We acknowledge that Phases for each state and county may not coincide with this ‘Return to Play’ policy. For each phase, state/ local guidelines take precedence if they are more restrictive than this phased approach. We acknowledge that some Regions, Leagues or Associations will be allowed by their State/Local guidelines to progress to Stage 4 more rapidly than others.

• Football Return to Play Guidelines
• Cheer & Dance Return to Play Guidelines
• COVID-19 Waiver/Disclosure (Spanish Version)
  
• Instructions for COVID-19 Waiver
  

May 29, 2020

First and foremost, we hope you and your families are continuing to stay healthy and safe during this time! The health and safety of our Pop Warner community – from our student-athletes to our coaches, fans and volunteers – has been our top priority from the start and will continue to be our top priority as we make decisions about returning to practice and play.  

Like everyone from the NFL to the NCAA, we are actively looking at scenarios, planning our approach and taking guidance from the experts. That has meant listening to the direction of the CDC, public health officials, our Pop Warner Medical Advisory Committee and government officials.

While a sudden shift in the public health picture could alter our timeline, we expect to have our plan for return to practice and play to you later in June. In the meantime, we will continue to communicate the work we are doing and provide regular updates to our programs about the upcoming season.

In addition to developing our Pop Warner Return to Play playbook, we’ve been working with several other youth sports organizations from around the country as part of the PLAY Sports Coalition to ensure that youth sports return safely and under the guidance of state and local guidelines. As part of that work, we have collectively developed a set of return-to-play considerations which include the following:

• An understanding of the liabilities & the minimization of risk.
• The creation of an operating playbook.
• Communication to field owners, parents, referees & coaches.
• The creation of a learning & feedback plan.

These recommendations are intended to arm youth sports organizations with the tools and resources necessary to develop their own return-to-play guidelines that are right for their geography, sport, and circumstances. The group is also exploring sport-specific approaches that may help guide protocols we may implement for football and cheer / dance.

As always, we appreciate your support while we continue taking the appropriate steps towards a safe return to sports.

Thank you!

Jon Butler,
Executive Director

May 12, 2020

Dear Pop Warner Community, 

As COVID-19 has impacted each region of the country differently, states are re-opening on varying schedules, with some already working to get back to pre-coronavirus levels of activity and commerce, while others are taking it slowly.  But there certainly seems to be at least some light at the end of the tunnel. Wherever you are we hope you and your family are healthy.

As mentioned in our last update, we hope to have football, cheer and dance seasons this fall. In fact, we are planning on it and hope you are as well. But we need to take measured steps, accounting for the latest developments, just like schools, large public events and other sports leagues. That means we have to prepare for different scenarios, which include timing of the schedule and additional safety precautions for players, coaches, volunteers and families. We are working through it and hope to have a much clearer picture shortly.

We continue to take guidance from our Medical Advisory Committee, the CDC and local public health officials. 

Without the ability to hold in-person registrations at this time, we encourage local Pop Warner administrators to utilize the relationship we have with Stack Sports to set up online registration.

We will continue to provide regular updates to our programs as we receive more information from public health officials and state leaders. If there are any general questions, please visit our Contact Page and submit your inquiry.

We appreciate your support as we all continue to take the steps that we feel are most appropriate for our student athletes, their families and communities during this time. 

Thank you, 

Jon Butler,
Executive Director

April 13, 2020

March 20, 2020

What is Pop Warner doing in response to COVID-19?

The health and safety of the Pop Warner community is always at the forefront of our decision-making and never more so than during this global pandemic. We are following the guidance of the CDC and public health officials to help reduce the exposure and transmission of COVID-19 (coronavirus). As such, we are advising all Pop Warner programs to suspend all Spring Flag Football and Year Round Cheer practice and competition and to postpone all administrative meetings and regional scholastic events until we are advised by the CDC that large groups are able to meet without concern.

How do I find out if my Pop Warner activities are postponed?

Contact your local program administration and/or coaches in the area.

How do I find out when my Pop Warner activities will resume?

We will work with region and league administrators to announce when programs will be able to resume as soon as we are advised from the CDC and public health officials.

My scholar banquet dinner has been postponed. Will I get a refund?

Region and league administration will follow up with you on any banquets that are postponed. To submit an inquiry, please fill out the contact form and your questions will be answered or sent to the correct administrators.

Can I register online? If so, how?

We are recommending that all Pop Warner programs postpone all in-person registration. Our partners at Sports Connect can assist with setting up online registration. If a Pop Warner program wishes to set up online registration, please have them contact their league and ask whom to contact to begin the process.

How will Pop Warner plan to keep participants healthy and safe once activities resume?

We will follow and adhere to all guidelines from the CDC and public health officials on how to handle large number of groups in an athletic setting.

Will we have a season next year?

As of now, we remain hopeful and are still planning for a regular season in 2020 unless directed to postpone by government officials.

Will Pop Warner All-American Scholars still be announced? If so, how will recipients be notified?

Yes, we will still be announcing the All-American Scholars. All scholar-athletes will all be notified via email and through recognition on the Pop Warner website and our social media channels.

Will there be an All-American Scholar Weekend/Banquet this year?

Unfortunately, the Pop Warner All-American Scholar Weekend/Banquet has been discontinued.

Will national scholarships still be awarded to the top scholar-athletes?

We are still awarding scholarships to First Team Senior Scholars (8th Grade+). A specific date for announcement of national scholarship recipients is still being determined.

March 18, 2020

The health and safety of the Pop Warner community is always at the forefront of our decision-making and never more so than during this global pandemic. We are following the guidance of the CDC and public health officials to help reduce the exposure and transmission of COVID-19 (coronavirus).

As such, we are working closely with our partners and Pop Warner regional leaders nationwide to postpone all activity, including flag football and cheer practices, games, competitions, in-person registrations, league and regional meetings and award ceremonies until further notice. We are grateful to our regional and local Pop Warner leaders who have been outstanding in pursuing approaches to support their communities.

We appreciate this is a difficult and uncertain time for everyone. Decisions like this are not easy, especially for our young student athletes. We all need to contribute to the team effort to get through this unprecedented public health crisis. Adhering strictly to these measures is the best way to keep our communities healthy and we expect it will prove to be the quickest way to get our student athletes back into the classroom and onto the field. We will monitor the situation closely and share updates as they become available. 

We encourage you to go to the CDC website for the latest guidance, and hope you, your family and your community take the appropriate steps to remain healthy.