Shooter flow

[Loves2Shoot]

How about match stage flow. The killer of matches seems to be when you have a stage or two stages that take too long to run compared to the rest of the stages and causes a bottleneck.

[Jim Norman]

Shooter flow or clearence time on a stage is the big factor in planning a match. You have to look carefully at how long your biggest/longest stage will take to shoot, and to re-set.

We generally allow 4 minutes per shooter, plus 5 minutes between stages and a 5 minute walk-through x the number of shooters on the largest squad. Multiply this by the number of stages and whether you have one squad or one squad on every stage, this formula will tell you how long the match will take to shoot.

Example: 10 on a squad x 4 minutes plus 5 minutes, plus 5 minutes, + 50 minutes per stage, times 8 stages = 400 minutes divide by 60 = 6 hours and 40 minutes. first shot at 10:00 and youare not done with your last squad until 4"40 in the afternoon. Got 40 shooters or 80 shooters, same time.

Minimum number of people on a squad without dedicated RO and ARO is 7.

Shooter, RO, ARO, On-Deck and just shot, leaves you only two people to tape and set. As a rule we try to have at least 8 and no more than 12.

If you have dedicated RO and ARO, you can probably do ok with 5, but less isn't enough on a squad.

The other thing we try to do is leave a hole or two, generally behind the most complex stage and ahead of the "fastest" squad. Some groups seem to just work better than others. So leaving them a space to move into will keep the match flowing better. Having an empty stage behind the most complex stage gives the match a place to flow into while the "big" stage takes closer to the full time allotment.

We all know that a stage like "Bang & Clang" takes a lot less time to run through than a stage with two doors, 4 movers and 32+ rounds. So it is best to have a couple of open stages behind the big one.

Our monthly matches generally have 7 stages, we try to keep no more than 6 squads to accomodate the flow.

Jim

[Flexmoney]

Ditto on Jim's post.

That is pretty much how I look at it too.

Flow is important.

In a large match, with dedicated RO's, I'll look to have extra RO manpower in the trouble spots (RO manpower could mean fresh legs, more bodies, or more experienced RO's).

I like to be able to control the squadding of the shooters as well. I don't want to have a squad full of social shooters. Nor a squad full of newbies.

We also have used 4 minutes per shooter, but I think we actual turn them in 3. Gotta have some cushion. It might rain...there might be reshoots.

[Flexmoney]

Oh...I want the shooters to have had a meal sometime as well. Nothing slows a match down like tired and hungry shooters (and staff).

[Jim Norman]

Kyle,

We also turn most in 3 or less, but for palnning we find it is far better to plan long then short.

Ever notice that just when you need it to stay clear so there is light for an extra 20 minutes, the clouds roll in?

The above can allow for a break, simnply add in one fals stage to your planning, call it lunch. Everyone can roate through. Rarely get a complaint, altough watching some people eat might you may want to invoke unsportsmanlike conduct

Jim

[Flexmoney]

Kyle,

We also turn most in 3 or less, but for planning we find it is far better to plan long then short.

Absolutely.

I think some RM's want to go with 5 minutes per shooter, but that is way too long.

It might be good for us to point out that..in a ten stage match...each extra shooter that you add to a squad means you have added 30 minutes to the match (if your slowest stage is turning them in 3 minutes, if it is a 4 minute turn...that adds 40 minutes to the match for each shooter)