Scoring

[Clay1]

I'm shooting more USPSA now than IDPA (still shoot both though) and need some help with the scoring in USPSA. I did a search under scoring but didn't find what I was looking for. I have read chapter 9 in the rule book but that still isn't what I am looking for. I hate to admit it and ask a dumb question, but I need to understand this stuff to do my best. I get it in IDPA: it's time based + points down which are translated into more time + penalties.

Can someone direct me to the correct spot in the rule book and it isn't chapter 9 on scoring that tells you everything but says nothing about how many points an A is worth. When I shoot matches I just try to shoot as fast as I can shoot with the best accuracy that I can muster, but something tells me if I understood the scoring better I would maximize my points better than I am now.

Let's look at CM 99-11 El Presidente. It is a 12 round course which equals 60 points so each shot equals 5 points? A miss equals -10, procedurals equal -10. Now the time and the hit factor???

If there is a thread or a section in the rule book will you just point me in the right direction and I would appreciate it. Sometimes I think that it is all coming together and then others I just miss some main points of the game. Help!

[folsoml]

Appendices B2 and B3 have the demensions of the IPSC Classic and Metric Targets. At the bottom of each diagram, there is a table of what a hit is worth in each zone for both major and minor power factors.

[XRe]

As folsoml says, the B appendices have the scoring values for paper targets. The C appendices have scoring values for steel targets. Basically, any scoring hit is worth a max of 5 points....

[Hank Ellis]

Find out whether the competitor is shooting Minor Power Factor or Major Power Factor.

A hits = 5 pts. B and C hits = 4 pts for Major, 3 pts for Minor. D hits = 2 pts for Major, 1 pt for Minor. Or as I prefer to do it, B or C is -1 for Major, -2 for Minor. D is -3 for Major, -4 for Minor.

Lets assume that Shooter 'A' doing El Prez got all 12 A's in 10.00 seconds. 12 A's X 5 pts = 60 pts. Score / Time = Hit Factor. 60 / 10.00 = 6.000 HF.

Shooter 'B' walks up and does the Prez with 8 A's, 3 C's, and 1 D in 10.00 seconds. In Major he dropped 3 points for the C hits and another 3 for the D hit. 54 pts / 10.00 = 5.400 HF

Shooter 'C' saunters up shooting Minor and shoots the exact same hits and time as shooter 'B'. Scoring Minor he drops 6 points for the C hits and 4 points for the D hit. 50 / 10.00 = 5.000 HF

Shooter 'D' ambles to the line and hits 11 A's but misses his last shot, again in 10.00 seconds. He's scored 55 pts for the hits on the paper. He gave away the 5 pts for the miss. Since he had a miss he incurred a penalty of 10 pts for the miss. 55 - 10 = 45. 45 / 10.00 = 4.500 HF.

Shooter 'E' lumbers his way to the box and is having a very bad day. He gets 8 A's, 3 C's, a miss, and he happened to step out of the box during the COF and fired two shots. In Major he dropped 3 pts for the C hits and the 5 for the miss. 60 - 8 = 52. 10 pt penalty for the miss. 52 - 10 = 42. Stepping out of the box got him a procedural penalty for each shot fired for another 20 pts. 42 - 20 = 22. 22 / 10.00 = 2.200 HF.

Shooter 'F' struts up and when the buzzer goes off he rips a perfect all A run in 7.500 seconds. 60 / 7.500 = 8.000 HF

Now lets figure stage points.

Shooter 'F' won this stage with the highest HF. He gets 100% of the stage ponts. Everyone else gets a percentage of stage points based on their HF. That is if a the high HF is 8.000 and you get a 4.000 HF then you will be awarded 50% of the stage points. A stage result may look like this.

Stage: 1    EL PREZ
Place Name                  Class  Division     Pts   Pen  Time   Hit Fact    Stg %
   1 SHOOTER F               A    Limited 10    60    0    7.50   8.0000   100.00%
   2 SHOOTER A               C    Limited 10    60    0   10.00   6.0000    75.00%
   3 SHOOTER B               U    Limited 10    54    0   10.00   5.4000    67.50%
   4 SHOOTER C               C    Limited 10    50    0   10.00   5.0000    62.50%
   5 SHOOTER D               D    Limited 10    55   10   10.00   4.5000    56.25%
   6 SHOOTER E               B    Limited 10    52   30   10.00   2.2000    27.50%

Clear as mud?

[j1b]

Just to bring a little more clarity to Hank's post. His results piece doesn't show how many actual points the shooters got. Hank described the process perfectly and if you work the examples you soon start to see the logic in the math.

So adding on to his post, shooter F has the highest hit fact - as Hank says - shooter F wins the stage. I always divide the number of stage points by the highest hit factor to get a "constant" to multiply the rest of the hit factors by and by virtue of that understand how many actual stage points I got. There is a term for that "constant" number but I don't know what it is.

Anyhow - back to the example. Shooter F wins the stage, I divide 60 points (the number of points available in the stage (note - not necessarily the number of points the shooter shot)) by his/her hit factor of 8.0. That gets me a "constant" of 7.5. I then multiply that 7.5 by my hit factor. Say I'm shooter A - I multiply my 6.00 hit factor by 7.5 and I get 45. That 45 points are the actual match points you will receive for the stage. Shooter B gets 40.5 points. So on and so forth.

I know its confusing - took me a while to get it all figured out as well. It works though, and it does strike a reasonably fair balance between accuracy and speed.

I hope I didn't confuse the issue even more . . .

J

J

[scorch]

Sometimes the word "HIT FACTOR" is Confusing the Hit factor is simply how many "POINTS PER SECOND" you shot (hits divide by Time) I wish they would change the term. All the Big Boys (GM-M) try to shoot about 90% of the Available points on a stage.

[Clay1]

Clear as mud, but I am actually getting it. Thanks for the wonderful explainations on how the scoring points work, hit factor and match points. This thread really fills in many of the questions that I had.

I think that IDPA is a lot easier to follow for newbies, but that the USPSA system is a more accurate way not only to classify but to score a total match. Thanks again, guys.

Rick

[folsoml]

Once you get used to it, it's easy...at least it was until I read Hank's explanation.

[Hank Ellis]

Results of actual matches can be found at www.lagator.org. Just click on any club at the left and follow through the individual stages and the overall results. Many other clubs post their results on the web also.

Note to moderators: The question of scoring IPSC / USPSA comes up often. Would it be possible to fine tune this post and make it a sticky? Ideally I'd love to have a hard copy stuffed in the range bag so when a new shooter asks "Hows this IPSC stuff scored?", I can hand him a copy then answer the questions.

One thing I do wish our web results would have is the calculated stage points. It would be nice to know what the round count for the stage was.