God I love rules. Wait, no I don’t. Yes, I do. I like the idea of arcane rules—if only because I enjoy watching people taking something so small so seriously. No joke. I find it fascinating how momentous events can depend on fine judgements. For example, the new rules are out for National Standard Three-Position Air Rifle competitions. There are three main changes: a shoot-off for competitors who tie for last place, the way that scoring protests are adjudicated and headgear requirements. Specifically, a way to tell if a cap is pulled down so far that it violates the rules against side binders. More specifically, click here to download the pdf for all the new regs, or make the jump for the stricture in question . . .
3. 4.7.7 – Headgear and Blinders. Competitors now need to be more mindful of the way in which they wear their caps or visors while shooting. If a hat is pulled down too far, the sides may be considered side blinders. While side blinders are permitted under Rule 4.7.9, they are restricted to being no more than 40mm deep (downward direction), and also must not extend past the center of the forehead as seen from the side. To prevent cap bills and visors from being pulled down so that they become illegal side blinders, Rule 4.7.7 was updated to state that when a hat or visor is worn, the area on the forehead between the eyebrows must be visible from the side of the shooter. Range officers will be able to check by coming to the side of shooter in position. From that viewpoint, they can quickly determine whether the hat or visor is high enough on the shooter’s head. It is also important to note that the cap or visor is not permitted to touch the rear sight. Some floppy visors or hats may hit the rear sight, so shooters should place their hats in such a way that they do not touch the sights.
