Contest Rules & Regulations

Contest Rules & Regulations

A. Basic Information

  1. Contest Date: Saturday, October 15, 2022

  2. Location: Socorro ISD Student Activities Complex (SAC)

  3. Start Time: 8:00 AM (Schedule subject to change based on the final number of entries)

  4. MarchFest will utilize the Bands of America Timing Regulations and Procedures.

  5. Format: Preliminaries / Finals format - with a champion in each of two classifications (see below).

  6. PLEASE NOTE THAT ONLY NCAA (TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL) HASH MARKS WILL BE MARKED.


B. Entry Information

  1. Contest entry will be done online via the Registration Tab.

  2. All entries received via the online registration before Wednesday, August 31 @ 12:00PM will be placed into the drawing for performance order. Any registration applications received after this will be placed into the performance order for their classification BEFORE the bands that have already been placed into the performance order.

  • Since MarchFest is a requirement for all SISD schools, every SISD High School will be deemed as registered for the performance drawing.

  1. The drawing for performance order will take place on August 31 at 4:00 PM in the SISD Fine Arts office and is open to any band director and/or fine arts administrator who wishes to attend.

  • Each school’s name will be placed into an online random selection generator. The first drawn school will perform first in their class and the last drawn school will perform last in their class in preliminary competition. Finals drawing will take place the day of, after finalist bands have been announced.

  • The final day to enter MarchFest 2022 will be on Wednesday, September 15 @ 4:00 PM. The online application will expire at this time.


C. Contest Fees


  1. The entry fee will be $400.00 and must be paid to the Socorro ISD Fine Arts Office.

  • (12100 Eastlake Dr. 79928, ATT: Armando Martinez) by either band booster check, campus check or district check. Make checks payable to “Socorro ISD Fine Arts”

  • The SISD Fine Arts Office will account for payment for the SISD bands.

  1. Entry fees are due on or before Monday, September 26 @ 5:00PM in order to hold the performance position.

  • Failure to provide payment by this time will result in the loss of the assigned performance order position.

  • Bands that miss the payment deadline (see above) will be re-added to the performance order and rescheduled before bands in their classification that are in good standing.

  1. The final payment deadline will be Monday, October 3 @ 5:00PM. Any band that has entered MarchFest 2022 and not paid by this time may be dropped from the contest.

  • There will be no late fee access for those bands paying after October 3.


C. Copyright Requirements


Performance in MarchFest 2022 carries a MANDATORY proof of copyright permission.

  • Copyright permission must be provided for music arrangements.

  • The SISD Fine Arts Department will only provide audio recordings of the adjudicator’s comments and will not provide video recordings of any kind.

  • All bands will utilize the SISD Copyright Disclaimer Form located under: Required Forms & Resources

  • Proof of copyright permission forms are due by Wednesday, October 5 @ 5:00PM.

  • Any band that has entered MarchFest 2022 and not returned the SISD Copyright Disclaimer Form by October 5 may be dropped from the contest.

  • Exception: Texas bands may opt to provide a copy of the UIL Marching Band Educational Use Video Agreement Form.

D. Eligibility & Classification


  1. All bands will submit an official Socorro ISD Eligibility Form (Required Forms & Resources) or a UIL Form 1 prior to warm up.

  • Please note that any wind player performing in the front ensemble (percussion) area who is not marching will still be counted toward the total number of musicians for classification purposes.

  • Also, if a drum major should perform on any instrument he/she will be counted toward the total number of musicians for classification purposes.

  • Non-Texas bands eligibility will be based upon the eligibility rules of the school district involved.

  • All students in uniform (both musician and color guard) will be counted towards the eligibility and must be included on the form.

  • Any musicians in uniform who will not be performing in the contest but are only helping to move equipment will be identified by a band director or band booster in the staging area. These students will NOT be included in the total number of performing musicians.

  • These students MAY move props during performance, provided they do NOT perform music in ANY fashion.

  • Students moving props or equipment during the performance MUST be eligible.


  1. Classification will be determined by total number of performing musicians (winds & percussion included)

Class A – 70 or more total musicians

Class B – 41-69 total musicians

Class C – 1-40 total musicians

  • A band with 70 or fewer total musicians may enter Class A.

  • A band with 69 or more total musicians may NOT enter Class B.

  • A band with 41 or more total musicians may not enter Class C


E. Penalties

  • Any band that registered to compete in Class B that is counted to have 78 or more total musicians performing will be moved into Class A with no further penalty. If, in the opinion of SISD Fine Arts staff, there is sufficient time to update the performance schedule, it will be updated. If time is deemed not available, the affected band will perform in their original spot with verbal notification being given over the public address system and stamped on their scoring sheets.

