2024 NRL22 RULES AND REGULATIONS

Official 2024 Rules and Regulations as written by the NRL22 commission.

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MISSION

The goal of the NRL22 is to make Precision Rifle shooting more available to every community. The NRL22 understands that the shooting community is fascinated with Precision Rifle, but most localities are not fortunate enough to have a 1000-yard range. However, nearly all localities have access to 100-yard ranges and most competitors own a 22 rifle. The monthly course of fire, NRL22 Standard Target Package and standard barricades are all intended to be turnkey solutions to simple, fun and affordable Precision Rifle matches. Local clubs may use and submit scores for the monthly courses of fire to compete with the entire country. Additionally, local club’s Match Directors are encouraged to run supplemental courses of fire as well. We recommend tailoring additional courses of fire to the taste of your competitors. Longer ranges, more complicated barricades, run and gun, easier or harder additional courses of fire are just a few ways that you can expand your matches. Please share your creativity with the NRL22 community, as it just may show up in next month’s course of fire for the entire country to shoot! Have fun, stay safe, and if ever there was an opportunity to take a kid shooting, THIS IS IT!!!

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The goal of this document is to provide maximum safety to all participants, while providing standard rules to follow without limiting the fun and safe learning environment for new competitors.

Directory for the 2024 NRL22 SEASON

Section 1: NRL22 Organization and Responsibilities

A. Executive Staff
B. Support Staff

Section 2: Safety

A. General Rifle Safety
B. Rifle Safety While at a NRL22 Match
C. Rifle Safety During Your Stage
D. Safety Violations and Penalties

Section 3: Local NRL22 Match Format

A. NRL22’s Responsibilities
B. Competitor’s Responsibilities
C. Match Director’s Responsibilities
D. Range Officer’s Responsibilities
E. Specific Competition Rules

Section 4: National Championship Match Format, Date, Location, and Qualification

A. National Championship Rules
B. National Championship Match, Date, Location, and Qualification

Section 5: Rifle Rules, Divisions, Classifications, and Scoring

A. Rifle Rules
B. Divisions
C. Classifications
D. Equipment and Positional Shooting
E. Scoring

Section 6: Sportsmanship

A. Good Sportsmanship
B. Unsportsmanlike Conduct
C. Cheating
D. Penalties for Unsportsmanlike Conduct and Cheating

Addendum

1. Tank Trap Plans
2. Tank Trap Anatomy
3. Rooftop Plans
4. NRL22 Pyramid

SECTION 1: NRL22 ORGANIZATION AND RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Executive Staff.

The NRL22 has an Executive staff whose responsibilities include day to day operations, media, match operations, logistics, marketing and finances. The President appoints the Executive staff. For the 2024 season, the Executive staff is as follows:

1. President / Media Director  –  Travis Ishida
2. Executive Director / Co-Founder  –  Tyler Frehner
3. Marketing Director / Financial Analyst  –  Brittney Weldon
4. Co-Director of Match Operations – Dominic Thompson
5. Co-Director of Match Operations – Levi Sanderson

B. Support Staff

The NRL22 has a support staff whose responsibilities include all things match related. Rules, course of fire, equipment, and Match Director support. The Executive Director appoints the Support staff. For the 2024 season, the Support staff is as follows:

1. Janae Frehner
2. Lynn Bigelow
3. Paul Dallin

SECTION 2: SAFETY

A. General Rifle Safety

1. Always point your rifle in a safe direction. Never point a rifle at anything you don’t intend to kill or destroy.
2. Always keep your rifle unloaded until ready to use. Treat all rifles as though they are loaded even if you believe otherwise.
3. Keep your finger out of the trigger guard until you are ready to fire.
4. Know your target and what is beyond.
5. It is always recommended to wear proper eye and ear protection and ensure others have the same before firing.
6. Never use alcohol or drugs while shooting.
7. Individual Range safety rules always supersede NRL22 rules.

