New Three-Position Air Rifle Rules Released
2008-2010 Rulebooks Available

By Gary Anderson, DCM

The 2008-2010 7th Edition of the National Standard Three-Position Air Rifle Rules, with changes approved by the National Three-Position Air Rifle Council, are now available in printed version or as a downloadable *.pdf file. The new rules may be accessed immediately through the CMP website at http://www.odcmp.com/3P/Rules.pdf. Printed copies of the new rulebook may be ordered from the CMP at a cost of $2.00 each.

The 2008-2010 rules are effective immediately and will remain in effect through the next two school years until September 2010. There are not a lot of major changes this time, although a Council decision to cap prices on approved sporter air rifles that may be used in competitions is potentially significant. The Council has already adopted a policy mandating that no sporter class air rifle may be used in sanctioned competition unless the Council approves that specific model. The current approved sporter list includes the AirForce Air Guns Edge, Daisy M853/753/953/853CM (pneumatic), Daisy M888/887 (CO2), Crosman M2000 (CO2), Daisy XSV40 Valiant (compressed air) and the Air Arms T200 (compressed air) that has a non-adjustable cheek-piece and butt-plate. The Council decided that if the price that junior teams and clubs must pay for any of these approved sporters rises above 525 dollars, that air rifle will lose its approval. Air rifles of that model that were purchased prior to the last price increase would continue to be legal (grandfathered), however.

Here are some new rule changes that will be of interest to coaches and instructors in three-position air rifle programs:

• Mid-Term Graduates. High school students who graduate at mid-term during the school year will continue to be eligible until 31 August after the school year ends.
   

• One Rifle Limitation. While it has always been the intent of the rules that competitors in three-position air rifle matches can only use one sporter or precision air rifle for all three positions, this intent was not explicitly stated in previous rules. It is now.
   

• Sporter Clothing. New language makes it clear that under clothing such as T-shirts must be “loose-fitting” and that “tight-fitting undergarments such as Under Armour™” or similar clothing products cannot be worn. An ordinary shirt with a pocket may be worn as one of two permitted layers of clothing, but no double layers may be on any of the normal rifle or position contact areas (elbows, shoulder, left side).
   

• Changeover Period. Match sponsors now have the option of giving precision class shooters a 10-minute changeover period between prone and standing and between standing and kneeling. If a 10-minute changeover period is used, this must be stated in the competition program.
   

• Outdoor Ranges. The use of outdoor ranges for conducting three-position air rifle matches has always been permitted, but again not explicitly stated until now. Suggested standards for wind flags for outdoor ranges are given.
   

  New ISSF Rules provide for scoring inner tens with a 11.5mm OUTWARD air pistol scoring gauge. If the outer edge of this gauge lies inside the outside edge of the seven-ring, it scores an inner ten.

• Scoring Excessive Shots. One of the most frequently asked questions coming in to the Rules Hotline concerns how to score a target where a shooter fires 11 or more record shots in a 10-shot series or 21 or more records shots in a 20-shot stage. Hopefully, the new rules will eliminate most of these questions. On 10-bull paper targets, the ten or 20 lowest value shots must be scored. This means nullifying the highest value extra shots. There is a two-point penalty for each extra shot that must be deducted from the lowest value shot(s) on the target, or first target in a 20-shot stage. If penalties take a shot down to zero, the remaining penalty points must be deducted from the next lowest value shot(s).
   

• Malfunction Procedures. The maximum time that may be allotted to a competitor to repair a malfunctioning rifle remains at 15 minutes, but there is no longer a minimum repair time for being able to shoot sighters after the rifle is repaired. If a repair requires a competitor to get out of position, he/she must be allowed to shoot sighters before resuming record shots. A shot that was fired unintentionally as a result of an allowable malfunction such as the release of the trigger when closing the action may be nullified and refired if the Range Officer concludes that the unintended shot was not the fault of the competitor.
   

• Penalties and Disqualification. The new rules strive to make the distinction between “open violations” and “concealed violations” clearer. A fundamental test concerns whether a competitor gained or tried to gain an unfair advantage. Most violations for illegal positions or illegal equipment occur because the competitor simply does not know the rules and is not seeking to gain an unfair advantage. The philosophy of the National Three-Position Air Rifle Council is that the first priority in these cases is to educate competitors regarding the rules, but not to disqualify them unless they are trying to gain an unfair advantage. If, for example, a shooter is firing in kneeling with the right foot placed at less than 45 degrees on the kneeling roll, the appropriate action is to first explain to the competitor how the foot must be positioned (a warning). Failure to correct a fault can result in a two-point penalty if a second warning must be given, but it is extremely rare to have a competitor who refuses to heed a clear, but polite warning. Any decision to disqualify a competitor must be made by at least two persons after an explanation has been given to the competitor regarding why disqualification is being considered.
   

  When the same shot that was scored with an INWARD gauge (above) is scored with an 11.5mm OUTWARD gauge, it becomes much easier to see that this shot does not score and Inner ten.

• Using Inner Tens to Break Ties. In a major change triggered by this year’s decision by the International Shooting Sport Federation to use inner tens instead of the last ten-shot series score to break ties, the National Standard Rules will also use inner tens as the first tiebreaker. If competitors are tied for score and inner tens, then the count-back by series tiebreaker will be used. An inner ten is a shot where the ten-dot is completely covered by the shot hole. Inner tens may be scored by using an INWARD 4.5mm gauge. It is also possible to use an 11.5 mm OUTWARD air pistol gauge. Indeed, the 2009 ISSF rules will require the use of the 11.5 mm OUTWARD gauge because they are easier to use and potentially more accurate.
   

• Submitting Protests to National Jury of Appeal. If a protest is filed at a match, the match director must appoint a Jury in accordance with Rule 6.3. After the Jury decision is made, a copy or report of the protest and the jury decision must be forwarded to the National Council (CMP headquarters) so that any issues regarding ambiguous rules or rule interpretation issues can be identified. If the coach or competitor who submitted the protest still disagrees with the Jury decision, the coach or competitor has a right to submit the matter to the National Jury of Appeal for a review in accordance with Rule 9.2.3. The appeal must be received at CMP headquarters within 72 hours after the competition. The new rules provide procedures for doing this including a provision that the match sponsor or match director must be notified so that the National Jury can also consider his/her viewpoint. The decision of the National Jury is final.
   

• Electronic Target Scoring. The Orion VIS scoring system was added to the approved methods of scoring paper targets in Rule 8.2.
   

• National Records. Air Force JROTC was added to the list of categories where National Records may be established.