Competition Objective
The objective of the US National SWAT Championships (USNSC) is to use live-fire SWAT scenarios and relays to test individual and team skills. The competition events are designed to provide a fair and equal opportunity for teams to demonstrate their abilities in three areas: team organization, weapons skills and fitness while negotiating courses of fire in a safe manner.

Eligibility Rules
The USNSC is an open law enforcement competition. This means any law enforcement agency a tactical team (federal, state, local), whose members all have powers of arrest in its jurisdiction, is eligible to participate and may register to compete. It also includes DOE and government security elements and military police units. The following types of agencies are not permitted to compete:

•  Multi-jurisdictional Teams - teams of officers from more than one jurisdiction who are not designated as a tactical response type team, i.e., SWAT, SRT, ERT, etc.
•  Civilian security contractors (other than DOE units), bodyguard companies, etc.
•  Teams of professional marksmen, sporting clubs, etc.
•  Regular military units: infantry, Special Forces, Seal Teams, etc.

Teams violating this rule will be disqualified. USNSC decisions on eligibility are final.

Teams must meet the following requirements:

• Have a minimum of six (6) and a maximum of ten (10) officers
• All competing members must be sworn law enforcement officers as defined above

• Designate a Team Captain as a single point of contact (POC) for the team

Competition Stages, Individual Equipment and Special Gear
The competition will normally be eight, live-fire stages conducted team-vs-team. Competitors will be authorized one round per assigned target in most stages. All stages will be run in full tactical gear: ballistic helmet, III or III-A armored vest (plates not required) worn on the outside, pistol belt or web-gear with pistol, holster, extra magazine pouch, extra magazine, eye and ear protection, tactical BDU style uniform and tactical boots.

Stages may be run simultaneously or one at a time. Teams will draw the start order and opponents for all stages at the Team Reception. Teams are not allowed on ranges before the competition begins. Teams violating this rule will be assessed a +30 second penalty for each range they visit for that stage. USNSC judgments in this penalty are final.

A familiarization-training period will be held the day prior to the start of competition to allow teams to familiarize with provided equipment required for specific stages (air purifying respirators (gas masks), chemical agents, special gear, ladders, shields, litters, medical gear, rams, special systems and/or unique weapons, etc.). Familiarization training is mandatory and a schedule will be published and provided teams at registration.

Weapons and Ammunition
Teams are responsible for providing their own weapons and ammunition. Teams must use duty weapons for competition. This means the weapons authorized for carry and use on duty by their department. Race guns, special competition weapons and weapons modified for competition only are not permitted. Teams must submit the type and caliber of the weapons they will use when registering. Further they must permit weapon (and equipment) inspections as requested before weapons can be used in competition. The final decision on weapons (and equipment) resides with USNSC officials. Teams with questions concerning their weapons or ammunition should consult with USNSC officials before the competition to avoid problems.
 
The USNSC will require use of the following weapons: pistol, shotgun, carbine/sub-gun and sniper rifle. The team sniper weapon must be: .223 or larger, but .50 caliber weapons are not permitted. Competitors may not reconfigure any firearm during the course of an event. (i.e., change caliber, barrel length, sighting system, or stock style).

Each officer must have a pistol and carbine/sub-gun and the team must have a minimum of two 12-gauge shotguns. Automatic shotguns are permitted. No bi-pods are permitted on carbines or sub-guns.

Optics will be allowed on carbines and sub-guns, which may be equipped with no more than (1) one optic per-weapon. Iron sights are always allowed.

