Question about USPSA rules regarding marking course

[pcortes]

Hi everyone,

This is my first post. Hopefully I'm posting this in the correct forum.

I have found it helpful to put markers on the course during the walk-though. This way I know exactly where to stop to shoot. Up to this point, I've been using items I find on the course, like a shot shell, a rock, or a bit of wood. My question is this; is this legal? Nobody has told me not to do this, but it may be that no one has noticed, or perhaps no one is worried about me gaining an advantage, since I'm new and not very good. If this is legal, could I use a strip of bright tape instead?

So far I've only shot a couple USPSA matches, but may try IDPA or other types of matches in the future. Are other organizations rules be different regarding marking the course?

Thanks for reading.

Paul

[Sarge]

There are rules covering altering the course of fire and for cheating. Both would be a stretch especially in a level one match with a new shooter. If you were new I would not mind, UNLESS, looking for your marks made you a safety concern. i.e. not paying attention to the gun or any other number of safety concerns.

Within a few more matches you will quit looking for the marks anyway and be more focused on doing a good walkthrough and shooting your plan.

[lilbeauxdawg]

I can't find the ruling on it but i am 99.99% positive you cannot mark spots on the course for you to stop at. you did more obvious markers but even rubbing your foot on the ground to leave a line in the dirt or grass is not allowed. however being a new shooter i wouldn't mind but if you go to a big match that can get you in trouble.

lilB

[BayouSlide]

In looking for markers, aren't you misdirecting your focus: you should be focusing on targets. Seems like it would be a crutch and better to avoid from the get-go.

As far as the rules, I guess it would depend upon your interpretation of 4.5.1.

4.5.1 The competitor must not interfere with the range surface, natural

foliage, constructions, props or other range equipment (including targets,

target stands and target activators) at anytime. Violations may

incur one procedural penalty per occurrence at the discretion of the

Range Officer.

Curtis

[BR]

USPSA Rule 4.5.1?

ETA: Bayou - you're quicker on the trigger

Edited September 7, 2010 by BR

[juan]

I belive marks can be important.

just use whats already there, a big knot hole the spike holding a fault line,

a lot of things can be used for reference to show where you want to go or want to be.

[Flexmoney]

As an RO, I've never given a procedural penalty for it. I have know a few RO's that will let you get to the start position and then have you hold on while they clear the "trash" from the course of fire, or level out the range surface.

In other words, pick a visual cue point that is already built into the stage, if need be.

[ChuckS]

It is probably not a good idea to get used to leaving bread crumbs on a stage. They sometimes get moved by alert squad mates

[Outsydlooknin75]

Look for marks that are already there ....Enough shooters ahead of you will disturb an area where the majority of people are stopping. Unless you want to shoot something completely different than most the clues left by the GM's is usually a good spot to start.

[pcortes]

Thanks for all of the responses! I think y'all have convinced me that learning to use existing features as markers is the way to go --

No worries about breaking the rules (although one could argue that a marker does not qualify as "interfering").

No worries about the markers being moved, kicked, or cleaned away.

Some of you suggested that markers are not needed at all. I suspect everyone uses them, but perhaps not everyone is consciously aware that they are using them, and they may not even need a marker exactly, just a plan to stop at a specific point in the course to shoot a series of targets. They have experience and do not need to focus on every detail; it's all automatic for them. They're able to arrive at their desired spot without "looking" for it. Just like I'm able to drive to work while paying almost no attention but my teenage daughter puts so much focus into shifting that she starts to lose lane position. And yes, I'm very aware that the most important things to focus on are those related to safety, and I will be careful.

Thanks for the help!

[calishootr]

as with your daughter and the shifter, it will get better the more she gets used to it, it will become natural, as in the course of fire, you will eventually stop looking down at some place/mark/breadcrumb and find your own way around a stage, a lot of stages lend themselves to basically one way to shoot it, and within a squad,say you have a lot of people in SS in that squad, you will 'see' that one way, and everyone will fall into step so to speak, 'the baby elephant walk' as i have come to call it

[juan]

I believe the people that dont use marks. consciense or not, are the people we see that shoot a couple tgts then step back

to expose a tgt they over ran. or shoot, half step, shoot, half step.

some positions are very generous if your still in the same zip code you can shoot the tgts.

others , if your a step or two off your screwed.

I dont believe you lose any time on those precise spots. I treat them like a shooting box.

about a step out from my mark gun up and ready.