is this a righteious DQ?

[Guest]

I gathered this actually happened at a level I or level II match where the MD and RM are (in my experience) often the same person, especially at a local match.

Didn't mean to confuse anybody.

[Onepocket]

Dick move on the RO part. I think some ROs get off on DQ ing people. I would like to see the video.

[Rimcrew]

Somebody needs to go back to RO school, and listen/read this time.

What if the competitor does not speak English, and has memorized the range commands? He hears blah, blah, blah, MAKE READY.

I would overturn this in a heartbeat if it came before me in arbitration.

Edited April 25, 2014 by Rimcrew

[frag316]

Dick move on the RO part. I think some ROs get off on DQ ing people. I would like to see the video.

I know one who does.

[Sarge]

That is so sad. I certainly don't enjoy DQing a shooter but I don't dread it either. It is unfortunately part of the job on rare occasions.

I think I would have to report an RO to NROI who seemed to enjoy handing out DQ's. You know if somebody gets a kick out of it he probably looks for ways to DQ a shooter instead of focusing on the job

[openclassterror]

As a shooter, if I hear an accent of any kind from the RO, I am immediately on high alert for miscommunication. I will often double check that I heard range commands correctly, as language barrier can be a problem. We have an Austrian at our local Action Pistol matches, and I swear only one out of three words is English. However in this situation, even if the shooter mis-heard, the words "make ready" were issued, while the shooter was in position to make ready. If I am the RO here, and I say a chain of words that includes "make ready", and the competitor goes for his gun, I AM THE ONE APOLOGIZING for being unclear. Yes, shooter made ready without the RO being prepared for it, but he did nothing deserving of a DQ. Honest intent to follow directions.

We had an RO say "range is getting ready to go hot", as a way of clearing tapers and brassers off the stage. He did it once when a guy was still in the shoot house and he FREAKED OUT! He couldn't see who was where, and all he heard was "Range.....Hot". The correct range command here was "CLEAR THE RANGE!". I personally called the shooter and apologized, even though I wasn't the RO on that stage, because I woulda freaked too! If the shooter is attempting to follow RO commands in good faith and there is a miscommunication, clarify and proceed. If I am CRO in this scenario, its an over-rule for sure.

[bthoefer]

This kind of stuff is the reason I turned around, made eye contact with the RO and asked if they said make ready on every stage at Area 6.

Even though I'm sure the RO said make ready, I finish visualizing the stage (which is what I'm doing while standing in the start position), then confirm the RO gave the make ready command.

[lenf]

Over the past many years I have made this "error" twice with green shooters. I looked around the range, saw all was clear, and the

first word I uttered was "OK". These newbies reached for their pistol and had it out of the holster far enough that I could have

technically DQ'ed them. I stopped the shooters and explained to them that I screwed up. I explained to them what the proper

range commands are and that "OK" was not one of them. I did not DQ either shooter.

Has anything like this been arbitrated at a "BIG" match ???

[High Lord Gomer]

Not quite the same but at the 3-gun nationals a few years ago a shooter asked the RO, "Is this where I make ready?" The RO said, "Yes". The shooter drew his pistol and the RO stopped him and issued a DQ. It was overturned and he was reinstated.

[Olivers_AR]

The words in front do not matter. He said "Make Ready" so he issued the command to start the COF.

This, RO should have avoided saying Make Ready, poor choice of words.

[remoandiris]

Over the past many years I have made this "error" twice with green shooters. I looked around the range, saw all was clear, and the

first word I uttered was "OK". These newbies reached for their pistol and had it out of the holster far enough that I could have

technically DQ'ed them. I stopped the shooters and explained to them that I screwed up. I explained to them what the proper

range commands are and that "OK" was not one of them. I did not DQ either shooter.

This scenario is NOT the same as the OP. Saying "o.k." sounds NOTHING like MR. The rulebook does NOT say the RO is permitted to utter ONLY the range commands while standing on the range.

If this happened at a range where ROs routinely use non-USPSA terms to start a COF (stoke it up, etc), that is a different.

[HoboBrasser]

Was the shooter new? Experienced shooters would more often than not ask the RO if it was make ready. There should not not any extra verbiage when making the range commands. The RO should have used a different phrase, "going hot".