I had a unique situation yesterday and I am curious as to how it would be handled by other locations/clubs.
This was NOT a registered event but a multi-club league that uses the ATA rules. A shooter started a 25 target sub-event, the first of two 25 target rounds for the complete event. Shortly after starting, a storm front hit with extremely heavy snow and some wind. Visibility deteriorated to where it was not even possible to clearly see the trap house. Birds could be glimpsed only intermittently when the wind/snow swirled around enough to open a five or ten foot "hole" that was only, at best, partially clear enough to glimpse the target. This was not open visiblity but more like seeing it through a very heavy fog.
The shooter, me, after the fourteenth shot, walked off the line. The score at that time was a six (or maybe a seven, see later in the post). I refused to waste anymore shells just to make noise. I told the scorer that I would just take a "Lost" for the remaining targets. The scorer admitted that he was having a lot of trouble seeing the targets and it was possible that if a small chip or two was knocked off the bird he would/could not see it.
Now it was not a gun malfunction nor a trap failure, nor illness that caused the walk-off. The targets, as near as could be determined were of legal flight parameters. The first sub-event was listed in the score records with a note that the 2nd sub-event was not shot. Time and deteriorating travel conditions prevented a "wait till it got better" chance. I should point out that in addition to being the shooter, I am also the League Secretary and responsible for the score keeping. Our League rules will base final averages, at the end of the year, on the actual number of targets hit vs. the number shot at. Even so, the six per 25 in the one subevent will very significantly drop the season average which has a maximum, if all shoots were attended, of 400 (8 shoots of 50 targets each) basis. Just for informational purposes, I am classified as "A" class shooter in our league. Prior to the Sunday shoot, I had a 50 and 47 in the first two shoots.
Now given that the season average will be determined on the scores this season, and that average will determine next year's class, how do you handle this. We do not have "known ability" listed in the league rules but I figure that I would normally have a 46-48 (A class) average but the 6 will drop that down to D or C class next year. That doesn't seem appropriate. Are there any specifics in the rules to cover such a happening. I took a look and haven't really seen anything specific as far as I can tell.
What would you do if this happened at your club? Drop the score totally? Figure the score with a "6" included for the season average and classify accordingly? Do the season average but "bump" the shooter to what the classification would be if the "6/25" was not included? Something else. What?
This was NOT a registered event but a multi-club league that uses the ATA rules. A shooter started a 25 target sub-event, the first of two 25 target rounds for the complete event. Shortly after starting, a storm front hit with extremely heavy snow and some wind. Visibility deteriorated to where it was not even possible to clearly see the trap house. Birds could be glimpsed only intermittently when the wind/snow swirled around enough to open a five or ten foot "hole" that was only, at best, partially clear enough to glimpse the target. This was not open visiblity but more like seeing it through a very heavy fog.
The shooter, me, after the fourteenth shot, walked off the line. The score at that time was a six (or maybe a seven, see later in the post). I refused to waste anymore shells just to make noise. I told the scorer that I would just take a "Lost" for the remaining targets. The scorer admitted that he was having a lot of trouble seeing the targets and it was possible that if a small chip or two was knocked off the bird he would/could not see it.
Now it was not a gun malfunction nor a trap failure, nor illness that caused the walk-off. The targets, as near as could be determined were of legal flight parameters. The first sub-event was listed in the score records with a note that the 2nd sub-event was not shot. Time and deteriorating travel conditions prevented a "wait till it got better" chance. I should point out that in addition to being the shooter, I am also the League Secretary and responsible for the score keeping. Our League rules will base final averages, at the end of the year, on the actual number of targets hit vs. the number shot at. Even so, the six per 25 in the one subevent will very significantly drop the season average which has a maximum, if all shoots were attended, of 400 (8 shoots of 50 targets each) basis. Just for informational purposes, I am classified as "A" class shooter in our league. Prior to the Sunday shoot, I had a 50 and 47 in the first two shoots.
Now given that the season average will be determined on the scores this season, and that average will determine next year's class, how do you handle this. We do not have "known ability" listed in the league rules but I figure that I would normally have a 46-48 (A class) average but the 6 will drop that down to D or C class next year. That doesn't seem appropriate. Are there any specifics in the rules to cover such a happening. I took a look and haven't really seen anything specific as far as I can tell.
What would you do if this happened at your club? Drop the score totally? Figure the score with a "6" included for the season average and classify accordingly? Do the season average but "bump" the shooter to what the classification would be if the "6/25" was not included? Something else. What?
