Standard Range Commands (2.12) 1. Range Is Hot Eyes and Ears 2. Load and Make Ready 3. Are You Ready 4. If Finished Unload and Show Clear 5. If Clear, Slide Forward or Cylinder Closed 6. Pull the Trigger (Not required for revolvers) 7. Holster 8. Range is Clear IDPA Rule Summary Basic Shooter Rules Course of Fire Range Commands (2.12) 1. Finger Shooter has finger in the trigger guard when it should not be as indicated below 2. Muzzle Muzzle of the firearm is getting close to breaking a muzzle safe point/plane or pointing over a berm 3. Stop Shooter must stop actions immediately and wait for next instruction from Safety Officer 4. Cover (curtesy warning) Used to provide a warning to the shooter that they are not utilizing cover and may incur a procedural if shot is fired Safe Area (2.10) 1. Unloaded firearms may be handled at any time in this area 2. Used for bagging and un-bagging of firearms, holstering, drawing, dry-firing, or equipment adjustment 3. May also be used for inspections, stripping, cleaning, repairs and maintenance of firearms and parts 4. Handling of ammunition is not allowed in the safe area 5. Reload practice is not allowed in the safe area Finger Violation (2.6) 1. Fingers must be obviously and visibly outside the trigger guard during loading, unloading, drawing, holstering, while moving (unless engaging targets) and during malfunction clearance Assumed Rules if not designated otherwise in the course of fire: 1. All shots are to use tactical priority (3.2) 2. If cover is available it must be used (3.5) 3. Muzzle Safe zone 180 degrees unless otherwise specified (2.9.2) 4. Always load mags to division capacity unless otherwise specified 5. Always top off initial loading unless otherwise specified (except BUG, REV) (3.11) 6. Concealment garment required unless otherwise specified (3.1)
Basic premises of IDPA COVER applies only to the target being engaged and the edge you are shooting around engagement order is a Tactical Priority issue Only ONE PE per type of infraction per string of fire (with exceptions) RELOADING only in emergency or behind cover Targets are always engaged in TACTICAL PRIORITY To ENGAGE a target means to fire the required number of shots at the target (don t have to hit the target) Targets have a HEAD and a BODY. The CoF can specify whether shots are to be HEAD, BODY, or TARGET (=head+body) Target Engagement 1. Tactical Priority Engaging targets in threat priority (3.2.1) a. Near to far - Targets 2 yards or less from each other, relative to the shooter are deemed to be equal threats b. As you see them around the edge of cover 2. Tactical Sequence Each target must be engaged once prior to engaging a target a second time (even if initial shot is missed) (3.2.2) a. Tactical Sequence must be in Course of Fire description to be required If Tac Sequence is required per the CoF, a shooter cannot also be required to also shoot the targets in Tactical priority Cover A barrier/object that is used to conceal a portion of the shooter from a target being engaged (cover only applied to the target being engaged and around the edge being used) 1. Types of Cover a. Vertical Cover (3.5.3) i. 50% of upper body and 100% of lower body must be behind cover b. Low Cover (3.5.3) i. Same as vertical cover but one knee must be touching the ground c. Window or Port (3.5.4) i. Shooter may not stand in front of a window or port hole ii. Shooter must engage targets from the edge of the opening iii. Each side of a window or port can be considered separate points of cover iv. Not allowed to duck under a window or port with unengaged targets (clarification) 2. If cover is available it must be used unless the shooter is in the open and engaging in the open targets (3.5) 3. Shooter may not cross an opening if targets have not been engaged (3.5) 4. Cover extends from the center of the down 0 strait back to the cover position, up range to the stage boundary (3.5.2) Vision Barrier (6.28) Vision barriers are soft cover objects such as tents, fake trees, walls, etc., that are used to block the view of a target or group of targets. Vision barriers are soft cover and may not be impenetrable or designated as hard cover. Vision barriers may not be designated as a point of cover for engaging targets or reloading, i.e. no slicing the pie around a vision barrier. Vision barriers may be used by Match Directors to hide Surprise targets, which are to be engaged in the open (i.e. after leaving a position of cover in a CoF).