Ammunition Teams must provide their own ammunition, including frangible. USNSC will identify ammunition requirements to teams before the competition by providing the type and number of rounds required per event/stage. Frangible ammunition may be required for some events/stages, if so those using frangible will be identified to the teams. In some cases, USNSC may provide optional frangible ammunition for stages. Teams may still use their own approved frangible ammunition. In such cases these stages will be identified to teams with the manufacturer, type, caliber and grain of the ammunition to be used. However, if teams choose to use USNSC provided ammunition they assume the risks associated with that ammunition and alibis for malfunctions will not be accepted. No tracer, incendiary, armor piercing or steel core ammunition is allowed. Teams using unauthorized ammunition will be disqualified.
Team Equipment
USNSC will provide any special team equipment required for a stage (gas masks, flash-bangs, rams, shields, ladders, litters, medical devices, etc.). Unless specifically authorized electronic sights, range finders, radios, carry/drag ropes, litters and other types of equipment are not allowed. Teams planning on using special equipment/gear not provided by USNSC for a stage should check with USNSC Competition Marshall for permission prior to using any gear/equipment in competition. Teams using unauthorized equipment/gear (including weapons) will be disqualified.

Glossary of Terms
Appeal - An appeal is a request for a review of a team/individual performance to determine if the run was fair and/or scored properly.

Bonus – time subtracted from a Course Time awarded for hitting an optional target

Chief Range Officer (CRO) – The officer in charge of a USNSC Stage and Range

Competition Marshal – Top USNSC official for competition

Course Time – elapsed time from the event start command until the last team member crosses the finish line with all individual and team gear in the finish box.

Did Not Finish (DNF) – failure of an individual to complete a stage he/she starts for any reason (injury, quit, etc.). DNF penalty is +60 seconds and loss of all assigned targets. Teams may carry incapacitated officers through the course if they so desire so that they finish, but cannot shoot his/her assigned targets. In such a case the team would not incur a DNF penalty (+60 seconds), but still lose the officer’s targets, even those that he shot previous to retiring.

Event/Stage – Course of fire that is part of the competition

Gross Safety Violation (GSV) - inexcusable unsafe act of three types:

• Negligent Discharge (ND). The discharge/firing of a weapon in an unsafe manner or unintentionally in which a projectile (bullet) leaves the firearm or the discharge of a weapon when not participating in an event.
• The willful disobeying safety rules and/or instructions range/safety personnel. 
• Dropping a loaded weapon during a stage

Individuals who commit a GSV are disqualified from both the event where the infraction occurs and the remainder of the competition. Individual disqualification is accompanied by a 2-minute penalty and loss of all targets (penalized 15 seconds per assigned target).
However, another team member can replace a team member disqualified for a GSV for

the remaining stages.

Hit – knocking down, exploding, marking or spinning a designated target with a fired round

Hold Box – A box location in which team members must stay until course officials determine it is safe to advance. Team members who are not in, do not stay in, or leave the Hold Box early/before released may incur a plus (+) 30-second penalty. Hold Boxes are usually associated with events that have multiple firing line/tasks with interlocking fields of fire. They are used to ensure safety during a course of fire.

Minor Safety Violation (MSV) – Serious violation of safety procedures such as:

• Moving with a loaded weapon in an unauthorized area
• Loading a weapon before reaching a designated firing point
• The dropping of a unloaded firearm during the course of an event

Individuals who commit a MSV are disqualified from only the event where the infraction occurs and not the remainder of the competition. Officers disqualified for a MSV may participate in other events. Individual disqualification is accompanied by a 2-minute penalty and loss of all targets (penalized 15 seconds per assigned target). 

Penalty – assignment of time due to missed target or rules violation

Scoring – will be based on a Team Time and Place for each stage. Points will be awarded teams based on the order of finish with the fastest Team Time, first place, receiving one (1) point, second places two (2) points, etc., with the last place team for the event receiving the most points. At the end of the competition the team with the lowest point total will be declared the Champion. The lowest point total possible would be eight (8) points for a team that finished first in every event.

Start/Finish Box/Line – Box or Line behind/in which all-competing team members and their equipment must be to start a stage and cross to stop the clock to end a stage.

Team Place – The finish order of a team in a stage based on final Team Time. The team (stage) place is converted into points for that stage. Total Points are the sum of a team’s stage points at the end of the event and determine the overall order of finish/place for the championship.

