INDIANAPOLIS — Saturday evening of the Drum Corps International Annual Meetings & Rules Congress concluded with representatives of DCI’s voting membership discussing rules change proposals presented to them for their review and approval by instructor delegates from World and Open Class corps.
How a DCI rules proposal becomes a rule
Before reaching the voting membership, rules proposals are considered, vetted and debated in caption-specific caucus sessions made up of corps instructional staff, designers, and judges. Six proposals from the caucus sessions were passed along earlier this afternoon for a final vote.
One of the most talked about proposals of the weekend — to allow the use of any instrument in performances — failed after considerable thoughtful discussion. A later amendment proposal from the floor to allow for the use of any instrument for up to eight solo/soli performers at a time also failed.
- A proposal that changes color guard evaluation criteria passed unanimously.
- A proposal to allow rhythmic effects such as delay and live looping created in real time also passed unanimously.
Three proposals which evolved during the consideration process among the instructor caucuses were also brought forward to the voting membership.
- A proposal requiring two separate 11-judge panels to work the World Championship Prelims and Semifinals events, drawing the Finals night panel from those 22 judges, failed in a vote of 10-9-1.
- A proposal increasing the interval time between corps to 18 minutes (from its current 17-minute schedule) failed 3-17.
- A proposal recommending the repositioning of judges customarily located in the press box to vantage points closer to the field and audience has been passed along to a committee for further evaluation.