Quick Guide
A Primer for USPSA ROs New to IPSC
The following is intended as a guide for USPSA trained Range Officers working their first IPSC rules match. It is not a comprehensive analysis of all the differences between the two rule sets but is rather intended to give enough information that a competent USPSA RO, when under the supervision of an IPSC rules experienced CRO, can successfully run shooters in an IPSC rules match. (Unless otherwise indicated, all references are to IPSC rules.)
I hope this is helpful. Please do not hesitate to ask question of your CRO to clarify things as needed. Mike Carraher, L1636
USPSA and IROA RM
Before the Pre-Match
Two things to keep in mind BEFORE you suit up to work/shoot the pre-match:
References in these rules to Match Officials (e.g. "Range Officer", "Range Master" etc.), mean personnel who have been officially appointed by match organizers to actually serve in an official capacity at the match. Persons who are certified Match Officials, but who are actually participating in the match as regular competitors, have no standing or authority as Match Officials for that match. Such persons should therefore not participate in the match wearing garments bearing Match Official insignia.
The practical effect of the above is that if you are shooting, be it the pre-match or the main-match, you should NOT be wearing anything that would tend to identify you as a match official or range officer.
Save your RO shirts for the days/times you are officiating and do not wear them while competing. You
are either a competitor or an official … You cannot be both at the same instant in time.
A person acting as a Match Official is prohibited from having a holstered firearm while directly accompanying and timing a competitor during his attempt at a COF.
OK … This one is an absolute. Thall shalt not carry a gun while actively running a shooter. Before you
pick up the timer, go to a safety area and take off your gun. The belt, holster and magazine are all OK …
But you cannot have the gun on.
When the Squad comes to the Stage
You’ll probably do a quick roll call to ensure everyone is there, then inspect everyone’s equipment. IPSC is a little more hands-on in ensuring equipment is inspected at every stage that is USPSA … So much so that every shooter is supposed to have an equipment inspection sheet with them throughout the match. Their equipment should have been inspected and approved prior to their showing up at their first stage! This doesn’t always happen, but it’s supposed to.
Your job at this point is to ensure they haven’t changed anything and everything is where it belongs … Same gun in the same place, same number of mags in the same place, and distances between these and the shooter. To that end be aware of the following:
Distances from the shooter to his torso are measured differently than in USPSA. In IPSC the measurement is from the gun or magazine to the torso and is ALWAYS 50mm (1.96 inches) for all divisions. USPSA allows different distances depending on the division and measures from the gun/magazines to the outside of the belt. So, if the equipment appears USPSA legal, it may well be too far out for IPSC standards.
USPSA allows grip tape in several areas that are not allowed under IPSC Production or Production Optics rules. Under IPSC rules, grip tape is only allowed on the grip. (We used to do it that way some years ago.) If you see grip tape on (for example) the slide, notify the CRO and have him/her deal with it.
Under USPSA rules, a shooter who is found to have a cocked gun in the holster will be escorted to a safe place and directed to correct the situation. Under IPSC rules, he will be escorted to a safe area and corrected plus a warning given. Any subsequent occurrence during the match will result in a 10.6.1 disqualification.
The written stage briefing is not all that different from the USPSA version. One difference is that generally an RO will demonstrate the correct competitor ready condition. When you think about it, this is a pretty good idea as it eliminates confusion and shooters getting all too creative with what they are doing. The answer is simple: That’s NOT what was demonstrated. Though not spelled out in the rules, IPSC generally considers that freestyle starts after the beep.
Also, if not otherwise specified, the default ready condition is: Unless otherwise specified, the competitor must stand erect, facing downrange, with the handgun loaded and holstered, and arms hanging naturally by the sides (see Appendix E2). (8.2.2) Pretty straight forward.
Range Commands
Generally the same as in USPSA, except:
IPSC uses “Load and Make Ready” for everything unless the gun is to be totally empty. Then the
command is “Make Ready.”
Under USPSA rules, the course of fire ends after the command “Range is Clear.” Under IPSC rules the course of fire ends after the shooter has holstered his cleared and empty handgun (8.3.7.3.) Specifically – Once the competitor's hands are clear of the holstered handgun, the course of fire is deemed to have ended. So remember … DO NOT give the Range is Clear command until AFTER the shooter removes his hand from his holstered gun and it does not immediately fall to the ground!
There are also some items to keep in mind during the whole LAMR process under IPSC rules:
IPSC prohibits sight pictures and/or dry firing prior to the start signal. Violations incur a warning on the first offence and a procedural penalty thereafter. Electronic sights may be adjusted by pointing at the ground (NOT at the Berm!) directly in front of them, but not on a target. USPSA will allow sight pictures and dry firing within one step from the make ready location, no penalties.
