What Is a Cheer Routine?

Quick answer: a routine is the full performance a competitive cheer team competes with - a tightly choreographed combination of stunts, pyramids, tosses, tumbling, jumps and dance, performed to music. In USASF All Star cheer it can last no more than 2 minutes 30 seconds (2 minutes for Prep and Non-Tumbling teams, 90 seconds for Novice).

What a Routine Is Made Of

A routine weaves together every core skill category in the sport:

• Stunts - groups lifting flyers into positions such as preps, extensions and libertys;
• Pyramids - stunt groups connected into one larger structure;
• Basket tosses - flyers thrown into the air and caught (from Level 2, and not in Prep or Novice);
• Standing and running tumbling - usually in sections where the whole team tumbles together;
• Jumps - often a dedicated jump sequence;
• Dance - an upbeat section packed with sharp motions and quick formation changes.

The order isn't fixed - coaches arrange the sections to fit the team's strengths, the music and the transitions between skills - but almost every competitive routine includes all of these elements.

How Long a Routine Lasts

Under the USASF All Star Cheer Rules (2026–27), a routine can be no longer than:

Timing starts with the first movement, voice or note of music and ends with the last. Going over leads to a time deduction. School, college and recreational routines follow their own rule sets and can be shorter.

Rules Every Routine Must Follow

Beyond the level rules for each skill, USASF's general rules include that:

• the same athletes must perform the whole routine - nobody can be swapped in partway through;
• every athlete must be touching the floor when the routine starts;
• the only props allowed are flags, flat banners or signs, pom-poms, megaphones and pieces of cloth, and they can't be used for support;
• choreography and music must be appropriate for a family audience.

How a Routine Is Built

Coaches design a routine around the team's level and abilities, choosing stunts, tumbling and jumps the team can perform consistently - a harder routine full of falls usually scores worse than a slightly easier one performed cleanly. The music is usually a custom mix of short clips, voice-overs and sound effects, built around the eight-counts of the choreography. Most teams learn their routine at the start of the season and refine it at every practice, using full outs to build stamina.

How a Routine Is Scored

A routine is scored on difficulty and execution across each section, minus any deductions - see How Is Competitive Cheer Scored? or try our interactive score sheet.

Related Terms

See What Is a Full Out?, What Is Choreography? and What Happens at a Cheer Competition?.