2021 IASF WORLDS DIVISIONS
MUSIC INFORMATION
The IASF WORLDS competition follows the music guidelines set forth by USA CHEER. When attending IASF WORLDS please make sure your team and/or program is following these guidelines. To learn more about these guidelines CLICK HERE and to find music providers CLICK HERE.
- All
- Cheer Athletes
- Cheer Rules Committee
- Cheer Teams
- CHEER WORLDS
- Dance Athletes
- Dance Teams
- DANCE WORLDS
- WORLDS
Copies of each athlete’s birth certificate or passport must be with the team coach/representative at all times and readily available upon request by a Worlds official. Copies of each athlete’s proof of age document on a USB/zip drive are acceptable. All International teams must submit a completed International Team Roster.
Teams must present a USASF roster at their bid-qualifying event that includes names of the athletes performing on the floor at that competition. Additionally, the same Open-Level 7 teams can roster up to 10 reserve athletes that will be considered eligible substitutes/alternates. These are additional members of the program that did not have the opportunity to perform on the floor at that event.
A team that receives and accepts any type of Worlds bid must compete at Worlds in the same division they competed in at the qualifying event where their bid was awarded. The number of participants competing in any division at The Cheerleading Worlds may not exceed the number of participants that performed on the competition floor at the bid-qualifying event.
SEASON 1 COUNTRIES = COUNTRIES WHOSE SEASON INCLUDES JAN., FEB., AND MARCH IN THE SAME CALENDAR YEAR OF THE FOLLOWING WORLDS (i.e. Canada’s season starts in November and goes through April)
SEASON 2 COUNTRIES = COUNTRIES WHOSE SEASON ENDS IN THE PREVIOUS CALENDAR YEAR FOR THE FOLLOWING WORLDS (i.e. Australia’s season ends in November)
ELIGIBLE ATHLETES , SUBSTITUTIONS AND ALTERNATES FOR COUNTRIES
SEASON 1 COUNTRIES
All athletes participating on a team at The IASF Worlds must be a registered member of that team’s gym during the competition season. On The IASF Cheerleading Worlds Roster, each athlete’s name will have to be identified as an original participant of the team who competed on the floor where the bid was received, a substitute or an alternate. All names on the team rosters will be verified by the event producer who awarded the Worlds bid.
SEASON 2 COUNTRIES
A minimum of 50% of the athletes participating on a team at The IASF Worlds must be a registered member of that team’s gym during the competition season in which the bid was received. On The IASF Cheerleading Worlds Roster, each athlete’s name of the 50% will have to be identified as an original participant of the team who competed on the floor where the bid was received, a substitute or an alternate. Names on the team rosters will be verified by the event producer who awarded the Worlds bid.
WORLDS SUBSTITUTION RULE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF SUBSTITUTIONS AND ALTERNATES:
SEASON 1 COUNTRIES
– IASF Open Divisions and Global Club Divisions – 8
– IASF Non-Tumbling Divisions – 10
The allocated maximum number of substitutions will be allowed per team for The Cheerleading Worlds Championship. A substitute must be a regular-paid participant from another team at the same gym and must have competed “on the floor” with that team from that gym at the same event where the bid was awarded. All substitutes must meet the same eligibility requirements as the original team that was awarded a bid (i.e. age, etc.).
Worlds Alternates: Of the possible substitutes, one to three may be alternates for all divisions. Alternates are registered members of the same team’s gym where the bid was received.
Alternates do not have to be rostered or in attendance at the Worlds bid qualifying event where the bid was received.
SEASON 2 COUNTRIES
– IASF Open Divisions and Global Club Divisions – 12
– IASF Non-Tumbling Divisions – 15
The allocated maximum number of substitutions will be allowed per team for The Cheerleading Worlds Championship. A substitute in a Season 2 country must be a regular-paid participant at the same gym. All substitutes must meet the same eligibility requirements as the original team that was awarded a bid (i.e. age, etc.).
Worlds Alternates: Of the possible substitutes, one to three may be alternates for all divisions. Alternates are registered members of the same team’s gym where the bid was received. Alternates do not have to be rostered or in attendance at the Worlds bid qualifying event where the bid was received.
Athletes, Substitutions & Alternates:
All athletes competing at a bid-qualifying event must be listed on the official roster as active athletes and compete on Day 1. Should a team need to make any substitutions on Day 2 at the bid-qualifying event, they will be allowed to replace a limited number of active athletes with reserve athletes for the second performance. The athletes that took the floor on Day 1 will be considered the original team members on the Worlds Roster. Any reserve athletes that take the floor on Day 2 will be considered eligible substitutes on the Worlds Roster. The number of athletes that may be replaced on Day 2 is limited: Teams may replace up to 4 athletes. This includes all Senior Open and IASF divisions.
