New CPSA classification rules

CPSA classifications will be issued four times a year instead of twice under new rules that come into effect on 1 December.

You will also need to shoot more targets to gain a classification. 

Going down a class will require a minimum of 600 targets, and you can only drop one class over a period of 24 months. Plus, there will be a formal classification review procedure and a moderating panel.

The changes were announced by the CPSA following a review designed to improve the effectiveness of the classification system. The main changes are summarised as: 

• There will be four classification issues per year, issued on the first day of March, June, September and December
• Classifications from unclassified will need a minimum of 300 targets to be achieved
• To go down a class will need a minimum of 600 targets
• It will only be possible to go down one class over a period of 24 months
• Classifications will be reset to unclassified where no registered scores have been submitted for 36 months 
• The highest classification will always be used for a competition where it spans issues
• Classifications will be able to be reviewed on request by the moderating panel

The detailed changes were approved by the CPSA board and are listed on the association’s website at cpsa.org.uk. They now officially form part of the CPSA’s General and Technical Rules.

Reactions to the new rules were mixed. Some shooters felt it would reduce the chance of ‘sandbagging’, where a shooter deliberately aims to be placed in a class lower than they would otherwise be.

Others regretted that they are now unlikely to be classified in disciplines that they only shoot infrequently.

What’s your view? Write in and tell us what you think about the new classification system. Email fieldsports@futurenet.com