How to be a good RO

[Coach]

We have this wildly successful thread going on about the rules. I think we need a thread about the finer points of being a Range Officer. We have a lot of new RO's in this state, and I hope they go on to become good ones. I will start with some ideas that should get the discussion started.

1) There is no warnings on safety violations. If the finger is on the trigger when it should not be, or the 180 gets violated, or any other safety rule gets broken DQ the shooter in as calm and professional manner as possible. We do not have to be unsafe in order to have fun. We can do both. We need to do both at the same time. Your job is to keep the people on the range safe. Do it. Coolly, calmly and rationally.

2) Use the right range commands. We cannot respect you as an RO if you are half assing the range commands. It is not that hard.

3) Everyone gets the same attention to detail and the same effort. The shooters classification does not matter. They all paid the fee and and signed up for the same match. Everyone gets the same effort. If you cannot do that then leave the timer alone.

4) Only call what you know. 100% is knowing. 99% is thinking. Call what you know and stick to it. If you do not have a back boned leave the timer alone.

5) Don't give people things. If the hit is there the hit counts if it is not there don't give it to them. What you give to one shooter is taking something away from someone else.

6) Be all business. When the timer is in your hand this is not the time to be social.

7) Don't be on a power trip. If you are ROing because there is no other place in your life where you are in charge. Don't pick up the timer and exert your authority as a way to feel better about yourself. Stay at home and let your wife boss you around some more.

8) Don't forget the first rule. Don't be a dick.

 

[blkrifle]

well said.
i will add that 99.9% of the time the right call is obvious.

 

[jakemartens]

We have this wildly successful thread going on about the rules. I think we need a thread about the finer points of being a Range Officer. We have a lot of new RO's in this state, and I hope they go on to become good ones. I will start with some ideas that should get the discussion started.
2) Use the right range commands. We cannot respect you as an RO if you are half assing the range commands. It is not that hard.

4) Only call what you know. 100% is knowing. 99% is thinking. Call what you know and stick to it. If you do not have a back boned leave the timer alone.

-know the rules, or where to look for them, know how to use the rule book
-this is also the 100%, "I think I know" is not in the rule book (i.e. Virginia Count, Fixed Time, when it is a penalty or multiple penalties)
-If you don't even care to use the right range commands, you probably don't care to know the rules and just assume you do

 

[MohawkSlim]

Is this in relation to USPSA or similar?

 

[riverman67]

-know the rules, or where to look for them, know how to use the rule book
-this is also the 100%, "I think I know" is not in the rule book (i.e. Virginia Count, Fixed Time, when it is a penalty or multiple penalties)
-If you don't even care to use the right range commands, you probably don't care to know the rules and just assume you do

Fixed time is annoying and rarely used, it should be deleted from the rules.
The RO discretion on penalties for shooting while faulting should be re-written . The penalty should be per shot fired or we should stop using fault lines.

 

[Grelber]

8) Don't forget the first rule. Don't be a dick.

For what it is worth, I have never or almost never had a bad r.o..

At the single stack nationals a couple years back it was hot and the match was long and people were tired and grouchy, there is one r.o. that rushes the walk through and the shooting too much for my liking and you end up just waiting for the next squad anyway, and there was the one guy that made a bad call that frustrated me a bit (good lesson though) .

So for me, lots of different r.o.'s and only very rare and trivial stuff to whine about.

Possibly I am just soft on those folks and let things slide. Usually the r.o. group is the same bunch of people that do the most work pasting/resetting and the heavy lifting that makes the matches go.

 

[Grelber]

Is this in relation to USPSA or similar?

Yes.

 

[obijohn]

Your customer is the shooter. Give each one the proper consideration and focus.

 

[racegunz]

Your customer is the shooter. Give each one the proper consideration and focus.

People do seem to forget that shooters do pay money to shoot matches, I also feel the pain with fault lines, they should be barriers that can't be crossed, there is nothing practical about imaginary lines on the ground..... but we left practical some time ago LOL! I have never DQ'd anyone I could have but it's not that hard to keep the shooter from being really unsafe. The real issue on 180 is stage design if you don't have to engage targets at 180 and no uprange running then a 180 violation is easy to see, if the shooters is skirting the 180 but has full muzzle awareness then it's not "unsafe" again my two cents #8 covers most issues.

 

[rvb]

Fixed time is annoying and rarely used, it should be deleted from the rules.

fixed time is a hoot and should be used more.
I've been putting about 3 / yr in at FtW, and they are often the stages people come up to me after the match and say how much fun it was. First time I put one in I thought, "I'm going to catch hell for this." The trick is having a course with LOTS of options for various skill levels and divisions so everyone can find a way that maximizes their score. Movement makes it more fun, too.

-rvb

 

[riverman67]

fixed time is a hoot and should be used more.
I've been putting about 3 / yr in at FtW, and they are often the stages people come up to me after the match and say how much fun it was. First time I put one in I thought, "I'm going to catch hell for this." The trick is having a course with LOTS of options for various skill levels and divisions so everyone can find a way that maximizes their score. Movement makes it more fun, too.

-rvb

If it was used more maybe I wouldn't have to look up the scoring rules everytime.

 

[rvb]

Your customer is the shooter. Give each one the proper consideration and focus.

