Match Safety

GSSF League Match Safety Rules

  • THESE SAFETY RULES WILL BE REVIEWED BY RANGE OFFICERS (ROs), AND THE RANGE MASTER WILL BRIEF COMPETITORS.

  • WELCOME TO THE ______________________ GSSF LEAGUE MATCH.
  • INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
  • THIS IS YOUR BRIEFING:
  • IPSC/USPSA PROCEDURES GENERALLY ARE USED.

— SAFETY —

  • “COLD RANGE”. FIREARMS MUST BE UNLOADED AT ALL TIMES.
  • IF YOU HAVE A LOADED FIREARM, LEAVE IT ALONE NOW — SEE ME AFTER THE BRIEFING.
  • “HOT” GUNS USUALLY BY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND/OR CIVILIANS WITH CONCEALED FIREARMS PERMITS.
  • UNINTENTIONAL DISCHARGE GROUNDS FOR DISQUALIFICATION AND EXPULSION FROM THE RANGES.
  • OBEY THE 4 BASIC SAFETY RULES:
  • HANDLE ALL FIREARMS AS IF THEY WERE LOADED;
  • ALWAYS KEEP THE FIREARM POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION;
  • KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNLESS SAFELY FIRING; AND
  • BE CERTAIN OF YOUR TARGET AND WHAT IS BEHIND IT.
  • EYE AND EAR PROTECTION ARE MANDATORY, FOR ALL SHOOTERS, RANGE OFFICERS, AND SPECTATORS.
  • WATCH EACH OTHER ON THIS POINT.
  • DO NOT HANDLE FIREARMS EXCEPT:
  • IN A DESIGNATED ”SAFETY ZONE”;
  • (PARKING LOT IS NOT A SAFETY ZONE); OR
  • ON THE FIRING LINE, UNDER THE DIRECT SUPERVISION OF A RANGE OFFICER

— SAFETY ZONES —

  • POINT OUT SAFETY ZONES
  • USE SAFETY ZONES FOR ALL GUN HANDLING
  • DO NOT HANDLE AMMUNITION WHILE IN A SAFETY ZONE.
  • LOAD OR UNLOAD MAGAZINES ANYWHERE EXCEPT THE SAFETY ZONES.

— “SAFE DIRECTION” —

  • EXPLAIN “180 DEGREE PLANE”.
  • TARGETS DOWNRANGE OF THE 180.
  • PEOPLE UPRANGE OF THE 180.
  • 180 VIOLATIONS INCUR DISQUALIFICATION AND EXPULSION PENALTIES.
  • “SAFE DIRECTION” ABOUT 45 DEGREES EITHER SIDE OF TARGETS, OUT AWAY FROM YOUR BODY, AND BELOW TOP OF BACKSTOP.
  • IF RO THINKS YOU ARE ABOUT TO VIOLATE 180, WILL YELL “MUZZLE DOWNRANGE”, “DOWNRANGE”, “WATCH YOUR MUZZLE”, ETC.

— THE “DON’TS” —

  • DO NOT “PLAY” WITH THE FIREARM.
  • DO NOT PUT ANY FIREARM IN YOUR BELT, OR IN A POCKET.
  • DO NOT HOLSTER A LOADED FIREARM.
  • THE ONLY TIME COMPETITOR WILL HAVE A LOADED FIREARM, IT WILL BE;
  • IN HANDS, AND
  • WILL HAVE BEEN LOADED AT THE DIRECTION OF RANGE OFFICER.
  • THERE ARE NO “SPEED RELOADS”.
  • COMPETITOR WILL BE ABLE TO LOAD ENOUGH ROUNDS TO COMPLETE EACH STRING FIRE PROVIDED COMPETITOR DOES NOT MISS TOO MUCH.

— HOLSTERS AND ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF
FIREARMS TRANSPORT ABOUT THE RANGE —

  • COME TO THE FIRING LINE WITH FIREARM UNLOADED IN MAGAZINE WELL AND CHAMBER; SLIDE LOCKED TO THE REAR, EITHER HOLSTERED OR IN ANOTHER “SAFE CARRY” MODE.
  • OTHER “SAFE CARRY” MODES ARE:
  • UNLOADED, SLIDE DOWN, AND IN A CLOSED “GLOCK BOX”.
  • UNLOADED, IN A CLOSED “GUN RUG”; SLIDE LOCKED OPEN IF “GUN RUG” LARGE ENOUGH, SLIDE DOWN, STRIKER DOWN (ALA “GLOCK BOX”) IF NOT LARGE ENOUGH.
  • UNLOADED, SLIDE OPEN, IN A CLOSED “GUN BAG”.
  • SHOULDER HOLSTERS NOT ALLOWED.
  • CROSSDRAWS ALLOWED, BUT TURN BODY WHEN DRAWING OR REHOLSTERING SO RANGE OFFICER CAN “SEE” GUNS OUT OF AND INTO HOLSTER.

