19. NATIONAL PISTOL CLASSIFICATION

19.1 Classified Competitors - Are all individuals who are officially classified by the NRA for pistol competition, or who have a record of scores fired over courses of fire used for classification (See 19.4) which have been recorded in a Score Record Book.

19.2 Unclassified Competitor - Is a competitor who does not have a current NRA Pistol Classification, either regular or temporary by Score Record Book (Rule 19.14), nor an "Assigned Classification" (rule 19.6). Such competitor shall complete in the Master Class.

19.3 Tyro Competitors - Are competitors who have not previously fired in organized, civilian, police or military pistol competitions, of the course of fire composing such matches. Any tournament sponsor may include in their program a prize schedule of awards for the Tyro Class.

19.4 Matches Used for Individual classification - Scores to be used for classification and reclassification will be those fired in individual and team matches in both indoor and outdoor NRA Competition as defined in Rule 1.6 (except Postal Matches) over the following courses of fire and under the indicated conditions:

(a) National Match Course.

(b) NRA Short Course.

(c) National Match Gallery Course (50 feet or 20 yards).

(d) Any component part of these courses when fired as single stage events.

Scores fired indoors are used to establish indoor classification. Scores fired outdoors are used to establish outdoor classification. Scores from Sanctioned Leagues may be used during the league firing season in Score Record Books (Rule 19.14), but will only be used by the NRA Headquarters office at the end of the league firing season for issue of Official Classification Cards.

19.5 Compilation of Scores for Classification Averages - Scores fired in complete matches over the above courses, regardless of the caliber of arm used will be combined and averaged to establish a competitor's classification.

19.6 Assigned Classification - A competitor who has an earned classification (a classification obtained through a Score Record Book or an Official NRA Classification Card) for one type of competition in the grouping listed below will be assigned this same classification in any other type in which the competitor is not classified in the same group:

(a) Outdoor Pistol

(b) Indoor Pistol

(c) Police Combat

(d) Action Pistol

(e) International Pistol (Free, Air, Center, Rapid Fire or Standard)

If a competitor has a classification in more than one type in the list, the higher classification shall be used. In the second tournament in the new type. the Score Record Book is used rather than the assigned classification.

19.7 Lack of Classification Evidence - It is the competitor's responsibility to have a NRA Official Classification Card or Score Record Book with required scores for temporary classification (Rules 19.1 and 19.14) and to present this classification evidence when required. Any competitor who cannot present such evidence will fire in the Master Class. A competitor's classification will not change during a tournament. competitors will enter a tournament under their correct classification and fire the entire tournament in that class. Should it be discovered during a tournament that a competitor has entered in a class lower than the current rating, the tournament records will be corrected to show the correct classification for the entire tournament.

19.8 Competing in a Higher Class - Any individual or team may elect, before firing, to compete in a higher classification than the one in which classified. Such individual or team must fire in such higher class throughout the tournament and may not revert to earned classification for any event in that tournament.

When there are insufficient entries in any class to warrant an award in that class according to the match program conditions, the individual or team concerned may be moved by the Tournament Match Director to a higher class provided this change is made prior to the individual or team concerned having commenced firing in the tournament.

19.9 Obsolete Classification and Scores - All classifications and scores, (including temporary, Rule 19.14) except Master, shall become obsolete if the competitor does not fire in NRA competition at least once during 3 successive calendar years. Master classifications and scores shall become obsolete if the competitor does not fire in NRA competition at least once during 5 successive calendar years. Lifetime Master classifications will not become obsolete.

19.10 Appeals - Any competitor having reason to believe classification is improper may file an appeal with the NRA stating all essential facts. Such appeal will be reviewed by the NRA Protest Committee.

19.11 Protests - Any person who believes that another competitor has been improperly classified may file a protest with the NRA stating all essential facts. Such protests will be reviewed by the NRA Protest Committee. (See Rule 16.2)

19.12 Team Classification - Teams are classified by computing the "team average" based on the classification of each firing member of the team. To compute this "team average" the key in Table No. 1 for the different classes will be used and the team total divided by the number of firing members of the team. Any fractional figure in the team average of one half or more will place the team in the next higher class. The team average will establish classification of the team as a unit, but will not affect in any way the individual classification of the team members.

