Pop Warner Mid-South Region Football Championship

On fields across America, Pop Warner is continually making our game safer and better, while retaining what makes the sport of football so great for young people. And we’re doing the same for our young athletes in cheer and dance.

Leagues have options with how to structure their program. While leagues can continue the current structure where a player is placed in a division based on his or her age and weight, they may also instead choose to register players based on age only. Currently, an estimated 75-80% of youth football nationally follows an age-only structure.

Pop Warner places value on safety measures that make a difference. That’s why we have also done things in football like reduce contact to 25% of practice time, eliminate kickoffs for our youngest divisions and require that any player who suffers a suspected head injury receive medical clearance from a concussion specialist before returning to play.

Players begin practicing on August 1 in preparation for their season openers, usually held during the last week in August or first week in September. A participant can be considered eligible for the season when he/she has met the four basic criteria for participation: A candidate must provide proof of age, parental consent, a medical examination, and academic fitness.