As you know this is one of the guiding principles of our sport and yet from time to time we are presented with situations which show not everyone is taking the concept seriously enough.
[Read more…] about Treat every firearm as loadedRules Insights
Intentional premature pasting
At nationals and other major matches, the range officials are always watching for premature target pasting that is not accidental. Sometimes, a target gets pre-pasted to help get a squad mate a reshoot. That is unsportsmanlike behavior. What do the rules say that the Range Officers and Range Master can do about that?
[Read more…] about Intentional premature pastingUn-taped targets and you
We have all been there. A competitor is shooting a stage and as the competitor engages the next target you see the un-taped holes from the previous competitor. As the RO, what do you do? As the competitor, what do you do? Let’s discuss how to handle this.
[Read more…] about Un-taped targets and youStart positions are not freestyle
We can definitely tell it’s major match season. We are getting a lot of questions related to start position enforcement. While competitors can come up with freestyle solutions to the stages after the start signal, the start position is not something that is freestyle.
[Read more…] about Start positions are not freestyleFunctional vs. Operating Flashlights
I am just back from several recent matches and what I thought was straightforward turns out to be a bit more complicated than it seems on the surface. I guess it is time to revisit one of those subtle differences that sometimes arise at chronograph.
[Read more…] about Functional vs. Operating FlashlightsUnloaded Starts
The USPSA rules allow for a Written Stage Brief, WSB, to specify a variety of start conditions for the firearm. The second most common condition, after “loaded and holstered” is “unloaded”. What does that mean? Let’s talk about what loaded and unloaded are, and the requirements for each.
[Read more…] about Unloaded StartsReasonably vertical
PCC has been around for a long time now, but we still get inquiries that make us want to respond with, “PCC is not a crime.” The latest was asking what is considered to be reasonably vertical while a competitor is waiting at the start position. Let’s discuss that and do a refresher about PCC handling.
[Read more…] about Reasonably verticalSurface rearrangements
Whether the match is outdoors or indoors, the shooting area and start position always need some maintenance over the course of the match. Who’s job is it to maintain the range surface? Can the competitor do it? Does the RO need to do it? Let’s talk about it!
[Read more…] about Surface rearrangements