— FAMILIARIZATION —

  • PROPER SIGHT ALIGNMENT.
  • PROPER TRIGGER CONTROL.
  • COMMON ERROR; FOCUSING ON TARGETS RATHER THAN FRONT SIGHT.
  • PAY ATTENTION TO TRIGGER RESET BETWEEN SHOTS.

— MATCH ADMINISTRATION —

  • COMPETITOR MAY SHOOT EACH STAGE IN ANY ORDER.
  • PUT NAME ON ALL SCORE SHEETS BEFORE GIVING THEM TO RANGE OFFICERS AT EACH STAGE.
  • RANGE OFFICERS CALL SHOOTERS TO THE LINE IN THE ORDER THAT THEY RECEIVE SCORESHEETS.
  • IF SCORESHEET COMES TO THE TOP AND COMPETITOR IS NOT PRESENT, SCORESHEET WILL BE MOVED TO THE BOTTOM OF THE STACK.

— MAGAZINES AND LOADED ROUND CAPACITY LIMITATIONS —

  • GET THROUGH MATCH WITHOUT RELOADING MAGAZINES , IF POSSIBLE
  • IF SUFFICIENT MAGAZINES NOT AVAILABLE, TELL RANGE OFFICER AT BEGINNING. THEN, EITHER;
  • RANGE OFFICER WILL PAUSE WHILE YOU RELOAD MAGAZINE(S), OR
  • IF AVAILABLE, A FRIEND OF THE COMPETITOR OR AN ASSISTANT RANGE OFFICER CAN RELOAD MAGAZINE(S) WHILE COMPETITOR SHOOTS OTHER MAGAZINES.
  • DUE TO 1994 MAGAZINE LIMITATION LEGISLATION, COMPETITOR MAY LOAD WITH A MAXIMUM OF 10 ROUNDS IN THE MAGAZINE, PLUS ONE ROUND IN THE CHAMBER, FOR MAXIMUM OF 11 ROUNDS IN THE FIREARM.
  • COMPETITOR MAY LOAD WITH FEWER THAN ELEVEN ROUNDS (RE; 10 ROUNDS ON “FIVE TO GLOCK”) IF THE COMPETITOR WISHES.
  • “PRE BAN” OR “LAW ENFORCEMENT” MAGAZINES MAY BE LOADED WITH 11 ROUNDS.
  • AFTER A STRING, DO NOT INADVERTENTLY RELOAD 12 ROUNDS..

