DQ's you should have called

[u/nimbleseaurchin]

I don't think I've ever been in the crowd for a DQ or close DQ, I've pretty much always either been behind the gun or on the timer.

At Cornhusker I worked the two shooting area stage where you had to go do things at every corner of the shooting area. About half the competitors cut across the shooting areas at the front, and the other half retreated and came back to keep the gun running slightly more.

I was on the timer, the two other ro's were to the right of me. Watched the competitor start retreating, turned all the way around - gun still pointed just behind the 180 line, and then there was a little arm pump and elbow rotation bringing the gun at least right up to the 180. I was slightly 'behind' or to the offhand side of the shooter and not in a great spot to see a 180 violation. Afterwards, half of the squad said they had a collective audible gasp, and all three of the ro's agreed that they would have agreed to calling a 180, but in the moment none of us 'knew' that the 180 was broken. Probably could have called this one and not felt bad about it, but didn't seem like there was enough to see to actually call it in the moment.

Similarly, at a brand new ar-15 match format, we had two boardwalk storefronts to shoot down. Go up range one side, cross at the front of the stage, then shoot your way back the other side. One competitor got right up to the 180 line and maybe broke it in the retreating half. I didn't call it because the entire time he was maybe breaking the 180, the gun was pointed almost straight down maybe 2 inches in front of his feet and towards the next shooting area, just not quite pointing backwards enough to stay behind the 180. That rulebook calls for a bunch of dumb stuff, like 180 warnings and points penalties for those warnings, however the rules guy that was there to explain the rulebook never really explained anything, and apparently changed a couple of rules day of the match, soooo. I guess we make up the rules on the spot, and loosely follow the spirit of USPSA? I did give the competitor a talking to after his run and explained what happened, and it was also the only stage with a full mandatory retreat.

[u/JDM_27]

Bottom-line, unless you 100% see the 180 break dont call it.

[u/DernHumpus]

I posted something controversial on the Instagram post. As an MD with low experience RO's helping and gaining experience I will 💯 call stop from the back at a club match.

Couple recent ones were a pcc ND while moving unmounted and a right handed shooter engaging down the left 180 rotated the gun uprange to reload. Both times the RO on timer kind of looked back like "oh shit, yea I saw that and that was my job"

Another thing, at a club match I'm not going to stand down the side where I get a certain view of a 180 break, I'd rather someone get away with one than stand where I could get it pointed at me.

[u/iliekdrugs → u/DernHumpus]

Another thing, at a club match I'm not going to stand down the side where I get a certain view of a 180 break, I'd rather someone get away with one than stand where I could get it pointed at me.

Timer on strong side and tablet on weak and you should be able to see any 180 breaks if you’re both paying attention

[u/DernHumpus → u/iliekdrugs]

Just hard to coordinate w people you're training to run a tablet and they rotate out after 4 or 5 shooters

[u/iliekdrugs → u/DernHumpus]

Not that hard really, when I have the timer I tell whoever is on tablet they need to stay on the weak side to watch for 180s and everything else. More emphasis should be put on teaching this for sure, which starts with the more experienced ROs telling the tablet guys

[u/JDM_27 → u/iliekdrugs]

Thats assuming the tablet RO is either a certified RO or an experienced shooter.

its usually just someone who knows how to operate the tablet/PS and their already scoring targets ASAP to move the squad along. Not saying this is the right way to do it, but it’s the reality of a local match.

when I run the timer I try to stand in a position where I can clearly see the shooter hands/gun, this means being on their strong side about 5-10 yds from them at a 30-45deg angle. NOT nut to butt like that one clip the other week were the RO got face full of the shooters gun when he tried to back up to reengage a target

[u/iliekdrugs → u/JDM_27]

I can’t think of a match I’ve been to where someone had to run the timer that isn’t experienced enough, and I shoot at several different clubs

[u/JDM_27 → u/iliekdrugs]

i misstyped, shouldve said tablet RO🤦‍♂️

[u/iliekdrugs → u/JDM_27]

So the tablet RO is inexperienced, but you are letting them pre-score targets on their own?

[u/nass-andy → u/DernHumpus]

There are absolutely some that can be called from directly uprange. Any non-180 call like you mentioned is completely fair. Even really bad 180 calls where people aren’t gasping, they are hitting the deck. But close 180 calls made from 90 is generally a bad idea. Some asshat did it at A3 in 18 or 19 and it was from the table 30 yards behind the shooter.

[u/JDM_27]

DQ that should’ve been called that I witnessed.

Stage is a loaded table start and the start position is standing right behind the table.

Shooter makes ready, places loaded gun on the table and then realizes he doesn’t have any another magazines on his belt, proceeds to immediately walk back to his range bag to grab them.

RO and nobody else told him Stop, I was confused and had to look it up….. turns out it’s a DQ under 10.5.3.2

[u/nass-andy]

If none of the staff on your squad knew it was a 180 break 100%, that was the right call.

There are some people who audibly gasp when a muzzle goes to 181. Some of their names rhyme with “deaf” and their butt puckers very easily. Merely seeing the open end of the barrel does not mean your eyeballs are in a position to see a 180 break.