Reloads 1. Types of Reloads a. Slide Lock/Empty Cylinder (Emergency Reload) (3.4.1) i. Defined as; no live ammunition in firearm regardless of whether or not the slide locks back ii. May drop empty magazine or empty rounds (revolver) b. Loaded Chamber/Loaded Cylinder (Tactical Reload/Reload with Retention) (3.4.2) i. Defined as; the firearm contains unfired round(s) either in the chamber, or cylinder ii. Must retain unfired rounds and magazine even if magazine is empty 2. When is shooter permitted to perform a reload a. Reloads must be done behind cover (3.6.1) i. Exception: If the shooter runs the firearm empty in the open, they may initiate a reload but not engage/re-engage targets until behind cover b. Shooters may reload while on the move as long as they remain behind a contiguous piece of cover and the shooter is not exposed to unengaged targets (3.6.4) c. May not leave cover or cross an opening with an empty firearm. (3.6.4) (if it s not apparent that the gun is empty, such as with a revolver or if the slide doesn t lock back, no penalty is assessed) i. Shooter may move back if they notice the mistake without incurring a procedural d. Shooter may initiate a reload once the next point of cover has been reached (3.6.4.2) e. Shooter may perform a reload within a hallway or room (two or more sides) after all visible targets have been engaged. (3.6.4.4) 3. Shooters are not allowed to fire the firearm while holding/touching a magazine, speed loader/moon clip, or loose ammunition (3.7) Unlimited vs Limited 1. Unlimited The shooter may shoot at targets as many times as they deem necessary, as long as this does not violate other IDPA rules. (4.1.1) 2. Limited number of shots allowed is designated in the course of fire (4.2.1) a. Failure to Neutralize does not apply to limited scoring b. If extra shots are fired one of the best hits is removed from target for each extra shot
IDPA Rule Summary Disqualification, Procedurals, Scoring Disqualification Criteria 1. Dropping of a firearm within the stage boundaries regardless of whether the firearm is loaded or not (2.3) 2. Sweeping anyone including yourself with a loaded or unloaded firearm. Defined as pointing the muzzle of the firearm at any part yours or someone else s body (2.2.1) 3. Pointing muzzle beyond designated Muzzle Safe Points when used or breaking the 180-degree Muzzle Safe Plane (2.9.1) 4. A discharge: (2.2.3) a. In the holster; Striking up range of the shooter; Into the ground downrange closer to the shooter than 2 yards; Over a berm; During load and make ready; Unload and show clear; While performing a reload; During a malfunction clearance; Before the start signal; While transferring from one hand to another; 5. Handling/pulling firearm out of holster except: (2.2.4) a. With verbal instruction from an SO b. While engaging targets in a CoF under supervision of an SO c. When in a designated Safe Area 6. Pointing the firearm over the berm during unload and show clear (2.2.5) 7. Pulling a gun out of holster while facing up range (2.2.6) 8. Engaging Steel targets within 10 yards (2.15) 9. Getting a finger call twice during a match (2.6.1) 10. Handling of ammunition in the Safe Area (2.10.5) Procedural Penalties 3 second penalty 1. Not using Tactical Priority (3.2.1) a. Exception: If targets are of equal priority (2 yards or less; relative to the shooter) shooter may not be penalized for order of engagement (3.2.4.2) b. This includes shooting around cover but not shooting the first target you see as you look around the corner. This scenario is a procedural for not using tactical priority, NOT a procedural for incorrect use of cover. 2. Not using Tactical Sequence (3.2.2) a. 1 procedural per array of targets (3.2.2.2) 3. Failure to engage a target 1 PE per target (3.2.3) a. Engagement is firing the minimum required shots at a paper target or 1 shot at steel reactive targets. (3.2.3.1 and 3.2.3.2) b. Exceptions to the engagement penalty: i. Disappearing Target (3.2.4.1) ii. Running out of ammo on in the open targets when cannot reengage the targets at the next cover position or there is no next cover position. (3.6.2) 4. Firing extra shots on Limited stage (4.2.2) a. 1 procedural for each string that an extra shot(s)s was fired 5. Not retaining live ammunition or magazine (even if empty) when firearm was not empty (3.4)
a. Only applies if live ammunition/magazine is not retrieved prior to firing the last round b. Exception for clearing a malfunction (3.8.3) 6. Crossing an opening without engaging targets first (3.5) 1 Procedural 7. Crossing an opening with an empty firearm (3.6.4) 1 Procedural a. Exception: b. Shooter reloaded and firearm did not go into full battery c. Shooter was unaware that the firearm was empty (Slide did not lock back) 8. Not using cover correctly (3.5) a. 1 procedural for each cover position. b. Shooting around cover but not shooting the first target you see as you look around the corner is a procedural for not using tactical priority, NOT a procedural for incorrect use of cover. 9. Reloading and engaging/re-engaging in the open targets while still in the open (3.6.2.1) a. 1 procedural for each shot fired 10. Dislodging a loaded ammunition loading device from an ammunition carrier (any location a shooter chooses to store an ammunition loading device (3.8)) a. Exception: If occurs during a reload and shooter retrieves loading device prior to firing last round 11. Finger call Incurs 1 procedural for the first offense and a DQ for the second offense Failure to Do Right - Adds twenty (20) seconds to total score and is assessed for use of inappropriate devices and unfair actions. 1. Failing to reload and fire another round when shooter has ammunition available (3.6.5) a. Exception if the last targets are in the open targets (3.6.2) Note: The FTDR is intended to be used solely as a penalty for deliberate attempts on the part of the shooter to circumvent or violate the competition rules to gain a competitive advantage. It should not be assessed for inadvertent shooter errors, or in cases where it is obvious that the shooter gained no competitive advantage by their actions. In these cases, the shooter should be assessed a PE rather than an FTDR. All FTDRs must be approved by the MD. (5.5) Scoring rules 1. Failure to Neutralize 5 second penalty (4.13) a. No hits in the -0- or -1- zone of a target b. Reactive targets (i.e. steel popper) did not react as dictated in the CoF c. Exceptions: i. Disappearing Targets ii. Limited scoring 2. Hit on a non-threat 5 second penalty (4.14) a. For each shot that hits a non-threat even on a shoot through b. If a CoF requires 2 shots to the body, and there are 2 holes in the head, that scores -10 (plus other applicable penalties) (4.15)