B. Rifle Safety While at an NRL22 Match

1. Due to the many different types of 22 rifles, chamber flags are essential equipment to quickly ensure rifles are in a safe condition. NRL22 will take many steps to ensure that chamber flags are easily obtainable and available.
2. NRL22 competitions are always cold ranges. All rifles are to be unloaded, with magazines out, or empty and actions open. Rifles shall only be loaded, or magazines inserted when directed by the Range Officers. Chamber flags shall be utilized and kept in the action until directed to be removed by the Range Officer.
3. Ground rifles in a proper rifle rack, or wherever the Range Officer/Match Director designates as a safe location and direction.
4. Rifles with removable magazines must be used. Rifles with fixed tubular magazines are not allowed as they are more difficult to make safe.
5. When moving to another shooting location, always ensure the rifle is pointed in a safe direction.

C. Rifle Safety During Your Stage

1. Always wait for the Range Officer’s command to “load and make ready” before you remove your chamber flag and insert magazine.
2. Stages always begin with magazine in and bolt to the rear unless specifically directed by the stage description. If a rifle is unable to keep the bolt back to the rear, such as a semi-automatic, then the rifle must have an empty chamber.
3. Any movement or barricade transition must be done with the action open and an empty chamber. The only exception to this rule will be with the use of semi-automatic rifles but only at the approval of the Match Director. If the MD allows this, the competitor must engage the safety, and yell “safe” loud enough for the RO to hear with ear protection.
4. During movement, the 180 rule must always be adhered to.The 180 rule refers to only pointing the rifle within 90 degrees of straight forward. There may be stages when the Match Director reduces or exceeds the 180 degree rule based on unique range layouts but the muzzle must always be pointed within the 180 degree rule or no further than the area between the left-most engageable target and the right-most engageable target. Always follow directions and be aware of where you are pointing your rifle. NRL22 monthly matches are intended to be an environment for learning and growth, however safety is the most important part of being a competitor in the shooting sports so it is recommended that Match Directors and Range Officers use 120 degrees as the goal for safe manipulation of the rifle.
5. Sky-bolting is never allowed during a match. Sky-bolting refers to when a competitor closes the bolt before they are looking through their scope and on target. The bolt must only be closed when the competitor is directly behind the scope and on the target.
6. Competitors must have positive control of their rifle. Failure to maintain positive control while the bolt is closed will result in a match DQ. Failure to maintain positive control, while the bolt is open and rearward, resulting in the rifle making contact with the ground will result in a stage DQ. Incidents such as this will result in a stage DQ on the first offense and a match DQ for a second offense. If additional safety rules were broken such as breaking the 180 degree rule, flagging someone, or a negligent discharge, then that will result in an immediate match DQ regardless of the position of the bolt or condition of the rifle. 

D. Safety Violations and Penalties

1. Violation of the cold range rule: Any competitor who has violated the cold range rule shall be issued a warning. A second violation will result in a stage zero. Next violation will result in a match DQ and removal from competition. This includes a live round in the chamber, magazine inserted, a closed action, or chamber flag not being used.
2. Muzzling and/or violating the 180 rule: Muzzling or flagging is pointing or sweeping another person’s body with the muzzle of a rifle. There will be no warning of this unsafe act. If any competitor muzzles any other attendee, that action shall result in match DQ and removal from competition. It will be the duty of the RO to inform the MD of the infraction, and the MD’s call to issue the match DQ.
3. Unsafe transitioning: Transitioning on a barricade, movement without having the action open, or sky-bolting will result in the Range Officer having the competitor correct the situation, then move back to the previous firing position before resuming the course of fire. A second violation will result in a zero for the stage. A third will result in the competitor getting a match DQ and removal from competition. If the match allows for Semi-Automatic rifles to move with a closed bolt with the safety engaged, the same rule applies if the competitor does not either engage the safety and/or yell “safe”.
4. Negligent Discharge (ND). A Negligent Discharge is defined as any round unintentionally discharged from a firearm during a transition, movement, and/or weapons manipulation; or a round intentionally discharged during a ceasefire period. The competitor shall receive a match DQ and removal from competition.
5. Accidental Discharge/Mechanical Failure (AD). An Accidental Discharge is defined as any round unintentionally discharged from a firearm due to a mechanical failure. The participant will be removed from the event until he or she can repair the rifle to safe working order. All stages and points will be forfeited during this down time.
6. False Starts. Firing before the start signal will result in a zero for the stage.
7. If a Match Director judges a competitor to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol during competition, the competitor will receive a match DQ and be removed from competition. The competitor will not be allowed to drive from the competition while still intoxicated.
8. In the event of a match disqualification regardless of points already earned on previous stages, the competitor will earn zero points for the entire match and the Match Director will submit the competitor’s score.

