Coaching

[Chuck Anderson]

Ah, fear not, for there is one simple way to fix this: Just say NO.

Wihout RO permission, there is no legal coaching.

Troy

This is actually the worst possible solution for most Level I matches. How many Level I matches use static RO's? Ours move with the squad and change during the same stage (RO has to shoot as well). So Shooter 1 is squadded with the cool RO that allows coaching and the Shooter 2 is squadded with the meanie RO that doesn't. Once again, not equitable. Or even worse, cool and meanie RO are on the same squad (ran into this a month or two back). Flex has the only good solution that I've seen. If you want to be coached you don't shoot for score. You can give the newbie a printout of where they would have finished, or whatever, but they are not receiving the same shooting challenge as everyone else. I shoot with a physically disabled shooter. He comes in dead last most matches but is frequently on the range practicing and getting better. I don't want to take his chance at a better finish because someone else was spoon fed a match.

[mactiger]

Well, my reply was intended to be a little tongue-in-cheek.

The point is that the rule allows for coaching if someone needs it. In any situation, the RO has to make the decision, and hopefully will know enough about the competitor to know whether he's a brand new shooter (in that case, coach away), or someone with some experience who no longer needs coaching, but does need to improve. In that case, (personally), I'd not allow coaching. If that person has a "coach", they can talk outside the COF on what he needs to do to improve, etc. As usual, this molehill is turning into a mountain, when I believe that everyone understands the intent and purpose of the rule.

Safety should be the range officer's first priority, and for that reason, (read: brand new shooter) coaching should be allowed. Don't forget, the RO can "coach" you in safety matters all he wants, via warnings. In all other instances, there is no need for it, IMO.

Troy

[Flexmoney]

Troy,

You and I seldom disagree on calls. And, I think we are all on the same page that some people need some help.

But, I have enough trouble keeping my Section's Match Directors and RO's following the book on the rules that are concrete. Throw in something subjective it usually gets hard to tell where the mountain and the molehill differ.

To me, it just seems so easy (and proper) to have the shooter go through for no score (while still maintaining the ability to see how they did). And, that call can be made at registration...or later on if the RO thinks it is needed (but it ought to be bumped up to the local RM/MD).

All it would take is adding the feature to EZ.

[mactiger]

I understand about keeping people working inside the rule book, and I don't disagree that this could be done in EZWS. My point of contention is that this appears to be getting blown out of proportion with wild speculation about Master level shooters "coaching" A class shooters, etc. No RO in his right mind would allow that, right? (I know, I might be stretching things a bit... )

The rule was proposed and put into place with the best intentions, I'm sure. I guess it's just one of my pet peeves that people will try to stretch things to the ultimate absurdity, that's all.

As far as I'm concerned, someone had better have a damn good reason for asking for "coaching", and I think most range officers with a little experience would, as someone said, "Just say NO."

YMMV, of course.

Troy

[HoMiE]

Besides new shooters, was the rule allowed for competition classes where the instructor run shooters through a local match as part of the class?

[mactiger]

Besides new shooters, was the rule allowed for competition classes where the instructor run shooters through a local match as part of the class?

The answer would have to be "it depends". If they are all brand new shooters, as the RO, I'd probably allow it. If they were other than brand new, the answer would be no, because their instructor would be instructing them while they weren't shooting (nobody with any experience really wants someone talking to them while they concentrate on shooting, do they?). I'd hope that they'd all be aware of the coaching rules, both the instructors and the students; I've been to a couple of classes like that, and the instructor didn't attempt to "coach" anybody while they were shooting. They analyzed your shooting after the course of fire.

Troy

[richardschennberg]

IMO it is more important to tell a new shooter that we did not coach him because it is against the rules, except in the interest of safety. I don't want anyone thinking that we were just being mean and overly competitive when we don't point out a steel still standing or that he was over a fault line.