WGI was founded in 1977 in response to inconsistent adjudication and rules of competition which made it difficult for color guards to compete nationally.

[2][3] Today, WGI publishes and maintains an adjudication handbook, with an accompanying "Rules & Regulations", that has been widely adopted.

[8] The venue was far too small, there was no functional air conditioning, and the performance area required color guards to maneuver around structural columns.

[2][11] Knaub invited color guard educators from across the country to a meeting on May 14, 1977, at the Sheraton Palace Hotel in San Francisco.

[10] Those in attendance included: Don Angelica, Marie Czapinski, and Linda Chambers, in addition to Whitcomb, Johnston, and representatives from Western Youth International.

[2][3] All agreed any future national championship should be held independent of any drum corps or marching band events.

[2][3] A follow-up meeting at the December 1977 DCI Rules Congress included representatives from thirteen color guard circuits and adjudicator associations.

[13] WGI frequently partners with companies that provide services and products to competing groups, as well as leading educators in other fields to highlight the activity.

[17] The fees support general operations, and provide capital for future events, educational services, and research and development.

Using a competition-based approach for organizing events, WGI "aims to showcase youth activities" by pursuing a "high standard of achievement.

There is also a "concert" classification for scholastic percussion ensembles without drumline, named so because performers are typically stationary, with no drill.

Many take advantage of marching horns, as well as woodwinds, rhythm sections, and a pit ensemble but not a full drumline or color guard.

Unlike their outdoor counterparts, WGI Winds compete indoors on a performance area roughly the size of a standard basketball court.

The film was produced as a collaboration between David Byrne, Michael Gottwald, Dan Janvey and Josh Penn.

Similarly, "On Guard: A Story of American Youth" is 2023 documentary film directed by Allen Otto and executive produced by Jim Czarnecki.

[27] The film follows the journey of an all-female color guard team at Bel Air High School whose goal is to qualify for the 2020 WGI World Championships, which were ultimately canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a performance dedicated to the victims of the 2019 El Paso Shooting.