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ELIGIBILITY & COMPETITION RULES

USNSC reserves the right to modify the Competition and Eligibility Rules as necessary for management of the competition and safety.

Eligibility Rules

The USNSC is an open law enforcement competition. This means any law enforcement agency tactical team (federal, state, local, international), whose members all have powers of arrest in its jurisdiction, is eligible to participate and may register to compete. Eligibility also includes government security elements such as US Marshals, DOE, Department of State, etc., 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.

Team Categories: All teams registering for the competition will be eligible to win the overall championship and each of the individual stages. Additionally upon registration teams will be designated full-time teams or on-call teams based on their agency organization. All federal and international teams will be designated full-time teams for the purposes of the USNSC.

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 Rules

Start Order and Opponents
Normally, teams will draw the start order and opponents for all stages at the Team Reception.

Competition Stages
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. 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. USNSC judgments in this penalty are final.

Individual Equipment
Generally, all stages will be run in full tactical gear: ballistic helmet (non-ballistic helmets will not be permitted), Level-III soft-armored vest (plates not required) worn outside, pistol belt or web-gear with pistol, holster, magazine pouch, extra magazine, eye and ear protection, tactical BDU style uniform (BDU shirts may be short sleeve, however, no T-shirts of any type may be worn as an outer garment) and tactical boots. Specific individual gear will be identified for each stage.

Team and Special Equipment
USNSC will provide any special team equipment required for a stage (gas masks, flash-bangs, rams, head sets, shields, ladders, litters, medical devices, grenade launchers, etc.). 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 provided teams at on-site registration.
Unless specifically authorized for an event/stage individuals/teams may not use electronic sights, range finders, radios, carry/drag ropes, litters and other types of non-standard equipment. Teams planning on using special equipment not specified or provided by USNSC for a stage must check with USNSC Competition Marshall for permission prior to use. Teams using unauthorized equipment/gear (including weapons) will be disqualified.

Weapons
Teams are responsible for providing their own weapons and ammunition. The competition will/may require use of the following weapons: pistol, shotgun, carbine (this may be a subgun) and sniper rifle. Each officer must have a pistol and three magazines and one carbine with two magazines per man. Bi-pods are NOT permitted on carbines, except on carbines designated as sniper rifles. Each team must have two shotguns and one designated sniper rifle. Teams must use duty weapons during the competition. This means the weapons authorized for carry and use on duty by their agency/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 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 team sniper weapon must be: .223 or .308 caliber. Weapons chambered for .338 & .50 caliber 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).

If a Competitor's firearm malfunctions/breaks during a stage he/she must clear/fix it as an immediate action drill with equipment/parts he/she is carrying. If this cannot be done the
weapon will be declared unserviceable and taken out of the competition. The competitor will be penalized for all assigned targets not hit prior to the breakdown. The competitor may use another competing officer’s weapon to complete the stage. Before the next competitive stage the competitor may replace his/her firearm with another of the same model, caliber and sighting system approved by the Competition Marshal.
 
Optics are permitted on carbines and sub-guns and sniper rifles, which may be equipped with no more than (1) one optic per assigned weapon. Magnifiers are not considered a second optic. Iron sights are always permitted. Pistols may not have optics.

Ammunition
Teams must provide their own ammunition, including frangible where designated. Teams assume the risks associated with that ammunition and alibis for misfires and/or malfunctions will not be accepted.

No tracer, incendiary, armor piercing or steel core ammunition is allowed. If your ammo sticks to a magnet, don’t bring it. Teams using unauthorized ammunition will be disqualified and billed for any damaged equipment.

USNSC will notify teams of ammunition requirements before the competition by providing the type and number of rounds required per stage. In some cases, USNSC may provide optional ammunition for stages. In such cases these stages will be identified to teams in advance with the manufacturer, type, caliber and grain of the ammunition to be used. All questions regarding ammunition should be addressed to the USNSC Competition Marshal before the competition to insure compliance.


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 competition official

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 not engaged by that officer.

Event/Stage – Scored 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 willfully disobeying of safety rules and/or instructions from range/safety personnel. 
  • Dropping a loaded weapon during a stage

Individuals who commit a GSV are disqualified from both the event/stage 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 any remaining stages in the competition.

Hit – knocking down, exploding, marking, spinning a 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 an 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. Total Points are the sum of a team’s stage points at the end of the competition and determine the overall order of finish 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 2010 will be the Glock Pistol Relay.

Teams do not have to run their guns dry before they reload.

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, etc.)  +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 before Finish Box -  +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
Carbine/Bonus -  -30 seconds per hit target
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 No Shoot/Wrong target - +30 seconds each hit
Shooting a Hostage target +two minutes each hit
Shotgun Bonus Targets -  -10 seconds per clay target hit in the air
Sniper Miss - +60 seconds
Tourniquets/medical devices improperly applied or coming off - +15 seconds


Appeal Procedure
All events are designed to be safe, 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/REP and Scorer will be co-located. The Team Captain will verify target misses, penalties, bonuses and calculations 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.

The USNSC will attempt to correct all unfair situations that apply to the entire competitive field. This may include throwing out scoring aspects of stages that are deemed unfair. One example would be dropping targets for scoring purposes due to a critical equipment failure during the competition that results in some teams not having an opportunity to engage the target as intended. USNSC judgments in these unusual matters are final.

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

  • Appeal is denied – with no action taken
  • Target miss count or timing error corrected
  • Mistakes of addition/subtraction or assigning bonuses/penalties corrected
  • An unfair run ruling with a team stage re-run awarded

A re-run of the course is the only remedy for an 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 or out come regardless of the outcome.

Situations that cannot be appealed:
Team mistakes, failures/malfunction of weapons or individual gear/equipment, ammunition misfires and weather.

Situations that may be appealed:
Course or prop malfunctions, supplied and required equipment malfunctions, which effect team performance, improper scoring by officials or math errors, interference or incident that directly affects the fairness or performance of an individual/team run, not the fault of the team or its supporters.