People do seem to forget that shooters do pay money to shoot matches,

Interesting, I was about to post in the "how to be a good shooter" thread not to have a consumer/customer attitude. I view match fees as payment for consumables I use or covering other expenses needed to make the match happen. Just because I pd $ doesn't mean I shouldn't be doing my part to paste, RO, setup/teardown when possible, etc. As an RO, I have no "customers." Every shooter gets the same consideration per the rules. I don't care that someone pd $ to be there, or had to travel x many miles, I'm not overturning the mike or the DQ (yes, I've had folks use those as reasons why they shouldn't get DQd).

ROs have to do their best to follow rules and be fair and follow the golden rule with the shooters. Shooters who shoot-n-scoot sometimes forget it's still an all-volunteer sport.

-rvb

 

[cakelly1962]

Now that I understand fixed time it's not that bad

 

[Bosshoss]

Interesting, I was about to post in the "how to be a good shooter" thread not to have a consumer/customer attitude. I view match fees as payment for consumables I use or covering other expenses needed to make the match happen. Just because I pd $ doesn't mean I shouldn't be doing my part to paste, RO, setup/teardown when possible, etc. As an RO, I have no "customers." Every shooter gets the same consideration per the rules. I don't care that someone pd $ to be there, or had to travel x many miles, I'm not overturning the mike or the DQ (yes, I've had folks use those as reasons why they shouldn't get DQd).

ROs have to do their best to follow rules and be fair and follow the golden rule with the shooters. Shooters who shoot-n-scoot sometimes forget it's still an all-volunteer sport.

-rvb

This^^^^

Thank you Ryan

 

[cakelly1962]

Yes all volunteer, which means everyone helps to reset the stage and teardown after the match.......

 

[rvb]

try to score the targets in the same order every time. this helps you not forget targets, and helps folks pasting realize when it's ok to paste. avoiding reshoots is a good thing.

if the stage has vision barriers, be the last shooter off the range. I often walk downrange and follow the last paster back to make sure no one is hiding behind a barrel or wall.

Use that time to check the stage is fully reset (targets pasted, steel reset, props reset, etc).

do not call range is clear until the shooter has stopped fiddling with their gun/holster.

use your outside voice. everyone is wearing earpro, and even electronic earpro often cuts out due to gun fire in neighboring bays. some folks double plug, and some folks are just deaf. If everyone on the squad can't hear you (not just the shooter), they don't know the status of the range. Make Ready is more than a command to the shooter, it's a clue to the folks around that they shouldn't run downrange (e.g. see a target not pasted or a mag that needs picked up). As a shooter, I shouldn't be questioning, "did I just hear MR?" I turn off my electronic earpro when I'm up to shoot.

use overlays judiciously. the bullet dia is usually bigger than the grease ring, and whether in their favor or against, shooters usually appreciate seeing you confirm that 1/16" gap to the line.

you will make bad calls. it's ok, it happens. know when to entrench in your position and when to grab your rulebook and double check the rulebook.

-rvb

 

[Alaskan454]

As a new RO I'll be reading all the advice you guys are willing to share!

 

[praff]

3) Everyone gets the same attention to detail and the same effort. The shooters classification does not matter. They all paid the fee and and signed up for the same match. Everyone gets the same effort. If you cannot do that then leave the timer alone.

4) Only call what you know. 100% is knowing. 99% is thinking. Call what you know and stick to it. If you do not have a back boned leave the timer alone.

5) Don't give people things. If the hit is there the hit counts if it is not there don't give it to them. What you give to one shooter is taking something away from someone else.

#1 and #2 are omitted from the original quote because they shouldn't have to be emphasized....however it seems they have to be.

3, 4, and 5 are important to me as a shooter and as an RO. I am extremely conscious of treating a new D class or unclassified shooter the same as a GM when I am RO'ing. I wont score any differently (including getting overlays out to call the correct score) and expect the same when I am shooting. I have seen too many times at major matches preferential or mal treatment based on shooter skill level or even what "team" they shoot for. Everyone should be given the exact same opportunity to screw up a stage on their own as I have.

Unfortunately, there is a different set of rules (or following of rules) at local matches vs major matches. Some of this is due to the lack of a single RO on every stage at a local, but most of it isn't. There just seems to be a total lack of rule importance at locals. This is where I feel we need to focus attention.

 

[johns]

Interesting, I was about to post in the "how to be a good shooter" thread not to have a consumer/customer attitude. I view match fees as payment for consumables I use or covering other expenses needed to make the match happen. Just because I pd $ doesn't mean I shouldn't be doing my part to paste, RO, setup/teardown when possible, etc. As an RO, I have no "customers." Every shooter gets the same consideration per the rules. I don't care that someone pd $ to be there, or had to travel x many miles, I'm not overturning the mike or the DQ (yes, I've had folks use those as reasons why they shouldn't get DQd).

ROs have to do their best to follow rules and be fair and follow the golden rule with the shooters. Shooters who shoot-n-scoot sometimes forget it's still an all-volunteer sport.

-rvb

I had a a primary RO once tell me I was barking orders with my range commands that the shooters is the only one that needs to hear me I told him he was wrong and continued to speak loud enough so everyone on the squad is aware of all instructions 100% IT IS A MATTER OF SAFETY

 

[Grelber]

9) Know when to say "screw it, it just ain't worth the hassle"

Could have put that in the be a better shooter thread.

There are things that are going to drive you nuts, and there are times when you are going to strongly believe you are right about something, sometimes just put it in perspective (we are all here to have fun) give the win to the other side and call for the next shooter.