Yes, the rulebook is long. Yes, there are rules that reference other rules. And no, citing any rule that mentions the term is not necessarily the best rule to use. Whether it is during your RO exam or renewal exam, or on the range, citing the correct rule is very important.
[Read more…] about A rule versus the best ruleRules Insights
Incapacitation – 10.7 and You
“10.7.1 -All persons are required to be in complete control both mentally and physically during USPSA matches.” Simple sentence that I think we can all agree is exceedingly important considering what we do in our sport…that is, run around with loaded guns. And really, all of section 10.7 in the rules (it is the same in all of our rule books) is predicated on this one sentence. 10.7.2 addresses “recreational” things like alcohol and other recreational drugs, 10.7.3 addresses medically related issues, and 10.7.4 leaves the door open for drug testing should performance enhancing drugs become a problem in our sport. But let’s dig a bit deeper.
[Read more…] about Incapacitation – 10.7 and You2.1.4 and You
Questions about what 2.1.4 means, and how it’s continually abused, still come up on a weekly basis. A little more information and explanation seems to be in order.
[Read more…] about 2.1.4 and YouWhen the gun breaks, the RM must be called
If you shoot enough matches, eventually you will have a situation where your gun breaks and becomes unreliable or nonfunctional. But what to do now? Do I just get my backup gun and carry on? Do I need to notify anyone? What is the proper way to handle this per the rules?
[Read more…] about When the gun breaks, the RM must be calledUnloaded starts
We don’t see a ton of unloaded starts in USPSA matches, but when there is one, the Range Officers usually have to advise the competitors to get the firearm in the proper ready condition. And usually it is a fair number of competitors who need some guidance. So, let’s chat about unloaded starts and what that means for pistols, revolvers, and PCCs.
[Read more…] about Unloaded startsWhere’s your chamber flag?
Often, my ideas for posts come from questions asked at matches. This particular question came up at two separate matches over the last couple weeks. What happens if a PCC competitor comes to the line without a chamber flag? We are not talking about someone who had a flag in and removed it, we are talking about a competitor who uncased a PCC and came directly to the line without a flag. What is the call? Both times it was brought up, the ROs thought it would be a DQ, but is it? Let’s look at what the rules say.
[Read more…] about Where’s your chamber flag?Unpasted targets and you
What to do if unpasted targets are noticed during the course of fire is one of the things that is often misunderstood by competitors and range officers, especially at local matches. Often at local matches, the competitor stops or the RO stops the competitor and a reshoot is issued after the target or targets are taped. But, that is the wrong thing to do and often leads to a painful learning experience for a competitor at a higher level match. Let’s look at what a competitor and RO should do, and not do, when they see an unpasted target during the course of fire.
[Read more…] about Unpasted targets and you6.2 & You
Just about every sport I can think of, especially the shooting sports, breaks competitors down by Division (or something like it) based on equipment used and by Class (or something like it) based on experience/ability/demonstrated skill level, etc. USPSA and SCSA are no different.
[Read more…] about 6.2 & You