This Question of the Month was based on a story I heard from a local match. There are some rules that don’t get applied very often, and when the situation arises where they should be used, they often are not applied or misapplied. Let’s look more closely at the rules that govern weak hand only shooting.
The stage is a 8 round short course, 4 USPSA targets, weak hand only, Comstock scoring. The competitor shot the entire stage weak handed, and had his strong hand on the wall while engaging the 2 targets on the left with 6 rounds total.
What is your call as the RO?
Before I delve into what the correct answer is, let’s talk a little about the history of our sport. Our sport was created as a way for normal citizens to practice defensive shooting skills. And one skill the creators wanted to test was shooting one handed, as in while defending yourself, one hand was injured and becomes incapacitated/unusable. Which means this hand could no longer be used to support the firearm or support the competitor during the stage. That is why we allow stage designers to specify strong hand only (SHO) or weak hand only (WHO) shooting. And, we have penalties that apply specifically for certain things during SHO and WHO. These penalties are outlined in rule 10.2.8 and the three subrules.
10.2.8 If a course of fire stipulates shooting strong or weak hand only, a competitor will not be penalized for using the other hand (i.e. the other arm from the shoulder to the hand) to disengage an external safety, to reload or to correct a malfunction. However, the competitor will be issued one procedural penalty per shot fired while:
10.2.8.1 Touching the handgun with the other hand, or using the wrong hand, while firing shots;
10.2.8.2 Using the other hand to support the handgun, wrist or shooting arm while firing shots;
10.2.8.3 Using the other hand on a barricade or another prop to increase stability while firing shots.
When we read 10.2.8 we learn that during SHO or WHO shooting, both hands can be used to disengage a safety, reload, or correct a malfunction and that is purely for safety reasons. However, during WHO or SHO shooting, competitors cannot touch the handgun with the incapacitated hand, use the wrong hand, use the incapacitated hand to support the handgun or arm holding the handgun, and cannot use the incapacitated hand on a barricade or prop to increase stability. All of these actions will be penalized with a per shot procedural penalty.
10.2.8.3 is the rule that applies to this Question of the Month. The competitor placed his incapacitated hand on the wall while shooting the two targets on the left with 6 rounds. Based on the Facebook comments and the poll results, many folks said that there is no penalty because the wall is part of the shooting area. When the stage is freestyle shooting, that is true. But since the stage is a WHO stage, touching the wall with the incapacitated hand is a penalty. It doesn’t matter that the wall is part of the shooting area. And some of you were asking if stabilization was gained. Even light pressure on the wall provides stabilization while taking that tight shot around that wall.
Okay, we have determined it will be a procedural per shot per 10.2.8.3. But is it 4 or 6 penalties? The competitor fired 6 shots at 2 targets with 4 total scoring hits. Those of you who answered 6 penalties are the winners this month! The rule that restricts the maximum number of penalties to the number of scoring hits (10.2.3) only applies to foot faults (10.2.1) and failing to follow the stage procedure (10.2.2).
So the moral of the story this month, remember when the stage requires strong-hand or weak-hand shooting rule 10.2.8 outlines what is allowed and not allowed. And remember that the other hand is deemed incapacitated and can only be used to disengage safeties, reload, or clear malfunctions. Other than those three specific things, using the incapacitated hand for any kind of support will be penalized.
Remember to vote in the current Question of the Month poll!