Today’s musical organizations are producing performances of outstanding and sometimes extraordinary quality that will be viewed by vast audiences. Many of these performances occur in the competitive arena of concert, jazz, colorguard, ensemble and marching contests, and at times are highly charged and exciting events. Member units should establish a definitive code that clearly outlines the conduct and responsibilities of all participants, including, but not limited to, students, chaperones, staff and directors.

The purpose of this Code is to govern the conduct of all competitive units and their staffs, before, during and after a performance. While involved in a competitive activity, the intent is to teach appropriate conduct and sportsmanship under all circumstances.

The NESBA Code of Conduct is as follows:

The use of overt gestures or other actions to display displeasure with the result of a contest, such as throwing of equipment or pieces of the uniform, will not be condoned.

The use of abusive, profane, or obscene language to members of other units, judges, officials, or members of the audience is not acceptable behavior.

The defacing or destruction of any property, or the physical assault or act of assault to any person(s) is inexcusable.

The above actions simply will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Violations of the spirit or intent of this Code will be immediately investigated by the Executive Board of NESBA to determine the innocence or guilt of the alleged perpetrator(s) of the act. If a determination of guilt is made, the penalty to be assessed by the Executive Board of NESBA will depend on the severity of the incident ( i.e., loss of the units’ eligibility for future contests or possible expulsion from NESBA).

The badgering of judges in a critique will not be tolerated. In the event of such conduct, the following principles will apply:

First Incident:

-- The caption staff will be removed from the critique

-- That caption will not be represented by the Band Staff at the next critique, and  a letter of reprimand will be sent to the Principal and Band Director.

-- The entire staff will be removed from the critique and restricted from the next critique

-- A letter of reprimand will be sent to the Principal and Band Director.

Third Incident:

-- The unit will be suspended from NESBA.

If, at any time, the offender is a Band Director, s/he will be removed from the critique where the incident occurred, and will be restricted from attending the next critique.

When a critique does not follow the incident,

If the offender is not a Band Director, s/he will not be allowed to participate or be present at the next contest in which his/her group appears (it is the responsibility of the Band Director to enforce this penalty).

If the offender is a Band Director, he will be removed from the critique where the incident occurred and will be restricted from the next show in which his/her unit appears. S/he may escort the Band to the gate, but may not be present in the stadium or competition area while the Band is performing or at any other time during the day; he may not contact any judges. A letter of reprimand will also be sent to the Director of Music and the Principal.

For purposes of the NESBA Code of Conduct, the term "Color Guard Director" or "Percussion Ensemble Director" may be inserted in place of "Band Director."

For purposes of the NESBA Code of Conduct, the term "Performance Area" may be inserted in place of "Stadium."