Jump to content
Brian Enos's Forums... Maku mozo!

Criteria for Cancelling a Scheduled Match


Recommended Posts

I have hosted a monthly carbine match at our local club for about five years and have recently begun hosting a shotgun match. I was wondering what some of the match directors on this forum use as criteria for cancelling a match. The criteria that I have developed is based on safety, which is paramount. I will cancel a match when the conditions are dangerous, or if it is raining. If the ground is wet/slippery and there is a good possibility of a shooter slipping and/or falling with a firearm, I will cancel the match. However, I go to the range to make the determination, because occasionally it is okay when the surrounding areas aren't. Sometimes, if there is rain overnight, but the ground is in good shape, I will alter the stages so there is less or no movement.

If there is a forecast for 50% or more chance of rain, I usually cancel the night before because I have shooters that drive quite a distance. Although we are forecast to have wind gusting to 30 mph this coming Saturday, I haven't had a problem with wind before because the berms offer some protection. We stake the target holders and barricades to minimize blow overs. I have never called a match because of wind. We shoot in 30 degree weather and 100 degree weather. During the winter, we have had 20 degree temperatures while we are setting up ths stages. Some of the shooters that attend are die hards and get upset when I cancel, but I will always do it if the conditions are dangerous.

I am open to suggestions and would like to know what criteria other match directors use.

Thanks,

Gary

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was wondering what some of the match directors on this forum use as criteria for cancelling a match.

Never...ever...cancel.

Then you don't have to worry about it.

People will know you are running the match...no matter what...and then they won't be wishy-washy about making plans to show up (wondering if the match will be called or not).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think it is largely dependent upon your range surface.

At one of our ranges, the surface is 'river bottom dirt' - very slick when wet, poor drainage. Guys trucks get stuck - no fun for anyone.

We no longer hesitate to cancel a match after we've had significant rain/snow the day or so before.

At another range, the surface is mostly gravel, drains well, we don't have the same 'traction' problems - almost never cancel a match.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can tell you are not from around here :) Washington that is, if they canceled a match because it was wet, raining or rain was predicted we would only have 2 or 3 matches a year. They did cancel one a few years ago I hear it was the first time, many of the bays had something like 3' of water.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Waiting till last minute to find out if match is on or not would drive me nuts, Come up with a list of inclement weather stages, maybe a steel match, and hold the match. Make cancellation announcement several days out if need be, but once that time has passed the match should go rain or shine.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the replies. I have cancelled a match about five times in five years, or about one per year. In the DFW area, we have black clay soil, which gets pretty slick and sticky when wet. It would be great to have a better ground surface, but I don't see that happening. If the ground is just damp and not muddy, I change the stages so there is not much movement. About a year ago, one shooter slipped and fell hard. Fortunately, his finger was off of the trigger and his safety was on when he fell. I hate cancelling, but I feel that the safety of the shooters is most important. The question came up because one of the shooters asked what my policy was regarding cancellations, and I was wondering how others handle it.

Gary

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think we've ever cancelled a match due to range conditions or weather.. We've had as few as 7 or 8 ppl shooting the match when it gets really nasty.. but we've never actually cancelled a match (that I know of). Our surface is gravel, but our elevation is about 2 ft above sea level, so after or during a good rainstorm, there are large puddles up to 3" deep. I've threatend to show up in hip boots..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Safety first, cancel on account of thunderstorms - unless you like running around with a little lightning rod in your hands. :surprise:

Generally the range owners around here do not want their ranges torn up by people sliding in the mud, so we cancel for heavy rain. Plus, with our mud, the chore would be keeping cars from getting stuck. Then there is the range where the highway floods ("low water crossing") and ingress/egress is rough so they usually cancel.

Lee

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Besides the safety issue there is one of work. Know your shooters, if you build a match the way we do, were we spend 2 hours building stages before the main crowd shows up, you kinda want to know if you are going to have anyone besides your build crew be there for you being wet, cold, muddy, and miserable. If you know your shooters are unlikely to show up in that weather, whats the point?

Although I'm considering taking the "we only cancel if we think you will die" approach and just build simple dumb stages during the bad weather, its just that we plan stages days in advance and like to put decent and complex stages in out matches.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This last year we canceled a few due to rainy weather. We had two criteria: 1. the bays were just constructed and while some grass was growing it was still way to muddy if someone walked or drove in there. 2. The bay drainage was having problems so some of the bays had over a foot of water in them.

