Any dancer who plans to compete must register with FUSTA at the regional level and obtain an SOBHD Worldwide registration card. This registration scheme is an effective way of keeping track of a dancer's progress, and ensures that every dancer has the opportunity to compete with others of comparable ability throughout the world. This card shows the competition level of the dancer:  Primary, Beginner, Novice, Intermediate or Premier.

         When a student begins competing in Highland Dance, they are placed in an entry-level category.  Advancement is dependent upon the number of stamps received.  One stamp is given for every competition where the dancer has received a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place medal.  Stamps are placed on the appropriate space on a dancer's competition card by the organizers of the competition.  Intermediate is the last category a dancer can compete in before being advanced to the final, or Premier level.  Intermediate dancers along with dancers in the preceding categories are often referred to as Pre-Premier.  The following categories are stages that a dancer goes through from Primary to Premier.

PRE-PREMIER

Primary:

All dancers six years of age or under.  The Primary dancers may compete in Pas de Basque, Pas de Basques and High Cuts, Highland Fling and Sword Dance.  No trophies are awarded in this category.

Beginner:

When a dancer is seven years or over they begin competition at this level.  Beginner dancers may compete in:  Highland Fling, Sword Dance, Seann Triubhas, a Reel, Flora and Lilt.  When a dancer receives six stamps, or has competed in this category at least six months, whichever is longer, (s)he advances to the Novice category.

Novice:

Novice dancers compete in the same dance events as in the Beginner category.  When a dancer receives six stamps as a Novice competitor, or has competed in this category at least six months, whichever is longer, (s)he advances to the Intermediate category.

Intermediate:

At this level the dancers are sometimes asked to compete in full-length dances.  This means the 6-step Fling, a 3+1 Sword,  2+2 Sword, 4+2 Seann Triubhas.  National dances can also be 4 or 6-step.  Hornpipe and Jig may be 4, 5 or 6 steps.  Competitions are restricted to the following dances:  Fling, Sword, Seann Triubhas, Strathspey and Reels, Flora, Lilt, Barracks, Highland Laddie, Hornpipe and Jig.  Dancers are considered in the Intermediate category for one calendar year from the date of their first Intermediate competition.

PREMIER 

This category was formerly called "Open" until it was renamed "Premier" by the SOBHD in January 1994.  Premier dancers compete in all of the Highland dances and National dances endorsed by the SOBHD for medals and trophies.  Premier dancers may receive cash prizes and are the only dancers eligible to enter championship competitions.