| Tournament of Bands | |
| Abbreviation: | TOB; TOB/TIA |
| Purpose: | Provide a tradition of performance opportunities in the musical and visual arts |
| Location Country: | United States |
| Membership: | 439 bands |
| Membership Year: | 2022 |
| Leader Title: | Tournament Director |
| Leader Name: | Justin Smith |
| Leader Title2: | NJA Judges Coordinator |
| Leader Name2: | Pierce Sanute |
| Leader Title3: | NJA Director |
| Leader Name3: | Timothy Kondziela |
| Parent Organization: | National Judges Association (NJA) |
The Tournament of Bands (TOB), also known as Tournament of BandsTournament Indoor Association (TOB/TIA), is an American school band association and governing body that sanctions marching band, color guard, and drumline, competitions in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States. The "tournament of bands", or "tournament indoor", culminates in regional championships, or Chapter Championships, followed by the Atlantic Coast Championships (ACC), every November and May.
Founded in 1972 by the National Judges Association (NJA),[1] TOB is composed of 439 member bands organized into eleven regions or chapters. It provides a large array of competitive performance opportunities including marching band, indoor guard, majorette, percussion, and dance teams. TOB/TIA sanctions approximately 150 marching band events and more than 100 indoor events every year.
Membership is open to any elementary, middle, junior, or senior high school, as well as any college or university. An independent unit may join if certain criteria are met such as unit size and age of members., membership are organized into eleven regions,[2] or Chapters, across 9 states.
Number of members by state are:
The Tournament of Bands sanctions about 140 marching band competitions throughout each fall, corresponding roughly with high school football season. Bands are judged on a 100-point linear scale by judges both on the field and in the press box. Bands are also divided into groups based on their size, and judged only within their group. Sizes are as follows:[3]
| Group | Musicians | Auxiliary | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Up to 30 | 30 | |
| 2 | 3150 | 50 | |
| 3 | 5175 | 75 | |
| 4 | 76 or more |
Open Class (formerly Championship) – Highest level of competition, intended for experienced bands.
A Class (formerly Regional and Invitational) – Intended for young bands prepared to compete at the regional or state-level.
Festival Class – Intended for young and developing bands. No scores are given for this class, only ratings.
Every class and group combination is available at all TOB-sanctioned events and Chapter Championships, or regional championships. Festival Class is not available at the annual Atlantic Coast Championships, only Open and A Class.
The Tournament Indoor Association (TIA) is one of several circuits for indoor shows in the mid-Atlantic states (other circuits include MAIN, Cavalcade, KIDA, and TRWEA). TIA sanctions competitions for indoor guard, marching percussion, concert percussion, twirlers, and dance team units. The indoor season generally runs from late January to the first weekend in May. Units can be either scholastic or independent. Scholastic units are affiliated with a school. Independent units are usually not affiliated with a school. Classifications are as follows:
Units are divided into 11 chapters based on geography. Any unit which has participated in one contest throughout the season is eligible to participate in their respective Chapter Championships, which are usually held the last weekend in April, although in order to be a chapter champion, you must compete in two shows. Any unit which has participated in 4 contests throughout the season and Chapter Championships can compete in the Atlantic Coast Championships, which are held the first weekend in May in Wildwood, NJ. Depending on the number of groups competing in a single class, the tournament can have multiple rounds in which the higher scoring groups advance.
Below is a list of past marching band champions organized by group.[4] Championships are counted by group.
| Year | Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | — | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Catasauqua | Salisbury | Archbishop Wood | rowspan="7" | |
| 1974 | Catasauqua | Thomas McKean | Hammonton | ||
| 1975 | Penns Grove | Salisbury | Hammonton | ||
| 1976 | Catasauqua | Penns Grove | Hammonton | ||
| 1977 | Penns Grove | Sun ValleyOakcrest | Hammonton | ||
| 1978 | Bald Eagle-Nittany | Upper Merion | Hammonton | ||
| 1979 | Penns Grove | Sun Valley | Hammonton | ||
| Year | Group 1 | Group 2 | Group 3 | Group 4 | |
| 1980 | Jonathan Dayton | David Brearly | Sun Valley | Governor Livingston | |
| 1981 | Eastern Regional | David Brearly | Sun Valley | Williamsport | |
| 1982 | David Brearly | Northern Highlands | Elizabeth | Williamsport | |
| 1983 | Lock Haven | Steinert | Hammonton | Arlington | |
