The information on this page is specific to ISSF Pistol events conducted to ISSF sanctioned competition rule; e.g. AISL AusCups, Oceania and ISSF World Cups.

There are differences between some of our (PA) procedures and those at ‘international’ competitions

Shoe flex testing (includes ISSF Pistol)

Shooters and volunteers at the 2011 World Cup, Sydney will be aware that there is a new flex testing ‘machine’ for testing footwear (pic to right).

The ISSF has released an ‘interpretation’: in typical ISSF website ‘design(?)’ it is almost to provide a direct link to the ISSF’s document so here is a link that works.

Background (Rifle):

For some time the ISSF has been looking at some way to remove the ‘penguin walk’ of Finalists as they come on to the FoP for 10m and 50m 3P Finals: while part of the problem comes from the rifle clothing, much of it is due to the type of boots worn by the rifle shooters.

Background (Pistol):

Formerly, the only restriction on footwear for the Pistol events relates to the height at the ankle (8.4.5.2). However, it is noticeable that some) pistol shooters (including some in the AISL squad* have shoes that comply with 8.4.5.2, BUT are so stiff in the sole that the can not walk normally!

*My comment is that the shooters (and coaches) concerned have only themselves to blame!

Solution (all ISSF disciplines):

While the rifle clothing is being dealt with separately, the footwear for all disciplines is subject to various restrictions (6.4.2.1.1) and the ISSF has approved a footwear flexibility device. The footwear is clamped to the machine and the hinged plate (red arrow on the left in the picture) is raised using a torque wrench: the plate must reach a given angle before the torque limit is reached.

This is in force at all ISSF sanctioned competitions after 1^st May 2011 and will be applicable at AISL AusCups!

Minor changes to ISSF clothing regulations

The ISSF has released an updated advice (v 3) on clothing requirements at ISSF-sanctioned competitions. The changes are minor:

· (item 2) “national tracksuits” changed to “national training suits”

· (item 7) added “Sporting colors should be national uniform colors. If national colors are not worn, non-sporting colors that should be avoided are camouflage, plaids, khaki, olive or brown”

· (item 8) added “(no changing on the firing points or in the ranges)”

Note that other then the requirement for no ‘camo’, these ISSF clothing regulations are not enforced at PA competitions, but competitors should be neat and tidy.

MQS / Quota places for 2012 London

The ISSF has released the MQS* and Quota Place** information applying tp 2012, London Olympics:

· complete document

· MQS summary;

o 25m Pistol Women = 555

o 10m Air Pistol Women = 365

o 50m Pistol Men = 540

o 25m Rapid Fire Pistol Men = 560

o 10m Air Pistol Men = 563

*MQS can be achieved at any ISSF-sanctioned championships

**Quota places can only be won at ISSF-sanctioned championships (Oceania, World Cups)

ISSF Rule Changes:

· *The ISSF has released YET ANOTHER (the ninth!) updated version (21/04/2011) replacing the update (12/04/2011) which in turn replaced the earlier update (1/01/2011) which in turn replaced the earlier update (20/12/2010) of the Finals Rules:

1. click here

· The ISSF has released yet another (21/04/2011) new Errata to the 2009/1^st printing – these are an available download

· The changes/additions apply immediately at all ISSF sanctioned competitions such as World Championships, World Cups, Oceania

· They are applicable at AISL competitions such as AusCups and the AISL International

The bits that directly affect ISSF pistol

While most of the changes/additions in the 2009/2^nd printing relate to areas other than section 8 (pistol), there are a number of changes/additions that directly affect the conduct of ISSF Pistol events.

Pistol shooters, team managers and coaches need to note:

· Malfunctions:

8.7 MALFUNCTIONS now includes ‘Only one (1) malfunction (either allowable or non allowable) is permitted except when stipulated in a specific event’.

1. Note that 8.7 is not specific to 25m pistol; i.e. under the current rules it is equally applicable to 10m and 50m pistol. This comes into play in relation to 6.12 and particularly 6.12.1, 6.14.6.3, and 6.16.6.4.

2. Many Judges (myself included) had previously interpreted the old ‘8.8.4.5.3 All 25 m Pistol Events

An ALLOWABLE MALFUNCTION may be claimed:

8.8.4.5.3.1 once in each 30 shot stage of the 25 m Rapid Fire Pistol, 25 m

Pistol and 25 m Center Fire Pistol events;

as allowing a completion/reshoot for the first claimed Allowable malfunction, irrespective of any previous claimed malfunctions that were determined to be non-allowable.

