Rules & Eligibility

Rules

Categories

There are eight categories, designed to provide a forum for top level competition as well as a positive and encouraging environment for school pipe bands with minimal or no competing experience.

Schools should ensure that they enter into the spirit of the event by selecting carefully the most appropriate category, or grade, in which to take part. Prizes are graded to encourage established bands to be ambitious.

Freestyle entries are eagerly encouraged from all schools that enter a band or quartet, whether or not they are RSPBA-registered.

The eight categories in the Championships are listed below.

Open to RSPBA-registered schools/bands only:

1. Juvenile
2. Novice Juvenile ‘A’
3. Novice Juvenile ‘B’

 

Open to schools/bands that are not registered with the RSPBA.  These are not open to RSPBA-registered schools/bands.

1. Junior ‘A’
2. Junior ‘B’
3. Junior ‘C’
4. Quartets

Open for all participants in any of the above categories, and schools/bands are encouraged to take part.

1. Freestyle Competition

 

Combined Schools Pipe Bands

If a school is unable to enter a pipe band due to lack of players, a combined schools’ pipe band may compete provided that all the players are from schools (primary and/or secondary) within the same education authority.

If a pupil is eligible to play for both a school pipe band as well as a combined schools’ pipe band, priority should be given to the school pipe band unless the relevant head teacher gives permission to the contrary.  A pupil cannot play in both bands.

Adults

One adult instructor may play in all categories.  In the case of the Freestyle Musical Ensemble category, one adult either as conductor or leader may take part. No other adult players are allowed.

Pupils

All pupils must be in full time education at their school at the time of the Championships.

No pupil will be allowed to play in more than one of the competing pipe bands or piping quartets.

Players in combined schools’ pipe bands and piping quartets must attend schools within the same education authority.

Playing Formation

All pipe bands and quartets must play in a half circle formation facing the adjudicators.  Drummers can be within the half circle along with the pipers or behind the pipers in the half circle.

Entry Forms

Pipe bands and piping quartets must submit online in their entry form:

• the names of all schools represented;
• the total number of players in each discipline (pipers, snare drummers, tenor drummers and bass drummer) and;
• for the Junior ‘A’, Junior ‘B’ and Junior ‘C’ grades, the names and grades of RSPBA-registered players.

Any changes made prior to the competition must be notified to the organisers.

Closing date for entries is Friday 23 January 2026.

Number of Players

The minimum number of players in each pipe band must comprise:

• Six pipers
• Two snare drummers
• One bass drummer

Bands playing with less than these numbers will be disqualified.  There is maximum limit of players of 25.

Sustainability

SSPDT supports the development of school pipe bands that can be sustained long term.  Pipe bands formed only for the purpose of competing at the Championships with no expectation of continuing are not encouraged.

Adjudication

The pipe band competitions will be judged by RSPBA-approved adjudicators. Where appropriate the adjudication team will be as for RSPBA major championships (i.e. two piping adjudicators, one drumming adjudicator and one ensemble adjudicator). The Quartet Piping and Freestyle Musical Ensemble competitions will be judged by a panel of adjudicators.

 

PIPE BANDS

RSPBA-Registered Pipe Bands

School pupils already registered with an RSPBA-registered school or combined schools pipe band may play only with that pipe band (i.e. any school pipe band which includes a player or players registered with the RSPBA must play in either their Juvenile, Novice Juvenile ‘A’ or Novice Juvenile ‘B’ category of registration).

 

Tunes

For Novice Juvenile ‘A’ and ‘B’ all tunes must be selected from the list of tunes prescribed on the RSPBA website – www.rspba.org (and may include parts one and two of the four-parted tunes).

 

Juvenile Pipe Band Competition

Open only to RSPBA-registered school or combined schools pipe bands in the Juvenile Grade.

Playing requirements:

• One March, Strathspey and Reel (each with a minimum of four parts).

 

Novice Juvenile ‘A’ Pipe Band Competition

Open only to RSPBA-registered school or combined schools pipe bands in the Novice Juvenile or Grade 4 ‘A’ Grade.

Playing requirements (tunes selected from the RSPBA website (see ‘Tunes’ above):

• Two x two-parted 2/4 Marches or one x four-parted 2/4 March; and

• Two x two-parted Strathspeys or one four-parted Strathspey; and

• Two x two-parted Reels or one four-parted Reel

 

Novice Juvenile ‘B’ Pipe Band Competition

Open only to RSPBA-registered school or combined schools pipe bands in the Novice Juvenile or Grade 4 ‘B’ Grade.

Playing requirements (tunes selected from the RSPBA website (see ‘Tunes’ above):

• Four x two-parted 2/4 Marches

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Pipe Bands that are NOT registered with the RSPBA

Schools/bands that are not registered with RSPBA may choose to compete in any of Junior ‘A’, Junior ‘B’, or Junior ‘C’ that suits their playing ability, keeping in mind that prizes are graded to encourage bands to be ambitious.

Junior ‘C’ was introduced in 2024 for inexperienced bands with little or no previous competing experience, including development bands of schools with other RSPBA-registered players.

It will be the responsibility of the school/ combined schools to decide the category in which they wish to compete, and, if necessary, to justify to the organisers the reasons for their decision. The organisers retain the right to allocate a band to a different category.

Tunes

A list of recommended two-parted and four-parted Marches, Strathspeys and Reels is available from the RSPBA website – www.rspba.org – but bands may play other Marches, Strathspeys and Reels of their own choice.