SECTION 3: NRL22 LOCAL MATCH FORMAT

Special Note: It is not the intention of NRL22 to tell any local club how to conduct their matches. Most of the below information is to be utilized as a guide if that club is new. The exception are the rules with an “ * ”. These rules are to be followed as closely as possible if that club wants to be included in the National competition.

A. NRL22’s Responsibilities

1. * The NRL22 will provide a local monthly course of fire. The local monthly course of fire will always be a total of 5 stages. It will be distributed one week before the intended month (example: the December 2024 Course of Fire will be released November 24th, 2024) and will only be run during that month. Because the course of fire is known to all, it can be practiced, and allows clubs to have their Match Directors and Range Officers participate with no advantage. Because those 5 stages will be the same across the nation, all clubs will be able to participate in a larger nationwide competition. The local monthly course of fire will always have 5 stages which may consist of prone, barricades, positional or a combination of any 3. To help accommodate clubs of different experience or wants, each stage will have 2 options. Option 1 will be 100 yards or closer and utilize the NRL22 Standard Target Package and standard barricade list. Option 1 is considered to be the standard Course of Fire. Option 2 will be more “advanced”. Option 2 could have various modifications to the stage such as, but not limited to, reduced times, magazine changes, additional positions, or targets that are further than 100 yards but will not exceed 200 yards. Option 2 will not utilize the NRL22 Standard Target Package and it will be up to the Match Director to acquire additional targets. The Match Director will choose to set up each stage as either Option 1 or Option 2 so that the entire club is shooting the same targets at the same distances. Option 2 may be used in one or multiple stages or not at all. Most steel targets will be 10 points per hit with some exceptions and each month’s 5 stage course of fire will not be less than 500 points. One of these 5 stages will be designated as a timed stage to help reduce ties.
2.  * The NRL22 has designed a Standard Target Package. The NRL22 Standard Target Package may be purchased on the NRL22’s web page. The NRL22 web page will also have the Standard Target Package plans available for free if anyone should choose to make the Standard Target Package themselves. If the Match Director utilizes option 1 for the entire course of fire, the NRL22 Standard Target Package will provide enough targets so that all 5 stages can be shot at the same time by different squads. The NRL22 Standard Target Package is: ¼”, ½”, ¾”, 1” KYL Targets, 2×1″, 3x 1 ½”, 3x 2”, 3x 2 ½” 3x 3”, 4”, 5” and 6” circles all constructed of ¼” AR 500 steel, along with 12 target hangers all constructed of 3/16” AR 500 steel.
3. * The NRL22 will provide a Standard Barricade List for the 2024 season. These items will be utilized sporadically in different monthly courses of fire, so new clubs do not need to obtain the barricades listed until they show up in a monthly course of fire.The standard barricade list is: 6 foot A-frame ladder, 5 gallon plastic bucket, 2 gallon plastic bucket, 3 cinder blocks measuring 8”x8”x16” , 10 feet of any rope, a folding chair with an open back , 3 used pickup truck tires that can be obtained for free at any tire store or junk yard (overall diameter between 28-32”), a 55 gallon plastic drum, a saw horse with a shelf on the bottom, a tank trap, a rooftop with a suggested minimum pitch of 4/12, a tripod with a suggested minimum rating of holding 35 lbs. and the maximum (fully extended) height must be 50” or more, and a NRL22 Pyramid (a cut sheet is available to download and located in match director assets on the NRL22.org website).
4. * The NRL22 will gather and publish local monthly match scores from all participating clubs for a flat fee of $35 per month per club. This will allow every club’s participating competitors to be able to compete with every participating competitor in the entire nation every month. The NRL22 will utilize the local monthly scores to track who qualifies for the NRL22 National Championship Match and as one way to distribute sponsor’s prizes. Match Directors will be required to submit scores to the NRL22 if they are using the current month’s published course of fire to host a match. Submitted scores will not be processed from a club that did not register their club for the current season. The NRL22 will track scores for every competitor that competes in a match, however only the scores of members with a current NRL22 membership will be published.
5. * The NRL22 will publish and update a leaderboard throughout each week as scores are submitted so members can see how they are performing across the nation. The leaderboard will be used for invites to the National Championship as written in Section 4. B. 2. The leaderboard functions as follows: Each month the NRL22 publishes a course of fire. The leaderboard will track each member’s top score in each division, for each course of fire published, based on percentage of the overall match winner’s score. The member’s top 6 courses of fire (months) will be tallied together to give the member’s score for the leaderboard. NRL22 matches must have a minimum of 5 competitors to be counted towards the leaderboard; however, all matches regardless of size are eligible to earn classification credits.
6. * NRL22 membership will be valid for both NRL22 and NRL22X Leagues. Competitors will have a 7 day grace period following each match to purchase or renew their NRL22 membership for the current season. Due to the NRL22 National Championship occurring after the points race for the upcoming season has already begun, an extended grace period beginning with the first eligible match of the new season through 30 days following the previous season’s NRL22 National Championship will be honored. i.e. Approximately the first 60-90 days of each season depending on the season beginning/end dates and the date of the National Championship. Memberships for the upcoming season purchased prior to the deadline for the extended grace period will have all scores accumulated for the upcoming season retroactively applied to the upcoming season’s standings. NRL22 membership shall be $60 for adults and $25 for Young Guns.
7. The NRL22 will shop for and promote sponsors through media efforts. Sponsor’s donated prizes will be distributed every month by that sponsor’s wishes. NRL22 will do a monthly YouTube Live show to award prizes. Members will get their name entered into the random drawing every time they shoot a match throughout the month. Winners will be notified by email and social media of the prizes they have won. (Example: Product X wishes for their prize to go to the top overall competitor. Every club’s top overall competitor will be put in a random number generator and awarded that prize.)

