SCOTTISH BRASS BAND ASSOCIATION
CONTEST RULES

Version effective from 1 January 2005

Appendix II
The Scottish Brass Band Association
Grading Rules


(a)
  Grading will be carried out annually at the first Committee meeting following the Scottish Championships and will become effective from the following 1st November.
(b)
  The Association Secretary will maintain the grading register and grading will be decided by the Committee based on the results of the most recent three Scottish Championships.
(c)
  Bands changing grades will be notified in Minutes circulated to all bands.
(d)
  Any band given exemption from competing in the Scottish Championships after having won the National Championships of Great Britain will be positioned equal first for that year.
(e)
  The first two placed bands in the First, Second, Third and Fourth Section Championship Contests shall be promoted to the section immediately higher than their present section.
(f)
  In the Championship, First, Second and Third Sections, the bands with the two poorest aggregate placings over the previous three years will be relegated.
(g)
  Any band entering or re-entering a section, on account of promotion or relegation, or as a new band, will on its first grading be given an average placing for the previous two years for that section. Totalling the placings awarded and dividing by the number of bands competing in that year (including bands failing to compete but awarded last place in accordance with rule (i) below) will calculate the average placing. The average placing will be corrected to the nearest half number.
(h)
  When two or more bands receive equal points, each band will be given the same numerical placing. The next band will be placed the equivalent number of places below.
(i)
  Any band failing to compete will be given one placing lower than the number of bands competing in that section.
(j)
  Any band failing to compete for two consecutive years will be relegated. Any such relegation will be in addition to any action taken under Rule (f).
(k)
  Any band failing to compete for three consecutive years will be removed from the grading register before compilation of the grading tables at the end of the third year. If such a band wishes to resume contesting it will be treated as a first time entry in the Fourth Section.
(l)
  Any band, whether or not affected by promotion or relegation, which considers it has special reasons to be regarded must, within four weeks of receiving notification of its grading, submit an appeal to the Committee. If the appeal is upheld by the Committee it will have power to alter the grading which the band would otherwise receive under these rules. Without prejudice to the foregoing generality (i) any band in a position entitling it to promotion may elect to remain in its existing section although this will not apply in the event of the same band again being in a position entitling it to promotion in the immediately following year, (ii) any band not achieving an automatic promotion place may request a review with other factors, including results in other contests and extenuating circumstances which may have affected the band’s result in the Scottish Championships, being taken into account and (iii) any band in a position which would result in relegation may request a review with other factors, including results in other contests and extenuating circumstances which may have affected the band’s result in the Scottish Championships, being taken into account although, if a band is spared relegation following such a review, that band cannot apply for a further review if it is again in a position which would result in relegation in the immediately following year. In the event of any band requesting a review under situation (ii) or situation (iii) above, the Committee will have power to order an assessment of the band concerned under the provisions of section (o) of these rules and that at the expense of the band concerned. In the event of the Committee agreeing to promote, not to promote or not to relegate a band as a result of a review at the request of the band, this will have no affect on the grading of any other band and no other band will be promoted or relegated in place of any band where the grading of that band has been adjusted under these provisions.
(m)
  When bands draw in the grading table the result at the most recent Scottish Championship will determine which band is relegated. The band that was lowest placed will be relegated.
(n)
  In the event of two or more bands amalgamating, the amalgamated band will adopt the position in the grading table and the record of previous placings retained for grading purposes of whichever of the two or more bands amalgamating held the highest position in the grading table at the date of the amalgamation.
(o)
  In the event of a new band being formed, that band will, prior to taking part in any contest, be entitled to request the Committee to carry out an assessment of the band for the purposes of determining the most appropriate section within which the band should be placed for contesting purposes. The assessment will take such form as the Committee may deem appropriate in any particular case and the band will be responsible for settling all costs incurred in carrying out the assessment. In the event of it being determined as a result of such an assessment that the band should be placed in any section other than Fourth Section, rule (g) above will apply. In the event of any such newly formed band not requesting such an assessment prior to taking part in a contest for the first time, the band will be placed in the Fourth Section. For the avoidance of any doubt this rule will apply to newly formed bands only. This rule will not apply to existing member bands nor will it apply to any band formed as the result of an amalgamation of two or more existing member bands.


i Definitions
ii General
iii Misconduct
iv Protests and Appeals
v Rules of the Scottish Brass Band Registry
vi Scottish Championship Contests
vii Adjudicators
viii Local and Other Contests
ix Rules and Procedures for Organisations wishing to arrange a Contest
x Regulation of Local Contests
xi Entries
xii Qualification of Players
xiii Guest Players
xiv Number and position of players on platform
xv Instrumentation
xvi Music
xvii Solo, Quartet/Quintet and Small Ensemble Contests
xviii Regulations for the Draw
xix Substitutes for sick players
xx Trophies and prize money
xxi Rehearsal
xxii General Rules

 

Appendix I: Registration Rules applicable to Junior and Training Bands


Appendix II: Grading Rules


Appendix III: Contest Rules for Solo, Quartet/Quintet and Small Ensemble Contests

i. Prospectus and Prizes
ii. Entry Forms and Fees
iii. Scores
iv. Quartets/Quintets
v. Small Ensembles
vi. Instrumentation
vii. Substitute Players
viii. Time Limits
ix. Contests for School Pupils / Youth
x. Competitors
xi. Age Groups
xii. Local Rules

Appendix IV: Rules of the Scottish Brass Band Registry
i. Requirement to have Players Registered
ii. Registration of Unregistered Players
iii. Registration of Players by Transfer
iv Restrictions affecting New Registrations and Transfers
v. Method of transfer to another Registry (England or Wales)
vi. Cancelled Registration (card held by the Registry)
vii. Number of Registered Players
viii. Lost Bandsman's Registration Card
ix. Change of Name
x. Registration Numbers
xi. Registration Forms
xii. Change of Band Secretary
xiii. Annual Renewal of Players' Registrations
xiv. Communications with the Registry
xv. Accounts
xvi. Presentation of Registration Cards at Contests
xvii. Registry Fees