1.2Types of Courses

General Courses of Fire

Short Courses – Require 1 to 12 rounds to complete. Course design and construction must not require more than 8 scoring hits from any single location or view, nor allow a competitor to shoot all targets in the course of fire from any single location or view if the course requires more than 8 scoring hits.

Medium Courses – Require 13 to 20 rounds to complete. Course design and construction must not require more than 8 scoring hits from any single location or view, nor allow a competitor to shoot all targets in the course of fire from any single location or view.

Long Courses – Must not require less than 21 rounds to complete for all match levels. In Level III or higher matches must not require more than 32 rounds to complete. At any level match, course design and construction must not require more than 8 scoring hits from any single location or view, nor allow a competitor to shoot all targets in the course of fire from any single location or view.

See the glossary, Appendix A3, for the definition of location and view.

Special Courses of Fire

Standard Exercises – Courses of fire consisting of two or more separately timed component strings. Scores, with any penalties deducted, are accumulated on completion of the course of fire to produce the final stage results. Standard Exercises must only be scored using Virginia Count or Fixed Time. The course of fire for each component string may require a specific shooting position, procedure and/or one or more mandatory reloads. Standard Exercises must not require more than 24 rounds to complete. Component strings must not require more than 6 rounds (12 rounds if a mandatory reload is specified). Strings must be shot in numerical order unless otherwise stated in the Written Stage Briefing.

Classifiers – Courses of fire published by USPSA, which are available to competitors seeking a National classification. Classifiers must be set-up in accordance with these rules and be conducted strictly in accordance with the notes and diagrams accompanying them. Results must be submitted to the publishing entity in the format required (with the applicable fees, if any), in order to be recognized.

Speed Shoot – Courses of fire consisting of one continuous string of fire not exceeding 16 rounds shot on one or more arrays of multiple targets from a single location. The Written Stage Briefing may specify engaging arrays of targets without violating rule (1.1.5), as long as the competitor is allowed to engage said arrays in any order, and individual target engagement is not specified. No more than eight rounds may be required without a mandatory reload and no more than one mandatory reload may be required in the course of fire. Stage may be scored either Comstock, Fixed Time, or Virginia Count. See Rule 9.2.3.2.

1.2.2.3.1 Level II and higher matches are allowed no more than one of these courses of fire per every five stages. The total points available in these courses of fire shall not exceed 20% of the total points available in any match.

Supplementary Courses of Fire

Shoot-Off – Must not require more than nine rounds to complete and must require one mandatory reload.