2015 NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

DRILL TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS

Daytona Beach, Florida

JUDGING CORPS - STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES

Demilitarized Arms Division Alternative/Mixed Division Unarmed Division

1. EVENT OVERVIEW

A. This NHSDTC SOP 1. This Judging SOP for the 2015 National High School Drill Team Championships (NHSDTC)

will include all information that is pertinent to the competition and necessary for drill meet preparation by NHSDTC judges. Please get familiar with this SOP – it is your LIFELINE!

B. Event Management & Sponsorship 1. The National High School Drill Team Championships are produced by Sports Network

International, Inc. (SNI). As the Event Manager, SNI is responsible for organizing all aspects of the event and will ensure all of your needs are taken care of during your stay.

C. General Information about the NHSDTC 1. The NHSDTC remains the most prestigious gathering of high school competition drill talent

in North America. Teams attend from across the United States. The event also maintains a good deal of positive national media coverage in addition to countless flag officers, JROTC service heads, etc. in attending.

D. The Judging Corps 1. While a few judges are hand-picked nationally to return each year, the bulk of the judges

for 2015 will come from the following: Navy-Ft. Gordon/Navy Region Southeast; Army-Drill Sergeants School, Fort Jackson; Air Force-Maxwell AFB OTS and Warner Robbins AFB, and Marine Corps-Parris Island RTC and other select individuals. You are the reason this event maintains the reputation as having the finest all-service judging corps - DO YOUR WORK READING THIS MANUAL to keep up this PROUD REPUTATION!

2. Judges will have a new tool to assist them in preparation for the NHSDTC. The JUDGES PORTAL has been made available on the web (http://judges.thenationals.net). This site will allow judges to register as NHSDTC judges, as well as have access to all major service manuals, NHSDTC frequently asked questions, photos and messages from past judges, as well as other tools and information needed to best carry out judging duties at the NHSDTC.

3. All rules and guidelines explained within this manual have been instituted to protect the image and integrity of the NHSDTC. Following these guidelines will ensure that you thoroughly understand the scope and dynamics of the Nationals and that you are prepared to judge.

4. In days long past, some judges attended this event thinking it was a mini-vacation with a little judging to occupy their daytime hours. If you share this opinion, please withdraw now! You are attending to represent your service and to work very long, hard hours for more than 3,500 very deserving youngsters’. You will have a good time, but have no illusions; you will be working VERY HARD and LONG while you are here! Therefore, please be certain that you are willing and prepared to meet the high standards set forth for all event personnel, ESPECIALLY THE EVENT JUDGES….and save the whining, our staff will be in the building before you arrive and we will be there long after you are gone each day

5. Appearance is everything at an event of this stature. During the event, judges will not be allowed in common areas of the hotel with open alcoholic containers. If you want to drink at the hotel, please do so in your room. Don't drink on the pool deck, bar or other "common areas" until after the Awards Ceremony on Sunday evening.

SOP - 2

6. Judges will be in their room by midnight on Saturday & Sunday evenings -- REGARDLESS OF WHAT TIME YOU JUDGE THE FOLLOWING DAY! While there is no doubt that all of you could stay out late and judge the next day, it doesn't present the image we require to judge at this youth event. Additionally, if your effectiveness is diminished 1% by this action, you have cheated your service, the cadets, and mostly, our event. Judges are expected to be functioning at 100% capacity for the Judge's Briefing Friday afternoon/evening, during the competition, and also at the Awards Ceremony.

7. After the final awards ceremony on Monday evening is the night when we encourage you to stay out as late as you wish and enjoy Daytona Beach. On this evening, you are free to drink (moderately) on the pool deck, hotel bar, SNI Post Event Party Room, etc., provided you maintain a reasonable level of decorum (remember that this is an area where minor cadets who look up to you and your service will be frequenting).

8. While judging, judges will wear their Class A uniform (with DI cover where applicable) – service dress for the Air Force. The entire event is held under outdoor regs with calm conditions. In past years, a few judges have suggested that a different uniform would be more comfortable. However, judges have made the point that with the international media exposure this event maintains, the class “A” uniform is more appropriate and presents the judging corps in the best possible light. Specific details on uniform requirements are listed on the Logistics Sheet. No sunglasses, casual jackets or other outdoor wear will be worn while judging.

9. Judges should not discuss performance issues with any judge or other attendee until after the event is over, period. While we encourage social interaction pertaining to the military (remember, these kids look up you!) or other non-competition topics, do not discuss any items related to the event. Also, please don't become engaged in long conversations with instructors or parents unless you are in a common area! It just plain looks bad to someone who doesn't know what you are talking about.

10. Judges may not discuss personal opinions relating to a team's performance with other judges - even positive comments. Please keep ALL OPINION COMMENTS about schools to yourself until the event is concluded. We want each judge to maintain their own perspective without influence from others. Questions about event regs, service regs, etc. are welcome at ANY time to ensure each team is being graded properly!

11. The 2015 National’s teams attend from across the country representing over 30 states. They expect nothing less than the best and literally spend thousands of hours preparing to attend. This is why we go to the additional effort to get the best judges in the country -- and the teams have come to expect this when attending the Nationals.

E. Awards Ceremony

1. There are two Awards Ceremonies at the Nationals. The Challenge Level ceremony will be held on Saturday evening immediately after the Knockout drill at 6:30 pm. You are NOT required to attend this ceremony! It will be a “quick & simple” awards ceremony. Only four judges will be on-hand to distribute the trophies. You are on your own Saturday night, but remember, you have VERY LONG DAYS Sunday & Monday for the Masters Level - Please DO NOT stay out late on these days. REMEMBER why you were asked to come here and what you are doing here!

2. The Masters Level ceremony will be held on Monday evening at 7:30pm, in the Main Arena of the Ocean Center. All judges will be on site well in advance for pre-event dinner, and the service and group judges photo. All should plan to attend the Awards Ceremony in FULL DRESS uniform. Judges that wish to attend with spouses or other guests should ensure that SNI is aware of this request so that priority seating can be set aside for your guest(s).

SOP - 3

2. COMPETITION & JUDGING STRUCTURE

A. Competition Structure 1. The event is divided into two levels: Masters Level and Challenge Level. The Challenge Level is

filled with less competitive drill programs working hard to improve. The Masters Level maintains most of the finest drill teams in the country.

2. There are three competition divisions at the NHSDTC: Demilitarized Arms (male & mixed teams drilling with 8-plus pound demilitarized weapons); Mixed Arms - all teams drilling with lightweight facsimile weapons, Mixed gender teams regardless of the weight of the weapon so long as at least 25% of the cadets on the floor in every event are female AND all-female armed teams (regardless of weapon type); and Unarmed (male, female & mixed).

