1.1 | The performance space shall be at minimum a regulation football field, lined every five yards, with high school hash marks.

1.2 | There are no prescribed boundary lines to the performance space. Performing ensembles may utilize any and all physical areas at any time during their performances. This is limited only by host venue policies and safetyBands may breach any boundary during the natural development of the drill of their show with no penalty being given.

2.1 | A minimum of seven (7) judges are needed (see rules 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6 and 2.7).

2.2 | All judges will be assigned by the Central States Judges Association. Non CSJA members may be assigned at the request of the contest host.

2.3 | Three General Effect Judges: there shall be three General Effect judges for a MSBA Show:

Music General Effect #1 (20 points)
Music General Effect #2 (20 points)
Visual General Effect (20 points)

2.4 | Two Performance Judges: there shall be two Performance judges for a MSBA Show:

Music Performance (20 points)
Visual Performance (20 points)

2.5 | Two Caption Judges: there shall be two caption judges for a MSBA Show:

Percussion Performance
Color Guard Performance

2.6 | One Timing and Penalty judge shall be used and shall be on or near the field.

2.6a | At least one timing official shall be used to administrate the performing ensemble's entrance and exit to the performance space.

2.6b | The timing official will administrate at their discretion when a performance ensemble may enter the performance space for pre-staging (see 3.1)

2.6c | The timing official will administrate and document the beginning and end of each performing ensemble's fifteen minute time block via the MSBA timing and penalties judge sheet. This documentation will be provided to the head judge and contest director to determine if a penalty should be assessed.

2.6d | The timing official will be assigned by MSBA.

2.7 | All judges identified in sections 2.3, 2.4 and 2.5 should be located in, on or around the press box area.

All judges have the professional responsibility to confirm, with the show host’s assistance, that their evaluation perspective is a clear listening/viewing environment for all groups.

MSBA prefers that music and percussion judges sit outside of the press box. If that is not logistically possible, all windows in the press box that are facing the field should be fully opened and the music and percussion judges should evaluate the performance as close to an open window as possible.

2.8 | All performing ensembles shall be provided with a digital recording from each adjudicator and a full recap via Competition Suite.

2.9 | All host sites will use the Competition Suite tabulation software.

Captions shall be judged separately for overall placement within the specific categories: the Percussion and Color Guard caption scores will NOT factor into the competition placement scores determined in sections 2.3 and 2.4 above.

There will be a judges critique offered to competing bands following each competition except for the final competition of the year. Directors and staff of the competing bands may attend the critique sessions in the order of their performance.

3.1 | Bands shall be scheduled on fifteen (15) minute intervals. As soon as the preceding band has cleared the field, the entirety of the next band may enter the field for preset and warmup. Sound checks and warmups can begin as soon as the band is ready. The band may not begin their JUDGED performance until they have been announced.

3.2 | Judging shall begin with the drum major's (field commander's) salute. All judges shall evaluate the entire show.

3.3 | The following awards & announcements format shall be required for each MSBA contest:

Each class (or finals at championships)

1. Best Music (total of all music scores)

2. Best Visual (total of all visual scores)

3. Best General Effect (total of all general effect scores)

4. Best Field Commander (if judged)

5. Best Color Guard (if judged)

6. Best Percussion (if judged)

7. Band placement AND scores in reverse order (number of places and awards is at the discretion of the contest director)

3.3a | BOA Timing Exemption. Performing Ensembles may use the BOA timing Exemption policy. This allows a performing ensemble up to 17 minutes of time. After which Rule 4.1 will apply.

3.4 | Best in Class Awards shall be given at championships in both prelims and finals.

3.4a | If two bands tie, the tie stands. There are no tie breakers.

4.1 | Timing penalties are one-tenth (0.1) point per three (3) seconds or fraction thereof per violation.

5.1 | The announcement for bands to start preset or warm-up and the competition show shall be as follows:

1. Please welcome to the field, <name> high school band.

2. Drum Major salutes or signal from band director when ready.

3. <name> high school band, you may take the field for competition (or exhibition).

5.2 | Should inclement weather cancel a field competition, you are encouraged to hold the competition indoors or at a stand-still. Standstill performances will be judged by music judges only.

