Quick answer: a governing body sets the rules, levels and safety standards a team competes under, while a competition provider organises and runs the actual events a team attends. The two roles are often filled by different organisations, which is part of why cheer rules and scoring aren't fully standardised worldwide.
| Governing Body | Competition Provider | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Sets rules, levels, age grids and safety standards | Organises and runs competitive events |
| Example scope | National or international federation | A specific series of competitions or a single event brand |
| Relationship to teams | Teams and gyms are typically members | Teams enter and compete at its events |
Why This Distinction Matters
This site repeatedly notes that levels, age grids, scoring and legal skills vary "between governing bodies and competition providers" - understanding these are two distinct roles, sometimes filled by the same organisation and sometimes not, makes that variation much easier to follow.
What a Governing Body Does
A governing body is generally responsible for the underlying structure of the sport - defining levels, age divisions, safety rules and legal skills - similar to how a national sports federation sets the rules for a traditional sport, even though many different organisations may host events under those rules.
What a Competition Provider Does
A competition provider organises and runs the events themselves - venues, scheduling, judges, and the specific score sheet used on the day. A provider may use a governing body's rules directly, adapt them, or in some cases operate its own independent rules structure.
Why the Two Don't Always Match Up
Because a competition provider isn't always the same organisation as the governing body whose rules a team trains under day to day, exactly which rules apply at a given event can depend on both - which is why this site consistently recommends checking the specific rules and score sheet for your team's governing body and the event you're attending, rather than assuming one fixed standard.
Related Terms
See Judges and Score Sheet for how a competition provider's event is actually scored on the day.
Last checked: Thu Aug 20 2026 01:00:00 GMT+0100 (British Summer Time)