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Cheer 8-count sheets: the complete guide

An 8-count sheet is a grid with one row for every eight beats of the music and one box for every count, where the coach writes what happens on that count: the load, the hit, the tumbling pass, the jump, the motion. Written over the team's own mix, it is the single page everyone learns the routine from.

Why counts, and why eights

Cheer and dance music is built in bars of four beats, and phrases of two bars. Counting to eight covers one phrase, which is why choreography is taught "5, 6, 7, 8" and why every skill is placed on a count. A mix made for competition is usually at one steady tempo, so once the first 1 is found the rest of the counts fall in a regular grid, and the sheet can be written row by row without guessing where each 8 starts.

How long is an 8-count?

The length of one 8-count depends only on the tempo, in beats per minute. For the tempos cheer mixes usually use:

One 8-count and a 1:30 routine at common cheer tempos
TempoOne 8-countFull 8-counts in 1:30Full 8-counts in 2:30
140 BPM3.43 s2643
144 BPM3.33 s2745
150 BPM3.2 s2846

These numbers come from the same arithmetic the sheet uses. On a real mix the intro, a voiceover or a tempo change moves the count, which is why Cheersheet builds the grid from the music itself instead of from a single number.

From the mix to the sheet

The work always goes in the same order. First the music: load the mix, find the first 1 and check the grid by ear, because every cue written afterwards hangs off it. Then the structure: mark the sections of the routine (stunts, tumbling, jumps, dance, pyramid and the transitions between them) across the 8-counts they cover. Then the detail: the cue on each count, who does it, and where the athletes stand. Finally the teaching: a printed sheet, athlete cards, and practice at a slower speed with the counts called.

What makes a good sheet

A good count sheet can be read from across the mat. That means short cues (a word or two on a count, not a sentence), the section named on every row, blank counts left blank rather than filled with filler, and the time of each 8-count printed so a coach can find the spot in the music. It also means one version: when the choreography changes, the sheet changes, and the old printout goes in the recycling.

Every guide

Ready to try it on your own music? The count sheet editor loads your mix in the browser, finds the grid with your tapped 1, and prints the sheet. Nothing is uploaded, and questions are answered in the FAQ.

Sources

Checked on 27 September 2026. Count sheets have no single governing standard; what is written here is common practice in our own words, and every number in a worked example is computed by Cheersheet's own engine when the page is built. Where your gym, choreographer or ruleset does it differently, follow them.

Open the count sheet editorAll count sheet guides

Frequently asked questions

Where should a new coach start?

With how to write an 8-count sheet, then finding the 1 in your own mix. Once the grid sits on the music, the stunt and teaching guides show how to fill it and use it at practice.

Do these guides apply to dance and pom teams?

Yes. The 8-count grid is the same. The dance team guide covers what changes: slower tempos, more tempo changes and more formations.

Is there an official count sheet format?

No. Every mix company and gym uses its own layout. The rows of eight counts are common to all of them, and that is what Cheersheet prints.