| 1984 | Boonton | Steinert | Lake-Lehman | Williamsport | |
| 1985 | Bald Eagle-Nittany | Steinert | Kearny | Arlington | |
| 1986 | Bald Eagle-Nittany | Middle Township | Lake-Lehman | Mount Vernon | |
| 1987 | Steinert | Lake-Lehman | Lebanon | Williamsport | |
| 1988 | Governor Livingston | Lake-Lehman | Middle Township | Carlisle | |
| 1989 | Governor Livingston | Lake-Lehman | Middle Township | Williamsport | |
| 1990 | Governor Livingston | Lake-Lehman | Middle Township | Carlisle | |
| 1991 | Governor Livingston | Lake-Lehman | Brandywine | Carlisle | |
| 1992 | Governor Livingston | Lake-Lehman | Middle Township | Mechanicsburg | |
| 1993 | Hanover Area | Governor Livingston | Red Land | Carlisle | |
| 1994 | Haddon Heights | Norristown | Red Land | Mechanicsburg | |
| 1995 | Hanover Area | Middle Township | Clearview | Mechanicsburg | |
| 1996 | Hanover Area | Middle Township | Red Land | Mechanicsburg | |
| Year | Group 1 | Open Group 2 | Open Group 3 | Open Group 4 | |
| 1997 | Governor Livingston | Middle Township | Nazareth | Pocono Mountain | |
| 1998 | Henderson | Middle Township | Absegami | Pocono Mountain | |
| 1999 | Pittston | Middle Township | Mechanicsburg | Pocono Mountain | |
| 2000 | Henderson | Middle Township | Mechanicsburg | Pocono Mountain | |
| 2001 | Triton | Middle Township | Lancaster Catholic | Pocono Mountain | |
| 2002 | Henderson | Middle Township | Absegami | Westminster | |
| 2003 | Williamstown | Middle Township | Bensalem | Southern Regional | |
| 2004 | Henderson | Pocono Mountain West | Lancaster Catholic | Southern Regional | |
| 2005 | Governor Livingston | Pocono Mountain West | Mechanicsburg | Lancaster CatholicSouthern Regional | |
| 2006 | Governor Livingston | Middle Township | Mechanicsburg | Spring-Ford | |
| 2007 | Lake-Lehman | Middle Township | Mechanicsburg | Spring-Ford | |
| 2008 | Governor Livingston | Brick Memorial | Mechanicsburg | Spring-Ford | |
| 2009 | Pittston | Brick Memorial | Mechanicsburg | Daniel Boone | |
| 2010 | Biglerville | Brick Memorial | West Deptford | Spring-Ford | |
| 2011 | Governor Livingston | Southern Regional | West Deptford | Spring-Ford | |
| 2012 | Governor Livingston | West Deptford | Mechanicsburg | Spring-Ford | |
| 2013 | Biglerville | West Deptford | Southern Regional | Spring-Ford | |
| 2014 | Biglerville | Deptford Township | West Deptford | Spring-Ford | |
| 2015 | Biglerville | West Deptford | Brick Memorial | Spring-Ford | |
| 2016 | Biglerville | West Deptford | Brick Memorial | West Shore | |
| 2017 | Biglerville | West Deptford | Southern Regional | Brick Memorial | |
| 2018 | Biglerville | Huntingtown | Liberty | Brick Memorial | |
| 2019 | Oakcrest | West Deptford | Liberty | Brick Memorial | |
| 2020 | colspan="4" | ||||
| 2021 | Allegany | Southern Regional | Brick Memorial | Cab Calloway | |
| 2022 | Allegany | West Deptford | Brick Memorial | Cab Calloway | |
| 2023 | Allegany Raritan | Eastern Regional | Liberty | ||
| 2024 | Allegany Raritan | Southern Regional | Eastern Regional | Mifflin County |
Below is a list of past Invitational Class and A Class marching band champions organized by group. Championships are counted by group.
| Year | Group 1 | Invitational Group 2 | Invitational Group 3 | Invitational Group 4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Nanticoke | Penns Grove | Avonworth | Shawnee | |
| 1998 | Penncrest | Abington | Bermudian Springs | ||
| 1999 | Chesapeake | Indian Valley | Emmaus | Linganore | |
| 2000 | Montrose | Williamstown | East Pennsboro | rowspan="10" | |
| 2001 | Gateway | Camp Hill | Ephrata | ||
| 2002 | Highland | Camp Hill | Severna Park | ||
| 2003 | Timber Creek | Parkside | Bloomsburg | ||
| 2004 | Big Spring | Camp Hill | Aububon | ||
| 2005 | Palerton | Aububon | Daniel Boone | ||
| 2006 | North Carroll | Granby | Ephrata | ||
| 2007 | Brunswick | Hedgesville | |||
| 2008 | Catoctin | Big Spring | York | ||
| 2009 | Queen Anne's | Parkland | |||
| Year | Group 1 | A Group 2 | A Group 3 | A Group 4 | |
| 2010 | Catasauqua | Archbishop Wood | Middletown | rowspan="2" | |
| 2011 | Triton | Timber Creek | Pennsauken | ||
| 2012 | Cumberland | Eastern Regional | Pennsauken | Central Dauphin | |
| 2013 | Collingswood | Oakcrest | Pennsauken | Central Dauphin | |
| 2014 | Perryville | Eastern Regional | Sparta | Penncrest | |
| 2015 | Oakcrest | Clarke County | Metuchen | Loudoun County | |
| 2016 | Weehawken | West Essex | Middletown | Toms River North | |
| 2017 | Pemberton Township | Winslow Township | Mountain Ridge | Jackson Liberty | |
| 2018 | Windber | Oakcrest | Mifflin County | Kingsway Regional | |
| 2019 | Southern Garrett | Mainland Regional | Point Pleasant | Fort Lee | |
| 2020 | colspan="4" | ||||
| 2021 | Winslow Township | Shawnee | Mifflin County | Fort Lee | |
| 2022 | Southern Garrett | Barnegat | Fort Hill | Metuchen | |
| 2023 | Bloomfield | Odessa | Point Pleasant Borough | ||
| 2024 | Johnstown | Deptford | Dubois Area | Fort Hill |