This next year we hope the turf will have sufficient growth to keep the ground firm and to suck up any small puddles that might remain after a good rain.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I canceled the Fredericksburg Match for last weekend on Thursday last week. The forecast was for over an 1" of rain, 45*, and there was supposed to be some lightning.

We typically don't cancel unless its raining AND cold. The ends of the season matches do get canceled once in a while.

I'm growing especially tired of the shooters that think that matches appear magically and that somehow they're owed a match.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We typically don't cancel unless its raining AND cold. The ends of the season matches do get canceled once in a while.

I'm growing especially tired of the shooters that think that matches appear magically and that somehow they're owed a match.

Amen brother.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Safety first, cancel on account of thunderstorms - unless you like running around with a little lightning rod in your hands.

Safety is the #1 priority. The match I manage is shot on a range that has a lot of trees which means two things: you don't want to be on the range if there is lightning and you don't want people running around with guns in their hands if the COF is covered in wet leaves. There's nothing you can do about the former and very little you can do about the latter. As a new MD, it's not a decision I want to have to make, but it comes with the territory.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another consideration is your shooters. I help with the USPSA match and run the Cowboy Action Match. The USPSA match has a younger group in better physical shape. My cowboys have a lot more health issues. We will cancel the Cowboy match for Heavy rain, Snow and Temperatures over 100 F. Part of this is the fact that the range is in the bottom of a canyon with all of the fun that that can create (117+ measured one August Shoot :surprise: ).

The USPSA match has only been canceled twice that I can remember. Both times we got a couple inches of rain the day of the match. A key that helps is that on the Club's web page and on the SASS home page, it says that the Redding Shoot is weather dependent with a reference to the heat.

Older Shooters dropping from Heat Exhaustion are no fun. We have caught it in time, but it has been close. :blink:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Besides the safety issue there is one of work. Know your shooters, if you build a match the way we do, were we spend 2 hours building stages before the main crowd shows up, you kinda want to know if you are going to have anyone besides your build crew be there for you being wet, cold, muddy, and miserable. If you know your shooters are unlikely to show up in that weather, whats the point?

Although I'm considering taking the "we only cancel if we think you will die" approach and just build simple dumb stages during the bad weather, its just that we plan stages days in advance and like to put decent and complex stages in out matches.

Vlad,

For some years I carried in "The Briefcase" a complete Rain Match. 5 Stages, almost 100% steel Bang and Clang was the classifier. If it rained, we had 30 scoresheets on special paper and some waterproof pens. We did use it a few times. I am thinking of setting up a similar match in the net-book and having it ready to upload to the Palms in place of our regular match. I remember days of 100+ and 5 below where we did not cancel. of course we were all a few years younger. Now, if it is coming down in buckets, if like this January the range in virtually inaccessible or the grounds are ice covered, I would still vote to cancel. Temperature should NOT be a factor nor should rain or snow. Wind only if it makes it impossible to build the match. Remember what we are shooing here: United States PRACTICAL Shooting Association matches, not US FAIR WEATHER, IF IT IS 70 and 45% HUMIDITY WITH A SUN INDEX OF 5 Shooting Association.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have never canceled yet in 4 years that we have been having match's. One time we set up on Sat. and a Hurricane come through as a big rain storm ( no lighting )and thought no one would show up in this. 14 people show up and wanted to shoot so we did. I think we got 2" of rain during the match.

But we have good run off and the ground is gravel. I think it depend on what type of ground conditions the range is made of.

Brent

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think its a good idea to have some simplified all steel stages ready to roll. The biggest hassle to shooting in the rain is scoring paper.

I've shot in some pretty brutal weather conditions, and I like it. We're only out there for a few hours its not like we have to live in it. I've seen some people just get totally mentally defeated before they even shoot because the weather sucks.

Edited by SinistralRifleman
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Local match was cancelled this past weekend due to ICE on the stages. It's in the upper teens (temperature wise) in the early morning and since the bays are in the shadows of large berms, hillsides and forest... melting was just not going to happen.

Welcome to March in Michigan....

HH

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...

I cancel if we have lightning, which in southern new mexico happens during the monsoon season or if have had a severly heavy rain and the bays are flooded. It is just not safe to shoot at our range during those times.

Snow.....people here just don't travel when it snows and you don't want to be driving on the local interstate...

I think i've cancelled 2-3 matches in 7 years.

rm

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...