This old interpretation is specifically no longer applicable at ISSF sanctioned competitions (for PA application, refer here)

3. Unclear in 8.7 is whether ‘Only one (1) malfunction…’ relates to claimed malfunctions, or to any malfunction, claimed or otherwise. As there is no equivalent rule in Section 7 (Rifle) I assume that it only relates to claimed malfunctions: i.e. if a shooter has a malfunction (allowable or non-allowable) and remedies the situation without claiming a malfunction then 8.7 does not apply

· Finals:

· Presentation of Finalists now AFTER the sighters

· For W25m Finals there is an additional sighter series between the Presentation and the commencement of the Finals

· For RFP Finals (video can be viewed)

1. The qualification score is not included in the Finals

2. 6 shooters on three groups of targets (2 per group of five targets)

3. Targets are scored as hit/miss: hit is 9.7 or better

4. Shooters fire one at a time with the hit/miss score for the series called before the next shooter fires

5. After four series, the shooter with the lowest number of hits is eliminated

6. After the next series the remaining shooter with the lowest number of hits is eliminated

7. After the next series the remaining shooter with the lowest number of hits is eliminated

8. After the next series the remaining shooter (3^rd) with the lowest number of hits is eliminated

9. The eighth series resolves 1^st and 2^nd.

plus:

a. 1 x hit penalty for late reporting

b. Unfired shot/s = 1 x hit penalty per unfired shot

c. Overtime shot/s = 1 x hit penalty per overtime shot

d. NAM = 2 x hits penalty

e. Arm over 45 = 2 x hits penalty

Number of shots /paper target – 50m

AUS shooters need to note that for ISSF/IPC sanctioned 50m Pistol events on paper targets there are five (5) shots per competition target. This varies from the usual procedure in AUS where ten (10) shots per competition target is the norm.

For an ISSF or IPC sanctioned competition, firing 10 shots on your first competition target will incur a six (6) points penalty!

Clothing and other dress requirements

At ISSF and IPC sanctioned competitions, the IOC Eligibility rules apply! All clothing must comply with ISSF Eligibility and Sponsorship Rules regarding the display of manufacturer and sponsor marks.

Specifically:

· These rules apply on-range to training (in any form), competition and ceremonies,

· The rules require shooters to wear their start/bib number during any training (in any form) and/or competition on the ranges. If you are not clearly wearing (IPC, displaying) your issued start/bib number, the range personnel are completely within the rules to deny you permission to uncase a firearm on the range.

· It is the responsibility of the competitor to appear on the ranges dressed in a manner appropriate to a public event: ISSF Rule 6.4.2.1.
No athlete will be permitted to participate in a qualification or final round competition while wearing inappropriate or prohibited clothing.

· Changing clothing must be done in designated areas and not on the field of play.

· During award or other ceremonies, athletes are required to be dressed in their official national uniform or national tracksuits (tops and bottoms of training or warmup uniforms including sport shoes). For teams, all members of the team must wear the same national uniforms: Rule 6.17.5.5.

· Pistol competitors must comply with Pistol Clothing Regulations described in Rule 8.4.5 and elsewhere.

· Headwear must comply with: Front and/or back only for country, national federation emblem, ISSF emblem or emblem of an ISSF competition organizer

Advertising

At ISSF and IPC sanctioned competitions, the IOC Eligibility rules apply! This includes strict limits on the number and size of advertising in any form!

· In the past, EC and range Juries have assisted shooters by ‘masking’ any non-compliant advertising – it is now the shooter’s responsibility…

· Handtowels ARE subject to the eligibility rules.
I have had enough of issuing ‘friendly’ requests/warnings that are blatantly ignored by some shooters – to the serial offenders, expect to get an official warning during competition!

Accreditation

· It is the shooter’s responsibility to prominently wear their accreditation.

· FoP accreditation only give you access to the applicable FoP – it does not allow you access to any FoP unless you are there as a competitor for that particular event/stage.

· FoP accreditation it does not allow you access to any other FoP for shortcuts, spectating, whatever.