 

RSPBA-registered pupils

Pipe bands in Junior ‘A’ and Junior ‘B’ and  Junior ‘C’, may include pupils who are registered with RSPBA community pipe bands provided that they comply with the following conditions:

• no more than one third of the pipers (including the pipe major) are RSPBA-registered no higher than Grade 3 (except that the pipe major may be registered at any level);
• only one snare drummer is RSPBA-registered no higher than Grade 3;
• the names and grades of all RSPBA-registered pupils are listed on the entry form;
• the total number of players in each discipline (pipers, snare drummers, tenor drummers and bass drummer) are shown in the entry form.

It will be the responsibility of the school/combined schools to decide the category or grade in which they wish to compete, and, if necessary, to justify to the organising committee the reasons for their decision. The organisers retain the right to allocate a band to a different category or grade.

Junior ‘A’ Pipe Band Competition

Playing requirements:

• Two x two-parted 2/4 Marches; or one x four-parted 2/4 March (all of own choice); and
• Two x two-parted Strathspeys or one four-parted Strathspey; and
• Two x two-parted Reels or one four-parted Reel

 

Junior ‘B’ Pipe Band Competition

Playing requirements:

Four x two-parted 2/4 Marches; or 

Two x four-parted 2/4 Marches (all of own choice)

 

Junior ‘C’ Pipe Band Competition

Playing requirements:

• Four parts of a march in any tempo.

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PIPING QUARTET COMPETITION

Open to schools/pupils strictly under the following circumstances:

• Schools that are unable to form a pipe band may enter a quartet.
• A quartet may comprise four school pupils or, where a fourth school pupil is not possible / available, three school pupils and one adult instructor.
• A quartet must comprise pupils who have not played with a participating pipe band.
• A school/band that has entered any of the above band categories in the championships may not enter a quartet.
• Combined schools’ quartets must comprise pupil players who attend schools within the same education authority.
• A combined schools’ quartet should not contain a player from a school that enters a quartet in its own right.
• There is no limit to the number of years a pupil may compete as part of a school quartet.

Playing requirements:

• Two x two-parted 2/4 Marches, or one x four-parted 2/4 March (all of own choice).

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FREESTYLE MUSICAL ENSEMBLE COMPETITION

General

Open to all schools or combined schools that have entered other Championships competitions. Whilst a less constrained and more informal category, this event is nevertheless intended to be a serious if somewhat different competition aimed at highlighting the versatility of piping and drumming percussion.

There will be only one category for the event.

Entrants can be:

• a pipe band performing an innovative concert-style medley; or
• a mixed musical ensemble comprising pipers and a range of other instrumentalists in which the percussion need not involve pipe band drummers.

Each school or combined schools participating in the pipe band or quartet competitions may enter only one concert-style pipe band or musical ensemble.

Choice of music will be entirely up to the school or combined schools concerned, but the piping and drumming element will be expected to be prominent.

Musicianship, harmony, originality, innovation, musical interpretation, presentation, rhythm, musical ensemble and vitality will be important as well as piping/ drumming technical proficiency.

Players

Each Freestyle band must comprise at least six players of which at least two must be pipers and one a drummer (not necessarily a pipe band drummer).  A strict maximum of 25 players on stage and an additional 2 pupils using a fixed drum kit and keyboard which will be positioned on two raised platforms at the rear of the stage. 

One adult only may play either as conductor or leader. No other adult players are allowed.

A maximum of eight minutes to set up is allowed.

A maximum of five minutes playing time is permitted.

Entries are on a first come first served basis, as the intention is that the Freestyle Musical Ensemble competition will run for no more than half the day due to time and accommodation constraints.

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Technical Guidance

Stage Plan

In the weeks prior to the Championships we will issue to all entrants a stage plan showing where the drums kit, keyboard, amplifiers and the various mics and DIs will be placed on the day of the Championships  This will give schools/bands sufficient information for rehearsal purposes.

Technical Basics

• There will be an eight-minute change-over period between performances. Freestyle Ensembles will be allowed no more than five minutes’ playing time on stage – (eight minutes to set up, and five minutes to perform – 13 minutes in all).
• An in-house production manager will orchestrate the movement of band members and their instruments into and out of the stage area.
• Professional sound engineers will be available all day to help Freestyle Ensembles set up and prepare.
• During the change-over period all instruments will be line checked to make sure they can be heard by the PA. We will provide a basic minimal monitor mix and can make minor adjustments at line check. We have no time to sound check monitors or PA beyond the time provided by the line check. We cannot supply sound checks in advance of the competition.
• If using DI’s please provide what you need to plug into the DI (at minimum a jack to jack cable from instrument to DI).
• There will be a guitar amplifier, a bass amplifier, a keyboard and a drum kit on stage – please use these, and do not bring your own.

 

Instruments

Drums

A drum kit will be available, so there is no need to bring your own:

• Pearl Masters Custom or similar. Sizes: Kick – 22 x 18, Rack Tom – 12 x 9, Second Rack Tom – 13 x 10, Floor Tom – 16 x 16.
• Mapex Black Panther snare.
• Zildjian A Custom Cymbals. Sizes: Hi-hats – 13, Crashes – 15 and 18, Ride – 20.

Keyboard

We will also supply a keyboard on stage, which will be a Roland RD600 (or newer equivalent). It has a transpose function. The keyboard will be factory pre-set so, should you choose to use any of the onboard sounds, they will be available. We would encourage you to use this keyboard rather than bring your own.

Your own instruments

You need to bring all your own instruments (e.g. guitars, fiddles), pedals and jack-jack leads with you to the event (less drum kit and keyboard).  Bring your own drum sticks.