3. There are different events that make up each division listed above. The Challenge Level has 4 team events: Inspection, Regulation, Color Guard, & Squad (Element) Exhibition. The Masters Level has 5 events (the four listed for Challenge + Platoon (Flight) Exhibition). The Masters Level also has separate Solo and Dual Exhibition competition events.

4. There are 1st-5th place trophies awarded in each of the team events listed above. There are 1st-3rd place trophies awarded in the individual events (Commanders Trophy, Solo and Dual Exhibition). Also, National Runner-Up and Championship trophies are awarded (in each division).

B. Judging Structure 1. Each of the events listed above are handled by four primary judges, one judge

representing each branch of the armed forces wherever possible. Within this four-person structure there is an event Head Judge. This will be the judge that manages his/her drill area and serves as the judge being reported in/out to. He or she is also responsible in a limited manner for the other judges within the group. Most importantly, this judge is responsible for keeping the area on schedule! ALL JUDGES ARE VITAL!

2. Judging assignments are given out on arrival at the Judge’s Briefing on Friday late afternoon/evening. Head Judges will also receive notice of their head judge status at that time. Each Judging Group will handle many different events during the competition. Additionally, all judges are involved in the two knockout drills that end the competition on both Saturday afternoon (Challenge) and Monday afternoon (Masters). As you will not know what you will be judging until Friday evening, therefore you should read each section of this manual to best prepare yourself.

3. KEEP YOUR EGO IN CHECK REGARDING WHAT YOU ARE JUDGING OR NOT JUDGING AT THIS EVENT, AS WELL AS WHO IS A Head Judge and who is not! Head Judge is basically a glorified housekeeper with even service dispersal so PLEASE do not read into this lofty title a level of judging expertise or other measure of excellence that is not intended. REMEMBER, WE ARE ALL HERE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE CADETS.

3. COMPETITION SPECIFICATIONS

A. Ocean Center Arena and Conference Center 1. The National competition will take place indoors at the Daytona Beach Ocean Center Arena

and Exhibit Hall. It is located on A1A directly on Daytona Beach. The arena has comfortable seating for 6,000 well elevated above the drill floor. The arena is directly across the street from the Headquarters Hotel where the judges will be housed.

SOP - 4

2. SNI will have a male & female dressing room with shower facilities available for judges at the Ocean Center. This room will have a sign posted as the Judge's Room, but judges are encouraged to NOT leave valuables (watches, money) in this room (this can be secured through Sports Network International on-site behind our scoring table). This will allow judges to bring uniforms and change at the Arena should they choose to do so.

3. Again, the event is held under outdoor regs under calm conditions. Salutes will be rendered during both performances and awards ceremonies. Cadets are not to salute judges while walking the building or during other event times.

B. Drill Area Specifications 1. Most drill areas have a THICK, HARD concrete surface with the exception of Inspection

which uses low-pile carpet flooring. Some of the arena flooring does have a "track" (for a hockey rink). Should a cadet mis-step in any manner due to these tracks, this should NOT count against him/her in any scoring related matters at the NHSDTC.

2. All drill areas are surrounded with a boundary line of bright blue fluorescent tape connected to 18" traffic pylons. All drill areas use a single entrance/exit point. Most every area also maintains a single orange cone with a yellow “X” affixed where the Head Judge will be positioned during the report-in, report-out and also the Eyes, Right command of Color Guard. This point will vary depending on the drill area (see schematics enclosed). Most entrance/exits are 25' across in all events. This is the only point where a team may enter/exit a drill area.

3. A boundary violation occurs when a cadet comes in contact with any part of the boundary tape or support cones. Should the boundary tape or cones become dislodged during a performance, a violation will occur when a cadet crosses the point where the tape should be.

4. COMPETITION RULES

A. Special Judging Emphasis 1. Again I will stress that "opinion talk" with anyone during the NHSDTC is prohibited! This

type of discussion causes a conscious or unconscious effect on a judge's scoring. Your subjective scores and feelings on a unit are yours and should not be discussed during the event.

2. Discussion between judges is ENCOURAGED when a judge needs a rule or service regulation clarification – asking another judge question in this area is ENCOURAGED!

3. Returning judges are also cautioned against making comments about how a school did in past years. Each year should stand on its own merit and no comments should be made to other judges which would affect their expectations of a school’s ability. We expect returning judges to “wipe their mind clean” from previous year’s performances.

4. Look carefully and listen to the team reporting in regarding what TYPE OF WEAPON they are performing in accordance with. M-1, 1903 Springfields, M-16’s etc. have slightly different regs. Don’t hit a team incorrectly on this point! If you are unsure, ASK the team!

5. NOTE: Within inspection, regulation, etc., listen CAREFULLY to the type of rifle used. Some of these rifles are modified and the team will STATE what type of rifle they are drilling in accordance with.

B. When Teams Are Ready to Perform 1. In every drill area, before the team is ready to perform, the Head Judge will approach the

team's cadet commander in the event ready area. The judge will make sure the team is who their scoresheet says they are (cadet commander will then initial the HJ scoresheet). Also, the team must have the correct number of cadets (which is specified on each HJ sheet).

SOP - 5

VERY IMPORTANT! If the team isn’t in compliance with this requirement, the penalty is marked on the Head Judge’s scoresheet and initialed by the Cadet Commander. If the team has the right number of cadets, LEAVE THIS SPACE BLANK.

2. Units will assemble their team in the Ready Area, denoted by a sign located just outside the entrance to the drill area.

3. As the Head Judge moves to the Report-In spot, he/she should state what the school name coming up next is to ensure all judges are on the correct scoresheet (all of the judges should be within easy voice distance).

4. When the judges are ready, the Head Judge will motion the unit to begin. When the first cadet enters the area, THE JUDGING & SCORING BEGINS.

5. The team will execute their prescribed drill to include Report-In and then Report-Out to the Head Judge, stating that the team is finished. The Head Judge will acknowledge the Report-Out and the team will leave the floor expeditiously.

6. Judging stops when the LAST cadet leaves the drill floor.

7. At this point, the judges will complete their scoring, write a few select, brief comments and get ready for the next team.

8. The team next up must be in the ready area and ready to perform IMMEDIATELY following the completion of the team before them. All teams who fail to follow this procedure (except those delayed by performing in a late-running drill area) may be removed from that segment of the NHSDTC ONLY by Judging Director, Justin Gates.

