Contest Rules

1)  Contestants must be registered and have numbers drawn for the order of appearance no later than 15 

 minutes prior to the start of the division they have entered. 

2)  Fiddle contestants may enter their AGE division as well as the TWIN FIDDLE and TRICK AND FANCY  divisions.  

3)  It will not be required for the contestant entering TWIN FIDDLE and TRICK AND FANCY divisions to have played in any AGE division prior to this event. 

4)  Contestants in the AGE divisions will play three tunes.  First the contestant must play a hoedown, then a waltz, and finally a tune of choice (cannot be a hoedown or waltz) in that order.  

Contestants in the TRICK AND FANCY division will play one tune of choice. 

Contestants in the TWIN FIDDLE division will play one fast tune and one slow tune. 

5)  For the AGE divisions only, a time limit of FIVE minutes is allowed. For all other divisions  (TWIN FIDDLE and TRICK & FANCY) a time limit of FOUR minutes is allowed.  A penalty of five points will be assessed for each increment of 1-10 seconds over the time limit.  

6)  Contestants may play without accompanist or with no more than two accompanists 

7)  No cross tuning or show tunes are allowed in any division except the TRICK AND FANCY division. 

8)  Contact microphones, pickups, or electric instruments of any kind will not be allowed. 

9)  In the event of a tie in the total scores between contestants for the AGE categories, the following tie breakers will be employed: 

      a)  The first tie breaker will be the total score of all judges on the hoedown played. 

      b)  The second tie breaker (if the hoedown scores are identical) will be the total score of all judges on the waltz played. 

      c)  If a and b above fail to break the tie, a play off scenario determined by the judges will be made to break the tie. 

10)  In the event of a tie in the total scores between contestants for the Twin Fiddle categories, the following tie breakers will be employed: 

     a)  The tie breaker will be the score of all judges on the hoedown.

     b)  If this fails to break the tie, a play off scenario determined by the judges will be made to break the tie. 

11)  The contestants and their accompanists MUST be ready to appear on stage when their turn arrives or they will risk being disqualified from that contest division.  

12) All decisions the judges and contest coordinator will be final.

13) If you are paid by the contest you may not enter to compete or back up contestants.

  

NOTICE:  THE TRICK AND FANCY DIVISION OF THE TUCSON OLD TIME FIDDLE CONTEST IS A FIDDLE EVENT AND IS OPEN TO FIDDLERS ONLY. 

ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE RULES OF THE TUCSON FIDDLE CONTEST SHOULD BE DISCUSSED WITH THE JUDGES PRIOR TO THE START OF THE CONTEST.