NOTE: The team coach is responsible for communicating any replacements or substitutions from Day 1 to Day 2 to the event producer. The event producer will note any changes made from Day 1 to Day 2 on the roster that was submitted by the team. Day 2 substitutions must meet all the eligibility requirements to compete as an athlete at that particular bid qualifier representing said team.
Original Team Members
Original team members are athletes that were on the floor AND included on the official team roster associated with the event where their bid was awarded. It is important to ensure your roster is true and accurate before submitting it to the bid giving event.
A team may receive no more than one bid to The Cheerleading Worlds for any given division. If a team has already accepted an at-large bid and opts to compete for another bid, they will be eligible only for a paid bid. They will not be eligible for another at-large bid unless they decline the first at-large bid they were awarded, BEFORE competing for another at-large bid. Accepting or declining bids must be done by email to the sponsoring event producer.
Beginning in 2021, all teams attending the IASF Worlds must compete in a full top uniform. Crop tops, half tops or mid-drifts will not be allowed.
Athletes within the same program are limited to the number of teams on which they are eligible to compete and earn paid or partial bids. Once an athlete has competed for a team and earned a paid or partial paid bid, they are permitted to move to another team within their program. If their second team earns a paid or partial paid bid, they are bound to the second team and may only compete with the second team at Worlds. They no longer are eligible to compete with the first team once the second team is awarded a paid or partial paid bid.
The number of athletes that have already earned a paid bid that are eligible to compete for and be awarded a paid bid on a second team is limited: Teams may have up to 4 athletes that were previously awarded a paid bid. This includes all Senior Open and IASF divisions.
The maximum numbers of males on a coed team may not exceed 2/3 of the total athletes on the
team.
EXAMPLE: If an IASF Open Level 5 Coed 16 team has a total of 18 athletes competing on the floor;
the maximum number of males allowed on the team would be restricted to 12.
At The Cheerleading Worlds, crossovers of participants between teams from the same program are NOT permitted. A participant may only compete on one team from a program. Crossovers of participants from other programs will not be permitted. Crossovers of participants between cheer and dance teams from the same or other programs are not permitted. In other words, a performer may represent only one program in either cheer or dance. If a team is found to have made an improper substitution or alternate, this team:
– will be disqualified.
– may be responsible for repaying the total cost of any funds received through a paid bid.
– may be prevented (along with the entire cheer program from that gym) from being eligible for any type of bid to The Cheerleading or Dance Worlds for the following year.
An athlete must meet the age requirement within the calendar year of 2020:
EXAMPLE 1: If a 13-year-old athlete is participating in a division where the minimum age is 14; that athlete is legal for the division if the athlete turns 14 on or before December 31st, 2020.
EXAMPLE 2: If a 16-year-old athlete is participating in a division where the maximum age is 15; that athlete would be legal for the division if the athlete was 15 years old at any time in 2020.
Copies of all athlete birth certificates or passports must be with the team’s coach/representative at all times and readily available upon request from a Worlds official. Copies of athlete birth certificates on a USB/zip drive are acceptable.
If a team is competing in a bid division for an “End of the Year” competition (i.e. Worlds, Summit, etc.…), this team may use an athlete that will turn the appropriate age in the calendar year of the “End of the Year” competition. This only applies for younger athletes that will turn the appropriate age in the calendar year of the “End of the Year” competition.
Example: If a U.K. team in a Worlds Bid division (minimum age 14) in July of 2019, has an athlete that is 13 but will turn 14 in the calendar year of 2020 Worlds, this athlete is eligible to compete.
*SEASON 1 COUNTRIES = COUNTRIES WHOSE SEASON INCLUDES JAN., FEB., AND MARCH IN THE SAME CALENDAR YEAR OF THE FOLLOWING WORLDS (i.e. Canada’s season starts in November and goes through April)
SEASON 2 COUNTRIES = COUNTRIES WHOSE SEASON ENDS IN THE PREVIOUS CALENDAR YEAR FOR THE FOLLOWING WORLDS (i.e. Australia’s season ends in November)
ELIGIBLE ATHLETES , SUBSTITUTIONS AND ALTERNATES FOR SEASON 1 and 2 COUNTRIES
SEASON 1 COUNTRIES
All athletes participating on a team at The IASF Worlds must be a registered member of that team’s gym during the competition season. On The IASF Dance Worlds Roster, each athlete’s name will have to be identified as an original participant of the team who competed on the floor where the bid was received, a substitute or an alternate. All names on the team rosters will be verified by the event producer who awarded the Worlds bid.
