How does a shooting ground get registered?

The CPSA’s Richard Worthington explains what it takes for a shooting ground to get ‘registered‘.

EJ Churchill’s ground at Swinton in North Yorkshire was recently granted CPSA Registration

A ground must be rated as ‘CPSA Registered’ to host CPSA Registered shoots, but what does it take for a ground to earn this status, and what does it mean for you, the shooter? Many clubs and grounds have a strong following and are known for throwing challenging targets. 

The ground may find themselves being asked to put on CPSA Registered competitions, so that their scores can be included in the CPSA’s Averages. Market demand for Registered shoots is certainly one reason for a ground to become Registered, but CPSA Registration is also a form of quality assurance.

It’s a signal to all clay shooters – competitive, casual, or the game shooter looking to get some practice – that the ground has undergone an extensive quality and safety check. 

If the club is CPSA Affiliated, they will have completed our safety audit and provided required documents in support of their original application. If the club is new to the CPSA then we require copies of those documents and information, which are:

  • Public & Employee Liability Insurance Certificates
  • Section 11 (6) Exemption Certificate (the police-issued certification that facilitates non-licence holders shooting under supervision of licence holders)
  • Emergency Response Procedures 
  • Risk Assessments 
  • Safety Policy Statement 
  • First Aid Certificate
  • Food Hygiene Certificate (if food is served)
  • Ordnance Survey or Google Earth Map showing directions of fire from the layouts
  • Confirmation of CPSA-Qualified Safety Officer

We require the club or ground to have a nominated and current CPSA-qualified Safety Officer attending all Registered competitions. If a club is new to the CPSA, we can offer a free place on a Safety Officer course, worth £105, as a member benefit. Whoever attends must be an individual CPSA member.

Once we have the completed safety audit and supporting documents, we carry out a site visit to inspect the shooting area. This ensures that it complies with our safety guidelines, for example checking that targets are not being thrown near highways or public footpaths. 

For grounds that have Skeet or Trap ranges, careful measuring must be done to ensure they comply with the discipline’s layout rules, and targets can be thrown at the prescribed angles, speeds, and distances. Our Ground Inspectors are very experienced and help to make sure everything is correct.

Registered grounds pay an annual membership fee (currently £171) and there is a one-off fee for the inspection which is dependent on the number of layouts and disciplines being registered.

This starts at £145 to register a Sporting ground for English Sporting, Sportrap, FITASC Sporting and Compak Sporting. If a ground wishes to hold FITASC competitions, they must also register with BICTSF and pay them an annual fee and a levy per shooter at each event.

Once the inspection is completed and all is satisfactory, we will add the ground to the CPSA’s Shoot programme and issue them with the software that allows them to run competitions.

Shoot is available to update daily (and soon to be real-time) to provide the latest member data, and can even work out the prize money payable after each fixture.

So there it is, there is some paperwork to provide and a site inspection, but once this is done a ground can be up and running and offering CPSA Registered shoots quickly.

The CPSA is always happy to help with training and ongoing support to facilitate this.

Any clubs or grounds that are interested in becoming CPSA Registered, please call CPSA HQ on 01483 485400 and ask for Richard, or email richard@cpsa.co.uk 

CPSA club membership levels

Clubs and grounds are affiliated with the CSPA at various levels, depending on what they offer and what their goals are. These are:

Associated: Clay shooting clubs that don’t have the benefit of their own ground but are in accord with the aspirations of the CPSA.

Affiliated: Has its own ground and possibly clubhouse, self-certifies their facilities, and adopts CPSA guidelines. Cannot host CPSA Registered Shoots. It is recommended that a CPSA Safety Officer attends every shoot but not required.

Registered: A well-established ground that conforms to the criteria detailed in this article. Authorised to host CPSA Registered competitions in one or more disciplines with a CPSA Safety Officer in attendance at every Registered shoot.

Premier: A substantial Registered ground with at least four layouts of a specific discipline or a considerable Sporting layout. Capable of hosting Regional and CPSA Minor Championships.

Premier Plus: A Registered ground with exceptional shooting experiences and facilities afforded the visitor. Capable of hosting CPSA Major and International Championships.


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