C. Commander's Regulations 1. Within each team event, only one commander may lead the team. This commander must be

the person to report in, report out, and maintain overall "control" of the performance. Teams may highlight the talent of other cadets, and are encouraged to do so, but this must NOT be done in the form of a transfer of leadership.

2. The report in and report out of each team event at the Nationals will be done verbally and by the cadet commander only. At no time may a commander perform using any form of CUE CARD. This will result in the immediate disqualification of the unit from that portion of NHSDTC competition.

D. Performance Regulations 1. Shoe taps ARE allowed during all events. It has shown to give no advantage (good

teams sound good, bad teams sound bad!!!) therefore there is no restriction on this item.

2. "Military uniforms" are required for standard drill events (Inspection, Regulation, and Color Guard). Teams can still wear whatever uniform they choose within Exhibition Drill events. "Military Uniform" is very vague by design -- it allows Sports Network to state what will be allowed and what will not! Skirts and boots are out -- personalized exhibition items (chrome helmets, wristbands, ascots, boot blouses, spats, etc.) are OUT in standard drill events. Dress Blues, Service Academy Uniforms, Class A, Class B, etc., are all fine.

3. NOTE: The penalty you see on many scoresheets for “UNIFORM VIOLATION” are not for having a button missing, ribbons not centered, cover worn incorrectly, etc.. This penalty is for cadets wearing illegal uniform items like those listed above. The place for uniform penalty scoring is within INSPECTION ONLY – DO NOT PENALIZE CADETS for items like those listed above OUTSIDE the inspection competition!!!

4. To date, general exceptions have been granted for fairness to include the following items:

Gloves and berets are allowed by all teams, regardless of uniform. (We are being fairly liberal with covers due to the differences between the services.)

SOP - 6

Cartridge Belts used to hold the color cases as pictured within TC 3-21.5 for the color guard members are REQUIRED within Color Guard competition. (pouches for cases are a NO GO and a uniform violation)

Name tags and ribbons (all ribbons earned) are EXPECTED within inspection. Name tags and ribbons are OPTIONAL in both Regulation Drill & Color Guard.

5. Clarification on uniform rules & regulations will be made on arrival and many times on-site during the event. Every team will wear a military uniform but each will be different. Mostly, it is important for you as a judge to understand that if you see a uniform that you feel is out-of conformity, ASK so we can check it out!

6. No bayonets of any type, handguns (demilitarized or otherwise), special effects, music, or pyro-technics are allowed during the event. No horns, whistles, or any other artificial noise-making devices may be used inside the Ocean Center at any time. The Ocean Center is an enclosed arena which magnifies sound. This year, all whistles are banned during all facets of the event! It is common practice by some teams to use a signal to let their team on the floor know the performance time limit is near. This is NOT prohibited so long as the prohibition on whistles and other artificial noise-making devices are followed.

7. In all phases of the Nationals (but most likely in Exhibition) competitors may have a reserve weapon available. Should a weapon break or become unusable during any performance, a back-up weapon may be given to the cadet. This weapon hand-off will be made only by a performing cadet leaving the formation, moving to the boundary, exchanging the broken weapon (HANDED, NOT THROWN) to the cadet by someone outside the competition area. He/she will then rejoin the formation and continue their performance. No additional time will be allowed for such an occurrence.

5. COMMANDER SPECIFICATIONS

A. Weapons For Commanders 1. Commanders in all divisions (including Unarmed) may carry a saber or sword. When a

commander chooses to use this style weapon, it is not permitted for this weapon to leave the performer's hand at any time upon entering the drill floor. While in possession of the saber/sword, the commander must remain AT LEAST three steps away from the Head Judge during the report in/report out.

2. Violation of this rule will be noted by the judge moving a safe distance away from the cadet during the report in/report out. Although there is no specific deduction for this action, a diminished score should be reflected in the overall evaluation section on the scoresheet.

3. Allowing that each drill team is instructed differently, judges will base all evaluations concerning the Commander on voice projection, tone, confidence, bearing and other related factors.

6. NHSDTC SCORING PROCEDURES

A. Event Timing 1. All event timing is kept by a time keeper among the judges. All event timing begins when

the first cadet crosses the drill area entry point and will end when the last cadet crosses the exit point (unless a team starts performing as a group JUST BEFORE entry while you are waiting for them – if they do, start the clock!

2. The penalty assessed for any performance not falling within the specified time frame is one point per second over or under. MAKE SURE YOU ARE CERTAIN ON A PENALTY! These time periods are covered at the event and listed on the scoresheets.

SOP - 7

B. Event Judging 1. Armed Division scoresheets are written in the verbiage of Army Training Circular 3-21.5. The

Unarmed Divisions are written under the guidelines of the 1996 revision of Air Force Manual 36-2203. Remember that teams compete here at Daytona using their own service manual in most cases as their competition regulations. Many items will use the Marine Corps Order P5060.20 for Color Guard and this is FINE! A few schools may decide to use a manual which is not their own and this is perfectly FINE! Only items contained within this SOP controvert service manual items will alter these service regulations.

2. The AF does not maintain rifle regulations. Some AF teams execute marching maneuvers in accordance with AF regs and rifle maneuvers according to Army regs. The Marine Corps does not case/uncase colors (required here in the Masters Level). Marine Corps teams may execute the ENTIRE drill to Army regs OR execute just the CASING PROCEDURES according to the Army regulations. This is PERFECTLY FINE. The team should state clearly what they are doing within their report-in procedures and a “MIXED MANUAL” approach in these instances is LEGITIMATE. Judges should give these teams the latitude to use their manual to execute the drill.

3. Notice that these manuals are the guidelines for the event. As this is an all-service event, you will be judging cadets who do not perform to the service manual you are familiar with and possibly not the manual used for that particular division. Teams and judges are not expected to "re-learn" years of training for the NHSDTC. If you have a question about a particular maneuver done by a team, ask the service judge in your area, ask to see the judging director and/or ask to see the actual service manual. When in doubt, ASK, ASK, ASK!

4. Most service manuals from all services are 979% identical with the exception of some small items. Generally, it is a good rule of thumb that if you see an entire unit perform a movement incorrectly in the same way, team after team, check with the service judge in your group or the Competition Director BEFORE YOU KEEP HITTING THE TEAMS ON YOUR SCORESHEET! This is likely the biggest single factor we must work towards to keep teams from being penalized inadvertently. Be humble and realize you MAY be making a mistake!