TABLE NO. I - TEAM

Class                            Key
High Master ............................. 6
Master ......................................5
Expert ...................................... 4
Sharpshooter ............................ 3
Marksman ................................ 2
Tyro...........................................1

19.13 Reporting Scores - NRA indoor and outdoor competition (see Section 1) sponsors will report to the NRA all individual and fired team match scores fired over the courses stated in Rule 19.4. Scores fired in individual matches will be reported as aggregate totals and scores from fired team matches will be reported as a separate aggregate total. Scores from all tournaments and sanctioned leagues will be reported by each sponsor no more than 30 days after completion of the tournament firing schedule.

19.14 Score Record Book - (Temporary Classification) - A Score Record Book will be obtained by each unclassified competitor from the Official Referee, Supervisor, Tournament Statistical Officer, or Sanctioned League Secretary at the time the competitor competes in the first tournament. All scores fired will be recorded by the competitor in each NRA competition (except Postal Matches) until such time as an Official NRA Classification Card is received. The competitor will total all scores and divide that total by the number of 10- shot strings represented. The average so obtained will determine the competitor's NRA Classification at that time (see Rule 19.15 for average score for each classification).

Individual and team scores fired by the competitor during ar least one tournament (Rule 1.1), or from the most recent league match (Rule 1.6(h)), must be posted in the Score Record Book to establish a Temporary Classification. The Score Record Book will be presented by the holder at all NRA competition entered until the competitor's Official NRA Classification Card becomes effective.

Note: It is the competitor's responsibility to obtain the Score Record Book, enter scores, and present it at each tournament until his Official NRA Classification Card becomes effective. When the NRA Classification Card becomes effective the Score Record Book becomes obsolete.

19.15 Individual Class Averages - Competitors will be classified as follows and NRA Classification Cards issued accordingly:

TABLE NO. II - INDIVIDUAL,

High Master ....................97.00 and above
Master ............................95.00 to 96.99
Expert ............................ 90.00 to 94.99
Sharpshooter .................. 85.00 to 89.99
Marksman ....................... Below 85.00

19.16 Establishing Classification - A competitor will be officially classified by the NRA when the total score for a minimum of 360 shots has been reported for either indoor or outdoor. However, classification averages will be computed only after the total score for a tournament or league has been posted and, therefore, the average may be based on a greater number of shots, but will not be based upon a lesser number. Total scores so reported to the NRA will be posted to the Classification Record for the competitor concerned. When the scores for the stated minimum of 360 shots (or more if this minimum is reached during the scores of any tournament or league) have been so posted, the average score per 1 O-shot string will be computed. The competitor will be sent an Official NRA Classification Card based on the average so computed and according to the table in Rule 19.15, which classification will become effective the date shown on the card issued by NRA.

19.17 Reclassification - A competitor who has been classified by the NRA will be reclassified as follows:

(a) A record of all completed (see Rule 19.9) NRA Competition scores fired by a classified competitor (except Postal Match) will be maintained by NRA Headquarters. Only scores not previously used in computing a classification average will be used for reclassification. except as noted in (c) below.

(b) A competitor will be considered for reclassification upward when scores for not less than 360 shots, fired subsequent to the last previous consideration for classification or reclassification, have been recorded as prescribed, except that such consideration will not include tournament or league scores until after all scores for the tournament or league competition concerned have been recorded. If the average scores so justifies, an upward classification will be justified.

(c) A competitor who believes the classification is too high may file a request with the NRA that classification be lowered. Once a written request is received at NRA an average will be taken using the competitor's most recent reported shots (1,080 shots for outdoor pistol; 720 shots for indoor pistol) posted subsequent to the last classification or reclassification. If the competitor does not have the minimum number shots posted at the time of request, an average will be taken when the minimum number of shots is posted to competitors' record. When the average of such shots places the competitor in a lower class, classification will be lowered accordingly. A competitor who has been reclassified downward and who, by scores fired in NRA sanctioned competition (except NRA Postal Matches), has again earned a former classification, that classification shall become final and the competitor shall retain the earned classification until reclassified into a higher class as outlined in Rule 19.17.

(d) A reclassified competitor shall be sent a new classification card which will become effective as of the date shown on the card issued by NRA.

19.21 Lifetime Master - Competitors who have been certified as Lifetime Masters will retain their Lifetime Master cards and enter competitions in the Master class, except that,

(a) No new Lifetime masters will be certified.

(b) Lifetime Masters will be reclassified to a higher class, according to the provisions of Rule 19.17(b) and must enter competitions in the higher class.

(c) Lifetime Masters may petition NRA to revoke a Lifetime Master card and be reclassified downward according to the provisions of Rule 19.17(c).