Lubbock-Con 2025 Cosplay Contest - Official Rules
The Lubbock Con 2025 Cosplay Contest will take place on Saturday, February 22nd, 2025 at 2:00pm in the Banquet Hall.
Please read all rules carefully, as each participant will be expected to know the rules upon applying for the contest.
Winners in each category will receive awards and some will win prizes as well.
The purpose of the competition is to provide an organized venue for individuals in cosplay attire to showcase their talents and efforts to a large number of attendees in a fun and friendly environment. The event is designed for individuals or groups who wish to show off sewing, creativity, and craftsmanship skills in creating a costume.
General Rules
All participants must have a Lubbock-Con badge/wristband.
Contestants must register in advance. The registration form and all associated documents must be submitted to the contest table by the deadline. Deadline for entry is 1:00 pm Saturday, February 22nd, 2025.
Pre-Judging will be held from 1:00 pm-1:45 pm on February 22nd, 2025 in Room 101. Contestants must attend pre-judging to proceed to the public portion of the Cosplay Contest. Event staff reserves the right to limit the number of contestants at pre-judging due to time constraints or other concerns. Be sure to arrive on time and ready to be called.
Do not arrive late to the public portion of the Cosplay Contest event. If you are not present at the start of the contest, your entry will be disqualified.
One entry per person is permitted. This means you may walk across the stage once and cannot appear in more than one costume for the event.
All costumes will be PG-13. No risque costumes or gestures. No nudity allowed - no costume is not a costume.
Costumes must be at least 50% crafted by the applicant, to be considered. Purchased, professionally made, or rented costumes are prohibited. Store bought props and/or pieces are allowed. You will be asked at registration if your costume and associated props are handmade or store bought. Please be truthful.
Purchased costumes are prohibited from entering (e.g. online, Spirit Halloween, etc.). However, exceptions can be made for costumes that contain “found” or “modified” pieces. Event staff reserves the right to determine what actually constitutes a legitimate costuming effort.
A model may wear your costume if you don’t want to physically enter. If a model is presenting your costume, you may not appear in another costume. State that the person wearing the costume is a model, and not the creator, on the registration form. The creator/entrant of a costume MUST be in attendance.
Groups may enter but will be judged as if the entire group were one person entering. Prizes for the group will be given to the group leader.
Contest entries will receive a numbered card prior to the judging process. The card number must be unaltered. You will present the card in the cosplay contest lineup. Information on the card will be used for your stage introduction. You must be present at 1:50 for the lineup process.
Contestants will have no more than thirty seconds on stage. Contestants are not required to use their entire time but should at least pause while crossing the stage to allow adequate time for posing and pictures.
Event staff have absolute authority to disqualify any participant if necessary and these rules are subject to change.
Sandbagging is not permitted. Sandbagging is when you compete in a cosplay for which you’ve already won an award, potentially win again, and prevent others from placing. If you won a major award at a large event and are now competing at a smaller event this is not allowed. This is grounds for disqualification.
Safety
If your costume has a prop/costume weapon, it must be inspected and tagged at the Prop Check Station upon entry to the convention. Prop weapons should be secured and only used as costume pieces. Security staff will take threatening actions (even in play) seriously - any brandishing or otherwise aggressive behavior will be dealt with according to Security's discretion. All costumes must abide by the rules of Lubbock Con and the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center. If a policy violation by a contestant is discovered by event staff, that entrant will be disqualified. All decisions regarding weapons ultimately lie with event staff and/or Civic Center staff and security.
No substances that can be harmful to you, the staff, or the audience will be allowed. This can include, but is not limited to: silly string, water, flames, explosives, and paint.
All stage fighting is to be limited to half speed-quarter strength, and one foot must remain on the floor at all times. no jumps, leaps, flips or rolls.
No electrical power connections will be provided. If your costume requires power it must be part of your costume design.
Your costume must allow you freedom of movement so that you can go up and down steps; make certain your costume allows you to do this unassisted. For liability reasons, Lubbock Con staff will not assist cosplayers on or off the stage. You may have up to two assistants to help you, but these assistants will not be provided by Lubbock Con. Exceptions can be made for physically disabled persons.
Any violation of safety rules before, during, or after the contest is grounds for immediate disqualification from the contest and possible removal from the Lubbock Con event.
Judging
Costumes will be judged on a variety of criteria, including craftsmanship, resemblance, and overall effect.
It is strongly encouraged that contestants bring reference material, especially if your costume is obscure or from a not well known source. It is a big universe of comics, movies, games, and not everyone - even our almighty judges - may be familiar with the subject of your costume, so it is in everyone's best interest to bring a color picture if at all possible. While we will not turn away entries that do not bring reference material, the absence of reference material could greatly affect your final score. Providing reference material will help ensure that the audience and judges know what a great job you have done recreating a character or costume. The reference should depict the details of the costume you are presenting. All reference materials are due with registration entry form and will not be accepted after registration is complete.
Participants should be prepared to briefly explain the process through which their costume was created.
Cosplay Contest prejudging is not open to the general public. Only entrants, designers, and parents of children will be allowed inside the judging room.
Stage presence is a bonus judging category. Contestants are not required, nor will they be penalized for doing anything on stage other than walking across
Awards
A variety of awards will be given to recognize excellence in costuming. Winners will receive an award for their costume as well as prizes. There will only be one award per contestant.
Awards will be given out in the following categories:
Best In Show / Overall
2nd Place Overall
3rd Place Overall
Judges Choice - each Judge will be awarding a costume entrant their personal judge’s choice.
Audience Favorite
Legal
Pictures will be taken of all participants during the contest. Additional pictures may also be taken during the convention as a whole and during the red carpet/costume parade. These pictures will be used for record and judging purposes.
All participants will be required to submit a fully completed registration form to participate in the contest. Minors under 18 years of age may participate in the Costume Contests only if the minor's legal guardian is present during the entirety of the Cosplay Contest process. Contestants must be 13 years or older to participate. Children 12 or younger can participate in the Kid’s Cosplay Contest on Sunday. Please refer to the guidelines for the Kid’s Cosplay Contest. Age is strictly considered as what the age of applicant is on February 22nd, 2025.
Event staff reserves the right to reject any entry for any reason. Failure to comply with these rules or failure to follow the instructions of the event or security staff will be grounds for disqualification. Contestants that have been disqualified or rejected will not be eligible for any prizes or awards.
All decisions by event judges are final.
