Changes To The USPSA Classfication System

[Maximis228]

"Classification 101: Better Understanding the USPSA Classification System

USPSA members currently get an initial classification when 4 unique classifiers are uploaded. Uploads run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year as clubs submit their activity, but updates to the classification system run weekly on Tuesday nights.

Member classification is based on the best 6 of the most recent 8 unique classifiers on file, with a few exceptions. Those exceptions are: scores that are more than 20% above a member’s current classification range, scores that are more than 5% below a member’s current classification range, a score that is more than one class below a member’s highest classification range, and a duplicate classifier course with a higher score currently counting toward classification.

Major match finish percentages can also count as a single classifier. The requirement for level II, III, and national matches to be used a classifier is: a minimum of 50 competitors in a division with 3 Grand Masters placing 90% or greater. Major match finish percentages counting as classifiers areautomatically calculated and applied. No requests from members or match directors is necessary.

Major match finishes can also result in an upward movement in class, also known as a match bump. The requirement for level II, III, and national matches to be used for match bumps is: a minimum of 50 competitors in a division with 3 Grand Masters placing 90% or greater, and a competitor placing 5% or greater above their current classification range. Major match bumps are automatically calculated and applied. No requests from members or match directors is necessary.

The high hit factors for USPSA classifier courses of fire have been updated from time to time over the years. In reviewing the current data, it is apparent that all of the classifiers need to be reviewed, and in some cases adjusted. Some of these will go up in difficulty, while others will go down in difficulty. Each division will be reviewed for each classifier. The new high hit factors will be the best 10 records on file for each classifier in each division, throwing out only statistical anomalies. When the update process is complete, USPSA will release high hit factors to the membership via the USPSA webpage, along with an announcement to the membership.

Hopefully this makes the classification system a little easier to decode, and clears up any misconceptions about the process.

Mike Foley, USPSA President"

 

Source, FB -

 

[tyler2you]

Should be interesting to see what happens with the HHFs.  I assume he means the average of the 10 best records on file will be used to calculate the new HHFs.

[Maximis228]

4 minutes ago, tyler2you said:

Should be interesting to see what happens with the HHFs.  I assume he means the average of the 10 best records on file will be used to calculate the new HHFs.

 

That is how I took it as well. Minus any outliers.

 

[Nathanb]

Curious what the metric is for the outliers. That should be interesting. 

[MemphisMechanic]

Well, if Max Michel, Ben Stoeger, and Dave Sevigny all shot a certain Production classifier at 9.7-9.8 HF on different days in different states over the years...

 

...and then someone else shot an 11.7 HF on it one time when an RO missed the fact that the timer didn't pick up his final shot...

 

I'd expect them to run with 9.8ish as the true 100% benchmark.

Edited July 6, 2017 by MemphisMechanic

[Nathanb]

I'd agree but what if there are three that are a full point higher. Are they outliers. Or are they just fast?  What's the threshold for an outlier. There has to be a metric and a standard set. Are they calculating a standard deviation to determine outliers or any other quantifiable method?

[JusticeOfToren]

This is probably very bad news for the M shooters trying to make GM. 

 

How many GMs can really shoot 95% in nationals? Very few. 

 

I consider the new HHF system very much like the "nationals of classifiers"... All the best scores are used to set the HHF, across the world and across all the top shooters.  The scary thing is that the national champions don't usually win all the stages in the nationals, which implies we will see drastically high HHF when the pool is big enough.

 

We can expect 90% of the classifiers will have much higher HHF after the adjustments.  Take El Prez for example.  People bragging about 10HF El Prez making 100% in production, but watch Stoeger doing 13-14 HF El Prez runs.  The new HHF for El Prez will be much higher for production, more in the range of 12-13. 

 

On the other hand, winning level 2/3 and nationals can give you GM title (given 3 GMs scoring 90%+), but we all know how hard that is... by a glace this looks very much like the IDPA match bump system, but in reality it's very much different.

 

 

[Maximis228]

7 minutes ago, JusticeOfToren said:

How many GMs can really shoot 95% in nationals? Very few. 

 

 

 

 

All GM's above this line will now be refereed to as Wizards.

 

[B_RAD]

How can a M get a match bump by placing 5% better than their classification?  Seems like you'd have to win. I guess that rule really only works for A class and lower?

[CodyAxon]

The way I read it is if you win a match which fits the other criteria for a match bump, you will automatically be bumped to GM.

[GorillaTactical]

14 minutes ago, B_RAD said:

How can a M get a match bump by placing 5% better than their classification?  Seems like you'd have to win. I guess that rule really only works for A class and lower?

 

That's how I read this.  M has to shoot 100% in order to get a bump via match result alone.

 

37 minutes ago, JusticeOfToren said:

This is probably very bad news for the M shooters trying to make GM. 

 

If this is how it ultimately shakes out, that HHFs actually go up opposed to go down or stay the same as an average, then it's not just "bad news" for M's trying to up their classification...what we're basically saying is that the skill threshold is being lifted for all shooters.  I'd be shocked though, if the shift in HHF is as severe as going from 10 to say 12. A 15-20% shift in the skill ceiling on a classifier is bonkers...that would be a complete rework of the system and what each classification represents IMHO.  I don't know that that is necessarily a bad thing...just an observation.

Edited July 6, 2017 by GorillaTactical

[jester121]

25 minutes ago, GorillaTactical said:

 

That's how I read this.  M has to shoot 100% in order to get a bump via match result alone.

 

 

And at the same time, must have 3+ GMs in the division place 90% or greater while losing to the M class guy. Basically -- Nope.....

