ICCA & ICHSA: Groups must consist of permanent (for the season), full-fledged participants who are students enrolled at your school or university. Exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis and will take into account the academic enrollment status of the member in question, as well as the school’s policy for membership or participation in registered student organizations. Please contact us with membership questions.

The Open: Anything goes for your a cappella dream team. Round up your old group for another shot at the championship, pull together the all-stars from your past, call up all the best singers, dancers and beatboxers from your neighborhood, office, book club, and family reunion.

You must notify headquarters of any exceptions or new members not on the original roster included in your application in order for these members to be eligible to compete. Groups who lose members between rounds will not be penalized.

Under no circumstances should groups bring in outside performers just for competition. Failure to comply with this regulation may result in disqualification from any and all future competitions.

We accept vocal ensembles of all styles, but we are not a choral competition. We provide 18 individual wireless mics, and prop mics are not permitted. Groups composed of more than 24 members will not be permitted. Beginning in 2028, we will not allow groups of more than 18 members; no exceptions.*

Any music style is acceptable, but repertoire and choreography must be appropriate for a family show. No instruments of any kind are allowed.

Questions about your application are addressed in our ICCA & ICHSA Application Policies, which you can also find by clicking “Apply Now” on our home page and selecting an application.

If you are accepted as a competitor, our producer will notify you of your set list deadline. You are permitted to alter your set list between rounds and before any event, but you will only eligible for special awards if you inform your producer of these changes at least five days before the event.

Each group has 10 minutes. Remember to leave time for brief applause between songs. Timekeeping begins and ends when a performance begins or ends. If a choreographed or sung entry or exit is part of the set, time begins the moment the first person enters or exits. Otherwise, time begins with the first note sung or pitch blown, whichever comes first, and time ends when the last note is sung.

Groups who exceed the time limit may be penalized by one place. This policy is entirely at the discretion of headquarters, based on our official timekeeper. A brief grace period may be extended depending on live event conditions outside of the group’s control.

Eighteen wireless microphones will be provided at the competitions, and competitors will receive information about their event's specific sound setup before the event date. Groups may not bring or provide their own sound, microphones, headsets, processors, or sound technicians. Prop mics are strictly prohibited.

Groups will be allowed a 15-minute sound check before competition. At finals, sound checks are 20 minutes.

We do our best to slot groups in the quarterfinal events nearest their schools or universities. This is not always possible, given group scheduling conflicts or an overwhelming number of selected applicants being too close or too far from particular competitions. In these situations, we do our best to minimize the amount of travel any group has to do. Groups may not choose which region they are placed into, nor can groups switch regions between quarterfinals and semifinals in order to compete in a different semifinal.

Performance order will be determined by a random draw before sound check. Please remember that, historically, groups have performed and placed well from all time slots.

ICCA Tournament Structure:

• Most regions will have three to five quarterfinal rounds, although a quarterfinal may be cancelled at the discretion of headquarters. Canadian groups are placed in the U.S. region closest to them.
• Each quarterfinal can have between six and ten competitors (in special instances more), chosen at the discretion of Varsity Vocals based on the musical aspects of the competition judging criteria. Quarterfinals may start as early as the first weekend in January, and semifinals may be as late as the first weekend in April.
• The 1st place and 2nd place groups in each quarterfinal will be named Quarterfinal Champion and Quarterfinal Runner-Up and will advance to their region’s semifinal. In the event of a tie between two qualifying advancing groups, judges may take a closed-ballot vote for which group they feel should advance. The group who receives a majority vote adds 1 point to their score and advances. When space permits, we invite both groups to advance.
• The highest scoring group at semifinals will be named Semifinal Champion and will advance to Finals in New York City. They will join the other Semifinal Champions as well as the winners of any other country’s a cappella tournament that has been approved for inclusion by Varsity Vocals.
• The 2nd and 3rd place group from each semifinal is eligible to participate in the wild card round. This is a video submission round that will be evaluated by our judges using our judging forms. The winner is named Wild Card Champion and will advance to ICCA Finals.
• The highest scorer at finals will be named the ICCA Champion.
• The final scores of the groups that place will be made public. The scores of the eliminated groups will remain confidential.

ICHSA Tournament Structure:

• Several regions will have three to five quarterfinal rounds, where the top two or three groups from each quarterfinal will move on to the regional semifinal. Other regions will have one semifinal only. The top group from each semifinal will advance to ICHSA Finals.
• As more competitors join regions with only one semifinal, we will expand and add quarterfinal rounds in those regions as well.
• Groups that place second or third in a regional semifinal will be invited to submit a video for a Wild Card round, where the top scoring group will be invited to ICHSA Finals.
• The highest scorer at finals will be named the ICHSA Champion.
• The final scores of the groups that place will be made public. The scores of the eliminated groups will remain confidential.

Please visit our Judging page for details about how our competitions are judged.

Competitors are required to maintain the highest ethical standards and practices throughout their participation in the tournament. By participating, groups and individuals agree to conduct themselves in a manner that reflects positively on their group, their institution, and the a cappella community.

Competitors are expected to:

• Treat judges, event staff, volunteers, venue personnel, other competitors, and audience members with respect and professionalism at all times.
• Refrain from harassment, discrimination, bullying, intimidation, threats, or other abusive or disruptive behavior.
• Compete honestly and in good faith and refrain from any attempt to circumvent the competition rules or improperly influence judging or the outcome of a competition.
• Respect the confidentiality and integrity of the judging process. Competitors may not attempt to contact, pressure, or influence judges regarding scores, rankings, or individual judging decisions unless a judge expressly invites them to reach out for additional feedback.
• Direct questions, concerns, or critical evaluations of the competition to Varsity Vocals rather than confronting individual judges, staff, or volunteers.
• Refrain from public statements, social media posts, or other communications that are threatening, harassing, defamatory, or otherwise inconsistent with the standards of conduct expected of participants.
• Respect the property, facilities, and policies of competition venues.
• Disclose any actual or potential conflict of interest that could reasonably affect the integrity of the competition.

Failure to comply with these standards may result in disciplinary action, including removal from an event, disqualification, or restrictions on future participation.

Competitors should recognize that judging is a service to the a cappella community. Our tournament exists to promote the art of a cappella and provide performers with  opportunities for growth. Competitors are encouraged to receive feedback in that spirit, even when they disagree with an individual evaluation or result.

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Groups accepted to competition are expected to appear in any competitions to which they advance. Groups who drop out for any unapproved reason will be barred from competition for one year. Their competition entry fees will not be returned.