These are the cosplay rules I was given when I first began cosplaying as a way to figure out where I stood as a cosplayer and where to put myself as far as competing went. I am passing these on to you.
"Junior/Youth"
Anyone
younger who has made his/her own costume. There is no guideline for
the age of such persons. There is no guideline for the name of this
division. It is suggested that a child model an adult-made costume
either out of competition or at the adult's level. Directors are
encouraged to place entries containing younger participants near the
beginning of the masquerade regardless of what division they're
entered in. A "Junior/Youth" is encouraged to seek counsel
when deciding what adult division they should enter in.
Novice
The Novice
division is to encourage beginners. You may not enter if you are a
professional, or are above Journeyman in regional competition, or
have accomplished any of the following in international competition:
have won in a higher division, have won "Best-in-Show" or
have won in the Novice division a number of awards to be determined
by the masquerade director. There is no guideline on the number of
Novice division awards a person may win and continue to compete in
this division.
Journeyman
Journeyman is
an interim division to allow further development of costuming skills.
You may not enter if you are a professional or have accomplished any
of the following in international competition: have won three times
in the Journeyman division, have won in Master, or have won "Best
in Show."
Master
The master
division is an open class. Anyone may enter.
Supplements Applicable to All International Competitions
Award names
or quotas must not be mandated. Excellence deserves award.
Any major
award given in international competition counts towards moving up.
Minor awards include Honorable Mention. Minor awards do not include
such other awards as "Honored for Excellence", numbered
places such as "second", etc., and awards such as
"workmanship" that are not given by an entire panel of
judges.
Counting
minor awards is left to the individual costumer's discretion.
A costume
that has won a major award at the international level is no longer
eligible to compete at any level. A win at international level should
be taken into account when determining your regional status.
Costumers
are encouraged to, and may always, enter at a higher level if they so
wish, including "Junior/Youth". A person who chooses to
compete up a level and wins must then compete at that level. However,
if a person competes up and does not win, in the future they are free
to compete at their original level.
The level of
the people playing a major part in the design and making of the
costumes determines the level at which a group competes. The group
should decide ahead of time how credit for a win is to be awarded. If
you are eligible to compete at a lower level than the groups is
competing at, and the group wins, you may apply it as a win at your
normal level or as a win at the higher level, at your discretion.
A
professional is someone whom the masquerade director judges to be a
professional. There is no guideline for determining "professional"
status.