Team Time - Applies to stage performance: 
Team Time =  Course Time + Penalty Time - Bonus Time  

Tie Breaker- Identified competition stage where team order of finish will determine

overall USNSC winner when two or more teams are tied in points at the completion of all competitive stages.The tie-breaker stage for 2008 will be the Officer Rescue event.

Bonus and Penalty Assessments

• Downed officer providing help to rescuing officer’s - +30 seconds
  • DNF Penalty – loss of targets and a +60-second time penalty
  • Dummy Violation - abusing, throwing (even at the end of the event), or not carrying the dummy off the ground during movement -  +60 seconds
  • Entering the Shoot House before the flash bang detonates -  +30 seconds
  • Failure to exit the Shoot House as a team (together) -  +10 seconds
  • Failure to negotiate an obstacle (HZ ladder, wall or culvert pipe)  +30 seconds per team member
  • Gas Mask Violation – removing mask or cracking the gas mask seal before finishing the stage +30 seconds
  • GSV and MSV disqualification from that competition/stage and the loss of the individual’s targets for that stage and +two-minute penalty
  • Handcuffs come off -  +15 seconds
  • Hold Box Penalty (leaving hold box before authorized) -  +30 seconds
  • Leaving equipment +10 seconds for each piece of equipment left behind after clock stops, teams will be directed to retrieve dropped/lost items before clock is stopped
  • Pistol/Carbine/Shotgun miss -  +15 seconds per missed target
  • Procedural penalties, +10 seconds may be assessed for failing to follow stage instructions/procedures as published or RO verbal directions
  • Punching Bag Abuse Violation - bag dropped, abused, thrown (even at the end of the event) - +60 seconds
  • Punching Bag Touching Ground (during Relay Event) - +15 seconds each occurrence
  • Shooting Hostage target +two minutes each hit
  • Shotgun Bonus Targets  -10 seconds per clay target hit in the air
  • Sniper Miss - +60 seconds
  • Tourniquets improperly applied or coming off - +15 seconds

  Appeal Procedure
  All events are designed to be fair and objective tests of a team’s ability. Unfair or unequal situations will be addressed through the Appeal Procedure.

  During each team's run the Team Captain and Scorer will be co-located. The Team Captain will verify target misses, penalties, bonuses and calculation of the Team Time following their run. Team Captains will verify the correctness of Team Time by initialing the scorecard before they leave the range.

  All appeals will be reviewed on their own merits on a case-by-case basis and judged accordingly. To appeal, the Team Captain must take his concern directly to the Chief Range Officer (CRO) along with the Team Scorer before the team leaves the course. If the appeal cannot be satisfied by the CRO the ruling can be appealed to the Competition

  Marshal.His decision is final. There are only four resolutions to an appeal:

  • Appeal is denied – with no action taken
  • Target miss count corrected
  • Mistakes of addition/subtraction or assigning bonuses/penalties corrected
  • A team re-run/shoot is awarded

  Situations that cannot be appealed
  Team mistakes, failures/malfunction of weapons, ammunition misfires and weather

  Situations that may be appealed

  • Course equipment or prop malfunction effecting team performance
    1. Improper scoring or math errors
    2. Interference or incident that directly affects the fairness or performance of an individual/team run, not the fault of the team or its supporters.

  A re-run of the course is the only remedy for a successful unfair run ruling. Teams may chose to keep their first run Team Time or may re-run the course a second time after a reasonable rest. The re-run may be conducted without a side-by-side opposing team. Teams that elect a re-run will be assigned the re-run Team Time regardless of the outcome.

  
  Suggestions
  The USNSC strives to run the most professional and equitable SWAT competition on the planet. We recognize that no one has a monopoly on good ideas. If you have ideas or suggestions for improving the USNSC please submit them to USNSC for consideration.
  
  USNSC reserves the right to modify the Competition and Eligibility Rules as necessary.