Rearrangement Of Range Equipment Or Surface

[Flexmoney]

(4.4.1) The competitor may not rearrange the ground or range equipment prior to the start of a course of fire.

Just looking for some clarity on this.

Does this mean the shooter can't "mark a sweet spot"? Say...by digging a mark with their heel?

[Vince Pinto]

Flex,

I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "marking a sweet spot". What would be the purpose of doing so? Please clarify.

While on this subject, I can advise that the Rules Committee is recommending that this rule be revised to read:

Proposed 4.4.1 The competitor must not rearrange the ground or interfere with natural foliage, constructions, props or other range equipment (including targets, target stands and target activators) at anytime. Violations will incur one procedural penalty per occurrence.

[Dowter]

That's how I always interpreted it.

It's tempting sometime to drag one's shoe in the dirt marking where the best place to plant one's foot in a course of fire... but alas it is illegal.

I've asked if I could place a post-it note on the course of fire saying "reload now", but that was especially frowned on.

[EricW]

I think Flex means marking a spot where the most targets can be engaged without movement - such as when vision barriers aren't restrictive enough (either by accident or design) and the time "penalty" for the movement they were supposed to force can be avoided.

Correct?

If marking the ground is allowed with your foot, pretty soon guys will be showing up with marking paint and sprinkler flags. Not a good trend...

[Ron Ankeny]

We shot an El Pres at our match yesterday and there was a round stone in the box. I was the first shooter and normally I would have just kicked it out of the way. However, there were 5 brand spanking new range officers (we took a class last week) in attendance so I asked the RO to remove the stone, lol.

[Flexmoney]

sweet spot = a good place to shoot from

I have been guilty of marking a spot in the past. (I used to find a piece of range litter that often fit the purpose...moving it to my "spot".)

[Duane Thomas]

Yeah, I've done it, too. I had no idea it was illegal. Now I know.

[Flexmoney]

Vince,

That brings up my next question (which you have already spoke to).

Currently, there is no penalty attached to the rule, correct?

[Ron Ankeny]

ROTFLMAO. Two things come to mind. First, why have a rule if there is no penalty? Second, if someone wilfully breaks a rule when they know it is illegal, but they do so because there is no penalty, would that be gaming or unsportsmanlike conduct?

[vluc]

Now my notes from my RO class for 4.4 show it does not equal setting feet, and 4.4.1 notes refelct that I cannot move rocks out of the box.

I've seen many a shooter "Set" their feet (not as an RO) where stones get "re-arranged"

[Vince Pinto]

OK guys, I hope this answers all questions:

1) No, at present the penalty is not specifically stated. However everybody knows that the penalty is a slow, painful death by being locked inside a 3-day old Porta-Potty with a Celine Dion album playing at full blast. I think we've been far more kinder and gentler changing this to one procedural.

In fact the whole issue of unspecified penalties was one of the primary objectives of the current Rules Committee, and I think we plugged all the holes.

2) Yes, marking what Flex calls a "sweet spot" would qualify as "rearranging the ground" although the primary thrust of the rule is to make it illegal to, say, pull weeds, remove rocks, fill in a dip in the ground and so on. In other words, changing the range surface to give yourself an advantage.

As you can see with the draft revised rule, we extend it to cover messing about with foliage and interfering with targets or their activators. If you want to see a swinger speed, you must ask the RO to activate it for you. This is because we feel it's not a great idea to have competitors practice their Kung-Fu on defenceless poppers (especially the little fellas).

3) Reasonable "setting of feet" is a case-by-case call for the RO. If you try to create dirt starting blocks, I doubt any RO would approve and you'd get spanked. However a little shuffle or wiggle to settle your feet is probably OK.

My best advice in all cases is to ask the RO before you get into deep doo-doo. If your request is denied, and you feel you're being disadvantaged, nicely ask to see the CRO or RM.

[Shooter Grrl]

sweet spot = a good place to shoot from

I have been guilty of marking a spot in the past. (I used to find a piece of range litter that often fit the purpose...moving it to my "spot".)

Flex, I used to do this, but don't anymore and not cause it's illegal, but cause my coach smacked me upside the head and wanted to know why I was looking down instead of getting ready to shoot

He then suggested using visual clues at eye level to mark the "sweet spot" - made perfect sense to me - so that's what I do now instead of tap dancing to a mark on the ground!

[Flexmoney]

Having your head down looking for the "spot" when you should be "seeing" the targets deserves a "reminder tap".

Any B-class shooter should know that. (Congrats again on moving up!)

[Vince Pinto]

Kath,

I don't care what the USPSA computer says .......... you've always been "A Class" to me, kiddo!

[Shooter Grrl]

Awwww

Tanks, My Friend Vinny - you've made my day!

[B.J. Norris]

(OK, new RO speaking here.......) In class, Jay told a story of The Jet taking big clots out of the dirt in the start box to get a better launch. He looked and said "Ummmm, Jethro you can't do that...." I'd much rather use a eye-level aid so, A I can keep track of where my gun is. And B, I can find the targets faster. However, I do like the idea of Post-It note .....