Competition Format
The rules of shooting vary according to the discipline, distance and the types of targets, firing position, number of shots and the time within which the shots have to be fired. Special rules are applied to determine ranking in the event of a tie.
All four disciplines were contested in Delhi 2010: smallbore & air rifle, pistol, clay target and fullbore.
Pairs and individual competitions were held for each of the 18 events included in the programme i.e. a total of 36 gold medals will be contested. Pairs events will consist of a qualification round – the individual scores of the team members are added together to determine the team score.
Fourteen of the individual events are also included in the Olympic programmeand as such they consist of a qualification round and a final round for highest placed competitors. The score in the final round is added to the score in the qualification round.
The team or individual with the highest score wins.
Clay Target
Eight gold medals were contested during the eight days of competition.
Men’s singles and pairs will compete in all three of the clay target events, whilst the women’s singles and pairs will only compete in the Trap.
Trap
The trap is named after the device that fires the clay targets into the air. Banks of three traps are set at different heights and angles and sit within a trench in front of each shooter. The heights vary and the shooter does not know which of the three traps will release next. As each target is released, the shooter is allowed two shots. Shooters move through a series of five adjacent shooting stations. In squads of six, they move around clockwise to the five firing stations. The clay targets are released at speed, covering a distance of 75m with a trajectory height of two to four metres. Every shooter has the right to attempt two shots at each clay target while it is in the air. In the qualification round for men’s trap, competitors shoot in five series of 25 targets each – spread across two days. In women’s trap, competitors shoot in three series of 25 targets, all shot in one day.
Finals are held in both the men’s and women’s trap events for the top six competitors in the qualification round. These consist of an additional 25 targets. A change to the format of the final introduced in 2005 allows only one shot to be fired at each target at this stage.
Double Trap
Double Trap is similar to Trap, however two targets are released simultaneously from the left and right traps of the central station, reaching a height of some 3 to 3.5m and each competitor must shoot at both targets. In men’s double trap, competitors shoot at 150 clay targets in series of 50 targets. The final consists of an additional 50 targets for the top six competitors in the qualification round.
Skeet
Two clay targets are released from separate trap houses at either end of a semicircular shooting range. The releasing procedure involves single and double targets thrown from two houses, a ‘low house’ and a ‘high house’. Competitors have the right to take one shot at each target. The shooter holds the shotgun at hip level until the target appears, whereupon he or she raises the shotgun to the shoulder and fires. Similar to Trap, the qualification stage for men’s skeet is five series of 25 targets, spread across two days.
A final is held for the top six competitors in the qualification round, consisting of an additional 25 targets.
Pistol
Fourteen gold medals will be contested during the nine days of competition. Finals will be held in the Individual 10m Air Pistol, 25m Rapid-Fire Pistol, 25m Pistol and 50m Pistol events. Each shot in the final is scored decimally, with each scoring ring divided into ten segments – so a shot that scored 10 points in the qualification round can vary from 10.0 to 10.9 in the final, depending on how close it is to the centre.
10m Air Pistol
A single-shot air pistol is used to fire at a target 10m away. Unlimited non-scoring “sighting” shots are permitted at the start of each match. Men fire 60 shots within 105 minutes, women fire 40 within 75.
Finals are held for both men and women, and consist of an additional ten shots for the top eight competitors in the qualification round.
25m Rapid Fire Pistol
This event is only shot by men. Two rounds of 30 shots (in six series of five shots each) are fired at targets 25m away. The first two series must be completed within a time of eight seconds each, the second two within six seconds, and the last two within four seconds. Five targets are used, and one shot must be fired at each target within each series. One series of five sighting shots is permitted at the start of each round.
A final, consisting of four series, each of four seconds, is held for the top six competitors in the qualification round.
25m Pistol
This event is only shot by women. Two rounds of 30 shots are fired at a target 25m away. The first round consists of six series of five precision shots, which must be completed within five minutes each. The second round consists of six series of five rapid-fire shots, each shot must be fired within three seconds. One series of five sighting shots is permitted at the start of each round.
A final, consisting of four further rapid-fire series, is held for the top eight competitors in the qualification round.
25m Centre Fire Pistol
This event is only shot by men. The format is identical to the Women’s 25m Pistol event, but no final is held.
25m Standard Fire Pistol
This event is only shot by men. Three rounds of 20 shots are fired at a target 25m away. The first round consists of four series of five shots in 150 seconds, the second round consists of four series of five shots in 20 seconds the third round consists of four series of five shots in 10 seconds. One series of five sighting shots is permitted at the start of each round.
50m Pistol
This event is only shot by men. Sixty shots are fired at a target 50m away, and must be completed within 120 minutes. An unlimited number of sighting shots are permitted before the match begins.
A ten-shot final is held for the top eight competitors in the qualification round.
Smallbore & Air Rifle
The smallbore and air rifle competition follow a similar format to the pistol competitions. Twelve gold medals were awarded over eight days of competition.
Both men and women, singles and pairs compete in all the smallbore and air rifle events:
10m Air Rifle
Shots are fired standing at a target ten meters away: 60 shots within 105 minutes for men, 40 shots for women within 75 minutes. Unlimited sighting shots are allowed at the start of each competition. Finals are held for both men and women, and consist of an additional ten shots for the top eight competitors in the qualification round.
Men’s 50m Rifle Three Positions
Athletes fire 40 shots each prone, standing and kneeling at a target 50m away, within 45 minutes (prone), 75 minutes (standing), and 60 minutes (kneeling). An unlimited number of sighting shots are permitted at the start of each position. A ten-shot final, shot in the standing position, is held for the top eight competitors in the qualification round.
Women’s 50m Rifle Three Positions
Competitors fire 20 shots each in the prone, standing and kneeling positions at a target 50m away, within a time limit of 135 minutes. An unlimited number of sighting shots are permitted at the start of each position.
A ten-shot final, shot in the standing position, is held for the top eight competitors in the qualification round.
50m Rifle Prone
This event is held for both men and women. Sixty shots are fired from the prone position at a target 50 meters away, within 75 minutes. An unlimited number of sighting shots are permitted before the match begins. A ten-shot final is held in the men’s event, for the top eight competitors in the qualification round.
Fullbore Rifle
The fullbore rifle competition consists of three stages, known as Queens I, Queens II and Queens III. Queens I consists of seven scoring shots at each of 300, 500 & 600 yards. Queens II consists of ten scoring shots at each of these distances. Queens III consists of fifteen scoring shots at each of 900 and 1000 yards.
The pairs competition will include two stages – Queens II & Queens III – while the individual competition will consist of all three stages,
Two gold medals were contested over three days of competition.
The fullbore event is unique within the Commonwealth Games in that men and women compete against each other in the same event.