One of the rarer calls that is made at major matches is that of Interference, or Assistance, or more commonly called as “Coaching”, as defined in 8.6. For Level 1 matches, we have 8.6.2.1 which allows for coaching for competitors with Range Officer approval. But what constitutes each of these? Which ones can be penalized? Who gets the penalty, if any? Let’s dive in.
Let’s tackle Assistance/Coaching first. There are two forms: Voluntary and Involuntary. Voluntary Assistance is pretty simple, especially with the 8.6.2.1 exception. Simply put, someone assists or “coaches” a competitor through the stage helping them understand everything from what to do for what range commands, which targets to engage in what order, when to reload (other than when you run dry) and so on. Generally this is reserved for new competitors and usually only done for the first match, often only for the first stage or two. While our sport can be complex, just to shoot it and have fun is relatively simple and the concepts are easy to grasp. Start with the basic stage plan of be safe, see target, shoot target, and build from there.
Some of the complexity starts to creep in when we get to the “who does the coaching” part of things. Typically, most seasoned ROs will only allow a single coach down range and/or will offer to do the coaching themselves. Every time we add another person down range we are increasing the possibility and complexity of interesting events. Because we always have a primary focus on safety, keeping the crowd manageable is absolutely required.
I once had a junior shooter come to the line with a retinue of three adults. Level 1 match, not at my home club but a club I shot at semi-frequently back when gas was cheap. Mom, Dad, and their Coach. Mom wanted to video (large handheld tape type video recorder because it was that long ago), Dad was along for whatever reason and the “coach” was there to coach. Against my better judgement I allowed it. About three targets in, the gun jammed. Dad walked IN FRONT of the loaded handgun to assist, being swept multiple times as the junior was trying to get the gun cleared and waving it back and forth in the process. Since that time, I limit the coach to a single person and the videographers stay back with all the other videographers behind the rearmost RO (this is my rule for videographers when I am the CRO on a stage and has been for more than a decade).
All these extra people down range are also potential interference problems…see below.
Note that voluntary assistance/coaching like this is only allowed at Level 1 (or Tier 1 for SCSA) matches.
Involuntary Assistance is more incidental in nature and generally done at a distance. The common example I use in classes is someone shouting “you left that popper up” when a popper is hit and it doesn’t go down. This could extend to yelling “call for calibration on that one” and all manner of other things even “you are hitting low left” as a shooter struggles to engage that mini-popper out at 35 yards with iron sights. It even extends to having someone hand them additional loaded magazines when they run dry.
Plain and simple: The stage is the competitor’s problem to solve and no one gets to help once the buzzer goes off.
So how to apply the penalties, if necessary. As I explain this in class, if someone assists then they just earned themselves a procedural (assuming they are a competitor in the match). If the competitor benefits from this then they also earn a procedural.
Thus, in the earlier example of shouting “you left a popper standing”; the person that yelled gets a procedural (assuming you can identify the individual) and if the shooter reacts and goes back and picks it up then they benefitted and also get a procedural. But if they do not react, no harm, no foul. We don’t know that maybe their plan was to pick up that popper later at another location to save a standing reload or just to take their lumps rather than spend the time and mess with the reload sequence.
What if the person providing the coaching isn’t a competitor? Well, then a discussion with them about the rules and how they could have (or did) cost the competitor a penalty is in order. Don’t be brutal about it; just explain the rules. Often family members and those less familiar with the sport don’t know they cannot do that. The fact that many local matches tolerate this sort of thing just makes it more prevalent at majors. It’s not legal at the local level either, except as provided by 8.6.2.1.
Interference runs a fairly broad spectrum from an RO getting in the shooter’s way during movement, staff picking up discarded magazines thus making them no longer available for a competitor to retreat and utilize if they need to, to external influences like aircraft (including drones) buzzing the range at a low altitude unexpectedly to the porta potties getting serviced mid-squad with all the noise and odor.
Per the rule, if a shooter has been interfered with, the RO asks if they wish to reshoot and the shooter must give a definitive answer before the time is announced and the targets are scored.
Typically, if I think I or one of my staff has obstructed a competitor’s movement I ask when they are finished with “I’m sorry, did I obstruct you? Do you wish a reshoot for interference?” or similar. My experience has been that most folks do not take the reshoot.
So what is obstruction? Do you have to make physical contact? Obstruction can be as simple as being in their way when they are trying to move forcing them to change direction, slow down, or even halt while you get out of the way. This tends to happen later into a match when the ROs get used to the shooters all using the same movement pattern and then this one guy has to do it differently and catches us unaware. No, you do not have to make physical contact.
Okay, so what if the obstructing/interfering person is their videographer or coach or whatever? Well, they are still interfered with. Ask if they felt interfered with and if they want a reshoot as per above. The rules do not make a distinction between interference by match staff and “others”.
Can this be unsportsmanlike and earn someone a 10.6 DQ? Yes! Chasing ROs around the stage trying to run into them is likely going to get you sent home. Arranging to have someone close at hand to get in your way and gain you a reshoot would also be an unsportsmanlike act.