 

About the only way that happens is some hotshot who's already racing his way up the ranks , and isn't far from getting the GM card shooting classifiers anyhow.

 

[JusticeOfToren]

1 hour ago, GorillaTactical said:

If this is how it ultimately shakes out, that HHFs actually go up opposed to go down or stay the same as an average, then it's not just "bad news" for M's trying to up their classification...what we're basically saying is that the skill threshold is being lifted for all shooters.  I'd be shocked though, if the shift in HHF is as severe as going from 10 to say 12. A 15-20% shift in the skill ceiling on a classifier is bonkers...that would be a complete rework of the system and what each classification represents IMHO.  I don't know that that is necessarily a bad thing...just an observation.

 

The way I look at this is the new HHF will be the "classifier nationals" of data collected across 10 years across the country.  Most of these scores won't be repeatable, even by the top shooters.  I am sure most of the HHF will go up instead of down, for the simple reason that sport has been evolving, more training methodologies/knowledge have been made available and more talented shooters have been participating, just like how world records for 100-meter sprint or marathon have been progressing. 

 

A true "evolving scale" would just be making the normalized distribution curve of the each given classifier based on the scores across all shooters in the 2-year window.   A percentile based on this curve, instead of only looking at the best scores, is more accurate to reflect the % standing.

[tyler2you]

Well, hopefully the HHF will come down for a few of the unachievable ones like Double Deal 2 (13-07).  I haven't seen a GM shoot a GM score on that one yet.  KC had what looked like a solid run on it last weekend and hit 88%.

[Nik Habicht]

I'd guess that if you're a Master, win Nats in your division, and there are three GMs scoring 90% or better, you just might earn a G card that way.....

 

I'd think making it on classifiers might be easier....

[motosapiens]

16 hours ago, JusticeOfToren said:

A true "evolving scale" would just be making the normalized distribution curve of the each given classifier based on the scores across all shooters in the 2-year window.   A percentile based on this curve, instead of only looking at the best scores, is more accurate to reflect the % standing.

 

I think you are on the right track. Unfortunately, most people are not just bad at math, but truly ignorant of mathematical concepts in general.

Edited July 7, 2017 by motosapiens

[Chills1994]

Quote

....

Each division will be reviewed for each classifier. The new high hit factors will be the best 10 records on file for each classifier in each division throwing out only statistical anomalies. When the update process is complete, USPSA will release high hit factors to the membership via the USPSA webpage, along with an announcement to the membersh

 

Ho

 

Lee

 

Chit!

 

Am I being trolled?

 

Because I feel like I am being trolled?

 

You mean to tell me all my bitching over the years about the classifier system has finally paid off.

 

Mike Foley, you"re my hero!

 

Edited July 7, 2017 by Chills1994
to add the gif

[lcs]

12 hours ago, Nik Habicht said:

I'd guess that if you're a Master, win Nats in your division, and there are three GMs scoring 90% or better, you just might earn a G card that way.....

 

I'd think making it on classifiers might be easier....

 

 

I always 'thought" that was how the rule was applied.  Same with winning at any classification level, you could get bumped.

[lcs]

What we really need is NEW classifiers!

[JusticeOfToren]

I'd guess that if you're a Master, win Nats in your division, and there are three GMs scoring 90% or better, you just might earn a G card that way.....
 
I'd think making it on classifiers might be easier....

If winning nationals is the only way to become GM, we would have 30 instead of 300 GMs. I actually like that, that's how IPSC works, kinda like that.

What I do think will happen when HHF gets jacked up by 150% is that winning area/nats may be eaiser than shooting HHF classifiers. I hope the HHF updates won't become that.

[3gunDQ]

I won A class open at A6 and got a whopping 76% score. Three shooters total in open A got a shity classifier score out of the match, but I did earn a plaque for winning. What I took away was...classifiers mean jackshit. I wouldn't trade this $20 A Class A6 open champion plaque for 6 hundos and a GM card. Winning is earned, classes are gamed.... few GMs rip 95% on the reg. 

[jester121]

2 hours ago, Chills1994 said:

You mean to tell me all my bitching over the years about the classifier system has finally paid off.

 

Mike Foley, you"re my hero!

 

 

To be fair, nothing's happened yet. There's been plenty of talk over the past years about fixing the classifiers, publishing the HHF, etc. And that's all we have from El Prez Foley so far -- talk (as far as HHFs are concerned).

 

Having said that, I have a lot more faith in his talk than anyone else's in recent memory, and he does have a track record of some accomplishments in his tenure so far.

[MikeFoley]

Hey guys.  I see reference to this being a new system above.  It isn't.  I'm just doing what no one has done for several years and updating the HHF.  It used to be done every few years, but this and other tasks have been largely ignored in recent years.  I wish this were the worst of them, but it isn't.  

Edited July 9, 2017 by MikeFoley

[GrumpyOne]

1 hour ago, MikeFoley said:

Hey guys.  I say reference to this being a new system above.  It isn't.  I'm just doing what no one has done for several years and updating the HHF.  It used to be done every few years, but this and other tasks have been largely ignored in recent years.  I wish this were the worst of them, but it isn't.  

Thanks Mike! We do appreciate all that you are doing (and trying to do!)

[Asianjedi]

So I was bored and went through the Top 20 list for GMs, Ms, and As in Carry Optics for El Prez 99-11.

Here is what I came up with:
10.2594

9.0176

8.5131

8.4126

8.4108

8.3731

8.2467

8.0023

7.8516

7.9895

 

The average is 8.5076. The current HHF is 10.75.
So, in theory, does this mean the HHF for El Prez could go down significantly based on this rationale?