NATIONAL OLDTIME FIDDLERS’ CONTEST®
Weiser, Idaho GENERAL CONTEST RULES
(Amended 2010)
NOTE: As judges are selected, links to their biographical information will appear below the "Judging Information" link on this website.
Contestants may enter only one of the following contests: Limited Entries
REGISTRATION:
NATIONAL GRAND CHAMPION: Contestants, open to all regardless of age 6 Rounds No Limit. NATIONAL SENIOR: Contestants must be 60 to 69 years of age 3 Rounds 24 Contestants
NATIONAL SENIOR-SENIOR: Contestants must be 70 years of age and up 3 Rounds 24 Contestants NATIONAL ADULT: Contestants must be 37 to 59 years of age 4 Rounds 45 Contestants
NATIONAL YOUNG ADULT: Contestants must be 18 to 36 years of age 4 Rounds 50 Contestants NATIONAL JUNIOR: Contestants must be less than 18 years of age 4 Rounds 76 Contestants
NATIONAL JUNIOR-JUNIOR: Contestants must be less than 13 years of age 3 Rounds 70 Contestants NATIONAL SMALL FRY: Contestants must be less than 9 years of age 3 Rounds 45 Contestants •Entry form must be completed and entry fee paid before June 1 to avoid late fees. Money will be refunded to anyone who paid entry fees and cannot attend, if committee is notified of withdrawal by May 31.
- Certified Showcase entry form (found on the website) must be completed and returned before noon the day of your showcase competition.
It is the certified showcase contestant’s responsibility to be sure the certified showcase entry form has been received by our office for your name to be
added to the evening show. Names will not be added after the list is posted in the warm up room at 4:00 p.m. Certified Showcase contestants
will have 4 minutes to get on the stage, introduce their group, play a tune and leave the stage. Disqualification will occur after 4 minutes.
- Contestants must CHECK IN at the registration desk by 4:00 p.m. prior to the day of the first round of their division. At that time the entry form
will be signed, dated and packet and badges picked up. All Contestants must SIGN IN 45 MINUTES PRIOR TO THEIR PLAY TIME.
Treasure Valley residents are not required to CHECK IN at the contest site in person but MUST call after 5:00 p.m. the day prior to round one of play
to inquire about their scheduled time. . The General Chairman will consider emergency situations on an individual basis.
- Upon signing the contestant registration form, all commercial recording, photo and video rights are reserved and shall become the property of the
National Oldtime Fiddlers’ Contest® and Festival.
- Any contestant, accompanist or their guest, losing their badge should report the loss as soon as possible. If not found after 24 hours another badge
may be purchased for half the remaining ticket price. Anyone caught wearing a badge of another person will cause both parties involved to have their
badges revoked and will not be allowed to purchase a contestant, guest or accompanist badge for three years.
- Contestant and accompanist badges are good for ALL PERFORMANCES INCLUDING Saturday night. Guest badges allow free entry to contest
Monday thru Friday. Saturday night tickets must be purchased.
- We encourage accompanists to pre-register. Accompanists wanting an accompanist badge and guest badge must register.
- If you wait to declare your guest at the registration desk, a $10.00 late fee will be charged.
- Any accompanist registered but who does not accompany a contesting fiddler on stage (excluding the Certified Showcase and specials)
will not be allowed to register as an accompanist at the contest the following year. If the fiddler you intend to accompany fails to compete
or decides they don’t need your services, you must contact the contest chairman as soon as possible and explain the situation.
CONTESTING:Initial order of appearance for the first round of play will be randomly selected by computer and posted in the warm up room by 5:30 p.m.
the day before Round 1. Judges’ scores will be tabulated and cuts will be made based on cumulative scores. A computerized play order will
be posted as soon as possible before each round. Contestants should remain in the practice room or close proximity and be ready to play when called.
Any contestant registered but doesn’t play will be eliminated from next year’s Contest. Contestant’s badge and guest badge will be revoked
for remainder of current year’s Contest.
Any contestant who harasses or threatens a judge will be automatically eliminated for the current and following year’s contest.
Stage dress code: Proper stage dress for all rounds shall be clean, in good repair, and have no holes or rips. Short shorts, bare midriffs,
and revealing tops are not considered proper stage attire for all rounds. Ladies, the stage is elevated. Please consider this when wearing skirts or dresses.
RULES:
- Five judges will be used with the high and low scores thrown out. The three middle scores will be added together.
- Contestants at each appearance must first play a hoedown; second a waltz; and third, a fiddle tune of choice; other than a hoedown or waltz.
- No contestant shall play a tune more than once during the contest.
- Four minute playing time will be strictly adhered to in rounds one, two and three. Fourth round competitors will be allowed to play up to five minutes. Competitors in the Grand Champion Division will be allowed five minutes in rounds four and five. Round six will have no time limit.
- Contestants going over the allowed time will lose 10 points per 30 seconds from the total score. A 20 second grace period will be allowed after four minutes or five minutes depending on the round.
- Grand Champion round three will cut to twelve, round four cut to ten, round five is ten and round six will be the top five in a Round Robin format.
- Judging criteria on individual tunes will include but is not limited to Oldtime Fiddling Style, Danceability, Rhythm and Timing, and Tone Quality.
- Scores will be cumulative.
- Points will be deducted for any violation of the rules.
- Players missing their turn in Round 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 will receive a 10 point penalty from the total score unless the tardiness is waived by the General Chairman.
- Small Fry and Jr. Jr. contestants may play with up to two accompanists. All other divisions are allowed up to three accompanists. If an unwanted accompanist comes on stage, the contestant may stop and ask the person to leave. The contestant may start over with no penalty on time or from the judges.
- If a string breaks, the contestant will have the option to continue or stop at that point. If the tune is completed it will be judged as played. If the contestant stops play, due to a broken string, he will be allowed to begin with that tune and complete his program without penalty.
- A tie occurring in the top 5 of any division will be broken by the two contestants playing a 3 tune round.
- Contact microphones and amplified instruments will not bepermitted during any competition.
- No trick or fancy fiddling allowed during the contesting appearances.
- No cross-tuning on stage.
- No sheet music shall be displayed in the contesting area.
- Any contestant winning three consecutive years in the Grand National Division must either judge the following year’s Contest or sit out the Contest that year. Any contestant winning three consecutive years in the Senior, Senior Senior, Adult, Young Adult, and Junior divisions will automatically move into the Grand National Division. Any Junior-Junior or Small Fry contestant winning three consecutive times in their division, will automatically move into the next age division.
- Any contestant winning a trophy or money must appear on stage to receive their awards or the awards will be forfeited.
- Any protest must be submitted in writing to the Contest Chairman, and signed by not less than three contestants of the Contest involved within three hours of protest occurrence.
- All decisions of the Judges and of the Contest Committee will be final.
- The final round of the Grand Champion Division will be a ROUND ROBIN. The judges will be seated in the front row near the stage while the five contestants will be seated on the stage.
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