Technically you're supposed top play repeats... but people like contests to run on time. I always tell my kids to be prepared to play them, but to ask before performing if they want repeats. (I've never once had a judge say, please play the repeats on a solo - but I'm sure it could happen) With the properness, it depends on which of the solos. There are a few with some really short repeats that I think are needed to make the song make sense. The ones I would never take are the crazy long da capo repeats some of them have.