Being a Range Officer has a responsibility associated with it, namely enforcing the rules. Which not only requires knowledge of the rules, but also the guts to apply the rules. Applying the rules is often what some ROs struggle with so let’s discuss why that is and why we should not be afraid to apply the rules when needed.
Back when I became a RO in 2011, I really only got my certification to be a better scorekeeper (yes, this was before PractiScore when we used paper sheets and had to do math). I did not have any aspirations to even run the timer nor become a CRO. Part of that reason was I was a much more shy person and was very intimidated by all the guys at the clubs who had been playing this sport much longer than I had.
A couple weeks after I took my RO class, I was forced to hold the timer and run shooters at a Section Match. I was terrified, especially when a competitor got in my face about an unrestored target (he had shot it from two different positions and my scorekeeper had seen it happen), but after running a few shooters I realized it wasn’t as bad as I thought. But I didn’t have a ton of confidence in my rules knowledge and was still a bit shy.
Over the years while shooting club matches rules questions would come up and I silently wouldn’t agree with the calls, but didn’t feel like it was my place to correct the more experienced ROs in the club. I often would think about the calls on the drive home and would consult the rulebook to see what the correct call was. Eventually after running more shooters and becoming more familiar with my fellow club members, I would speak up if I didn’t think a call was correct and would even go grab my copy of the rulebook so we could look it up. Sometimes the call was correct, sometimes it wasn’t and we all learned something. But I was fortunate to be part of clubs that were open to discussing the rules and making sure the calls were correct. And I do credit being a RO, CRO, and RM for all these years as one of the reasons I am not a shy person anymore.
Unfortunately, there are clubs that are very negative about applying the rules properly and equitably. They will intimidate folks who speak up and almost have a bully mentality. There are also clubs who pick and choose which rules to apply because they don’t want new shooters to get disqualified or upset any of the regulars. That is all fine and good until those ignored safety violations lead to someone being shot – no I am not being dramatic! This is a sport where we run around with real guns that potentially can have fatal consequences when something goes wrong. That is why a fair portion of our rules are related to safety and preventing actions that can lead to very unsafe situations.
Yes, I don’t like disqualifying someone for handling ammo at the Safety Area but I also don’t want anyone having a loaded gun anywhere other than under RO supervision. And yes, at an Area Match years ago, someone was disqualified for loading magazines in the Safety Area because they are allowed to do that at their home club. Nor do I like to DQ folks for putting their pistol into the holster at the picnic table under the canopy with the squad standing around them because at their home club that is how they do it. Having been the RM who deals with the unhappy competitors at State, Section, Area, and National Matches these competitors are very upset about the DQ until I show them the black and white text of the rule. A light bulb then goes off that their home club did not teach them the proper rules and they usually comment on how they are going to go back home and fix that.
We get many emails sent to NROI asking rules questions. Sometimes they are to confirm calls made at the match that past weekend or just asking about uncommon things happening and how to handle them in the future. Occasionally, we have stories of calls at matches where the correct call was not made but someone questioned it and was shouted down or bullied. That is not cool. And usually in those situations the rulebook is not consulted, or sometimes it is and the correct call is still not made. And unfortunately these type of situations are a club culture situation that isn’t something NROI can really fix. It needs to be fixed by the members of the club.
So what should ROs do? First, always strive to make the correct call. If you make a mistake, fix it. If you are unsure, call the Range Master (even local matches should have someone serving in that role). Second, don’t be bullied. Yeah, that is easy to say but let the rulebook and the RM back you up. If the bullies are all on one squad, don’t shoot on that squad. If the leadership of the club are the bullies, speak with your match fess and compete elsewhere. Third, don’t be afraid to prevent penalties before they happen. If you see someone heading to the Safety Area with mags and ammo in their hands, stop them. If you see someone moving to open a gun case outside a Safety Area, speak up. A lot of the DQs that occur outside the course of fire can be prevented just with an educational warning. And remember that competitors DQ themselves, you just apply the penalty.
What should competitors do? First, don’t bully the ROs. Politely questioning a call is fine, but threatening ROs is not acceptable. Competitors are also welcome to pull up the rulebook and show the RO the rule if done politely. Second, remember you can appeal calls you disagree with to the CRO and then the RM. Use your appeal process, even at local matches. Third, we are all humans. Competitors make mistakes and so can ROs. As long as the correct call is made per the rules, even if it involves a discussion and rulebook consultation, then every one gets to compete on a level playing field.