2017 Frequently Asked Questions
When does Pop Warner Football season start and end?
Our season begins for all divisions on August 1st and last game will be October 21st. For all divisions minus Tiny-Mites and Mitey-Mites they will have playoffs, bowl games and can travel to places outside of our Mt. Baldy Pop Warner Football Conference. Their season ends about the 1st or 2nd week of December for the older divisions.
My child has never played football before, will he/she do okay?
Many boys and girls who sign up have no prior experience. The coaches take this into consideration during the conditioning and initial instruction period in August. Over half of the boys and girls who sign up every year have had little or no prior football experience. This is one of the reasons why it is of utmost importance for your child to attend each and every scheduled practice. We also offer free preseason camps that begin in June. These camps are entirely optional and under no circumstance mandatory and non-participation in this or any other camp will not have any bearing on how much and/or what position your child will play.
I heard that cheer is now competitive, is this true?
Yes it is true. In addition to cheering and performing at all the football games, our cheer squads can now compete in local, conference, and regional cheer competitions and will have the opportunity to qualify to compete for the National Cheerleading Championship at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
We always take vacations in August. Is this really going to be a problem?
Absolutely! We understand that this is a huge commitment and sacrifice for your family to make. However, regular attendance is critical during August, because that's when the fundamental instruction takes place and each athlete must put in mandatory conditioning time. Most boys and girls, who miss even one week of practice in August, find it very hard to catch up. It's also not fair to the kids who might be on a wait list that are able to attend every practice, but cannot due to the maximum number of participants allowed per team. Athletes with frequent absences will be dismissed from the PWW program.
When & Where are practices and games played?
Practices for the month of August will be Monday-Thursdays 6pm-8:30pm
Practice from the of Sept-Oct will be Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm-8:30pm
Additional Practices may be set by your coach.
Games will be played at either or home field of our opponent’s home field within our Mt. Baldy Conference and will be played on Saturdays. Each team will play a minimum of 8 regular season games, but no more than 13 games per season. Game schedules are issued by Mt. Baldy Conference. Home games for Pomona Pop Warner will be played at one of High Schools in the city of Pomona. Away games will include these cities: Jurupa Valley, High Desert, Diamond Bar, Chino, La Verne/San Dimas, Rancho Cucamonga, Fontana, Rialto, Riverside, Moreno Valley, Upland and San Bernardino.
What equipment will I need to buy for my child?
You will need to provide football Cleats, socks, athletic support and mouth pieces. Players are provided on a LOAN ONLY basis: helmet, pads, pants, belt and game jerseys.
Each player will be required to purchase a $25.00 spirit pack which includes practice jersey, shorts and practice jersey.
Are there try-outs?
Pop Warner accepts all applicants (baring any medical reason they cannot play). A very important difference between Pop Warner and other football leagues is that players are NOT eliminated due to skill level. We accept the first thirty five players per division who complete their registration regardless of their playing experience and ability. Any players that complete their registration after a team is full is placed on a waiting list in sign up/registration completion date.
Is my child guaranteed playing time?
Pomona Pop Warner is governed by the National Pop Warner rule whereby each football player MUST PLAY A MINIMUM number of plays based on how many players are on a team, either 6, 8 or 10 plays. Each Pomona Pop Warner coach has been instructed regarding the rule and each coach must comply with this rule or face possible suspension/removal from the organization.
Mt. Baldy conference will play under the National Rules Sliding Scale Mandatory Play Rule. The sliding scale is as followed:
16-25 eligible players 10 plays minimum
26-30 eligible players 8 plays minimum
31-35 eligible players 6 plays minimum
The Tiny Mite; Junior Mighty Mite and Mighty Mite Division sliding scale is as followed:
16-25 eligible players 10 plays minimum
26-35 eligible players 8 plays minimum
Eligible players are those that will play in that weeks games excluding injured, suspended, or disciplined players.
Kick Offs, Kick Off Returns; Penalties and Extra Point Attempts do not count towards the minimum play rule
Is Youth Football Safe?
If your child wants to play football, but a parent has some fear of injury, here are some facts you should know about youth Football:
- The injury rate in Pop Warner Football is:
- Less than one-third the injury rate in high school football
- Less than one-fifth the injury rate in college football
- Less than one-ninth the injury rate in professional football
- Pop Warner’s age-weight schematic protects younger, lighter players, who do not have higher injury rates.
- Organized football among 5 – 15 year-olds has 12% fewer injuries per capita than organized soccer in the same age range.
- Organized football among 5 – 15 year-olds has 50% fewer injuries per capita than bicycle riding in the same age range.
- Organized football among 5 – 15 year-olds has 74% fewer injuries per capita than skateboarding in the same age group.
- Injuries in youth football are normally mild, and older players have a higher injury rate than younger players.
Click here to see study completed by Mayo Clinic on Youth Sports Injuries titled "Will my Child get Hurt?".
Please consider this carefully when deciding if your child should play Pop Warner Football or