Distractions during matches

To all match directors,
Could you please advise how you handle distractions, such as people talking while others are shooting during matches, especially indoor matches? 
In an ideal world, everybody would be so focused and concentrated that they should not be distracted by others are talking, but we don't live in an ideal world. Sometimes it is even hard to hear the range commands. 
Is there a rule about distractions? Is this a shooters' etiquette issue?
Thanks in advance for all advice and feedback

Many of the matches I shoot include instructions to keep general conversations OFF THE LINE during the safety briefing.
That being said...I've had my collar tugged on several occasions due to having a big mouth.
I feel that as a group that bullseye shooters tend to be more considerate than other forms of competition.

Let me tell you of distractions. 
One match near Portland, I was shooting on the far left target 6 or 8.  During the match two stat persons came to the bench at my left and started doing stats.  'I'm shooting a match here' as I bang their hood.
Another time, no humans involved, shooting under a cover.  The day was sunny and bright.  I was addressing my target.  Ninety degrees to my left just outside the shady cover a very white butterfly flickered in the sunlight.  Seeing this in the corner of my left eye, my eye and the shot were drawn to the left.  I saw a need for side blinders.

If someone can talk half as loud as the guns to your left and right (which are approximately 8,000 times louder than people can shout) then I would be concerned, otherwise a lack of focus on your part isn't the fault of a discussion held behind the ready line.

How about an adjacent range officer motoring a loud diesel Gator up and down our firing line during commands. We have our own RSOs thank you, now beat it.

STEVE SAMELAK wrote:Many of the matches I shoot include instructions to keep general conversations OFF THE LINE during the safety briefing.
That being said...I've had my collar tugged on several occasions due to having a big mouth.
I feel that as a group that bullseye shooters tend to be more considerate than other forms of competition.

I'll second what Steve pointed out and that is a special point is made during the safety briefing, and sometimes throughout the match, to move conversations back behind the covered firing line.  Conversations under that cover echo around so although they not as loud as gunshots, voices are amplified higher than what a normal voice would be.  Even worse is when the conversation gets animated so becomes louder as it goes on.  I try not to let it get to me but there have been a few times when I have had to stop shooting and get their attention to tone it down.

John.

I always feel bad for the alibi shooters, and have learned to speed things up in slow fire because I don't appreciate people laughing at jokes together, while I'm trying to stay in the zone and they finished early. I think it's poor etiquette to speak while others are firing and am very curious to see what others say on rules and standard procedures here

Our co-match directors are not bashful about chastising those who like to talk while others shoot.  That's a good thing in my book.

I totally agree with Andrew. I talk more than most, but not when other folks are still firing.

I one time was admonished by a very experienced shooter (and fellow team member at the time) to my right when, after finishing my SF quickly, was fiddling about picking up brass that had missed my net. That was very impolite of me, so I sat down, sat still, and apologised once she had completed her strings.

At most of the matches I've attended recently almost all shooters share the same polite approach, keep quiet till all shots have been fired. I am very easily distracted and notice other folks talking, but most often I find that the culprit is a visiting RO or interested outsider who wants to talk to the caller. In such cases I typically abort, re-collect my focus, try to "zone out" the background noise and get on with it. Fortunately, like Andrew, I tend to get my SF done fairly fast, so always have plenty of spare time to re-set if needed.

I shot an ISSF match with them playing music and talking and cheering. I commented that it’s louder than I typically experience at nra matches. They laughed and said the NRA stands for not real athletes.

Find a respectable sport (not golf. Real sport) where fans are quiet with no distractions.

Should I complain if someone’s brass hits me during rapid fire? It’s part of it.

smdial wrote:I shot an ISSF match with them playing music and talking and cheering. I commented that it’s louder than I typically experience at nra matches. They laughed and said the NRA stands for not real athletes.

Find a respectable sport (not golf. Real sport) where fans are quiet with no distractions.

Should I complain if someone’s brass hits me during rapid fire?  It’s part of it.

