The Situation:

While engaging a target that is just under three meters from a doorway, a competitor shoots a round that strikes the ground within three meters and is stopped by the Range Official.

After asking the competitor to unload and show clear he quietly informed the competitor that he was disqualified for unsafe gun handling.

The competitor filed a protest citing that he did indeed fire a round but it did not go in an unsafe direction. The competitor felt that he should be reinstated in the match.

The Arbitration Committee reviewed the competitor's claim and interviewed the Range Officer and the competitor and inspected the area in question.

The Arbitration Committee found that since "the match" had placed a target within three meters of the competitor, they were actually inviting him to shoot a round within three meters and therefore could not disqualify him.

Any shot fired outside the confines of either the backstop or side berms or which strikes the ground within three meters of the competitor or any other direction deemed unsafe by the host organization and specified in the stage briefing. In the event of an accidental discharge, the range officer shall stop the competitor as soon as possible. Any shot fired at a target closer than three meters shall not be deemed an accidental discharge.

The competitor was reinstated and given a re-shoot.