5. The next biggest area of concern is judges reducing points for items I call “judges preference”. This is where teams are penalized for items that are NOT found within the service manuals, but because a judge “just knows” something is right. These items are often base regulations (like the bygone Parris Island Drill Manual or items taught on base) that the cadets do not have training within. Some of the more common misunderstandings are “only two hands on a rifle” (this is a Parris Island Marine Corps thing that is NOT found within the Marine Corps Order P5060.20 – in fact the Army Manual mandates the cadet hold the rifle with two hands until the rifle is “taken” by the inspector – thereby MORE THAN two). Often, base honor guard manuals mandate locked arms in color guard. Only the Marine Corps P5060.20 manual specifies locked arms on color guard – all those competing to the Army, & Air Force regs must have natural armswing. Things like this.

6. During Report-in for all events, the cadet commander will state something similar to: “Sir/Ma’am, the Acme Tigers from East High School in Omaha, Nebraska report in for <event> drill. We will be drilling in accordance with Army Training Circular 3-21-5 (or MCO P5060-20 or AFMAN 36-2203, etc.)” Judges should be aware that not all schools drill in accordance with their own service manual. Many drill meets throughout the country are held with the Army manual; therefore many non-Army schools drill with this manual in competitions. It can be unnerving for a Parris Island DI to see a Marine Corps school drill in accordance with an Army manual, but this is FINE -- you must listen during report in for what manual they are using and apply that manual to their routine.

7. All judges will move around the competition area (except the judges within Inspection events OR head judge placement for report in/report out), allowing the best angle to grade the performances. Cadets may use every inch of all drill areas and are encouraged to do so. Judges will move out of a cadet's path, allowing cadets full access to all space inside a drill area.

SOP - 8

8. Judges within Inspection leave their scoresheets on the chair and score upon completion. Exhibition judges hold their scoresheets to make a few notes and then SCORE upon completion. Regulation and Color Guard judges keep the scoresheets with them and score as the unit performs, no exceptions.

9. If you are asked any questions from parents, cadets, or instructors PARTICULAR TO THE DRILL MEET, direct these questions to either the Judging Director or to another Sports Network staff member. You are free to answer any non-drill related questions or those requiring general military knowledge.

10. All efforts are made to prevent scoring ties at the Nationals. Ensure that scores you give are accurate and reflect what is asked on the scoresheet and what you have seen on the drill deck! Don't “round-off” numbers, give whole numbers (no fractions!) that are specific (such as: 27, 13, 9 not just 5, 10, 15, or 20) where applicable.

7. UNIT INSPECTION

A. Inspection Preparation 1. The Head Judge will approach the Cadet Commander in the hallway (team ready area),

introduce him/herself, ensure the unit is ready, get all spectators inside the room with cell devices OFF, have the cadet commander initial the scoresheet to verify they are the school & team listed, and then return back into the Unit Inspection room and place themselves on the centered orange cone with the yellow X.

2. The Head Judge ensures the other judges are ready and on the correct scoresheets. He/she then commands, “XYZ High School, REPORT”! The Cadet Commander will then verbally command the unit to enter the Inspection area through double doors – 36” each. A non-performing cadet or other team follower should be designated to open, hold and close the door for this entry.

3. During the Inspection, all other team members and instructors are required to be in the Spectator Seating Area to view the inspection. HEAD JUDGE SHOULD TRESS TO THE TEAM (WE CERTAINLY WILL DURING THE COMMANDER’S CALL) THAT THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT SHOULD BE ALLOWED INTO THE ROOM SHOULD BE THOSE PEOPLE CONNECTED WITH THE SCHOOL BEING INSPECTED!

4. The Cadet Commander will ensure his/her cadets are centered on the Head Judge in the formation as described below:

5. Cadets come into the inspection area through two 36” doors in column formation. The cadets then form into four ranks of three cadets each. The unit is then instructed to "Open Ranks" by the cadet commander. The unit commander should then ready his unit by "Aligning the Company" (Dress Right Dress & Cover or similar). If a unit hacks the entry and forms in THREE squads of FOUR cadets each, have judge #4 take the last cadet in each squad, thereby having every judge inspect three cadets in-ranks. NOTE: Correct Procedures score would suffer badly.

#4

=Cadets

=C/Commander

=Judges

=Head Judge

(4 Ranks of 3)

#3 #2

Entry Door Exit Door

Specta

tor S

eatin

g A

rea

SOP - 9

6. Many cadets are instructed to speak in conversational tones while other schools sound off very loud. Some schools instruct cadets to speak when spoken to, other will greet the judge as they are fronted – all of this is FINE BUT if you want louder or quieter, or a greeting, tell the first cadet – the other cadets better pick-up on this.

7. Inspection is designed as a pressure-cooker environment so most will be LOUD to build the atmosphere. You ALWAYS maintain professionalism, respect and intensity and you will be a tough, formidable inspector. You don’t have time to tear them down and build them up. On the spot identification of deficiencies stated to the cadet are preferred (IP on your trousers, ribbons crocked, rifle dirty (show them), incorrect position of attention, etc.). You are their advocate and you only have about roughly TWO MINUTES MAX for each cadet!

8. Cadet Commanders have been clearly instructed to NOT MOVE FROM RANK TO RANK CHECKING ALIGNMENT! This is largely a training item and not needed at an event of this caliber. Time can be better spent inspecting the cadets. Teams that fail to OMIT this procedure should be gigged on the scoresheet in the Correct Procedures segment, as well as the Report-in segment. Dress and cover is fine but no move to check by the C/Commander!

B. Inspection Judging 1. At this point, the Cadet Commander should Report-in to the Head Judge. After reporting

in, the Head Judge, as well as the other three judges, will begin the inspection. The Head Judge will initially inspect the cadet commander, then inspect the #1 rank of cadets (shown above). The other three judges take a rank to allow for a thorough inspection of each cadet (i.e. judge #2-rank #2, etc.).

Important Note!

Armed Cadet Commanders SHOULD NOT move to Inspection Arms when reporting in. The Cadet Commander will, however be questioned and visually inspected by the Head Judge briefly, and will then move with the Head Judge to complete the inspection. DO NOT TAKE THE WEAPON from the Cadet Commander.

2. The Cadet Commander will lead the Head Judge through the #1 rank inspection. They may lead you through the WHOLE time or just the front of the first rank, allowing YOU to take the lead to inspect the rear of the rank and then to the report out position. BOTH ARE FINE!

3. In all armed divisions, every cadet will be fronted by a judge in Unit Inspection will move to Inspection Arms with their weapon ready to be taken and inspected! Judges WILL TAKE the weapon from all cadets (except the Cadet Commander).

