Door position at start

[JAFO]

If a stage contains a door and the start position states: "Both hands clasping handle of door", is there a rule preventing the shooter from having the door open at the start signal?  I've never seen a WSB on a door stage that specified the door position.  It's a given that the door will be closed at the start signal, and the RO's will ensure that's the case.  But since the door is involved in the start position, but the door position isn't specified, does that make this allowable (similar to the default start position being void once modified)?

Edited May 30, 2017 by JAFO

[ChuckS]

I have seen many WSBs that stated a door must be closed. I am pretty sure that those briefings were written by people who had once not included door position and were surprised at what happened.

[mlm]

It is smart to have all the positions on the WSB before the stage is shot. If not, the GAMERS will attach it with door open hands on handle ,ect.

Mike 

[Thomas H]

Given that the door is a stage prop (like walls, ports, pressure pads, and such), I'm pretty sure that the RO can specify that the stage prop is in a certain position before the shooter assumes the start position. 

The shooter's start position depends on the position of the stage prop.  Not the other way around.  If the door starts closed, then that tells the shooter where the start position is...

[Jerome]

That was an interesting stage start. It seems like a no brainer that the door must to be closed. That is the way the stage was designed and reset by the RO before each shooter. A shooter can't go around changing the stage at the "Make Ready" command. Or can he...

[JAFO]

I think the main problem was that the RO on one squad allowed it because the door position wasn't specified.  Once one squad did it, there wasn't a way around others doing it except to toss the stage.  I honestly don't think it made much of a difference, since there were targets to be engaged outside the door from the start position.