People walking through stages without permission in IPSC will receive a warning for the first offence but may be subject to a 10.6 DQ for subsequent offences. USPSA is somewhat less stringent on this.
During the Course of Fire
Generally speaking, you will follow the shooter and stop him only if there is some safety issue that requires it … the same in IPSC as in USPSA. Be sure to count rounds for divisions that require it. There are a couple of things you need to be aware of, however.
The shooter is never allowed to leave the shooting area and reenter it somewhere else. The most common place you might see this in a USPSA match if there is a corner where the shooter can cut the corner. In IPSC this is not allowed. If he can step over the corner without touching the ground while out of bounds, then that’s OK. However, if he touches the ground in the process and shoots targets when
he reenters, he’s committed a shortcut. If he does this, start counting every shot he makes from that point on as it is penalized. It will not matter if he subsequently goes back at this point as all shots fired after a shortcut must be penalized. It may sound draconian, but IPSC doesn’t like shortcuts! This is just one example of a shortcut. Your experienced IPSC CRO should be able to fill you in on others.
Since the shooter cannot leave the shooting area, IPSC does not need “Out of Bounds Lines” and virtually never runs into a situation where it would be necessary to declare a “Forbidden Action.” Hence, these things do not exist in IPSC.
A reminder, everything in IPSC is Comstock. There is no Virginia Count or Fixed time. That makes some things simpler!
Scoring
Generally the same except for rounds passing wholly through hard cover and striking a scoring or penalty paper target. Under USPSA rules, if it cannot be determined which hit(s) on the scoring area of a scoring paper target or no-shoot are the result of shots fired through hard cover a reshoot MUST be ordered. Under IPSC rules, the scoring paper target or no shoot will be scored by ignoring the applicable number of highest scoring hit(s). (This is a significant difference … and can seriously impact the flow of a squad through a stage in some circumstances.)
As to penalties on no shoots: IPSC will limit NS penalties to 2 per NS target regardless of the number of actual hits. (General practice will be to limit it to one if only one hit per scoring target is required, though this is not stated in the rules.) USPSA will penalize each and every NS hit … even if you dump a full mag on the NS!
Penalties
These are generally the same, with a couple of modifications:
Significant advantage: USPSA goes into some detail (mostly in 10.2 and in the glossary) as to what constitutes “significant advantage.” Clearly, while authoritative in a USPSA match they are only interesting reading and perhaps some insight for use in an IPSC match. They are NOT binding in an IPSC match!
There are slight differences on how to apply a “Special penalty” (10.2.10.) Just be aware there is a
difference but it is up to the RM to deal with this anyway.
Shots over walls: Though not expressly addressed in USPSA rules, any shot over a wall of 5’9” minimum height (USPSA 2.2.3.3) should not count for score or penalty as the wall is considered to extend upwards and is impenetrable. Under IPSC rules (10.2.11) a procedural penalty is applied for simply firing the shot over the wall.
DQ for Accidental Discharge
Generally the same, but:
USPSA specifies a DQ as UGH for engaging a metal target at less than the specified safe distance (23 ft., 10.5.16). IPSC considers this an AD under 10.4.7. The net effect is the same, just a different rule is used to affect the DQ. (Be sure to quote the correct rule when necessary!)
IPSC still allows a “broken part” alibi under 10.4.8 in the case of an AD. See the wording in this rule for
when it applies and the procedure that MUST be followed. USPSA did away with this alibi years ago.
DQ for Unsafe Gun Handling
There is a limited exception for prematurely drawing a gun from the holster prior to LAMR under IPSC rules. If this happens, be sure to note it on the shooter’s equipment card.
5.2.2 Exception: a competitor, who is under the supervision of a Range Officer and mistakenly unholsters his firearm while awaiting the "Load And Make Ready" or "Make Ready" command will (provided that no other safety infraction or prohibited activity has been committed) incur a warning for the first occurrence, but will be subject to Rule 10.5.1 for subsequent occurrences in the same match.
USPSA will issue a DQ if the shooter attempts to clear a squib during a CoF (USPSA 10.5.20.) IPSC effectively does not allow this. The competitor must not use rods or other tools to verify or correct the malfunction. Violations will result in a zero score for the stage. (5.7.1) I’m not certain how one would clear a squib WITHOUT the use of a rod or tool … unless it was to deliberately load another round and fire it. Were a shooter in an IPSC match to attempt this I would stop him and issue a DQ for, if nothing else, criminal stupidity … but more likely rely on the 10.5 opening wording of: Examples of unsafe gun handling include, but are not limited to:
Arbitration, and Miscellaneous Matters
This will mostly be the purview of the CRO and certainly the RM and MD. Don’t lose sleep over things
here!
Remaining Items
These fall mostly in the areas of equipment by division and chronograph procedures. The equipment should be inspected BEFORE the match starts and chrono is its own little world, just as in USPSA!
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