For the first time in history, athletes from any U.S. twirling organization will compete together for the opportunity to represent the United States at the 2026 IBTF World Freestyle and Rhythmic Twirl Championship, which will be held in August in Paris, France.
Team USA will be selected at the 2026 U.S. Trials, which will be hosted by USA Baton Twirling in March 2026. There will also be a Level A Freestyle Team Qualifier held in conjunction with the Trials, to select the Level A Freestyle Teams that will represent the U.S. in the 2026 IBTF Nations Cup Level A Freestyle Team competition, which will also be held in August in Paris, France.
Here is important information for coaches, parents, and athletes planning to participate in this historic U.S. Trials competition.
SUMMARY
- Date: Third or fourth weekend in March 2026
- Location: Pending contract approval
- Entering restriction: Athletes may not enter both Freestyle Solo and Rhythmic Twirl.
- IBTF New Judging System (NJS): At the 2026 U.S. Trials, the IBTF New Judging System will be used for Freestyle Solo only.
- Entry Forms: Will be available later this fall on the USTA Member Portal
- Entry Deadline: Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2026
- Deadline to submit Freestyle Solo Fiche: Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026
- Deadline to submit changes to Freestyle Solo Fiche: Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026
- Fiche must be submitted by athlete’s Primary Coach, who is responsible for Fiche accuracy.
- Membership:
- Athletes must hold a USTA Athlete membership.
- Primary Coaches must hold a current USTA Professional membership, which includes mandatory background check and coach or judge certification.
- Compulsory and Movement Technique requirements:
- Freestyle Solo – passed all Compulsories and Movement Technique levels
- Rhythmic Twirl – no Compulsory or Movement Technique requirement
- Freestyle Pair – Compulsory and Movement Technique requirement suspended for 2026 U.S. Trials
- Freestyle Team – Compulsory and Movement Technique requirement suspended for 2026 U.S. Trials
- Level A Team – Compulsory and Movement Technique requirement suspended for 2026 Level A Team Qualifier
- Warm-ups:
- No official warm-ups for U.S. Trials. Athletes may wear warm-ups of their choice.
- Athletes selected for Team USA will be required to have the official Team USA warm-ups.
- Manual: For more information about the U.S. Trials, see the U.S. Trials Manual, which will be available as soon as the Trials dates and location are confirmed. The manual will be available on the USTA Member Portal under Documents > Manuals.
ADDITIONAL DETAIL
IBTF New Judging System (NJS): IBTF’s New Judging System will be used for the Freestyle Solo discipline at the 2026 U.S. Trials in March and the 2026 World Freestyle and Rhythmic Twirl Championship in August. The New Judging System requires Freestyle Solo athletes to submit and declare their elements on a spreadsheet called a “Fiche.” Coaches must fully understand the New Judging System to ensure athlete success. The New Judging System will NOT be used for Rhythmic Twirl, Freestyle Pair, or Freestyle Team.
The Updated IBTF Freestyle Solo Education and Judging System Program Manual is posted in Moodle – Module 5. Dated July 25 V 6.0. You can purchase this manual on the IBTF website under More>TwirlEd. You must create a TwirlEd account before you can purchase the manual, which is $50.
You can get more information about the 2026 World Freestyle and Rhythmic Twirl Championship in the 2026 World Freestyle and Rhythmic Twirl Championship and Nations Cup Rulebook, which is available at no cost on the IBTF website under Rulebooks.
Memberships: USA Baton Twirling is a “doing business as” entity of the United States Twirling Association (USTA) and is covered by USTA’s insurance, which is why athletes and professionals who participate in USA Baton Twirling events must hold current USTA memberships. This is beneficial to athletes and professionals, who then are covered by $25,000 in accident medical insurance coverage and $10,000 in AD&D insurance coverage while at USTA/USA Baton Twirling-sanctioned events.
Compulsory and Movement Technique requirements: Because twirlers from all U.S. twirling organizations can participate in the U.S. Trials, USA Baton Twirling is temporarily suspending the Compulsory and Movement Technique requirements for Freestyle Pair, Freestyle Team, and Level A Freestyle Team, to remove a potential barrier for athletes who are new to IBTF competitions. The requirements will be reinstated for the 2028 Trials. There are NO Compulsory and Movement Technique requirements for Rhythmic Twirl.