~ Preisplatteln Rules ~

Preisplatteln Rules of the Gauverband Nordamerika

(Revised: March, 2001)

Please note this web page is for reference purposes only. It is superseded by the latest paper version issued from the Gauverband Nordamerika.

ARTICLE I - GENERAL RULES

A. A Gaupreisplattler competition shall only be held in conjunction with a sanctioned Gaufest.

B. If a competition is held, rules and regulations as outlined in the current PREISPLATTELN RULES of the Gauverband Nordamerika shall be followed.

C. All arrangements for the proper conduct of the Preisplattler competition shall be the responsibility of the host Verein under the guidance of the 1.Gauvorplattler.

D. The dance floor for Preisplatteln must be a minimum of thirty-two feet by thirty-two feet.

E. A warm-up group shall perform at the start of the competition and after each break before the actual judging begins. The host Verein and the 1.Gauvorplattler have the responsibility of designating the warm-up group.

F. In order for a Verein to be eligible to perform in the Preisplattler competition it must:
- be a member Verein in good standing of the Gauverband;
- register with the host Verein no later than thirty days prior to the relevant Gaufest Preisplattler date; and
- compete with no less than four couples and no more than six couples.

G. The Vorplattler of each Verein in the competition shall draw from a hat one of three Preisplattler dances (Haushamer, Haitauer or Reit in Winkl) and the line-up number for their performance.

H. Changes to these "PREISPLATTELN RULES" can be made by proposing them at a Delegates meeting and having a simple majority in favor of the proposed change.

I. One video camera per Verein will be allowed in a set location to videotape only their group's performance. Control to be handled by special pass. Alternately the host Verein could provide the equipment and each Verein handed a tape immediately following their performance, with the cost of the tape to be paid by the competing Verein.

ARTICLE II - GAURICHTER AND TRAINING

A. The Gauausschuß shall maintain a panel of Gaurichter of a sufficient number to assure availability of Gaurichter to judge a Gaufest, at all times. The Gauausschuß has full power to add to or delete names from the list. See PREISPLATTELN RULES - Appendix C for a list of guidelines the Gauausschuß uses to maintain this panel.

B. Any member in good standing of a member Verein in good standing is eligible to be a Gaurichter. He/she must be nominated by his/her Verein and this nomination must be revalidated as requested by the Gauausschuß.

C. At a Preisplattler competition, there will be seven Gaurichter each with a recording secretary. Spacing and elevation of the judges is to be determined by the 1.Gauvorplattler, 2.Gauvorplattler and Gauvortänzerin.

D. The names of potential Gaurichter to be trained for a Gaufest shall be assembled on a list which is constructed in the following manner:
- up to four names shall be provided by the 1.Gauvorplattler and put at the top of the list (selection based on past performance and approved by the Gauausschuß);
- any remaining Gaurichter that judged at the immediate past Gaufest shall be put in random order at the bottom of the list; and
- the remaining Gaurichter shall be put in random order at the top of the list.
These people will then be queried in order until a total of seven have accepted. Only one member from a Verein may accept a judging position.

E. The Gaurichter' secretaries shall be provided by the host Verein.

F. The 1.Gauvorplattler, 2.Gauvorplattler and Gauvortänzerin will meet with the Gaurichter and the host Verein secretaries prior to the Gaufest for the purpose of the Preisplatteln Gaurichter training. Unless otherwise agreed upon, this meeting shall be on the weekend containing the first Sunday in May. The Gauverband will pay the travel expenses of the Gaurichter and the officers required to be there. The 1.Gauvorplattler will disseminate minutes of this training session and mail these to the Gauverband membership within two weeks of its conclusion.

G. The training sessions for the Gaurichter shall be held at a "least cost" location considering the travel expenses of the officers, Gaurichter and secretaries. Estimated costs shall be submitted by the 1.Gauvorplattler to the Gaurevisoren for their approval.

ARTICLE III - SCORING

A. Only the Gauverband's official scoresheet shall be used (see PREISPLATTELN RULES - Appendix A).

B. Every infraction shall result in loss of one point.

C. The scores of the Gaurichter will be normalized and the high and low normalized scores will be removed (see PREISPLATTELN RULES - Appendix B)

D. If a tie occurs, the manner of tie breaking shall be left to the 1.Gauvorplattler, 2.Gauvorplattler and Gauvortänzerin.

E. Any mathematical errors in the scoring sheets discovered after the prizes have been awarded must be brought to the attention of the Gauausschuß for action within twenty-four hours after receiving score sheets. The action to be taken will be determined by the Gauausschuß.

F. The Gaubibliothekar shall have the responsibility of maintaining on file the final scoresheets of each competition.

ARTICLE IV - GENERAL DANCE RULES

A. The style in which the Preisplattler is performed is at the discretion of each individual Verein, but there must be continuous motion throughout the Plattler. Pauses no longer than three beats, or one measure of music at any one time are permitted. Deduct one point per couple per infraction.