Too many shots loaded/fired

· There have been a number of situations where a shooter has loaded five rounds for a refire to complete a malfunction series (for the Standard Pistol and Rapid Fire Pistol events, the shooter loads and fires five shots for the refire of the series; for all other 25M malfunction refires the shooter completes the series):

o If the shooter fires too many shots, 8.6.6.1.1, and 8.6.6.1.1.1 (and 8.6.6.1.1.3 for a sighting series) apply and there is a two points penalty for each additional shot fired

o there is no requirement for the Range Officer to inform the shooter of the number of rounds to be loaded for the refire series

o If the shooter asks how many rounds to load, the Range Officer tells the shooter.

· 8.6.4.2.3.1 (loading more than five rounds) does not automatically apply unless the shooter has loaded more than five rounds at any given time – e.g.:

a shooter has AM, three shots fired then loads five rounds for the re-fire – the shooter has not infringed 8.6.4.2.3.1

· 8.6.4.2.3.1 only applies if the shooter loads more than five rounds for a series – e.g.:

loads six (or more) rounds in the magazine or cylinder
loads five shots in the magazine and one in the chamber,

· 8.6.4.2.3.1 does not apply if a shooter replaces a round – e.g.:

150-seconds series of Standard Pistol; the shooter has a malfunction, ejects the faulty round, loads the magazine with a replacement round and continues,
A 5-minute Precision series; the shooter has a malfunction, ejects the faulty round, loads the magazine with a replacement round and continues.

ISSF Rule changes for PA competitions

Since the initial changes to the Finals for 2011 was issued (dated 20/12/2010) there have been further changes;

o V1.2, 07/01/2011,

o V1.3, 11/01/2011,

o V1.4, 21/01/2011

o V1.5, 26/01/2011

o V1.6, 21/02/2011

o V1.7, 24/02/2011

o V1.8, 21/94/2011

o V1.9, 24/04/2011

At the 2011 PA AGM we adopted the new rules with the exception of RFP Finals which will stay as the 20-shot format used for the 2010.

Changes to the ISSF rules – 2011

There a numerous changes/errata to the ISSF rules for 2011 – fortunately, with the exception of RFP Finals most of these do not noticeably affect ISSF pistol.

There is ongoing ‘tinkering’ with the finer details, but a quick run-down is available

Rapid Fire Pistol Finals

ßThese changes will NOT be introduced for PA competitions until after the Adelaide Nationalsß

The biggest changes for 2011 are to RFP Finals. The format for RFP Finals changes dramatically:

· Still six Finalists, but they shoot the Final with two shooters on each group of five targets – one to the left an one to the right at the firing line

· The shooters fire one at a time (5-shot series in 4-seconds timing)

· The ‘scoring’ zone is 124mm (≥9.7), hit or zero

· The qualification round score is not carried through to the Final

· All Finalists fire four series – after these 20 shots the lowest scorer drops out, leaving five

· Another series – after these 5 shots the lowest remaining scorer drops out, leaving four

· Another series – after these 5 shots the lowest remaining scorer drops out, leaving three (the medal winnwers)

· Another series – after these 5 shots the lowest remaining scorer (3^rd placing) drops out, leaving two

· Another series – deciding 1^st and 2^nd placings

· The penalties in RFP Finals are severe: for:

1. unfired shots (1 x hit per): not much going for only 3 or 4 good shots in the 4-seconds,

2. overtime shots (1 x hit per shot):ditto,

3. a non-allowable malfunction (2 x hits),

4. arm over 45° (2 x hits), and

5. late reporting, 1 x hit

ßThese changes will NOT be introduced for PA competitions until after the Adelaide Nationalsß

Latest ISSF Rulebook – download

· While this is the 2009/2^nd printing, it does not contain the ‘errata – 11 Jan 2011’ required to give the latest (?) version

· For our Judges who are also involved in ISSF rifle, there is a new interpretation for Rifle clothing, effective now

· Rules for Finals (v7) – 24 feb 2011: though I think there are still further ‘tinkerings’ yet to be included

ISSF Judge Licence renewals

If your current ISSF license expired at the end of last year (2010):

· ASAP! Complete the renewal form and submit them to AISL

· Along with the form, include two passport photos

ISSF/IPC Pistol events in the PA Context

Whose rules rule?

At PA competitions the rules hierarchy is:

· All competitions are governed by the PA Constitution, then

· The PA GTRs

· The event rules, subject to any applicable ‘Australian Conditions’

PA – Australian Conditions – ISSF

· The ‘ISSF clothing interpretation’ is not applied at PA competitions – but note that ‘6.4.2.1 …Clothing made of camouflage material is prohibited’ was adopted for PA competitions at the 2009 AGM/Executive meeting.