4. Many units utilize weapons with bolts which CANNOT BE OPENED (welded closed, etc.) It is MUCH EASIER to execute “Inspection Arms” without having to open the bolt! Schools with active bolts should be judged in much the same manner as schools wearing leather shoes vs. corframs. Take the difficulty of the movement into consideration when judging a standard weapon!

C. Cadet Verbal Responses 1. Inspection will include a variety of questions to determine a cadet's poise, confidence, and

general military/governmental/historical/first aid knowledge, along with more specific questions about his/her own branch of the service. These are the areas we want to concentrate on. You may use your own questions or ones from the lists we will provide. Any question is fair game. Judges should ask each cadet a question they don’t expect the cadet to be able to answer correctly, if at all. The demeanor, poise and bearing of the cadet will be easy to see during a question that he/she cannot answer. If a cadet doesn't know the answer to a question posed to him/her, a strong, "This cadet does not know at this time, sir!" or any similar statement is fine. While military knowledge is credible and cadets can be questioned in this area, it is equally important that they are they are well versed in all areas of citizenship & our government. That is what Junior ROTC is all about!

REMEMBER– YOU HAVE ONLY 2 MINUTES MAX WITH EACH CADET

SOP - 10

Important Note!

It is essential that each school’s Inspection take the same amount of time. If 4-5 short questions per cadet works out to a 6 minute inspection (your goal), great! Depending on how quickly you ask questions you may be able to ask a few more. Remember; be consistent from team to team.

For those select schools that answer every question perfectly, you may choose to ask ONE OR TWO extra, very difficult questions to test the cadet's bearing. This is acceptable as it may be necessary in order to determine the best teams.

D. Important Inspection Notes 1. Any judge assigned Inspection will do Challenge on Day 1 then Masters on Day 2. Change

your line of questions from Challenge Day to Masters Day. Many of these teams have both and giving them a pipeline to the same questions is unfair.

2. Male hair length should correspond to the requirements of their service. Air Force hair length may go to the bottom of the collar with all other services limited to the top of the collar. Females will have their hair "put-up" to conform to these regulations at all times during the event. General appearance should be well-groomed and uniforms should be impeccably clean.

3. Teams will be inspected using their own uniforms as the standard. The difficulty any given uniform appears to take to ready itself (amount of brass and other items) must be taken into account when judging the overall appearance of a cadet.

4. Leather shoes or corfram shoes are appropriate wear for all portions of the NHSDTC. While corframs are comparatively easy to maintain, leather shoes by their nature require a great deal more effort to achieve the same appearance. Should corfram shoes be worn, they will demand absolute perfection to achieve the same score as a well-maintained leather shoe.

5. MOST IMPORTANT, don't be positively OR negatively influenced about any team based solely on their uniform. Score this under UNIFORM!!! The uniform is only a small portion of the Inspection scoring -- IT'S WHAT IS INSIDE THE UNIFORM THAT MATTERS MOST!

6. JUDGES SHOULD MAINTAIN A STEELY-EYED DEMEANOR but respectful…CADETS EXPECT A CHALLENGING, SOMEWHAT CONFRONTATIONAL INSPECTION. That does NOT mean that a judge is denigrating, belittling, or physically intimidating. IT SHOULD BE VERY RARE A JUDGE SHOULD EVER NEED TO YELL (this is new and judges should internalize this!) Maintain your professionalism and respect and demand nothing less from the cadets you will inspect – that will be PLENTY INTIMIDATING TO ANY TEENAGER!

8. REGULATION DRILLS

A. Prior to the team’s performance – the Head Judge 1. The Head Judge will meet the team in the Ready Area, count the cadets to ensure they

maintain the required number of cadets (12 cadets and 1 Cadet Commander - 13 total). If they are missing cadets, this must be noted on the Head Judge’s scoresheet and the cadet commander must initial, verifying the number of cadets present. Note: the cadet commander should initial this box ONLY when there is a penalty being applied.

2. The correct number of cadets for each event is listed on the Head Judge’s scoresheet.

B. General Information

1. The prescribed movements for these events are located on the scoresheet at the back of this SOP. Cadence for both events must conform to 116-124 steps per minute.

SOP - 11

2. All movements on the scoresheet must be executed regardless of the team's service

affiliation, in the order they are listed. However, the WORDS used to achieve these movements are at the discretion of each unit. This allows for all speech types & variations - and even verbal errors (such as a cadet commander calling “left, face” and the entire team then executes “right, face.” (NOTE: A mistake like this is deducted on the overall evaluation and/or commanders score.)

3. The addition of extra movements not required by their service and done primarily to avoid boundary violations will result in a deduction to be assessed on the Head Judge scoresheet.

4. Commanders must be armed with either a rifle or saber in the Armed Regulation. Teams within the Armed Divisions may not tape their slings down except during Exhibition events.

C. Judging & Scoring

1. For Regulation Drill, the Head Judge will be stationed on the left side of the drill area entrance against the perimeter of the drill area (see floor maps).

2. The Head judge will meet the Cadet Commander in the Ready Area, have this individual initial the score sheet to ensure they are the team listed. The judge should ask the cadet if they have the prescribed number of cadets (12 + commander). He/she should then move to the report-in point at the orange cone with the yellow X. When the first cadet enters the area, all judges begin scoring with clipboards in hand the entire time.

3. Judging & scoring of this event has caused our past judges more difficulty than any other event. Therefore, while your scores should remain your own evaluation, judges must communicate with each other to ensure the movements are scored properly as per regs.

4. Additionally, time is VERY TIGHT in this event and it is easy to fall behind…every second is precious – make your time count and do not take any longer than needed to score.

5. After each Regulation Drill is concluded, Regulation judges should meet in the center of the drill area to ensure there are no scoring discrepancies. If a team misses a movement or group of movements, ensure all judges score ONLY MOVEMENTS which have been executed. In the past, four different judge’s scoresheets have reflected four different combinations of movements performed! WE MUST ELIMINATE THIS! Remember, no judge should discuss their personal opinions, these are your own.

6. On the scoresheet, you’ll notice movements that are CAPITALIZED & BOLDED. These movements require a 5-second pause before the command to begin the next movement is given. This pause should give you plenty of time to evaluate and score the movements. Failure of cadets to apply these performance pauses will result in a 5-point per occurrence penalty by the Head Judge. Do not micro-manage the pause, if it's a little long or short, that's OK.

7. Give scores that REFLECT THE SCORESHEET! Nothing is more important. Just because you feel a team was really excellent, you must grade the items as they appear on the scoresheet.

