The BOC was wrong:
2.10 Safe Areas Safe Areas must be provided for all local and Sanctioned matches, in convenient locations and in numbers adequate to handle the volume of expected shooters. A Safe Area is defined as a designated area where the following rules apply: 2017 IDPA Rulebook 7 rev 2017.3 A. Each Safe Area must be clearly identified by visible signage, and include a table with the safe direction and boundaries clearly shown. B. Unloaded firearms may be handled at any time. This area is used for bagging or un-bagging a firearm, holstering, drawing, dry firing, or equipment adjustment. C. A Safe Area may also be used for inspections, stripping, cleaning, repairs, and maintenance of firearms, ammunition feeding devices, or related equipment. D. The muzzle of the firearm must be pointed in a safe direction. E. Handling of ammunition, loaded ammunition feeding devices, loose rounds, dummy ammunition, snap caps, simunitions, training rounds, or loaded firearms is not permitted in safe areas. F. A Safe Area may also be used, while accompanied by a SO, to render safe a firearm that has locked up and contains a live round or rounds. G. Reload practice within the Safe Area is not allowed. An empty magazine may be inserted into a firearm to test functionality or to drop the hammer on a firearm with a magazine disconnect, but reload practice is prohibited.