"Shooter ready?" or "Are you ready?"

[dravz]

Simple rules question: after a shooter has made ready, what is the next given command?

I have heard both a hundred times but which command is the official wording?

[Torogi]

Are you ready?

[Rambo]

"Are you ready"

You'll hear a lot of incorrect range commands at local matches...

[de03x7]

8.3.2 “Are You Ready?” if you were playing IDPA the command is "Shooter Ready"

[Sarge]

Of all the rules questions we have here that one will go down as one of the easiest in history.

Are you ready?

It's right there in black and white in the rule book.

[Neomet]

Of all the rules questions we have here that one will go down as one of the easiest in history.

Are you ready?

It's right there in black and white in the rule book.

But wait.... is it supposed to be said ARE you ready? or Are YOU ready??

[High Lord Gomer]

Is that the one right after "Look and make sexy"?

[HoMiE]

Of all the rules questions we have here that one will go down as one of the easiest in history.

Are you ready?

It's right there in black and white in the rule book.

But wait.... is it supposed to be said ARE you ready? or Are YOU ready??

Just growl it like JDevil...

[D.Hayden]

But wait.... is it supposed to be said ARE you ready? or Are YOU ready??

Best to stress the ARE.. and say it like a pirate

[Anopsis]

I'm OCD about commands being by the book. I remember in my RO class, there was a guy who said 'show me a clear gun' instead of 'unload and show clear'. The instructor refused to budge until the student said it right. He was humiliated and really PO'ed about it afterward, grumbling that it means the same thing and is good enough.

[Graham Smith]

According to the instructor who gave my RO class and later did a CRO course, there are good reasons for standardizing the commands. It helps new shooters because they will get the same commands regardless of match and RO. And it can make a big difference if you have shooters for whom English is not their native language.

I understand that reasons and agree with them but also recognize that there are local RO's who've been doing this the same way for years. Telling them that the first command is "Make Ready" not "Load and Make Ready" and that "Do you understand the course of fire?" is not a proper command at all is unlikely to change what they say.

Same goes for "Are you ready?" vs "Is the shooter ready?" or other variations.

I have trouble with the last one because I originally learned "If you are finished, slide forward, hammer down."

[sperman]

"Are you ready"

You'll hear a lot of incorrect range commands at local matches...

Not necessarily limited to local matches.

[Supermoto]

I have trouble with the last one because I originally learned "If you are finished, slide forward, hammer down."

I said "Slide Forward" to George Jones at the RO class... he shuffled forward. Everyone was dieing laughing

[Mark R]

Hey Tony...if our ROs don't give the right command, correct them with the correct command "Oh...do you mean Are you ready?" and keep going. Maybe a good topic for John to brief during rule book review.

For others...here at Rocket City Practical Shooters of Huntsville, AL...we have a certified RO that reads and describes a rule out of the rulebook immediately after our match safety brief...for every match. It gets the new shooters familiar with the USPSA rules. Proper commands may be the next topic.

[JakeMartens]

How many threads on here about DQ's because someone pulled a gun out before "make ready" because the RO said something else

These are the ONLY approved commands, not some variation, not some "it is ok it is local"

if you have to print these on a card and give to your staff then do that, do not settle for anything less than these.

So many of the rules that we follow are based on when a course of fire starts and stops, these are the only acceptable commands

8.3 Range Communication

The approved range commands and their sequence are as follows:

8.3.1 Make Ready This command signifies the start of the Course of

Fire. Under the direct supervision of the Range Officer the competitor

must face down range, or in a safe direction as specified by the Range

Officer, fit eye and ear protection, and prepare the handgun in accordance

with the written stage briefing. The competitor must then assume

the required start position. At this point, the Range Officer will proceed.

8.3.1.1 Once the Make Ready command has been given, the competitor

must not move away from the start location prior to issuance

of the Start Signal without the prior approval, and under the

direct supervision, of the Range Officer.

8.3.2 Are You Ready? The lack of any negative response from the competitor

indicates that he fully understands the requirements of the

course of fire and is ready to proceed. If the competitor is not ready at

the Are You Ready? command, he must state Not Ready. It is suggested

that when the competitor is ready he should assume the required

start position to indicate his readiness to the Range Officer.

8.3.3 Standby This command should be followed by the start signal within

1 to 4 seconds.

8.3.4 Start Signal The signal for the competitor to begin their attempt at

the course of fire. If a competitor fails to react to a start signal, for any

reason, the Range Officer will confirm that the competitor is ready to

attempt the course of fire, and will resume the range commands from

Are You Ready?.

8.3.4.1 In the event that a competitor begins his attempt at the course of

fire prematurely (false start prior to the issuance of the start

signal) the Range Officer will, as soon as possible, stop and

restart the competitor once the course of fire has been restored.

8.3.5 Stop Any Range Officer assigned to a stage may issue this command

at any time during the course of fire. The competitor must immediately

cease firing, stop moving and wait for further instructions from

the Range Officer.