SCORE DESCRIPTION

0 --- failed to perform the required movement (draw a line through the movement) NOTE: ALL judges’ scoresheets must agree on which movements were NOT executed.

1 --- attempted the movement but its execution was horribly flawed 2 --- performed the movement but it was slightly flawed 3 --- performed the movement in an adequate fashion 4 --- performed the movement in an exceptional fashion 5 --- the execution of the movement was flawless, unparalleled, and incredible! (rarely given)

SOP - 12

8. Some movement combinations are easy while a few are quite difficult. All movements can be executed as written by any well-prepared team worthy of attending the Nationals. Additionally, a 30" step is mandatory during the bulk of the Regulation sequence. Teams employing a non-30" step should be penalized in the Judges "overall evaluation" segment of the scoresheet.

9. Regardless of service, rifles are GENTLY LOWERED to the drill surface. Heels are not STOMPED on facing movements or halts. Armswing is natural and roughly 6” front and 9” rear in all services. At the order, the toe of the rifle is in contact with the shoe and is even with the toe of the cadet’s shoe. In the Army, rifles are lifted on the command of execution, NOT on the prepatory command. Precision is a vital component of regulation-type drill but failure to conform to existing marching regulations despite using extreme precision should NEVER yield a top score in any category!!!!

9. COLOR GUARD

A. Drill Area Procedures 1. The Head Judge will meet the team in the Ready Area, count the cadets to ensure they

maintain the required number of cadets – 2 rifles / 2 flags ONLY!

2. After the team before them has finished their performance, the Color Guard Unit will prepare their unit to begin the routine by placing their unit in line formation at the entryway of the competition area with the colors uncased. The EXACT location the Color Guard unit maintains just outside the area is up to the team --- there is no official starting line. However, judging begins and ends when a team steps INTO your competition area.

3. CHALLENGE LEVEL and OPEN LEVEL COLOR GUARDS ONLY: Immediately after the Color Guard Unit leaves the floor, the team should move to the casing area before leaving the general color guard area. Please make sure the team does NOT re-case in your area OR walk around the competition venue with uncased colors! Casing in this area is done quietly and without being judged. Colors are cased for a score O-N-L-Y in the Masters event.

B. General Information 1. All required movements must be performed regardless of the team's service affiliation;

however the verbal commands used to accomplish these movements are left up to the unit. Only extra movements required by the unit's service manual to complete the sequence are allowed. The addition of extra commands or out-of-sequence commands, primarily to avoid boundary violations, result in a 5-point per-occurrence penalty.

2. Cadence for Color sequence will be looked at by judges and scored down where appropriate. All movements that are CAPITALIZED & BOLDED on the scoresheet within this routine will be performed with a 5 second pause between the completion of the first movement and the command to begin the next movement. Failure to display this pause will result in a 5-point per-occurrence deduction by the Head Judge. Do not micro-manage the pause!

3. Special Note: The NHSDTC maintains an Unarmed Division Color Guard that occasionally is referred to as “Unarmed Color Guard” – this, of course, is a misnomer and simply refers to the Division a team is competing within. All Color Guards will have two rifles and two flags. – any that do not, FIND THE JUDGING DIRECTOR IMMEDIATELY!

4. AFMAN 36-2203 is no longer allowed for use within the Color Guard competition. The regulations within 36-2203 are just not tight enough to fairly grade the teams. All teams MUST use the latest edition of Army TC 3-21.5 OR MCO P5060.20 for their routine.

SOP - 13

5. ALL UNITS will use the Army manual & procedures for case and/or uncase procedures.

6. Any non-Army school wishing to use the Army manual to compete in Color Guard should state their desire during report-in. Schools doing this WILL NOT be required to change their method of stride (i.e., Marine teams may still utilize the 2” toe / 4” heel step style ONLY, Air Force still uses their trained step height/arm swing as well). However, the functions outlined for case and uncase MUST be done in strict accordance with the Army manual (including all Air Force units which MUST use the Army TC 3-21.5 for all aspects of the sequence).

7. Any Navy/Marine Corps unit wishing to drill in accordance with the MCO P5060.20 will do just that for all items OUTSIDE case & uncase procedures (rifles outboard, no armswing, ready, cut, power grip/v-grip, etc.), HOWEVER, when the unit gets to the section on case and/or uncase, judges and teams are instructed to have Marine units move the rifles to Right Shoulder Arms and then complete all items listed under case and/or uncase procedures as outlined within the Army manual. Judges and teams are directed to allow the ability for the USMC/Navy units to march utilizing 2” toe/4’ heel, but all other items during case & uncase should be done as per the Army manual. Therefore, ONLY while doing case and/or uncase, Marine/Navy units using the MCO P5060.20 will not use Ready, Cut, locked arms, or any other non-Army commands or movements – everything will be verbalized and executed as outlined within the text of the Army Manual. When COMPLETED with case and/or uncase, unit should move the rifles back to outboard. This will signify to the judges that the unit is back in full-on MCO P5060.20 mode.

8. Unlike procedures outlined within Army TC 3-21.5, no SGM commands the unit - the Color Guard Commander (cadet carrying the National colors) will lead the team through the entire performance.

C. Color Guard Inspection 1. The Masters Level Color Guard Competition will utilize a 5th judge for Color Guard Inspection.

This judge will conduct a brief inspection prior to the unit entering the drill floor (in the CG Inspection area). Team members move from the Color Guard ready area to the Color Guard Inspection area when they are called for inspection. Although Color Guard inspection is MUCH less formal than the Inspection event, Color Guard cadets are expected to possess the snap & knowledge of the other team members along with a more detailed understanding of all aspects of the presentation of the colors.

2. The Color Guard cadet commander will lead the team through the entire performance. NOTE: DO NOT TAKE THE WEAPONS from Color Guard cadets!

3. Exact procedures and mechanics will be given to the judge assigned to Color Guard Inspection on arrival…it is designed to be very simple and takes just a minute to read through.

4. Additionally, a full set of sourced, pre-printed questions will be available to the judge.

5. NHSDTC regs do not require the senior ranking cadet to be the Color Guard commander. However, the bearer of the NATIONAL COLORS must Command the Color Guard unit throughout the event.

SOP - 14

D. Judging & Scoring 1. The Head Judge is stationed on the left side of the drill area on the perimeter of the drill

area (see area layout). The Color Guard sequence is made up of graded regulation movements each worth 0-5 points; Report-In and Report-out, Case and Uncase Colors & Overall Impression Scoring is a much higher value as there are more movements to execute.

