Tournament Requirements

[ErikW]

Any match director seeking Tournament status from USPSA must meet some requirements. I have some questions about some of these requirements.

- Estimated hit factor between 2 and 12 for the stages.

The stage winning high hit factor? The newly-classified D class Revolver shooter?

- Two of the stages are potential classifier stages approved by the President or

his designated representative.

Interesting. Does anybody think Mr. Voigt or his rep will approve a complex 28-round hoser with tons of vision barriers and other props?

- All shooting is freestyle or dictated by props, except for standards.

Schweet. Except some courses can mandate strong hand, weak hand, or reloads according to 1.1.5. Then there are those pesky potential classifiers.

- Stage descriptions clearly state which targets are ONLY available from each shooting position.

Huh? What happened to freestyle?

- Courses have a realistic scenario.

Uh-oh. How can we do or claim anything remotely realistic with your average 32-round field course? There aren't even any military situations where a single person with a handgun engaged over a dozen enemies. There were some mass murders that came close but I don't think those scenarios would be appropriate.

[rhino]

- Courses have a realistic scenario.

Uh-oh. How can we do or claim anything remotely realistic with your average 32-round field course? There aren't even any military situations where a single person with a handgun engaged over a dozen enemies. There were some mass murders that came close but I don't think those scenarios would be appropriate.

I like to think of longer courses of fire as several smaller challenges rolled into one. If you break it down, you can easily be "realistic" for each 6-8 round string if you so choose, both in design/intent as well as while shooting it.

But I could be wrong.

[Singlestack]

- Courses have a realistic scenario.

I interpret "realistic scenario" to mean: I'm really gonna have fun shooting this.

But I could be wrong too.

[Flexmoney]

- All shooting is freestyle or dictated by props, except for standards.

Schweet. Except some courses can mandate strong hand, weak hand, or reloads according to 1.1.5. Then there are those pesky potential classifiers.

If you really want to get technical...

1.1.5 doesn't address USPSA in this regard. It mentions the IPSC match levels.

USPSA doesn't (by the book) have Level I thru V matches. We have "Approved, Sanctioned, and Tournament (top of p.78).

[Vince Pinto]

Flex,

I have no comment on USPSA names for local match levels, but the USPSA does indeed have matches which are Level III sanctioned by IPSC, but no single region can have a Level IV (Continental) or Level V (World Shoot) match - these can only be approved by the General Assembly.

Also "Tournament" has a specific meaning (and now it's own rulebook) under IPSC Rule 6.1.5 (and USPSA 6.1.4). Having said that, I too observe a number of oddities with Page 79 of the USPSA rulebook (e.g. "All divisions must be recognized" versus Rule 6.2.1 "at least one division").

[Flexmoney]

Vinnie...it's all in the rule-book...just as I stated.

And, yes...a USPSA match can also qualify for IPSA sanctioning as well.

[John Dunn]

I think the realistic phrase should be interpreted loosely, to include stage recreations of LOTR battle scenarios.

[Ron Ankeny]

We will be putting on a state match next summer for the first time in years. I think the best approach is to use some common sense, follow the elements of good course design, abide by the rules, and have some fun.

I love these posts where criticism is thinly disguised as "questions".

[ErikW]

John, you gave me a great idea... a LOTR themed match! Precious. Maybe a little dated, but the ROTK DVD will probably hit about the time of my match, mid-July.

One gun to rule them all!