What constitutes REF? The rule book describes it as:
4.6.1 Range equipment must present the challenge fairly and equitably to all competitors. Range equipment failure includes the displacement of cardboard targets, the premature activation of metal or moving targets, the failure to reset moving targets or steel targets, the malfunction of mechanically or electrically operated equipment, and the failure of props such as openings, ports, and barriers.
So, the wind blows down a popper, or it’s not reset. The swinger doesn’t trip when the popper falls, or it activates due to the wind or being poorly reset, or the target flies off the swinger because the sticks are shot. All of these are obviously range equipment failure. But what do you, the RO, do when it happens? And what happens when something fails but it doesn’t affect the competitor’s attempt at the course of fire? Not everything requires a reshoot.
Per 4.6.2: A competitor who is unable to complete a course of fire due to range equipment failure, or if a metal or moving target was not reset prior to his attempt at a course of fire, must be required to reshoot the course of fireafter corrective actions have been taken.
I’ve heard of range officials telling competitors to “just fling a shot at the popper if it falls early” or words to that effect. This is obviously not the right thing to do–this requires a reshoot as do all of the other examples listed, plus a few that might not be. Improper or no activation of a target, poppers blowing down, targets falling off all require a reshoot because that competitor didn’t have the same challenge as the rest. Competitive equity at it’s simplest.
But, what happens if a rope, pulled by the competitor, comes off the prop after it successfully activates it? Is this REF? In this situation, the rope is unattached after activation which, as stated, does not affect the movement of the activated target or anything else relative to target presentation, therefore no reshoot is warranted. Some competitors may argue that the rope coming loose “threw them off”, but it’s still not an automatic reshoot due to REF. Being affected by the rope might come under the “external influence” clause of 8.6.4. Note that this is an optional reshoot (the only one in the book), will probably be at the discretion of the range officials, and must be requested before the competitor hears their time or sees target scores.
Note also that 4.6.1 and 4.6.2 are separate rules. One describes what range equipment failure is, the other describes what to do if it happens. If the competitor’s ability to shoot the same stage as every other competitor is not affected, then the reshoot is not required.