B. Uniformity among dancers, posture and timing with the music is essential throughout the entire dance.

C. The minimum requirement for each performance in the Gau-Preisplattler shall be:
- three Aufsprunge;
- three trios (waltz sequences) of sixteen measures each;
- one Plattler sequence of sixteen measures; and
- two Plattler sequences of thirty-two measures.

D. The couples shall dance a "Landler-Waltz" to the waltz sequence, which unlike the ballroom waltz, is done almost flatfooted with no hop. The waltz motion must be smooth and continuous, a momentary stop of one beat at the end of the waltz leading into the Ausdrehen is permissable.

E. Juchezen will be permitted during Preisplatteln, and no points will be gained or lost because of it. In no way is it to influence the judging.

F. Once a Verein is on the floor, adjusting of the Tracht is not allowed.

G. There should be no talking by anyone in the group during the Preisplattler. The only exception would be the Vorplattler, and then only if he has to talk to the musician. The Vorplattler can only stop the music once, and only up to the first trio.

H. Taunting of the girls such as kicking the skirts or lifting of skirts is forbidden.

I. Uneven or light stamps are not permitted. No stamps are permitted as signals during the Preisplattler competition.

J. A center mark will be established on the Preisplatteln floor. Its purpose is to establish the center of the competing Verein and is used by the judges as the reference point for spacing infractions.

K. Personal appearance must be neat and presentable.

L. Men must keep the same partner throughout the dance.

M. One musician only who is stationed outside the circle and does not march on or off.

 

ARTICLE V - JUDGING TRACHT

A. General

1. If one dancer in the group has the item, all dancers must have the item (except as noted).
2. Gaurichter will allow for reasonable changes in Tracht due to wear, age and cleaning.
3. The material of each item must be the same within each group.
4. The word "SILVER" is defined as a metal with a silver color.

B. Men's Tracht

1. Shoes

a. Must be black in color.
b. Styles within a group may be mixed.
c. If buckles, flaps or laces are worn, all shoes must have them.

2. Socks

a. Must be similar in style and color.
b. Points will not be deducted for variations in Stickerei.

3. Lederhosen

a. Must be similar in style and color.
b. Color of Stickerei must be similar. Points will not be deducted for variations in pattern of Stickerei.

4. Ranzen or Belts

a. If one wears belt, all must wear belt.
b. No points will be deducted for variations in style or color.

5. Tie Holder

a. Material must be the same within each group.
b. Pattern can vary within each group.

6. Ties

a. Styles and color must be the same.

7. Shirt

a. White long sleeve dress shirt or Trachtenhemd.
b. No button down collars.
c. Sleeves may be rolled up, but must be uniform for group.

8. Hair

a. Must be neat and presentable.
b. Beards and mustaches will not be judged.

9. Hats

a. Must be Gebirgstrachten Hut.
b. Style and color must be uniform within group.
c. Feather or hat piece must be of the same style for the entire group. Size may vary, but must be similar.
d. Holder must be silver or horn and must be uniform for entire group. Patterns may vary.
e. Number of pins on each hat may vary.
f. A maximum of five Trachten pins per hat will be permitted. Preferably Gauverband and/or Verein pins.
g. Plastic pins are not permitted.

10. Knives

a. The use and style of may vary within a group.

11. Vest

a. Gebirgstrachten style only.
b. Shades of color may vary.
c. Color of back may vary.
d. Piping and style of pockets may vary.
e. Only silver buttons and chain styles may vary.
f. No pins permitted.

12. Suspenders

a. Gebirgstrachten style only.
b. Must be same style within group.
c. Color and pattern of center piece may vary, but must be similar.
d. Bundhosentraeger, if worn, must be of same style within group. Color and style may vary.

13. Coin Chain (Charivari)

a. The use and style of may vary within a group.

14. Personal Jewellery

a. Will not be judged.

 

C. Women's Tracht

1. Shoes

a. Must be black in color.
b. Styles within a group may be mixed.
c. If buckles, flaps or straps are worn, all must have them.

2. Stockings

a. Must be similar in style and color.
b. Points will not be deducted for variations in knit pattern.
c. Knee socks may not be worn.

3. Bloomers

a. Must be white and similar in style.
b. Ribbons, if worn, must be uniform.

4. Slip

a. Must be white and similar in style.

5. Skirts

a. Must be same design, color and style within group.
b. Shades of color may vary.
c. Should be no shorter than three inches below the knee. If knee shows while standing, points will deducted.

6. Mieder

a. Same color and style.
b. Only silver chain with or without coins. Number and size of coins may vary.
c. Only silver Mieder pins. Patterns and number may vary. No other pins will be permitted.
d. Flowers, if worn, must be real. Color and variety must be uniform within the group.

7. Shawls and Aprons

a. Must be same color and style.
b. Patterns may vary, but should be similar.
c. Only silver shawl pins will be permitted.

8. Chokers and Necklaces

a. Use and style must be uniform.
b. If silver chokers, all must have silver chokers.
c. If black velvet, all must be of black velvet.
d. Patterns and size may vary.