2. Regardless of service, rifles are GENTLY LOWERED to the drill surface. Heels are not STOMPED on facing movements or halts. Armswing is natural and roughly 6” front and 9” rear in all services. At the order, the toe of the rifle is in contact with the shoe and is even with the toe of the cadet’s shoe. Precision is a vital component of regulation-type drill but failure to conform to existing marching regulations despite using extreme precision should NEVER yield a top score in any category!!!!

3. Give scores that reflect what’s ON THE SCORESHEET! Nothing is more important. Just because you feel a team was really excellent, you must grade the items as they appear on the scoresheet. Your movement scoring should be reflected as follows:

SCORE DESCRIPTION

0--- failed to perform the required movement (draw a line through the movement) NOTE: ALL judges’ scoresheets should come to agreement on which movements were not executed.

1--- attempted the movement but its execution was horribly flawed 2--- performed the movement but it was slightly flawed 3--- performed the movement in an adequate fashion 4--- performed the movement in an exceptional fashion 5--- the execution of the movement was flawless, unparalleled, and incredible! (rarely given)

4. Regardless of service, rifles are GENTLY LOWERED to the drill surface. Heels are not STOMPED on halts. If armswing is used (Army/AF), that armswing is natural and roughly 6” front and 9” rear in all services. Precision is a vital component of regulation-type drill in Color Guard but failure to conform to existing marching and casing regulations despite using extreme precision should NEVER yield a top score in any category!!!!

E. Color Guard Regulations 1. All Color Guard units at the Nationals must contain 4 cadets only. Of these, two cadets will

bear RIFLES and two cadets will bear flags. The National Colors will be the senior flag with a second appropriate flag used as the second color. This may be a state, service, county, school or unit flag.

2. The judges will undergo MASSIVE practical instruction on this aspect of the event on-site. Probably more mistaken regs are penalized in CG than anywhere else!

F. Sequence Movements 1. Units should move on and off the floor without excessive “exhibition movements.” This

keeps a unit from parading around when the report-in and report-out should be done in a military and expedient method of entering/leaving the floor.

SOP - 15

10. SOLO/DUAL/TEAM EXHIBITION EVENTS

A. Drill Area Procedures 1. The Head Judge will meet the team in the Ready Area, and do two things:

For team events, count the cadets to ensure they maintain the required number of cadets (see the scoresheet for the numbers required – varies from Squad/Element to Platoon/Flight). Any missing cadets must be noted on the Head Judge’s scoresheet with the cadet commander initialing next to the penalty in the appropriate box.

For armed events, ensure the team has a legal weapon (REMEMBER: slings MAY BE taped down during EXHIBITION) and randomly select one weapon from a cadet to “weight” in your hands to verify that it is not a lighter weapon.

2. The Head Judge will approach the Cadet Commander prior to the performance (NOTE: Solo &

Dual have no “Commander”, just talk to the individual or the duo). He/she will introduce themselves and show the cadet where they will be for report-in & out. The Head Judge will then move to the Report In spot, ensure other judges are ready, and when ready, will nod to the cadet(s) and the team should enter and begin.

B. General Information 1. Armed team commanders must be armed with a rifle or saber.

2. Squad/Element & Platoon/Flight Exhibition consists of stationary/marching drill maneuvers with trick rifle movements in Armed competition that are limited only by the imagination of the team. Judges should note however that this is a military competition and all teams should conform to general military principals in all phases of the event, including exhibition drill.

3. IMPORTANT EMPHASIS FOR 2015: Along with descriptive comments, SNI will again emphasize judges think hard regarding the category entitled, “Military Flavor”. This category has been added to ensure judges have a specific place to score a routine LOW if they feel the movements within the routine, while skillful, don’t really belong at a military JROTC competition. This evaluation is totally subjective and will not be second-guessed by any judge or official at the NHSDTC.

4. IMPORTANT EMPHASIS FOR 2015: Judges should watch carefully for the degree of difficulty a team maintains. Does the team have just two cadets tossing triple spins in their routine or do ALL the cadets throw triples. How many throws do they include in their routine? Does their precision so mesmerize that it is “difficulty” in and of itself? Look carefully!

C. Judging & Scoring 1. Judging in all Exhibition events is quite subjective and different than judging other events.

The first difference is that conversation between judges during any exhibition event is strictly prohibited! Scores are your own and have no need to be discussed.

2. Judges are asked to look at the mechanics of the routine as well as the togetherness, precision, and "snap" the unit presents with the same intensity it observes the style of the performance. While the degree of difficulty a unit displays is certainly a consideration, a flawless display containing no dropped weapons cannot be overlooked.

SOP - 16

3. A 25-point penalty is assessed on the Head Judge's scoresheet for each occurrence of a dropped weapon. This has been done to allow a balance between a unit's degree of difficulty in attempting any movement and a unit's proper execution of a movement.

Again for 2015: The definition of a "dropped" weapon is simply any rifle that strikes the drill deck without being in control of a cadet unless it is intentionally designed to do so will be considered a dropped rifle by the judge. Bobbles, bounces and other poor weapon control that is technically not considered a “DROP” should STILL be hit hard under that segment of the scoresheet. The penalty remains severe at 25 points for a drop therefore schools practice rifle safety and security as a part of all armed exhibition routines.

4. In all phases of the Nationals (but most likely in Exhibition) teams may have reserve weapon(s) available to them. Should a weapon break or become unusable during a performance, a back-up weapon may be given to the cadet. This weapon hand-off will be made only by a performing cadet leaving the formation, moving to the boundary, exchanging the broken weapon to the cadet by someone outside the competition area. He/she will then rejoin the formation and continue their performance. No additional time will be allowed for such an occurrence. CADETS DO NOT RUN ONTO THE FLOOR to replace a rifle!

5. Give scores that REFLECT THE SCORESHEET! Judges must be careful of this more in Exhibition Drill events than in any other event. A perfect example is this: You are watching the greatest performance of the day, you want to give them perfect scores, but they only use one quarter of the drill floor. GIG THEM hard under FLOOR COVERAGE! Don’t just give high/low scores across the board. Evaluate each part of the scoresheet against every single routine.

6. The scoring portions of the scoresheets for all exhibition competitions are identical and are located in the back of this SOP (Exhibition Scoresheet). The scoresheet is studied by teams to maximize their scoring.

