Team Competitions

[Christel]

Having never competed within the shooting world I do not know the rules regarding a team competing.

Does know at the Imperial (purely using this as an example) when the Australian Team turns up to compete, do all team members compete equally? Or is there a selection going on even after having arrived?

[GazMorris]

Having never competed within the shooting world I do not know the rules regarding a team competing.

Does know at the Imperial (purely using this as an example) when the Australian Team turns up to compete, do all team members compete equally? Or is there a selection going on even after having arrived?

Hi Christel,

The short answer is that there's usually an ongoing selection process. Until you're on the point shooting in the team match then your place in the team isn't assured because teams nearly always bring more shooters and coaches than they need in case of a broken rifle, someone having a bad couple of days, a rifle not liking the ammo, illness etc... In the individual competitions, they all compete on an equal footing (generally; although sometimes there are exceptions to this.)

For something like a Palma Team, the selection process can take two years. For GB, it goes something like this:

1) 24 - 30 months before the match, the captain issues an invitation for applications to join the squad. 50-ish shooters and 6-8 coaches are invited to trial
2) 2 or 3 trials are held towards the end of the season and based on the results about a third of the shooters get dropped
3) The next season about 4 trials are held. At the end of this time, the final team of about 18 shooters and 4 coaches is picked
4) The team goes on tour and based on individual results and in warmup team matches, the final team of 16 shooters is picked and announced 48 hours before the match

Cheers,

Gaz

[rox]

Does know at the Imperial (purely using this as an example) when the Australian Team turns up to compete, do all team members compete equally? Or is there a selection going on even after having arrived?

A Squad will arrive. Usually all will compete in individual events. Teams of the appropriate size composition are selected for each team match, then are beaten by GB.

ok ok, they won the Mackinnon this year, by 'dividing and conquering' us as home nations.

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[Christel]

sign92 GazMorris and Rox,

So one can really only excel in the shooting event as an individual like Stephen Donaldson is doing at Raton at the moment or in the individual events. Or hope everything is in favour for being selected in shooting for the team at the last moment.

[rox]

So one can really only excel in the shooting event as an individual like Stephen Donaldson is doing at Raton at the moment or in the individual events. Or hope everything is in favour for being selected in shooting for the team at the last moment.

I don't fully understand the question. Steve *is* shooting in the individual events. Team members are also shooting in the individual events. Team members may be selected for the international team match.

In other words:

If you travel as a member a particular squad you can shoot in the individual events (like the ones in the Imperial, or the individual phase of the F Class or TR World Championships). Also, if you are selected for a particular team match you can shoot in the team for that match.

If you travel to a meeting as an individual (i.e. you are not part of a team/squad) then you can shoot in the individual events (like the ones in the Imperial, or the individual phase of the F Class or TR World Championships).


The above applies to travelling national teams and official international matches. Some meetings may have team matches that allow 'scratch' teams, where there are no specific qualifications to form a team and teams are formed from arbitrary groups of individuals present at the meeting (for example the Opening Shot and Closing Shot at the Imperial, and I think the team match in the US F Class Nationals). Other teams may be formed on the basis of county, home nation etc. In the case of events like a World F Class team match, or the Palma match, I'm sure the rules will dictate that teams will be comprised of members from a squad sanctioned by a national governing body.

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[Christel]

I guess what I mean is ... your own shooting ability is not the only factor that plays a role in how well you do.

[rox]

I guess what I mean is ... your own shooting ability is not the only factor that plays a role in how well you do.

Well no, it's your own ability relative to the others in the competition. On second thoughts, it isn't ability at all. It's performance.

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[Christel]

So if one really wanted to excel the conclusion is then that one would be better off going to a competition as an individual than as a team member.

[rox]

So if one really wanted to excel the conclusion is then that one would be better off going to a competition as an individual than as a team member.

I can see no reason why. What makes you think that?

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[GazMorris]

So one can really only excel in the shooting event as an individual like Stephen Donaldson is doing at Raton at the moment or in the individual events. Or hope everything is in favour for being selected in shooting for the team at the last moment.

Ah, I think i understand the question.

There is usually a rule which dictates that you can only shoot in an International Match if you're an accredited member of a competing international team. So if you weren't picked for the touring team, you're not eligible to shoot in the international team matches, no matter how well you've done as an individual. This varies between countried and disciplines and I don't know how it works in F-TR/F-Open.

Is that more the question?

Gaz

PS - Now I thought that I understood the question, I've just seen the latest exchange and I've clearly not understood the question!