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Sure our school did. For two competitions, one in middle school concert and high school marching, we were rated low because of our county's location. And during the marching competition, one of the guys gave us low ranks because of the fact the show theme didn't suit his tastes. It made us mad to say the least...but hopefully, next year will be better.

I sympathize completely.

Often while in a section, you may see the people around you marching well but the band as a whole doesn't look as good (it does happen). However, I know judges aren't always fair. My band had never made it to the State competition before this year. As a drum major, I KNOW our band is as good as some of the ones who do, if not better. Even this year when we did make it to State, we did not deserve the 18/18 place. We deserved at least 16th, but the judges didn't think so. I know our school has a reputation as a bad band or something because we're a new school. Being unheard of when you go to competitions seems to hurt a lot. I'm sorry to hear it happens so often though. Stupid judges. Just make sure to hit them with your instrument or run over them every time the show permits. biggrin

Yuss, this happened to our band this year.
We did pretty good, and everyone thought so..

And yet we ended up the only band that got a 3. :/

We think they were racist against small bands
And our band didn't have a buncha props and crap that the rest of the bands had

This year at state quarter-finals, the judges placed everybody before us....we were dead last.
Everything in our show was perfect, everybody was in step, musice was the best we ever played. The gaurd, everything phased perfectly. Those judges gave us a 68.7.
I'll tell you a story. Six years ago, our band was horrible, everybody hated us. The school wanted us gone. The football team attacked the band and threw footballs at them. When Carpenter came, he begged to keep the marching band. He threated to quit, the principal caved because he wouldn't be able to find a replacement. That was when my big sister was in the band, the only trombone player....but that was before our band legends like; Tucker, and Nathan, and Josh. After spitting and fighting, the blood and tears, from pain and hurt, from success to failair and back again. They finnaly made it to being a marching band. But its like Carpenter said 'Success is a double edge sword'. Two years ago they went to quarter-finals for the first time, my sister was field commander, they didn't make semis....but they wern't dead last. Last year they didn't make it, the band's old reputation still haunted them....but they were not dead last.
This year, my freshman year, we marched at quarter-finals, perfect everything, and we got a 68.7. Judges in Kentucky, in the KMEA, don't look at the show. When the see Southwestern High Shcool, they give us a low score because of the band's former reputation. And because we are not a 5A band like LaFayette...or Adair, or like Paul Laurence Dunbar. Those bands that didn't have a horrid reputation. Don't get me wrong, I will never diss a 5A band, SW was once a 5A. But that was before KMEA changed it.
Any band that was there in Hart County that day, would say that we were cheated. Madisoville North Hopskins, (Forgive me please if I spell that wrong.) several of their band members even said how sorry they were. They thought we would beat them.
Ahh but rest assured, not ALL judges are unfair. We went to a USSBA competiton in Wise, Virginia. We scored a 89.6.
It just depends on where you go and who you are.

This is something that really gets on my nerves. We're in USSBA, so that may explain something, but anyway.

We were at a competition and we were just about to march onto the field (This really cool). It was kind of a pre-season comp thing, so nothing that was really, really big. Right before we marched on the field, a flock of birds flew over our band and the field. Everyone started clapping. (Heck, the other bands started clapping when we marched past them into the stands.) But anyway...

We didn't do too bad. It definitely wasn't our best, but it wasn't bad. Well, when we got done and marched off, we went back to the stands and the bands clapped again for us. We waited and waited for the results, watching the other bands perform. They weren't bad, but it wasn't anything magnificent (Except when a local college band performed. That was cool.) One band in particular got under my skin, though. But that's for another thread.

Anyway, the results finally came, and everyone was sitting there waiting. It finally came to us. We got a Superior rating in everything. I mean EVERYTHING! Everything, that is, except for music. So, due to that, we made second. Now that I look back on it, I can understand why the music got a lower score. But the band that beat us, to be honest, wasn't too impressive. I mean they were decent, but nothing really to take notice of.

When the scores were read, everyone seemed surprised, even the band that beat us! So that tells you something right there. As a few of the guys in our band yell when something goes wrong...

"Nuts and bolts, nuts and bolts! We got screwed!"

this year we came in second by 2 tenths of a point because of one judge, that judge also happened to be the one that made us loose four years ago (the first time we had lost in 13 years) with one of the best shows we've ever done and he hates our BD, it really sucked

Does unfairness due to inexperience count? It was the biggest contest of the year and the on-the-field judges.... weren't. They were standing in a frightened huddle on the sideline, occasionally the bravest one would step out for a while only to get run over. The press box judges were probably new as well. When they announced the finalist bands the last six bands had made it, five of the six before them had made it, and only one of the first six had made it. Tell me that doesn't look a little suspicious. Our band kicked *** that day, but we were one of the first six..... crying