The 2019 USASF National Meeting is underway here in Las Vegas, Nevada and hundreds of coaches and industry professionals have joined together to elevate and grow All Star cheer and dance and prepare for the season ahead.

Key updates for the 2019-20 season were discussed and there is one exciting new change coming to the USASF All Star Dance Age Grid.

USASF Introduces New Novice Tier!

The Novice designation is for new and emerging athletes, programs and teams seeking experience with dance performance and evaluation. This new tier is going to grow the opportunity for new dancers to gain experience working as a team and competing in front of a crowd.

What You Need To Know:

Novice will only be evaluated on a rating system and not scored/ranked against other teams.

• Recommended ratings are Superior (Highest), Excellent, and Outstanding. Please check with your specific event producer for their rating system

Novice teams are gender neutral and will not be split based on gender (novice teams will not be classified as co-ed, all male, etc).

Novice Teams must follow the USASF Dance General Rules and USASF Prep Dance Rules with the following exceptions:

• Routine may not exceed 1:30 (there is no time minimum)
• No Lifts/Stunts allowed (all athletes must keep at least one body part on the ground while performing groups & pairs skills)

Novice can be offered at both 1 and 2-day events. HOWEVER, if offered at 2-day events, Novice divisions will perform ONE TIME ONLY.

For more information about rule changes and division updates, visit USASF.net.