Recently I received an email from a former student as to whether Extra Shots and Extra Hits applied to Fixed Time stages. Actually, his question dealt more with extra shots fired under the time limit. I think he understood any extra hits would be penalized if they were on the scoring area of the target.
A common saying that is used but is not actually totally correct is Fixed Time is just Virginia Count with a time limit. While most of the penalties that apply to Virginia Count also apply to Fixed Time they truly are two sperate and distinct scoring systems.
Virginia Count when I first started was also referred to as Limited Comstock. This was because while it was scored using the Comstock scoring system, the number of shots and subsequent hits allowed was limited. It was intended to be one of the ways to emphasize accuracy in a controlled manner. Since you were limited in the number of shots per target and could not make up shots without penalty you were forced to make every shot count.
Fixed time on the other hand was designed to test accuracy above all. In the past, almost all Fixed Time stages were standards of various types. The key was always to get the best possible hits in the limited time available. Since Misses and Failure to Shoot At penalties did not apply in Fixed Time, there was no penalty applied if you took your time to get the best hits you could within the time limit. As the old saying went, “It was better to shoot 4 solid A zone hits rather than 6 D zone hits spray and pray style.”
So, what penalties do the two scoring systems have in common and which are different?
Virginia Count: Misses, FTSA, Extra shots, Extra hits and Stacking. It is scored as total points shot minus penalties divided by the time. It is expressed as a Hit Factor.
Fixed Time: Extra Shots, Extra hits, Stacking and if you are using static targets Overtime Shots, the only 5 second penalty in the competition rulebook. Scoring is the total points shot minus penalties equals your final score. Fixed Time is not factored, the points you shot are the points you get.
So, both scoring systems limit your number of shots per target and number of hits allowed on each target. Both systems do not allow stacking unless it is specially allowed in the Written Stage Briefing. Stacking is more commonly allowed in Fixed Time stages especially in multi-string standards shot at distance.
Now over the last 3-4 years we are starting to see Fixed Time stages with movement. Of course, this has changed some of the discussion on how to score Fixed Time since many of these stages are a single string. Actually, scoring them is no different than if it is a multi-string standard exercise. As a competitor you are still limited in the number of shots per target you can fire, and you need to make sure you do not engage the same target more than once by accident. We did clarify on activated moving targets in a Fixed Time stage that failure to activate is not covered under 9.9.1 and 9.9.3 since FTSA and miss penalties do not apply in Fixed Time scoring.
Basically in Fixed Time, ROs still need to count the number of shots fired because Extra Shots and Extra Hits are applied, just like in Virginia Count. Usually if the par time is set appropriately, we see very few Extra Shots in Fixed Time because competitors don’t get all the shots off. They may engage a target or two with more shots than required by the WSB, but do not shoot more more than the total rounds for the string or stage. But occasionally we do see Extra Hit penalty when a competitor shoots at a target more than described in the WSB and a extra hit lands in the scoring zone.