9. Hair

a. Must be neat and presentable.

10. Hats

a. Must be Gebirgstrachten Hut.
b. Style and color must be uniform within group.
c. Feather or hat piece must be of the same style for the entire group. Size may vary, but must be similar.
d. Holder must be silver or horn and must be uniform for the entire group. Patterns may vary.
e. Number of pins on each hat may vary.
f. A maximum of five Trachten pins per hat will be permitted. Preferably Gauverband and/or Verein pins.
g. Plastic pins are not permitted.

11. Cosmetics

a. Will not be judged individually.
b. Use will influence general group appearance.

12. Blouse

a. Must be white.
b. Style and pattern must be similar within group.

13. Personal Jewellery

a. Will not be judged.

ARTICLE VI - JUDGING DANCE

A. A group will be required to march onto the floor with music and no points will be lost due to lack of uniformity, such as spacing, out of step, etc. The group is asked before they march on the floor whether they are ready. After the Vorplattler answers yes, the march begins. The scoring of the dance will begin at the end of the march music.

B. The various items of the scoresheet are explained as follows:

1. Eingang, Plattler 1

a. The turn out must be uniform and in time with the music.
b. Girls must turn out at least one full turn.
c. Posture must be uniform - check for uniformity of hands, arms, legs and timing.
d. Spacing of couples must be uniform and even around the center mark.
e. All Plattler motions must be uniform and in time with the music.
f. The turning of the girls must be uniform and even. Girls cannot stop any time during the Plattler.

2. Einholen, Rundtanz 1, Ausdrehen

a. All couples must catch uniformly and at the same time.
b. The catch must be smooth and no step or beat can be missed.
c. All couples must be in step and in time with the music while waltzing.
d. Spacing of couples must be uniform and even around the center mark.
e. Posture must be uniform among the couples.
f. The turn out must be uniform, one full turn of the girl and in time with the music.

3. Einstampfen, Plattler 2

a. Einstampfen must be uniform and in time with the music.
b. Posture must be uniform (hands, elbows, etc.).
c. All Plattler motions must be uniform and in time with the music.
d. Posture of the boys while platteln must be uniform and erect (hands, arms and legs).
e. Spacing of dancers must be uniform and even around the center mark.
f. Girls must turn uniformly and must maintain bell of skirt. Girls cannot stop turning any time during the Plattler.

4. Einholen, Rundtanz 2, Ausdrehen
Same as No. 2.

5. Einstampfen, Plattler 3
Same as No. 3.

6. Einholen, Rundtanz 3
Same as No. 2.

7. Ausdrehen, Schlussfigur

a. The turn out must be uniform and in time with the music.
b. The execution of the Schlussfigur must be uniform in posture and timing among the entire group.
c. Judging will end with the last note of the Schlussfigur.

8. General Group Appearance

a. Score Tracht according to PREISPLATTELN RULES, Article V, and list infractions. Only infractions of Tracht shall be recorded in this category.

C. The TOTAL is the addition of all points lost for the various infractions and is the score used for the normalizing process described in PRESIPLATTELN RULES - Appendix B.

APPENDIX A - PREISPLATTELN SCORESHEET
(not exactly as shown)

 

APPENDIX B - How to Normalize Data

For EACH Gaurichter:

1. Determine the high and low scores.
2. High minus low equals range.
3. NORMALIZED SCORE = (high-raw)/(range)*(0.1)

This results in a normalized score based on adopting a 0 to 10 scale with:
- highest raw score (worst group) = 0 normalized points;
- lowest raw score(best group) = 10 normalized points.

EXAMPLE:

For Gaurichter A: High = 58, and Low = 26
Therefore Range = 32 (58 - 26 = 32)

Group 400 raw score = 28
Group 500 raw score = 37

For group 400: (high-raw) / (range) * (0.1) = (58-28)/(32)*(0.1)
= 30/3.2
= 9.4 (to nearest tenth)

For group 500: (high-raw) / (range) * (0.1) = (58-37)/(32)*(0.1)
= 21/3.2
= 6.6 (to nearest tenth)

APPENDIX C - Maintaining the Gaurichter Panel

A Gaurichter is added to the panel as required to assure that enough Gaurichter names exist to train for the next Gaufest. A name is added whenever required:

- by a secret ballot after the Gauausschuß reviews all the validated nomination forms in its possession; and
- whenever a 1.Gauvorplattler, 2.Gauvorplattler or Gauvortänzerin leaves office, the Gauausschuß automatically extends an offer to join the panel. If they accept, their name(s) is/are added and a name(s) is/are deleted as indicated below if determined necessary.

A Gaurichter is removed from the panel when:

- he/she refuses to be a Gaufest Richter twice (for whatever the reason);
- they perform in a way unbecoming that of a Gaurichter;
- their performance is found to be extremely poor as determined by the Gauausschuß (Note that the Gaurichter are informed of their rating after the Gauausschuß meeting.); or
- his/her Verein does not revalidate his/her nomination form when requested to do so by the Gauausschuß.