B. Competitor’s Responsibilities

1. Competitors will treat Match Directors and Range Officers with respect at all times. From time to time, disagreements arise between competitors and match officials. This is fine, so long as mutual respect and calm communication occurs. The Match Directors ruling is always final.
2. All participants in NRL22 matches are looked upon as Safety Officers. Any participant that witnesses an unsafe act is to call for a ceasefire and stop the unsafe act. The participant should then inform the closest Range Officer of the act.
3. It is the competitor’s responsibility to know the NRL22 Rules and Regulations prior to a competition.
4. Competitors should actively participate in any stage briefing to move the shoot along smoothly.
5. Competitors shall understand that at the beginning of the stage, when asked by the Range Officer “ Do you understand the course of fire?” If they give an affirmative answer, that will be their last opportunity to get clarification. Because of this, arguments that they did not understand anything about the stage or its targets are invalid.
6. Competitors should be good squad mates by helping police brass, helping Range Officers when directed, and providing coaching to other competitors after their stage is complete. Help setting up and taking down the match is also a big help to the club.
7. Members may participate in multiple different clubs in one month and will earn a random draw entry for every match attended; however, members will only be entered into the winner drawing once per month. Shooting multiple entries in the same match is not allowed.
8. Sponsors are very important to the NRL22. It is encouraged that the competitor writes emails or utilizes social media to thank the sponsors that supported the competition.

