1. In the case of all solo and team competitions in all grades, the age of a competitor on January 1st of the year in which the competition is held will determine the right of entry. For the purpose of this rule a competitor whose birthday occurs on January 1st shall be deemed to be under the age attained on that date.
2. Competitions are open to all but those holding a TMRF, TCRG, or ADCRG designation. All dancers must be pupils of a person currently registered with An Coimisiun as a Dancing Teacher of any category.
3. A competitor may be disqualified for any of the following reasons:
   • Conduct unbecoming a lady or gentleman
   • Failure to report on time to compete (Penalty: disqualification from said event)
   • Falsification of age or other important fact—i.e. teaching, award winning, competing under another competitor’s name or number etc.
   Penalty for a) or c): Competitor will be disqualified form the Feis at which the occurrence happened and from all NAFC-registered Feiseanna for a period of one year beginning at the date of the occurrence.
4. Competitions may be closed if there are no competitors at the assigned stage ready to compete when the competition is scheduled or announced. This will not pertain to a situation where competitors are involved in stage conflicts: in that case the competition(s) will remain open for a reasonable amount of time to allow the dancer(s) in question to arrive at the stage and compete.
5. Solo competitors in Beginner, Advanced Beginner, Novice or Open (Prizewinner) competitions
   • Must compete in their own age group
   • Must be prepared to perform two steps in each event
   • Cannot change competition on the day of the Feis.
6. Steel taps or “bubble: heels on dancing shoes, display of awards, wearing of shorts or other unconventional dress is prohibited. Dancers competing in First Feis (if offered), Beginners and Advanced Beginner, a.k.a. Beginner I and II must wear a class costume or a skirt and blouse. All other categories are excluded from this rule. Modest attire is encouraged when a competitor is not dancing.
7. Competitor’s number must be worn and visible to adjudicators when performing in all competitions, except in Championships. Use of clear reflective plastic number covers is discouraged.
8. Awards will be determined in proportion to the number of entries in each competition and to the degree of proficiency shown.
9. Complaints must be in writing stating names and other factual information and signed by the complainant. A ten-dollar fee (cash) must be enclosed and presented to the Feis Chairman within one hour of the occurrence. The fee will be returned if the complaint is upheld.
10. The Feis Committee and any organization affiliated with same, will not be held responsible for personal injury, property loss or damage. Destruction of Feis property or rental property will be punishable by law.
11. The Feis reserves the right to reject any entry for cause, to cancel all or part of the Feis and to limit competitor’s performing time. The decision of the Feis Committee is final in all matters connected with the Feis.
12. Competitors must answer all questions on the entry form as required by the Feis Entry committee, including teacher’s name, and enclose the entry fee when mailing. Failure to do so will result in a rejected entry. Entries must be postmarked on or before the closing date or they will be subject to a late fee as determined by the feis committee and published on the syllabus and/or entry form. There will be no refund of entry fees for any reason.
13. Open Championships:
    • Entrants in any Open Championship event may not enter in any other regular grade solo events, but may enter in Figure Dances and/or special competitions for which they are eligible (tradition set, treble reel non-traditional set dance)
    • Entrants in Open Championships should specify on the entry form their choice of set dance
    • Open Championship competitions in the minimum required age groups must be offered separately in the syllabus, yet the feis committee may combine an age group with the next higher age group if there are fewer than 5 competitors entered in the lower age groups. A feis committee is not permitted to combine dancers from one open championship age group with any age groups which is more than one age groups higher than the age group in which the dancers are entered
    • A dancer is required to perform a light shoe dance (reel or slip jig for ladies and reel only for men) and a set dance. A Feis can also opt to require a third dance (choice of jig/hornpipe)
    • Dancers must qualify for Open Championship via the method now in place for Preliminary Championship i.e. two 1st place wins.
    • Dancers must compete in the Preliminary Championship competition in order to qualify for Open Championship.
14. Girls and Boys competitions in Open Championship may be combined in the syllabus. If three or more boys are entered in a specific age group in a combined Open Championship competition, the boys and girls must be split into separate competitions. If separate Boys and Girls competitions in Open Championships are offered in the syllabus, they may not be combined under any circumstance on the day of the Feis.
15. Preliminary Championships:
    • Are open to those who at any NAFC recognized Feis:
      • Have placed 1st in both an Open (Prizewinner) light and heavy shoe competition and
      • Have never won 1st, 2nd or 3rd in Open Championship.