8.3.6 If You Are Finished, Unload And Show Clear If the competitor has

finished shooting, he must lower his handgun and present it for inspection

by the Range Officer with the muzzle pointed down range, magazine

removed, slide locked or held open, and chamber empty.

Revolvers must be presented with the cylinder swung out and empty.

8.3.6.1 When conducting Standard Exercises, Range Officials may

issue other interim commands on completion of the first string,

in order to prepare the competitor for the second and subsequent

strings. (e.g. Reload if required and holster). This option may

also be applied when two or more courses of fire share a common

shooting bay or area.

8.3.7 If Clear, Hammer Down, Holster After issuance of this command,

the competitor is prohibited from firing (see Rule 10.4.3). While continuing

to point the handgun safely downrange, the competitor must

perform a final safety check of the handgun as follows:

8.3.7.1 Self-loaders release the slide and pull the trigger (without

touching the hammer or decocker, if any).

8.3.7.2 Revolvers close the empty cylinder (without touching the

hammer, if any).

8.3.7.3 If the gun proves to be clear, the competitor must holster his

handgun.

8.3.7.4 If the gun does not prove to be clear, the Range Officer will

resume the commands from Rule 8.3.6 (also see Rule 10.4.3).

8.3.8 Range Is Clear This declaration signifies the end of the Course of

fire. Once the declaration is made, officials and competitors may move

forward to score, patch, reset targets etc.

Edited September 17, 2012 by JakeMartens

[mildot1]

I'll confirm, it doesn't just happen a "local matches", I think all RO's recieve a couple of cards with the proper commands on them everytime they retest.

While we are on the subject, Ro's should give the commands and no other chatter, PERIOD!

Recently I was asked after make ready if I could get a longer comp om my pistol.

The stage before the other RO exclaimed "WOW he barnied" loud enuff that the competitor heard them, yes it was a open shooter on a 8 round stage. I barney on every stage, it's part of my make ready procedure.

Just give the proper commands and let the shooter do his thing.

Mildot

PS: I'm not perfect either, screwed up a command on a three string classifier last sunday. Stopped , told the shooter to standown, apologized and asked if he was ready to go again. He said he was and I started the commands again with "make ready".

[blind bat]

Was "Shooter Ready" ever an official USPSA range command? Like back in the day when men were men and open guns had iron sights.

Edited September 18, 2012 by blind bat

[dravz]

Hey Tony...if our ROs don't give the right command, correct them with the correct command "Oh...do you mean Are you ready?" and keep going. Maybe a good topic for John to brief during rule book review.

No no, Mark, I was asking because I'm pretty sure *I* have been incorrectly saying "Shooter ready," not because someone else did.

[OUshooter]

I'll confirm, it doesn't just happen a "local matches", I think all RO's recieve a couple of cards with the proper commands on them everytime they retest.

While we are on the subject, Ro's should give the commands and no other chatter, PERIOD!

Recently I was asked after make ready if I could get a longer comp om my pistol.

The stage before the other RO exclaimed "WOW he barnied" loud enuff that the competitor heard them, yes it was a open shooter on a 8 round stage. I barney on every stage, it's part of my make ready procedure.

Just give the proper commands and let the shooter do his thing.

Mildot

PS: I'm not perfect either, screwed up a command on a three string classifier last sunday. Stopped , told the shooter to standown, apologized and asked if he was ready to go again. He said he was and I started the commands again with "make ready".

I agree that the chit chat needs to be cut out. However the rules dont allow for all the commands/instructions that I might need to give before the start signal. A few that come to mind are getting the squad to pipe down, telling the shooter to afix eyes/ears, your shoelace is untied, etc. If a shooter makes ready in response to any command other than "make ready" thats on them, no question.

[dand38s]

The one that really bothers me at a local match is "give me a nod when your ready" That is not a correct command and it really throws me off of my routine. If you try to correct them they seem to get aggravated and if I do not nod they will just stand there.

[HoMiE]

The one that really bothers me at a local match is "give me a nod when your ready" That is not a correct command and it really throws me off of my routine. If you try to correct them they seem to get aggravated and if I do not nod they will just stand there.

...followed by shooter indicates ready....

[Anopsis]

When RO-ing the 2012 Shooting Industry Masters I greeted each squad with my name and explained that I'd be using USPSA standard range commands. I appreciated the knowing nods from the shooters; I like to believe that it gave the shooters from our sport a bit of comfort since almost every stage was being run differently.

[whitedog]

I think they should be printed on the back of yer membership card. Or the r.o. card. Would be simple, and everyone would then have the correct commands. Just a thought.

[sperman]

If the RO's can't learn them from the rulebook, will printing them on a card make it any easier for them?

[whitedog]

I think so....at least its available. What if someone at a local is an r.o., but never took the class. Happens often.