5.3 | Any infraction or improper conduct for which no rule is given may be grounds for warning or penalty by the contest chair. A penalty from a minimum of one-tenth (0.1) point to a maximum of "disqualification" may be assessed. Such judgments will be rendered by the contest chair after consultation with the head judge.

5.4 | Field Commander Award

• No award shall be given unless there is a separate judge specifically assigned to evaluate the field commander performance. this rating is not included in determining the band's competition score.

5.5 | Color Guard Award

• No award shall be given unless there is a separate judge specifically assigned to evaluate the color guard performance. this rating is not included in determining the band's competition score.

5.6 | Percussion Award

• No award shall be given unless there is a separate judge specifically assigned to evaluate the percussion performance. this rating is not included in determining the band's competition score.

5.7 | All house rules (i.e. all weather tracks, off-limit areas, etc.) shall be followed providing the contest chair has notified all competing bands of such rules.

If any judge is hired locally (not a CSJA Judge), the judge shall have no affiliation with any band competing at the event.

6.1 | Finalist bands will be chosen using the following format: The highest scoring bands at the performance site regardless of class.

6.2 | In order to participate in the MSBA Championship competition as a competitor or show host, a band must compete in at least one local MSBA competition other than their own.

6.3 | Performance order in all independent competitions will be in reverse order of when the band signed up and has submitted payment.

A band cannot perform in the 1st of 5 spots at a prelims/finals championship two consecutive years as long as they were part of the random draw both years.

6.4 | Finals applications will be accepted anytime. Applications made before May 1st, 2026 will be placed in a random drawing for performance order. If a band changes class after applying, they will not lose their draw order.

6.4a | Finals performances at championships will be scheduled to begin between 5:30pm and 6:30pm.

6.5 | Bands will draw for finals order:

• The bottom five scores will draw for slots 10-6.

• The top five scores will draw for slots 5-1 (performance slots are in descending order: slot 10 performs first, slot 1 performs last).

All decisions at an independent show are at the direction of the contest host, chief judge and with directors input when necessary.

6.6 | Any band not honoring their entry into an independent show within two weeks of the event shall be slotted first during the MSBA Championships preliminary competition. Any band not honoring their entry into MSBA Championships within two weeks of the event shall be slotted first during the MSBA Championships the following year. Any exceptions to this policy must be approved by the Executive Director and President of MSBA, with the consultation of the Advisory Board if necessary, to avoid this penalty.

6.7 | Recaps and packets will be distributed to all bands after a preliminary competition.

6.8 | All music from traditional wind and percussion instruments or electronic instruments must be performed by a student live and in real time.

The use of sampled, prerecorded, or sequenced sounds of woodwind, brass, string, and/or percussion instruments (longer than a single note) is not permitted, except during the pre-placement/warm up time.

Vocal or choral music must either be performed live and in real time or prerecorded and sequenced for playback where a student manually triggers each individual note of the prerecorded vocal performance.

Sounds other than music, such as sound effects (siren, thunder, etc.) or narration, may be prerecorded and played back through a sound system as part of a band’s performance as a continuous sample.

6.9 | The MSBA President and Executive Director, in consultation with the Chief Judge and the Advisory Board if necessary, shall have the final authority should issues with electronics arise. The penalty for a violation will be a warning (then disqualification).

7.1 | The classifications are determined by the number of winds, percussion and electronics performers.

Any Color Guard performer that plays a wind, percussion or electronics instrument at any time during the show shall be counted as a playing member for the purpose of determining a band's class.

7.2 | Bands are classified according to rule 7.1 and are categorized as follows:

• Class A | 1-29 playing members

• Class AA | 30-44 playing members

• Class AAA | 45-59 playing members

• Class AAAA | 60-89 playing members

• Class AAAAA | 90+ playing members

7.3 | The competing band must declare their class for championships by the last Monday in September.

7.4 | Physically Challenged Performers MSBA embraces the inclusion of all students and reaches out to any physically challenged students that have the desire to perform. There are no penalties for any handler or anyone assisting a physically challenged student and handlers/assistants will not be counted as performing members.

8.1 | The MSBA directors meeting will be held annually on the Wednesday following Thanksgiving. This will be a directors only meeting. Site to be determined and posted on the website.