    • A dancer who wins two (2) first place preliminary championship awards in one calendar year will move on to Open Championship the following year (as of Jan 1); if the second first-place win does not occur in the same feis year as the first win, as soon as the second win is achieved, in any age category, the dancer must move up to open championship level immediately. Only in the case of a back to back Feiseanna (successive days) the first-place win in the first Feis will not change the dancer’s status for the second Feis
    • A dancer in a preliminary championship is required to perform a light shoe dance (reel of slip jig for ladies and reel only for men) and a hard shoe dance. A Feis can opt to offer either (a) a set dance) or (b) a jig/hornpipe or (c) both a set dance and jig/hornpipe
    • Boys and Girls will be combined in preliminary championships –Please note the separation policy involving five or more boys
    • Preliminary Championship competitions must be offered separately in the syllabus for the minimum required age groups, yet the feis committee may combine an age group with the next higher age groups if there are fewer than 5 competitors entered in the lower age group. A feis committee is not permitted to combine dancers from one preliminary championship age group with any age group which is more than one age group higher than the age group in which the dancers are entered.
16. Open Championships and Preliminary Championships require at least three adjudicators.
17. First place winners in the Open Championship category cannot return to a Preliminary or Open (Prizewinner) competition. Placing in a Regional or National Oireachtas does not change the status of a competitor. If after competing for two full feis years at the Open Championship level, a dancer has not placed first, second or third, he/she may opt to return to Preliminary Championship status.
18. The status of the dancer does not change unless there are five or more dancers in a competition.
19. Grade Category Definitions:
    • Beginner: A beginner is a competitor who has not taken a full year of Irish Dance lessons, thereby giving beginners a full year with such status. A Beginner must move into the Advanced Beginner category for the next year.
    • Advanced Beginner: An Advanced Beginner who wins 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place will advance to the Novice category in that particular dance.
    • Novice: A Novice dancer who wins a 1st place in a dance will advance to the Open (Prizewinner) category in that particular dance.
    • Open (Prizewinner): A competitor who does not qualify as a Beginner, Advanced Beginner or Novice.
    • Adult Beginner: An adult beginner is a competitor who never took Irish dancing lessons as a juvenile and is over 18 years of age.
    • Other Adult Grades: will follow the descriptions provided above
      • ** Competitors have the option to remain in the same category for the remainder of the Feis year (until the following January 1st)
      • ** The syllabus must contain all grade categories
      • ** Boys and Girls enter the appropriate age group in the appropriate grade for each dance; after entries have been closed, in any competition where five or more boys are entered, the feis committee will run a separate competition for these boys.
      • ** A feis committee may only combine two consecutive calendar year age groups (within that grade only) when fewer than five(5) competitors are entered in either age group, with the exception of the oldest age group listed.
20. Musicians and adjudicators cannot be approached during a competition by anyone except the Feis Committee. No one can approach them while a competitor is performing.
21. Musicians employed by the Feis Committee will be solely under the direction and management of the Feis Committee on Feis day.
22. Teachers or team captains are responsible that their teams are complete and in positions when the competition is announced. Competitors may compete in their own age group or in the next higher age group, however a competitor may compete in only one age group.
23. In matters pertaining to adjudicators, the decision of the adjudicator is final.
24. Adjudicators are to monitor the quality of music at the stage(s) to which they are assigned.
25. First Feis (if offered), Beginner, Advanced Beginner and Adult dancers are required to dance at traditional speeds only. Novice and Open (Prizewinner) dancers may choose between traditional and Oireachtas speeds.
26. Any form of unauthorized photography which has the capability to capture a dancer’s image while in motion, using electronic or manual means, i.e. mobile phone, standard camera, video camera, or commercial film, with or without enhancement is expressively forbidden in competition.
27. No block, en Pointe toe walking movements, stationary or moving is allowed to be performed for all ages up to and including the under 12 age group. However, after Sept 1st of each year an exception is made for those dancers who are 11 dancing in the under 12 age group.
28. Make up is prohibited on a dancer in the first three grades (First Feis [if offered)], Beginner and Advanced Beginner or their equivalent) up to and including the under 12 age group.
29. Any competitor found to be using artificial carriage aids and subsequently refuses to remove same, will be subject to disqualification from that particular competition, medically prescribed aids (proof of which may be required) will be exempt from this rule.
30. No substance that can become airborne should be used on any dance floor in an attempt to improve traction.
31. Solo competitions will be danced at the following tempos: Reels – 113, Light Jig – 120, Slip Jig – 113, Treble Jig (Traditional) - 92, Slow Treble Jig – 73, Hornpipe (Traditional) – 138, Hornpipe(Non-Traditional) – 113.

NAFC Championship Competitions