  • For each time violation (whether for field entry, performance time, or field exit), the band will be penalized.1 point per 3 seconds of violation (ex. 7 seconds over for performance time will result in a .3 penalty / .1after 3 seconds + .1 after 6 seconds + .1 for the 7th second)

E. Adjudicating & Scoring


  1. All adjudicators will be from outside the El Paso area with an emphasis on adjudication affiliation with any of the following:

  • Bands of America

  • University Interscholastic League

  • Drum Corps International

  • US Bands

  • Winter Guard International

  • University level bands

  • Various state marching contests

  1. There will be seven (7) adjudicators utilizing the Bands of America Scoring Rubric.

  • Music Performance Individual

  • Music Performance Ensemble

  • General Effect Music (two judges)

  • Visual Performance Individual

  • Visual Performance Ensemble

  • General Effect Visual

  1. MarchFest rules will vary from the Bands of America Scoring Rubric in the following areas:

  • The scoring rubric will only apply to the actual scoring and NOT matters such as field entrance/exit boundaries, classification size, field passes, etc.

  • The Bands of Americas scoring rules can be found on their website:

https://marching.musicforall.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/2019/05/2019-BOA-Rulebook.pdf



F. Preliminary Competition

1. After each band performs in prelims, the raw scores from each judge will be entered into the master scoring chart.

2. A drum major or band officer (pre-selected by the band director) will report to the interview area immediately after their band has performed.

  • The interview will be shown on the video board.

  • The interview area will be on the track at the north, home sideline at the 40 yard line

  • Each student representative will be asked one or two of the following questions depending on time availability (please prepare an answer for ALL questions):

          • Could you state your band’s moto and provide a explanation?

          • What do you feel is your band’s strongest asset?

          • How do your band boosters help with your marching band performance?

          • How do academics tie into your band program?

          • What aspect of marching band do the members of this band enjoy the most?

3. Class C bands will compete first

  • Once all bands from Class C have competed, there will be an official announcement of the bands that will advance to finals competition.

  • Class C competition will commence immediately after preliminary competition and will be followed by Class C awards.

4. Class A and B bands will compete in prelims after all bands in Class C finals awards.

  • Once all bands from Class A have competed, there will be an official announcement of the bands that will advance to the Class A/B finals competition.

5. There will be NO caption awards or placement awards for prelims.

6. There will NOT be a retreat of any type following prelims.

G. Finals Competition


1. In all three classifications, once the finalist bands have been announced after prelims, there will be a drawing for finals performance order.

  • Class C finals will take place before Class A/B prelims.

  • Class C finals awards will take place immediately after finals competition.


2. Class C will utilize tokens numbered from 1 – 4 (or 1-6 if 12 or more bands compete in prelims.)

  • If the Class C Champion from the prior year has made the Class B finals, this band may opt to perform last in finals competition.

  • If this occurs, token 4 (or 6) will be removed from the random drawing pool.

  • The highest placing band from prelims will draw the first token and so on for the other finalist bands.

  • Token #1 will perform first, token #2 will perform second etc.

  • Finals performance times will be given to directors immediately following the drawing of tokens.


3. Class A & B will utilize tokens numbered from 1 – 8 and compete together in Class A/B finals.

  • If the Class A/B Champion from the prior year has made the Class A/B finals, this band may opt to perform last in finals competition.

  • If this occurs, token #8 will be removed from the random drawing pool.

  • The highest placing band from prelims will draw the first token and so on for the other finalist bands.

  • Finals performance times will be given to directors immediately following the drawing of tokens.


4. After the last band in Class A/B has competed, all directors, drum majors, and color guard captains (from both Class A & B) will meet on the field for the leadership retreat and finals awards.

H. Awards


1. Awards will be announced in this order and will include scoring totals:

Class C

  • Outstanding General Effect – wall plaque

  • Outstanding Marching Execution – wall plaque

  • Outstanding Drum Majors – individual patches and wall plaque

  • Outstanding Color Guard – individual patches and wall plaque

  • Outstanding Percussion Performance – individual patches and wall plaque

  • Outstanding Music Performance – individual patches and wall plaque

  • 4th Place (possibly 6th & 5th if more than 12 bands in prelims) – finalist band wall plaque

  • 3rd Place – finalist band wall plaque

  • 2nd Place – 2nd place wall plaque

  • Champion – Championship wall plaque

Class A/B

  • Outstanding General Effect – wall plaque

  • Outstanding Marching Execution – wall plaque

  • Outstanding Drum Majors – individual patches and wall plaque

  • Outstanding Color Guard – individual patches and wall plaque

  • Outstanding Percussion Performance – individual patches and wall plaque

  • Outstanding Music Performance – individual patches and wall plaque

  • 8th Place (possibly 6th & 5th if more than 12 bands in prelims) – finalist band wall plaque

  • 7th Place – finalist band wall plaque

  • 6th Place – finalist band wall plaque

  • 5th Place – finalist band wall plaque

  • 4th Place – finalist band wall plaque

  • 3rd Place – finalist band wall plaque

  • 2nd place - 2nd place wall plaque

  • Champion – Championship wall plaque

I. Inclement Weather

1. There will be no rescheduling of the MarchFest Contest nor entry fee refunds.

  • In the unlikely event that the contest must be cancelled, all bands will be provided entry to MarchFest free of charge the following year.

2. In the case of inclement weather, the Socorro ISD Fine Arts Staff will have complete control of the contest schedule.

3. Every effort will be made to have every band perform their entire marching show.

4. If a delay is required, the Socorro ISD Fine Arts Staff may decide to cancel the finals portion of the contest and have the preliminary competition results stand to finalize the contest.