7. VERY IMPORTANT: Exhibition performances oftentimes maintain team/individuals motivation displays prior to the actual unit moving onto the drill area and therefore before event timing began. These displays can be quite involved in some cases and therefore time consuming and actually part of the exhibition display. Because of this, teams performing any synchronized, team display of any kind just prior to entering the drill floor for their performance will have the clock start and judging will begin to include this exhibition display. We are not discouraging this action, we are just ensuring this display is judged and graded as a part of the exhibition performance.

8. Teams are instructed to ensure their performance does not go over the maximum time limit if they plan to include one of these impressive displays. Once the team has been called to “Attention” by the Cadet Commander in the ready area and all of the judges are waiting for the entrance of the team, the judge/timekeeper will start the time EITHER 1) when the team steps off and the first cadet enters the drill area OR 2) when the team begins its “motivation display or chant”. The official time will end when the last cadet leave the floor as any motivational display at this point is not delaying the competition and the judges are not watching as they are filling out their scoresheets with their head’s down.

9. MOST IMPORTANT: In the Alternative/Mixed Division, three types of schools may elect to enter. These are: #1) teams of any gender using lightweight “toy” weapons, #2) mixed gender teams regardless of the weight of the weapon so long as at least 25% of the cadets on the floor in every event are female and #3) teams that are all-female that use any type of weapon. Neither of these teams get any special consideration or special “points” for using heavier weapons or lightweight weapons ---- these teams CHOOSE what weapons to use and therefore all schools should be looked at and evaluated on their performance merits with no consideration given to the type of weapon in use.

SOP - 17

D. Items Specific to Solo/Dual Competition

1. As with all exhibition routines at the NHSDTC, solo & dual routines are only limited to the imagination of the competitors themselves. Although cadets should always maintain military bearing while performing, fancy steps, human ladders, or other exotic performances are perfectly acceptable during exhibition drill. Judges should note however that this is a military competition and all teams should conform to general military principals in all phases of the event, including exhibition drill.

2. This competition is held only for cadets who have entered the Masters Level Divisions of the Competition. The Masters Unarmed Division does maintain an Unarmed Dual Exhibition event but not a Solo Exhibition.

E. Solo/Dual Specific Judging Procedures

1. The competitions in these areas are in a much smaller drill area and they come much

quicker….every 5 minutes! Special attention must be paid to ensure the scoresheet you are using

is the correct scoresheet for the competitor. This is best done through COMMUNICATION

BETWEEN THE JUDGES before the cadet enters the drill floor.

11. KNOCKOUT DRILL EVENTS

A. Knockout Procedures

1. Knockout is an individual competition designed to determine which cadets can best perform stationary, military movements as per regulations. This event is often called “tap-out” of similar. Armed & Unarmed events are held separately and winners are selected by lasting the longest on the floor. Think of the event as “military simon says”.

2. Cadets are assembled on the floor at double arm interval and given basic instructions. The event is then turned over to a military judge who gives a few practice commands, then gives loud and clear stationary commands from the service manual while all other judges circulate through the formation and remove cadets who fail to execute movements properly.

3. When a judge detects a cadet failing to execute the command correct, they are gently touched on the arm by the judge, given a few words why they are out, and asked to leave. The floor is diminished until only one cadet remains!

4. A full mini-brief for all judges will take place just prior to taking the floor – relax, it is FUN!

Knockout Drills Judging Procedures 1. Knockout Drills are held at the end of each level of team competition. The Armed Knockout is held first

followed by the Unarmed Knockout. The Challenge Level Knockouts will be held Saturday afternoon and the Masters Level Knockouts will be held on Sunday afternoon.

2. In Knockout Drill competition, all eligible cadets (appx. 1700 for Challenge and 1100 for Masters) fall into formation on the main drill floor at once. They are not arranged by school – this is an individual event. Knockout Drill is a process to determine who best can execute the movements outlined within their Military Manual of Arms. We remove or “knockout” cadets who make a mistake until we get to a single cadet.

3. A Head Judge on an elevated platform calls out stationary commands to the assembled cadets. All 40 judges spread out and walk through the ranks, knocking out cadets that make mistakes. If you see something incorrect, you give the cadet one phrase as you tap them on the shoulder (ie.-heel alignment off, etc.) - do not make this a debate – tap them and move on!

4. Judges should look for ANYTHING that is not 100% correct in their movements. Most importantly: HAND POSITION, FOOT POSITION (heals aligned, 45o angle), HEAD POSITION. The Armed event is a little easier because cadets can be knocked out with weapons movements also (at Port, weapon distance from chest; moving head around the weapon instead of weapon around the head, etc.)

5. TWO MOST IMPORTANT ITEMS:

TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE - do not knock anyone out without cause BUT if you see anything incorrect, knock them out! In the first few commands you should look for the major violators. After that, ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING! This event must move along briskly. Each knockout should last about 20-25 mins, with the total time for both armed & unarmed knockouts lasting 60 minutes.

THIS IS AN ALL-SERVICE EVENT - Regulations are different among the services. Prior to the actual knockout, we will get all judges together to ensure each judge is familiar with differences between the services regarding regulations.

6. All judges must circulate constantly throughout the ranks of cadets! Try not to leave any dead spots where cadets are not reviewed for minutes on end (especially on the far outsides of the group).

7. Judges must maintain their bearing at all times! Again image is everything - do not give the impression that you are thrilled to be tearing these cadets up.

8. When the knockout is down to about 25 cadets, the pace will slow DRAMATICALLY! The top 10 get hand-painted medallions so at cadet #10, instead of sending them up into the bleachers, we will send them back to the rear of the drill deck ONE AT A TIME and line them up in order from cadet #10 to cadet #1. IT IS VITAL THAT WE KEEP THEM IN ORDER.

9. When we get down to about 20 cadets, judges will knockout cadets out by raising their hand and calling out IN THE LOUDEST VOICE POSSIBLE, the cadet number being knocked out (19, 18, 17, etc.). THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THE KNOCKOUT DRILL! The judge then directs the cadet to the rear of the drill deck to the line of medallion winning cadets.

10. The number of judges used is reduced as the Knockout field gets smaller. With only a few cadets left, the field will be judged by one or two judges until a single cadet remains. The cadets in the line will then be directed to the front to receive their Knockout medallion.

11. Prior to the knockout, several (4-5) judges will be selected to assist with keeping the 10 final cadets in line at the back of the floor. One principal judge will give the commands for them to march to the front of the floor and onto the platform to receive their medal. All of these 4-5 judges will be briefed in advance of the knockout drill as to these precise procedures.

12. Once the knockout is concluded, all other judges will form a receiving line at the base of the platform’s stairs (facing the stands) to shake the hands of all cadets as they exit the platform.