— WHILE ON THE FIRING LINE —

  • AGAIN, “COLD” RANGE.
  • HANDLE FIREARM, AND LOAD FIREARM, ONLY AT DIRECTION OF, AND UNDER SUPERVISION OF, RANGE OFFICER.
  • FIRING LINE PROCEDURES VARY FROM ONE HOST RANGE TO ANOTHER.
  • THOSE DESCRIBED BELOW ARE USED IN IPSC/USPSA MATCHES.
  • YOU WILL BE CALLED TO THE LINE.
  • BRING EVERYTHING YOU WILL NEED.
  • RANGE OFFICER WILL ASK;
  • “DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE COURSE OF FIRE? DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?”.
  • NEXT; RANGE OFFICER WILL SAY;
  • “IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS (OR NO FURTHER QUESTIONS) LOAD AND MAKE READY”.
  • COMPETITOR MAY;
  • DRAW THE FIREARM; AND
  • TAKE A QUICK “SIGHT PICTURE; AND
  • LOAD WITH 11 ROUNDS; AND
  • ASSUME THE “START” POSITION.
  • “START” POSITION IS “LOW READY”; MUZZLE DOWN ABOUT 45 DEGREES TOWARDS GROUND, FINGER OUTSIDE TRIGGER GUARD.
  • NEXT; RANGE OFFICER WILL ASK;
  • “ARE YOU READY?”
  • IF NOT READY, COMPETITOR SHOULD LOUDLY SAY “NOT READY”.
  • IF READY, COMPETITOR SHOULD EITHER SAY “YES” OR NOD HEAD.
  • WHEN RANGE OFFICER BELIEVES COMPETITOR IS READY, RANGE OFFICER WILL SAY:
  • “STANDBY”
  • TWO TO SEVEN SECONDS AFTER “STANDBY”, START SIGNAL WILL BE GIVEN; USUALLY BY ELECTRONIC BUZZER; OR THE APPEARANCE OF THE MOVING TARGET ON THE “GLOCK MOVER”.
  • WHEN COMPETITOR IS APPARENTLY FINISHED, RANGE OFFICER WILL SAY:
  • “IF YOU ARE FINISHED, UNLOAD AND SHOW CLEAR”
  • WHILE AT ALL TIMES KEEPING THE FIREARM POINTED IN A SAFE, DOWNRANGE DIRECTION;
  • REMOVE THE MAGAZINE FROM THE FIREARM; AND
  • CLEAR THE CHAMBER BY CYCLING THE SLIDE MANUALLY; AND
  • (OPTIONAL STEP) PULL THE TRIGGER TO DOUBLY ENSURE THAT THE CHAMBER IS EMPTY; AND
  • LOCK THE SLIDE OPEN (UNLESS THE FIREARM IS TO BE INSERTED IN A “GLOCK BOX” OR “GUN RUG” THAT REQUIRES THE SLIDE TO BE FORWARD, STRIKER DOWN ON AN EMPTY CHAMBER) ; AND
  • HOLSTER THE FIREARM (OR OTHERWISE SECURE THE FIREARM BY PLACING IT IN A “GLOCK BOX”, “GUN RUG” OR “GUN BAG”, AS THE CASE MAY BE).
  • COMPETITOR MUST ALWAYS SECURE FIREARM BEFORE BENDING OVER TO PICK ANYTHING (MAGAZINES, EJECTED LIVE ROUNDS, ETC.) UP.
  • COMPETITOR MAY THEN PROCEED TO THE NEXT STAGE, OR;
  • IF COMPETITOR HAS FINISHED THE ENTIRE MATCH, COMPETITOR MAY PROCEED TO A SAFETY ZONE TO TRANSFER THE UNLOADED FIREARM INTO A SAFE TRANSPORTATION MODE FOR TRANSPORT AWAY FROM THE RANGE IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS.

— SCORING —

  • ONCE FIREARM SECURE, FOR STAGES INCLUDING CARDBOARD TARGETS, SHOOTER MAY ACCOMPANY RANGE OFFICER AND OBSERVE WHILE RANGE OFFICER SCORES THE TARGETS AND RECORDS THE SCORES.
  • COMPETITOR’S RESPONSIBILITY TO ACCOMPANY THE RANGE OFFICER WHILE TARGETS ARE SCORED. RANGE OFFICER IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR CONFIRMING THE COMPETITOR’S SCORE.
  • IF COMPETITOR AGREES WITH SCORING OF TARGETS AND THAT TIMES AND SCORES HAVE BEEN RECORDED CORRECTLY ON SCORESHEET, COMPETITOR MAY INITIAL SCORESHEET.
  • INITIALED SCORESHEETS ARE “FINAL”.
  • IF DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN COMPETITOR AND THE RANGE OFFICER AS TO THE SCORING/RECORDING OF TARGET(S), OR SCORESHEET, COMPETITOR NOT OBLIGATED TO INITIAL SCORESHEET.
  • RANGE OFFICER WILL REMOVE THE DISPUTED TARGET(S) AND SET IT/THEM, AND THE ASSOCIATED SCORESHEET, ASIDE FOR SCORING BY RANGE MASTER.
  • DISPUTED TARGET(S) WILL BE REPLACED SO THAT THE MATCH MAY PROCEED.
  • RANGE MASTER’S DETERMINATION AS TO THE SCORING OF THE DISPUTED TARGET(S) WILL BE FINAL.

— BRASS —

  • EXPENDED BRASS MAY NOT BE RECOVERED.
  • PICKING IT UP SLOWS THE MATCH, AND
  • THE BRASS IS PARTIAL COMPENSATION TO VOLUNTEER RANGE OFFICERS.
  • BE SAFE, HAVE FUN, IN THAT ORDER.
  • ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS?