I was in the Univ of Ark marching band for two years. We did shows where many of us couldn’t play the whole thing due to the complex marching designs.
Lot’s of weird shapes moving across each other. If you didn’t go horns down...OUCH! We also did arrangements where only the brass and drums played the whole piece while the rest of us made lettering.
Of course, there were 250 of us on the field.
I marched in an award winning band in west Texas. 300 members strong.
Very tough director. If you weren’t playing while marching, you were gone.
I understand some marchers fake it. I am saying that there are great bands that do not allow it.
I believe letting someone who does not have the capabilities to go out on the field and fake it is wrong. To me, as a musician, it is offensive.