Squad Starting Without You

[Jon Merricks]

This was a Section Match.

My squad was running ahead of schedule and had just shot a stage early. We walked to the next stage and had discussed shooting the next stage early but one of the members was not there. We had about 1.5 hours before we were supposed to start that stage. So I walk down to where lunch was being served and start pigging out and shooting the breeze with my brother. Well before I was done eating I hear my name was yelled out by some staff saying my squad had started without me and I needed to get up to stage x. When I get up there they had already done the walk through and had already ran some shooters. I talked to one of my friends and he had told the CRO that I wasn’t there and that he did not agree with start early. The CRO starts calling the shooting order. My friend was one of the first few up. He refused to shoot saying that all the shooters were not present and nobody should shoot. One person on the squad said that I could run it with another squad or by myself if I wanted to. Well I tried to get ready and get somewhat of a look at the stage.

I was called up last to shoot. I told the CRO I needed to see the swingers. (Was a swinger with two targets and covered up with no shoots) He asked if I got to see them while the others where shooting. I told him yes but he needed to set the stage up and activate the swingers so I could see them from the position that I would be shooting from. He did as I asked.

I shot the stage and was pretty close to my ability. During the run he yelled muzzle at me because I guess he thought I was close to the 180 but did not stop me.

I did not sign my score sheet when finished because I wanted a little time to think about what had just happened. After thinking about my run I went ahead and signed my score sheet.

He had been somewhat of an ass to my friend before I had got there I was told. I thought maybe I should make a big deal of the way things had gone and maybe ask for a reshoot. I had already ZEROED a stage so it wasn’t to help my standings but just because I could.

This was my only my 3rd section match so I really don’t know the way things go at big matches. Should I have done something different? What you any of you have done?

[TDean]

Interesting....not uncommon though, I'm sure.

I can think of squads I've been in where I could easily see them starting without me, on the other hand, I've had the priviledge of being in squads where that just would not have happened! Someone would've found me!

I would've shot the stage (not allowing the pissed-off'd-ness to ruin my concentration) and chalked it up to a shitty squad.

[Vince Pinto]

Jon,

Rule 6.6.1 requires you to be present and ready to shoot each stage at the scheduled time and date.

However a long-established IPSC protocol is that if a squad is early for a stage, you can shoot ahead of time provided the CRO is willing to run you through early and that all members of the squad are present for the briefing and walkthrough.

Section 3.1 of the rules is also relevant here. If the CRO refuses to give you the same briefing and allow you to conduct a walkthrough as that afforded to all other competitors, then he's being unfair and putting you at a disadvantage.

Anyway, as it seems the CRO (reluctantly) complied with your request to demonstrate the swingers, no harm no foul, but I understand your aggravation.

[BDH]

However a long-established IPSC protocol is that if a squad is early for a stage, you can shoot ahead of time provided the CRO is willing to run you through early and that all members of the squad are present for the briefing and walkthrough.

This is exactly how USPSA runs the Nationals as well. If most of the squad is early, and only one person missing, we wait until the official start time. However, we do go off at the appointed start time with or without the appointed person (which is a different problem).

[Patrick Sweeney]

Working matches as a writer, I've had lots of squads start without me. but I always make sure it's kosher with the stage CRO, and that he knows I'm going to be gone. And I always both ask for a walkthorugh, and accept any errors I make because I've screwed it up and not seen the rest of the squad shoot.

As for early arrival at a stage, every squad I've been on discusses it beforehand and agrees to either stay and shoot early, or split and come back at the scheduled time.

[dminor]

The CRO should have never started the stage without everyone being there. There is simply no excuse for treating shooters that way. As Brian said earlier, start only if an entire squad is there and has ask you if they can shoot at this time. It is too bad that this had to happen.