· The new “8.7 MALFUNCTIONS Only one (1) malfunction (either allowable or non allowable) is permitted except when stipulated in a specific event” means exactly what it states: at ISSF sanctioned competitions only one (claimed) malfunction (either allowable or non allowable) is allowed.

This is considered overly onerous for the average PA member and the existing (prior to 2009/2) procedure will continue to be applied at PA competitions, i.e.:

· If a shooter claims a malfunction that is determined as a non-allowable, there will be no completion/reshoot, but this will not be counted towards the shooters count of malfunctions

· For the first allowable malfunction, the shooter will be allowed a completion/reshoot, once in the stage (150secs, 20/10 secs, or 30 shots of other 25m)

Malfunctions in a sighting series will not be counted towards the shooters count of malfunctions

· 6.2.2.8 It is the shooter’s responsibility that any air or Co2 cylinder has been certified as safe and is still within the validity date.

All pistol compressed air cylinders, and CO2 cylinders fall outside the Australian regulations for inspection of pressure vessels (i.e. less that the minimum100 Mpa.L – this is volume x pressure) and at this time nobody seems to know how to arrange an inspection or what it would cost for an air pistol reservoir. This is one of those things that will be resolved in the fullness of time.

· 6.3.8.4 …The use of a board as a firing line is not permitted.

For PA clubs it is recommended that new construction/refurbishment of ranges incorporate this rule.

50m Pistol on ranges without Pit-marking, Automatic targets or EST

Range configuration

Shooting distances and horizontal variation as per ISSF rules

25/50m ISSF Precision Targets as approved by the NRC

Sighting targets are marked with a diagonal stripe as per ISSF rules

Two targets are provided per firing point

The targets are placed with the competition target above the sighting target

Competition procedures

Ten (10) minutes Preparation Time as per RO Guide

Six series of ten (10) competition shots with range command as per RO Guide

· The first series is 30 minutes, including unlimited number of sighting shots

· Each subsequent series is 18 minutes, including unlimited number of sighting shots

Sighting shots in each series must be fired before any competition shots in that series

Too many shots on a target

Any additional shots (including shots not hitting the competition target) over the 10 shots per series will be transferred to the next competition target – there is no penalty for the first two (2) such occurrences as per ISSF 6.11.7.2.1 – for the third and all succeeding such misplaced shots he must be penalized by a deduction of two (2) points for each one in the event from the series in which the occurrence happens. He must also fire a fewer number of shots at the remaining targets so that the number of shots does not exceed that provided for in the program.

IPC-Shooting: Pistol

For various reasons, the Paralympics shooting events now come under the direct administration of the International Paralympics Committee (IPC)

· IPC Shooting has it own website at http://www.ipc-shooting.org

· 2010/03 IPC Shooting Rules can be downloaded

The IPC events conducted by PA are:

· P1 Mens Air Pistol 60 shots as for ISSF 60-shots Air Pistol

· P2 Womens Air Pistol 40 shots as for ISSF 40-shots Air Pistol

· P3 Mixed Sport Pistol 60 shots as for ISSF 25m Womens Pistol

· P4 Free Pistol 60 shots as for ISSF 50m Pistol

There is also:

· P5 Mixed Air Pistol Standard 40 shots as for ISSF 10 m Air Pistol Standard Event (8.20.4)

Shooters for the IPC Shooting pistol events must be ‘Classification’ SH1 (Pistol and Rifle competitors that do not require a shooting stand)

Wondering about the changes to the drawing in 8.4.1.6 (Measuring the Weight of the Trigger Pull)?

In the A5-sized printings, the additional bits to this drawing are not comprehensible – the additional two bits at the bottom of the drawing are hard to understand…

1. The additional bit is meant to show an ISSF approved adaption to 8.4.1.6.1 Note: A weight with a metal or rubber knife-edge or a round configuration with rubber must be used.

2. The approved optional adaption is a sliding part to the part that is in contact with the trigger, where the trigger can be checked with either the metal knife edge or the rubber knife edge (although shown as a round knife edge) on the same test weight without changing the weight of the test weight (a typical example of finding a solution to a non-existent problem?)

3. The existing PA approved knife edge weights are more than acceptable

25m – Too many shots loaded/fired