Updated for 2025-2026
Until the last few years, the U.S. competitive cheerleading industry had one main scoring system. While Worlds teams competed under a more subjective, broader scoring model, lower-level teams were limited to a single, rubric-based system that often changed from year to year. This left coaches, choreographers, and judges confused and made consistency and accuracy difficult for everyone.
When the Open Championship Series (OCS) began hosting events in 2019, its goal was to provide additional end-of-season options for programs of all sizes. This included the implementation of a new scoring system designed to help smaller gyms structure more teams within their programs.
Shortly after, United Scoring Partners introduced a system available to event producers outside the Varsity brands. This allowed producers to choose which scoring system best benefited their customers. While factors such as bids to end-of-season events affected which system was offered, some event producers and gym owners could now strategize how to structure their teams and competition schedules based on location, experience, and team size.
Now, a few years into the use of two scoring systems—Open Championship Series (OCS) and United—gyms are finding creative ways to position their seasons based on cost efficiency and overall experience. Some gyms have committed to one scoring system, while others use both for various reasons. One of the most exciting aspects of the upcoming season is that both systems have remained relatively unchanged from last year, helping everyone settle into their preferred score sheets without the confusion of major revisions.
Here, we’ll compare and contrast both systems to help you better understand their differences and similarities.
Age Grids and Divisions
OCS
- New in 2025–26: The OCS age grid has removed bottom ages for mini, youth, and junior divisions. This allows smaller gyms to build teams using a wider range of athletes.
- Also new in 2025–26: Senior age divisions can use the full birth year, and senior divisions have a lower minimum age. Because senior athletes are often difficult to retain when competing against school cheer, dance, and other school-based activities, this change helps smaller gyms keep senior-level teams consistent year after year.
United
- United scoring does not have its own age grid, so it utilizes USASF’s age grids.
- New in 2025–26: USASF introduced new Flex Divisions for youth and junior teams, allowing athletes an additional two years in these divisions. These Flex Divisions are provisional and will be evaluated for future use.
Scoring Differences
OCS
- Level 1/Mini 2: The requirement of a show-and-go to satisfy a toss score is the most apparent difference between the two systems. The show-and-go serves as a sound progression for basket tosses, making it logical for Level 1/Mini 2 athletes to incorporate a progressional toss skill in competition. Additionally, the toss requirement keeps all score sheets weighted evenly. While Level 1/Mini 2 teams on the United system are scored out of 90 points, those on the OCS system are scored out of 100, making bid distributions more balanced.
- Both building and tumbling difficulty scores include a degree of subjectivity to reward teams performing more difficult skills. Once the baseline score is reached, judges may award additional points for teams executing more complex elite skills, faster connections, more building groups, or greater variety. For example, a team can achieve its max baseline building score by performing one elite skill at max and three at “most.” However, a team performing all elite skills at max should score higher in difficulty.
- The pyramid max baseline score requires one structure to be performed by max-plus groups, encouraging teams to use as many athletes as possible.
- Quantity requirements for both building and tumbling are slightly lower than United.
- Most of the team must perform jumps to receive maximum difficulty credit.
United
- Level 1/Mini 2: There is no requirement for a show-and-go, so no toss score must be satisfied in this category.
- There is no subjectivity in building or tumbling difficulty, though pyramid difficulty includes some flexibility. Degree of difficulty, pace and flow, number of groups utilized, and combinations of skills can all affect pyramid difficulty scores.
- Pyramid scores require “most” of the team to perform the skills and structures instead of the “max-plus” required under OCS.
- Quantity requirements are slightly higher than OCS.
- The max number of team members must perform jumps to receive maximum difficulty credit.
Similarities
OCS and United
- Level-appropriate and advanced/elite skills are now aligned; previously, they differed.
- Standing and running tumbling scores are cumulative on both systems.
- Tumbling passes must land on the feet to receive credit (e.g., a back handspring to prone does not count as a back handspring).
- The majority of the team must perform a toss to receive toss credit.
- To receive the top baseline difficulty in running tumbling, the max number of athletes must perform an elite pass.
- To receive the top baseline difficulty in standing tumbling, a team must perform one skill with most of the team and another with a majority (OCS does not require the second pass to be elite).
There are also similarities and differences regarding prep and novice scoring; however, most translate directly from the elite rubrics. While the lists above are not exhaustive, they provide a general overview of the most apparent and impactful variations.
Both systems give gyms strong options for attending events such as the Allstar World Championship and other OCS end-of-season events, or The Summit and other United-scored competitions—or both. Many event producers now offer both systems, and judges are being trained to score under either rubric. This has become easier since both systems remained consistent from last season and aligned their age grids and rubrics to promote industry-wide consistency.
If you’re unsure of each system’s strengths and weaknesses, event producers encourage you to contact your scoring director or reach out directly to the OCS or United scoring directors. Several Facebook groups also help gym owners and coaches understand each system better.
Both systems offer structure, clear expectations, and well-defined rubrics to help coaches understand how routines are objectively scored. With event producers offering both, and with the systems aligning more closely, gym owners now have the freedom to explore a wide range of event experiences across the country. As with any industry, variety in the marketplace is a good thing—and the cheerleading community continues to benefit as it grows.
Wherever you compete this season, good luck to you and your athletes!
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Your Questions Answered
The Open Championship Series (OCS) uses a rubric that includes limited subjectivity, allowing judges to reward creativity and difficulty beyond baseline requirements. United scoring, on the other hand, follows a more standardized and objective rubric with clearly defined ranges and less room for interpretation. Both aim to promote consistency and fairness but offer different paths for gym strategy and routine design.
In 2025–26, OCS removed bottom age limits for mini, youth, and junior divisions and lowered senior division ages, giving smaller gyms more flexibility in team creation. United, following the USASF grid, introduced new Flex Divisions that allow athletes to compete for two additional years in select youth and junior divisions.
Yes. Many gyms choose to participate in events that use both OCS and United scoring. With more event producers offering both systems, gyms can design schedules based on cost, location, and athlete experience while maintaining consistency in training and performance goals.