Nastier scoring rings on the targets too.  I spent some time with a member of the US International team who mentioned how large NRA target rings are compared to ISSF targets.

The only time brass distracted me was when a USAMU shooter was hitting me with brass and I realized it was all in one spot and if I could just shoot with my left hand holding open my shirt pocket I could catch a lot of once shot Starline 45 ACP brass.

Greetings,

A fellow shooter that was on the US Team training at Colorado responded to my criticism of others making noise while I was still trying to finish my string.

He said that during training they would rattle metal chairs and make other noise to teach the shooter to mentally block out the distraction.

Personally, I do not embrace that practice. I feel that it is good manners to let the other shooters to fire without distraction.

From the NRA Precision Pistol Rule Book....

9.27 Disorderly Conduct - Disorderly conduct or intoxication
is strictly prohibited on the range and anyone guilty of same will
be expelled from the range. Expelled competitors will be disquali-
fied from the competition with no return of entry fees.


10.2 Range Courtesy - (a) Loud Language - Loud or abusive language will not be
permitted. Competitors, scorers, and Range Officers will
limit their conversation directly behind the firing line to
official business.


Cheers,

Dave,  RCB

With plugs and muffs on my ears to save what hearing I have left, I can't hear well enough to carry on a conversation.  I can hear range commands.

1. As a competitor, definitely guilty at times
2. As a match official, I try to ask people to tone it down. Depends on the venue and how many people, etc.
3. As a competitor, it's your responsibility to tune it out
4. As a match official, it's my responsibility to tone it down
5. As a former ISSF competitor who has competed all across the world, that new finals cowbell and music bullsh*t is exactly that. It doesn't have to be a cathedral, but let people shoot FFS.

All great points.

Curious, does your viewpoint change if it’s a weekly practice league vs a full 2700 / regional / national event?

smdial wrote:All great points.

Curious, does your viewpoint change if it’s a weekly practice league vs a full 2700 / regional / national event?

My viewpoint does not change, since practice conditions should be as close as possible to match events. 

On a side note, if the practice league is submitting scores, then it is a sanctioned league, not a practice league.

smdial wrote:I shot an ISSF match with them playing music and talking and cheering. I commented that it’s louder than I typically experience at nra matches. They laughed and said the NRA stands for not real athletes.

Find a respectable sport (not golf. Real sport) where fans are quiet with no distractions.

Should I complain if someone’s brass hits me during rapid fire?  It’s part of it.

Tennis and archery are some other sports where the spectators are expected to remain quiet. 

My question was what is expected of precision pistol shooters and spectators, as well as match directors.

I'd like a quiet firing line at IHMSA matches, but it's never been an expectation. More than once a good conversation in the background has pulled my attention away from making good shots anywhere from 25yds to 200m. Especially when engaged in one of the Standing categories. After nearly thirty years of such, it's become just part of the process. 

Bullseye matches do seem quieter, but there's usually more folk on the firing line actively shooting than is typical in metallic silhouette.

One of the worst distractions I've had was a fellow next to me using WD-40 to spray down his pistol often during the match. The mist, drifting my way was hard to endure.

I also dislike it when there are sidebar conversations during slow fire.  As a result, I now turn off my electronic ears during SF and that solves the problem.  For some reason, during sustained fire my focus is obviously much better as after the commands I hear NOTHING besides my own gun fire - no one else's gunfire.  Kinda weird but good.

jmoore wrote:I'd like a quiet firing line at IHMSA matches, but it's never been an expectation. More than once a good conversation in the background has pulled my attention away from making good shots anywhere from 25yds to 200m. Especially when engaged in one of the Standing categories. After nearly thirty years of such, it's become just part of the process. 

Bullseye matches do seem quieter, but there's usually more folk on the firing line actively shooting than is typical in metallic silhouette.

Especially when their complaining about holding 8 clicks left on their turkeys and you subconscious says”hear that!?”