BRIEF GUIDE FOR NEW FITASC REFEREES

What follows are (hopefully) helpful suggestions, and a practical guide to managing a parcour.
These suggestions relate to US-based, non-FITASC World Cup events.

The General Approach

The primary responsibilities of a FITASC referee, in order, are to: 1) insure that the shooting is
done in a completely safe manner, 2) try and make the event as pleasant and fun as possible and
3) enforce the rules so there is a level playing field for all competitors.
If the shooter protests a call, listen courteously and make your decision. If the shooter attempts
the next shot he cannot appeal an earlier decision. In virtually all cases, a FITASC referee’s
decisions are final. You are in charge of your peg or parcour. Present yourself in a direct and
confident manner.
Although they should not, squad members will occasionally protest a call. Listen, and make
your own decision. If not certain about a call, a referee may ask for assistance from those
present, but the final decision is the ref’s.
Referees should announce all their decisions - whether on a rule or on a target break - in a loud,
confident voice so the shooter will be clear about the decision. When a shooter has finished the
rotation, the referee should clearly announce the shooter’s score (i.e. out with a four, out with a
five etc) so the shooter may protest the total score if she feels a mistake has been made.
Once a shooter leaves the stand without a protest she has accepted the referee’s score, and it
cannot be appealed on the spot.
Be nice. Be firm.

The Referee’s Kit

In many instances shoot management will provide the essentials a referee needs to manage
scoring etc. Still, it is a good idea for a referee to have his own supplies for backup. Following
are some suggestions:
- 2 Strings, cut to size, to measure for the shooting line on a vest
- White chalk with which to draw a shooting line
- 2 Mechanical pencils and 2 regular pencils - both with soft leads
- A small pencil sharpener
- Rubber bands to hold down score sheets in the wind
- Extra earplugs
- A small multi-tool like a Leatherman
 Before the First Squad Arrives

Check to be certain all the traps are working properly. Review each trajectory so you will know
where to look when the squad begins shooting. Confirm that the menu and the target
presentations match. The menu should describe all targets other than those of a standard size. If
the menu does not describe the non-standard targets (i.e. battue , 90 mm etc), the referee must
verbally alert shooters to the unusual size birds before every time they are thrown.

Prepare the scorecard to make it easier to keep track of the shooters and the score. (Example
attached.)

From shoot management get the phone numbers of someone in charge of on-course machine
repairs and the chief referee - if one is present. Also, get the phone number of someone in shoot
management who can resolve disagreements/problems if you are unable to do so.
Remember to change your phone to silent/vibrate.

Checking The Squads

The referee should look to see if each squad member is wearing glasses and ear protection. They
are not allowed to shoot without them. Measure to be certain all the vest lines conform with the
rules whether they are sewn in or not. If they do not conform, mark with chalk. Check a sample
of each shooter’s shells to be certain they are 1 ounce loads (28 grams) or less. Ask to see a shell
from each pocket, if they use two. If the size markings are not clear on the shells ask the
competitor to show you the box. At major shoots, competitors are not allowed to use reloads no
matter the size.

Competitors at major shoots will be issued numbers on paper. Generally, those numbers are to
be worn on the back of the vest or on a shot pouch. If a competitor does not have a paper
number, write the number on the back of the vest in chalk. (The number will be found on the
score sheet.) Numbers are not required for monthly and small shoots.

Ask if anyone is using a “release” trigger. Ask that competitor how he will react if he is thrown a
no-bird. He has three options: hold the trigger pointing downrange and ask for another bird,
engage his safety and remove the shells from the gun to start over or release the trigger and fire
the shot downrange. Then load and call for the bird(s) again. As a reminder, place an R on the
scorecard next to the release shooter’s name.

Ask the shooters if anyone uses a call other than “pull” when they want a bird. Many
international shooters will.

Make any general announcements you feel the competitors need to hear before they begin
shooting. ( no shooting past a specific mark, no no-bird calls due to the wind etc.)
Read the shooting order. If a shooter is missing follow the rule book procedure.

Bring the shooters to the first peg. Show the single bird presentations in the order they are listed
on the menu. Show the singles twice if asked, (only by the shooter in the ring), but no more. All
competitors shoot the singles. Then, the squad rotates to shoot the doubles. Before doubles,
show only the true pair or raffle presentations - twice if asked by the first shooter.

In non-World Cup, US events, the first competitor shooting singles may change chokes after
viewing the look birds. Competitors cannot change chokes after viewing doubles. Choke
changes of this type are not allowed in International events.

During the Shooting

Things to check when a shooter is attempting presentations:

- Is the highest point of the gun butt/comb below the shooting line. Stand on the side of the
shooter where you can check this.
- A shooter cannot move the gun until the target is visible. Issue a warning if she does, and
have her shoot the target again. If the shooter moves too soon a second time, score the bird
“lost”.
- A shooter may take only 15 seconds between shots.
- No-one may !coach” the shooter when she is in the shooting station. Warn the shooter and the
“coach.”
- A ref may, at a monthly or a small shoot, correct a shooter who is lined up to shoot the wrong
bird, and the ref may correct a shooter who is looking in the wrong place for a thrown bird.
But, a referee cannot assist in this fashion at a Regional, National or International event.
- A shooter should have at least a three foot radius around him without spectators.
- Squad members talking behind a shooter can be disturbing. If you can hear the talk, the
shooter can hear it, and he may be disturbed. Politely ask the squad members to speak more
softly or move away from the shooter.
- In doubles, a true pair may appear as the first or the second pair in the sequence. If the
true pair is second in the order, the referee decides when to preview it to the squad. You may
choose to show the true pair before shooting the report pair or after shooting the report pair.
Your choice, once made, must be the same for all squads.
If there are two true pairs in the same sequence show the first true pair before shooting; then
show the second true pair before shooting it.
- In the case of a gun or shell malfunction, be certain the gun remains pointed downrange
while you and the shooter resolve the problem. One malfunction calls for a warning. The
second and any subsequent malfunctions call for a lost bird.
- Be certain the shooter removes all shells from his weapon and opens the action before
turning to leave the stand.
 Scoring

When announcing breaks or misses either “dead/lost” or “one/zero” is appropriate.

Scoring and keeping track of the shooting order can be confusing. Individual referees have
different ways of pre-marking a score card to simplify the process. An example of one method is
attached. The example assumes three pegs in an “Old Style” parcour. The first peg has five
singles and one double. The second and third pegs contain five singles and two sets of doubles.
The example assumes all six shooters are present.
There are two ways to record scores. Either works. First, there is the traditional / for a hit and O
for a miss. The option is the countdown method. In this case, all shooters begin with a 25.
When the shooter misses, the referee reduces his score by the number of targets missed. For
example, two misses makes the shooter’s running score 23. The attached example shows both
methods.
A referee should never erase a written mistake. He should write over the mistake with the
correct decision, write the correct call above the mistake and initial the revision.

Remember to sign your name to each card.

December 20, 2023

Revise 2