Explanatory Glossary

The official who issues range commands, reads the stage briefing, watches the shooter for safety and rule compliance, and declares time, score, and penalties.

Primary authority over one course of fire and its ROs; ensures consistent rulings and settles scoring disputes at stage level.

Overall authority over everyone and everything on the range during a match; rules on disqualifications and appeals and may stop or modify a match for safety.

The participant who runs the course of fire under RO supervision.

The shooter faces downrange, prepares equipment, and loads per the stage briefing. No movement from the start position beyond preparation.

Absence of any objection from the shooter signals readiness.

Warns that the start signal will follow within 1–4 seconds. The shooter must not move before the signal.

The shooter must immediately cease firing, stop moving, remove the finger from the trigger guard, keep the muzzle downrange, and await instructions.

The shooter removes the magazine, ejects any chambered round, and presents the empty chamber and magazine well for RO inspection.

The shooter closes the action, releases the hammer/striker by pulling the trigger toward the backstop, and holsters. Long guns: action open, chamber flag inserted.

The course of fire is over; officials and competitors may move forward to score and reset.

A discretionary warning that the muzzle is approaching a safe-angle limit. The shooter must correct immediately.

A warning that the finger is inside the trigger guard during movement, reloading, or clearing a malfunction. A repeat may be escalated to a DQ.

A range where firearms stay unloaded and holstered or cased at all times, except under direct RO supervision on the line or inside a Safety Area.

A marked zone for handling unloaded firearms without RO supervision. Handling ammunition there is prohibited and is a DQ offense.

During a course of fire the muzzle must stay within the 180° arc facing the backstop — never more than 90° left or right of downrange. The arc moves with the shooter.

Stricter limits (for example vertical ones) a stage briefing may set beyond the 180°; announced before shooting and enforced identically.

Allowing the muzzle to point at any part of any person, including the shooter’s own body, during a course of fire. It is a DQ offense.

The earth bank or barrier behind the targets that safely stops bullets (“downrange” faces it).

Eye protection is mandatory for everyone on range grounds; hearing protection is mandatory forward of the spectator line.

A visible plastic safety flag inserted into an open action to show a firearm is unloaded (used on long guns).

A fresh attempt offered when a range equipment failure (falling prop, target failure) interfered with the shooter’s run.

The written and read description of a stage — its procedures, start position, and any stricter safe angles — that the RO delivers before the run.

The log where every DQ, injury, or near-miss is recorded within 24 hours and reviewed at each Board meeting.

A points penalty for failing to follow the stage briefing’s procedures — applied per occurrence or per shot as the briefing defines.

Ends the person’s participation for that day. Reported to the RM before the competitor leaves the stage.

Any unintentional shot — including during loading, reloading, or malfunction clearance — or a shot into the ground within 3 m or over the backstop. A DQ.

Dropping or losing control of a loaded firearm at any time — or an unloaded one during a run — is a DQ. Only an official may retrieve it.