Substitutions
A team may substitute up to 20% of the dancers per team for The IASF Dance Worlds. A substitute must be a regular paid participant from another team at the same program and must have competed on the floor with a team from that program at the same event where the bid was awarded. All substitutes must meet the same eligibility requirements as the original team that was awarded a bid (i.e. age, etc.)
NOTE: Percentages may be rounded up. For example: 20% of a team with 13 dancers is 2.6, which may be rounded up to 3 substitutes.
Worlds Wild Card Alternates Rule
Of the (up to) 20% possible substitutes, one to three of that 20% may be alternates. Alternates are registered members of the same team’s program. Alternates do not have to be rostered or in attendance at the Worlds bid-qualifying event where the bid was received.
SEASON 2 COUNTRIES
A minimum of 50% of the athletes participating on a team at The IASF Worlds must be a registered member of that team’s program during the competition season in which the bid was received. On The IASF Dance Worlds Roster, each athlete’s name of the 50% will have to be identified as an original participant of the team who competed on the floor where the bid was received, a substitute or an alternate. Names on the team rosters will be verified by the event producer who awarded the Worlds bid.
Original Team Members
Original team members are athletes that were on the floor AND included on the official team roster associated with the event where their bid was awarded. It is important to ensure your roster is true and accurate before submitting it to the bid giving event.
At The Dance Worlds, a participant may perform up to four times and must represent the same program. Crossovers of participants from other programs are not permitted. Crossovers of participants between cheer and dance teams are not permitted (no dancer may compete in The Dance Worlds and The Cheerleading Worlds).
Dancers may not compete in more than one routine in the same category and division. For example: A dancer may not compete in two Senior Large Jazz routines, but may compete in a Senior Large Jazz routine and a Senior Small Jazz routine.
A team that receives and accepts any type of Worlds bid must compete at The Dance Worlds in the same division, category and team make up (i.e. Coed, etc.) they competed as at the qualifying event where their bid was awarded. The number of participants that performed on the competition floor at the qualifying event where the team received their bid may not be exceeded by the number of participants competing in that same division/category at The IASF Dance Worlds.
PROGRAM: A program may receive more than one bid to The IASF Dance Worlds in the same division and category as long as none of the dancers compete on both teams – each team must be made up of a different group of dancers.
Example: A program may have two teams in the Senior Small Pom category as long as no dancers crossover.
TEAM: If a team has already accepted an at-large bid and opts to compete for another bid, they will be eligible only for a partial-paid bid. They will not be eligible for another at-large bid unless they decline the first at-large bid they were awarded BEFORE competing for another at-large bid. Accepting or declining bids must be done in writing or email to the sponsoring event producer. If a team has already been awarded a bid to Worlds, declines acceptance of a bid, or fails to accept the bid by the deadline noted, the bid may be transferred to an alternate team at the sponsoring event producer’s discretion. The event producer may not transfer (or hand down) any at-large bids after 96 hours from the end of their qualifying event.
Teams must compete at IASF Worlds with the same number of athletes (or fewer) that competed on the floor when the bid was earned.
Example: If a Dance team wins a bid at a competition with 12 athletes performing on the floor, this team can not compete with more than 12 athletes at the IASF Worlds.
An athlete must meet the age requirement within the calendar year of 2020:
EXAMPLE 1: If a 13-year-old athlete is participating in a division where the minimum age is 14; that athlete is legal for the division if the athlete turns 14 on or before December 31st, 2020.
EXAMPLE 2: If a 16-year-old athlete is participating in a division where the maximum age is 15; that athlete would be legal for the division if the athlete was 15 years old at any time in 2020.
Copies of all athlete birth certificates or passports must be with the team’s coach/representative at all times and readily available upon request from a Worlds official. Copies of athlete birth certificates on a USB/zip drive are acceptable.
If a team is competing in a bid division for an “End of the Year” competition (i.e. Worlds, Summit, etc.…), this team may use an athlete that will turn the appropriate age in the calendar year of the “End of the Year” competition. This only applies for younger athletes that will turn the appropriate age in the calendar year of the “End of the Year” competition.
Example: If a U.K. team in a Worlds Bid division (minimum age 14) in July of 2019, has an athlete that is 13 but will turn 14 in the calendar year of 2020 Worlds, this athlete is eligible to compete.
