are required to follow a very specific set of rules to be considered All-Star. Recreational Competition Cheer is usually a community based squad. Rec programs are required to cheer for an in-season sport as part of their training. Rec cheer is very similar to High School Cheerleading in that participants cheer for games and participate in competitions. In NOVA Cheer, there are three (3) organizations that have a competitive program that is separate form their "regular/sideline cheer" program, and two (2) additional programs that have a program that allows very limited participation in competitions. 
* You may hear a team referred to as "Performance Rec vs Traditional Rec. In certain competitions, Rec Competitive teams do not have to cheer for an in -season sport - this would be "Performance Rec;" with those teams who do cheer sideline considered "Traditional Rec." However, it is important to note that this is NOT the standard rule in competitions and only applies to specific event management companies that host the competitions. 
  • How do All-Star and Rec Competitions Differ? Both Rec and All-Star Coaches attend the same trainings, and teams for both attend the same competitions with the same rules, same general age divisions and levels, and same team requirements. However, because of the resources available to All-Star teams, combined with the strict guidelines they must follow to be considered an All-Star gym, All-Star and Rec teams do not compete directly against each other.
  • What are the Levels and Divisions? Both All-Star and Rec must declare a Division and a Level to compete.
    • Divisions are based on the ages of the athletes, and have a minimum and maximum age. The Divisions are: 
      • Tiny (Age 6 and Under) 
      • Mini (Age 8 and Under) 
      • Youth (Age 11 and Under)
      • Junior (Age 14 and Under) 
      • Senior (Ages 10-18 depending on a variety of factors) 
    • Levels determine the types of skills participants are allowed to execute during their routines, as outlined in the USASF Rules. Think of Levels as a path to improvement, similar to grades (1st, 2nd, 3rd) as opposed to a ladder where a higher level is "better" than a lower level. The Levels are: 
      • Level 1
      • Level 2
      • Level 3 (You may see Level 3.1 or 3.2 etc. This means the athletes are completing Level 3 stunts, but Level 1 or 2 (respectively) tumbling in their routine)
      • Level 4
      • Level 5 restricted
      • Level 5
      • Level 6
    *Generally, competitive programs do not cheer Level 4 or higher. There is not a recreation cheer division for Level 5 and above)
  **Both All-Star and Rec may have a Senior Level 3 squad, for example. The rules and scoring are exactly the same for both teams, however, because of their requirements and available resources, event manageability by the competition event managers, and to maintain fairness, they do not compete directly against each other. 

  • What Skills does my cheerleader need to participate in Competitive Cheer? Skills and abilities needed differ by organization. Generally, competitive cheerleaders need to be able to do some tumbling, dance, stunting, and jumps. 

  • What tumbling is expected? Contrary to popular belief, tumbling does not a competitive cheerleader make. Just because you have very good tumbling skills does not mean you are a Level 3 cheerleader, and just because you have no or basic tumbling skills doesn't mean you have to be on a Level 1 team. Tumbling is one part of competitive cheerleading and we are dedicated to building strong, all-around cheerleaders. We do have tumbling metrics that are required as part of the competitive scoring matrix; but we must also consider the components of the team we have. So while we will work on your tumbling skills and want you to have some skills, they are not necessarily a requirement to make the team.