Cheerleaders aim to hype up the crowd and players at sports games, pep rallies, and before taking the mat at cheer competitions. They use cheer chants along with movement and clapping to make it more fun. Instead of being stuck with the same chants each time, learning new cheer chant ideas keeps cheerleading fun and the crowd interested.
As you go through these cheer chant ideas, consider changing each one up a little to make it unique for your team. Of course, you can always have your team do it exactly like in the video. Sometimes the best cheer chants come when the cheerleading team gives a fun twist to an existing chant. Feel free to use this list to inspire your own cheers!
What Makes a Good Cheer Chant
One of the best cheerleading tips is that cheer chants should be short and punchy so they’re easy to remember and yell. It’s important that they’re simple because you want to crowd to join in. The rhythm should be strong, typically following a stomp and clap pattern repeated.
There are different types of cheers, including ones to use when the team they’re cheering for is on offense or defense. There are also pump-up cheers with crowd hype chants, and call-and-response or call back, when the crowd responds to the cheerleaders. Each chant should fit the type of cheer it is.
How to Come Up With Cheerleading Chants
When you write your own cheer chants, you create unique ways to build confidence and hype up the crowd. Start with your team name, colors, or mascot, and choose a rhythm as you come up with the rest of the words.
Cheer chants should be short, with the most popular ones being between 3-7 words per line, and the most catchy line repeated. You can also draw inspiration from other cheers you see and come up with something new based on what you loved about them. Teens love taking old cheers and making them their own.
Cheer chants should build confidence, so when you’re coming up with them, make sure they don’t put anyone down. They also shouldn’t include unsafe stunts or movements.
Popular Cheer Chants for Middle School and High School Cheerleading
Defense Cheerleading Chants
These easy cheer chants are used when the football team is on defense.
Hold Em
“Hold ’em (mascot), Hold ’em.”
https://www.tiktok.com/@coachkdawg/video/7543640302662208799?q=cheer%20chants%20to%20learn&t=1763232945046
“Take Charge” Cheerleading Chant
“Defense,
Take charge,
Hit ’em,
Hit ’em hard,
Defense,
Take charge.”
https://www.tiktok.com/@us_of_amberica/video/7129638716171242798?q=defense%20cheer&t=1763234557053
“Get to It” Cheer Chant
“Defense,
Let’s do it,
You gotta get,
Get,
Get to it.”
https://www.tiktok.com/@lolhs_cheer/video/7553026802801790221?q=d-d-defence%20cheer%20chant&t=1763338634982
Get That Ball Back
“Defense hands up,
Get that ball back.”
Offense Cheer Chants
Here are some easy high school sideline cheers to use when your team is on offense.
Move It
“Move it x 4
Move it down the field x 2
Move x 4
Move it down the field x 2
https://www.tiktok.com/@greenetooclean/video/7364188168104758574?q=cheer%20chant&t=1763231319357
Touchdown Time
“Move the ball,
Cross that line,
Offense,
It’s touchdown time.”
https://www.tiktok.com/@hsspiritsupport/video/7519948551317638430?q=cheer%20chants%20to%20learn&t=1763232945046
To Victory
“T-A-K-E
Take that ball to victory.”
https://www.tiktok.com/@cheermobilecheer/video/7257546315423288619?q=cheer%20chants%20to%20learn&t=1763232945046
Boogie Across That Line
“Boogie across that line,
Hey, it’s touchdown time.”
Call-and-Response Chants
Call back cheers, or call-and-response cheers, are the perfect way to get the crowd shouting back at you. Here are some of the best sideline chants for sports games.
From Side to Side
“(Mascot) from side to side,
yell our colors,
show your pride.
Red – red,
Now yell blue – blue.
Last time, red – red,
Blue – blue, (Mascot).”
https://www.tiktok.com/@us_of_amberica/video/7478131842403683614?q=cheer%20chants%20to%20learn&t=1763232945046
Do It
“Do it x 12
Stop! Let the freshman do it!”
Then repeat this for each grade level, through seniors, and the last time, “Let the parents do it!”.
https://www.tiktok.com/@dormancheerleading/video/7270290589273361707?q=call%20and%20response%20cheer&t=1763235564013
Fans Yell
“(Mascot) fans yell ‘G’ (G!)
(Mascot) fans yell ‘O’
All you fans in the (mascot) stands, yell ‘Go, go go!’ (Go, go, go!)
Let’s hear it, go, go, go!”
@emmymillerky This Fan cheer is sure to get the crowd going!! #cheer #cheerleading #cheerleader #youthcheer #cheercoach
Pump-Up Cheer Chant Ideas
These fun pump-up chants for football games or basketball games are the perfect way for cheerleaders to hype the crowd and players up.
Dynamite
“Our team is dynamite,
Our team is out of sight.
Our team is –
Hold up, wait a minute, let me put some boom in it.
Tick, tick, tick, tick,
Boom dynamite,
Boom dynamite.”
Made it to the Top
“We made it to the top,
We’re solid as a rock,
We can’t be stopped,
Because we’re hot hot hot.”
Clap Your Hands
“Clap your hands, everybody,
Everybody clap your hands.
We’re (School + Mascot) going all the way, the best in the land,
Here we go.”
https://www.tiktok.com/@riverdaleridgecheer/video/7268545300661407018?q=cheer%20chants%20to%20learn&t=1763232945046
This is How We Do It
“Come on (mascot) fans,
Get up and clap your hands.
Front to front to front my baby,
Back to back to back my baby,
Side to side to side my baby,
This is how we do it!”
@bishopblanchetcheer NEW CHEER ALERT!! We will be posting our new crowd involvement cheers, try learning them before the first FNL! #fyp #fnl #cheer #pompom #blanchet
“Show Your Spirit” Cheer Chant
“Go big (school color),
Let us hear it, show your spirit.
Go big (school color).”
@letscheerup_lcu CHEER AND CHANTS! Come learn how to pump up your crowd on letscheerup.com✅📣✨ #cheer #cheerleading #chants #fyp #generalcheer
We Want a Basket
“Dribble it,
Pass it,
We want a basket.”
Get Tough
“Get tough,
Attack,
Make them shake in their knees,
Cause we’re the mighty (mascot)
And we do as we please.”
Short Sideline Cheer Chant Ideas
The best sideline cheer chants are sometimes the shortest ones.
6-7 More
“Pump up that score,
Let’s get 6-7 more.”
https://www.tiktok.com/@leescott_cheer/video/7556071742175792398?q=6-7%20cheer&t=1763236058831
Lock In
“(Mascot) lock in,
Get that win.”
https://www.tiktok.com/@hsspiritsupport/video/7527399935658970399?q=cheer%20chants%20to%20learn&t=1763232945046
Let’s Hear It
“S-P-I-R-I-T,
Spirit,
Let’s hear it!”
https://www.tiktok.com/@littlelionscheercoach/video/7402264197800791339?q=cheer%20chants%20to%20learn&t=1763232945046
Rowdy
“Let’s get a little bit rowdy.
R-O-W-D-Y.”
Let’s Get Loud
“Hey (school mascot name) crowd,
Let’s get loud.”
https://www.tiktok.com/@coach.hilary/video/7273067058483678510?q=cheer%20chant&t=1763231319357
Conclusion
Cheerleading is about energy, excitement, team spirit, and creativity. These cheer chant ideas can help your team hit every mark, and you can personalize each one to make it even more fun.