Football
Football
Pop Warner football has been around since the inception of the league in 1929 by founder Joseph J. Tomlin as a four-team conference in Northeast Philadelphia. Since then, participation has steadily increased to today's record numbers. Over 240,000 youths participated in Pop Warner-sanctioned football programs in 2004, and those numbers are continuing to grow.
Kids compete with kids of similar age and size. Pop Warner is the ONLY youth football program (local, regional and national) that sets and enforces a strict AGE & WEIGHT MATRIX that reduces the risk and reality of injuries.
Did you know that Pop Warner football is safer than soccer? Pop Warner football has 12% fewer injuries per capita among 5-15 year olds than organized soccer in the same age range! (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, NEISS)
2021 Proposed Age/Weight Matrix
| Age/Weight Division | Age on July 31 | Certification Weight | End of Season Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| TINY MITE | 5-6-7 | 35-80 LBS | 89 LBS |
| MITEY MITE | 7-8-9 | 45-105 LBS | 114 LBS |
| JR PEE WEE | 8-9-10 | 60-120 LBS | 129 LBS |
| JPW (Older Lighter) | 11* | 60-100 LBS | 109 LBS |
| PEE WEE | 9-10-11 | 75-135 LBS | 144 LBS |
| PW (Older Lighter) | 12* | 75-115 LBS | 124 LBS |
| JR VARSITY | 10-11-12 | 90-160 LBS | 169 LBS |
| JV (Older Lighter) | 13* | 90-140 LBS | 149 LBS |
| VARSITY | 12-13-14 | 105-185 LBS | 194 LBS |
| VAR (Older Lighter) | 15* | 105-165 LBS | 174 LBS |
In-Season weekly weight increase of 1 lb in weeks 2-10 (max. of 9 lbs).
*The asterisked provisions in each division allow the so-called "older but lighter" player to also qualify. The last year of eligibility falls under more stringent weight restrictions, per above.
A child's age on July 31 is his/her age for the season.
2021 Proposed Age-Based Divisions
| Age Division | Age on July 31 |
|---|---|
| 6 U | 5 or 6 |
| 8 U | 7 or 8 |
| 10 U | 8, 9 or 10 |
| 12 U | 10, 11 or 12 |
| 14 U | 12, 13 or 14 |