C. Match Director’s Responsibilities

1. Match Directors are responsible for the overall direction of a match. He or she is the person in charge at that event.
2. The monthly course of fire is intended to be as inclusive as possible for as many communities as possible and to provide an avenue for each locality to compete in the larger national match for prizes, points, and qualification. Each monthly course of fire is only 5 stages. Local Match Directors are encouraged to run additional stages with maximum creativity suited to their range and competitor’s tastes. Perhaps run and gun, pistol, or longer range is what your club likes. Please share your favorite stages with the NRL22 community on social media.
3. Match Directors must have a scoring system that allows for quick tabulation of points and must allow competitors to see their scores after the stage. If utilizing paper scoring, rain should be accounted for. If using electronic scoring, failure of equipment and battery life should be accounted for and paper backup should be available. The use of tablets is highly encouraged. It allows for accurate and timely tabulation of scores, without manually calculating scores. Additionally, the use of tablets allows for the Match Director to verify any alterations to scores and to quickly submit scores to the NRL22 and for competitors to see their raw score.
4. * Match Directors shall provide no less than a 30-minute sight in period to zero your rifle. If the Match Director choses to, he/she can have multiple targets at various distances for competitors to verify and/or gather D.O.P.E. (Data on previous engagements); however, this is not mandatory. Note, it is not the Match Director’s responsibility to provide targets for this period but may do so if he or she chooses to.
5. * Match Directors must provide match scores within 7 days after the end of the match and pay the score tracking fee if they are utilizing the NRL22 COF, advertising their match as a NRL22 match, and have NRL22 members that attended their match. NRL22 strives to update classifications and the points race for members as soon as possible. Scores received after 7 days may lead to adjustments in classifications and additional reprocessing activities and therefore will be handled on a case by case basis and may incur a late submission fee. To ensure integrity and transparency of the points race for members, no exceptions will be made for scores submitted beyond 30 days after the date of the match.
6. *At the beginning of the season, the club’s Match Director must log onto the NRL22 web site to register or renew their club and pay the $20 annual club fee. This money will be used to create and maintain club information on the NRL22 web site. The web site will also be updated so that new competitors can search for clubs close to them or in any area of the country.
7. *Match Directors will only submit scores of competitors who attended and competed in their match. If a competitor leaves mid-match for any reason and has competed in any NRL22 stage, then those points earned will be submitted as the competitors final score.
8. If a Match Director chooses to use Practiscore to calculate scores, then he/she will not mark a competitor as DQ within Practiscore if the competitor did not attend the match. It is recommended that the Match Director delete all no-show competitors from the match on the Practiscore app prior to syncing to all other devices.
9. Sponsors are very important to the NRL22. Match Directors are encouraged to pass along an email to all competitors after the competition with the email address for every sponsor for thank you notes.

D. Range Officer’s Responsibilities

1. Range Officers are any person assisting in running a competition, not including the Match Director. They can be the person running a stage, a spotter, the sign in person, or anyone that the Match Director acknowledged, as working the match.
2. Range Officers should understand all Rules and Regulations prior to the start of the competition to ensure the safety of all participants. Any Range Officer witnessing unsafe acts shall call ceasefire and correct the unsafe act as soon as possible.
3. Range Officers that are running a stage shall have complete knowledge of the stage that they are responsible for. They shall conduct a stage briefing for all competitors prior to each stage and assist in target location on stages that allow for prior target knowledge. After the stage briefing, the squad will have 5 minutes to prep before the first competitor is called. Once the stage begins, the Range Officer shall run every competitor through that stage as close to the same as humanly possible. Match Directors shall ensure that Range Officers utilize standard commands at their competition. (Encouraged standard commands are as follows: “competitor, do you understand the course of fire?” If no questions are asked, then “competitor clear to load and make ready”. Once the competitor makes his or her rifle ready, “Competitor ready?” Once an affirmative is obtained, “Stand by,” then the start tone should follow.
4. Range Officers that are serving as spotters are responsible for calling hits or misses. Utilization of standard calls is encouraged. Standard calls are “impact” or “impact left target” or “reengage”. Spotters should use loud clear voices when calling stages. Calling wind and D.O.P.E. corrections during the stage is not allowed for seasoned competitors but NRL22 is intended to be a friendly environment for beginners to learn the sport of precision rifle so it is encouraged for new competitors. “New competitors” is a term that is not strictly defined, however it is generally recommended to be competitors who are shooting their first or second NRL22 match.
5. Impacts on a target only count when the actual steel target is hit. Depending on the manufacturer, a target may have a small piece of steel where the target stand goes through, that part is still considered the target. In addition, the stem of a KYL is considered part of the target but impacts near the hinge or the crossbar are not allowed. Impacts on target hangers, stands, and/or straps will not count as an impact. If a target moves after a shot has been fired, then that shot will be recorded as an impact, unless the Range Officer is able to clearly determine that the impact was not made on the steel target but rather the target hanger/stand/strap. If a range officer determines that a competitor is intentionally shooting the hinge or crossbar of a KYL rack, this activity can be deemed as cheating and is grounds for match DQ.
6. Anytime a Range Officer is not able to settle a grievance presented by a competitor, he or she shall request the Match Director to make the final judgment.
7. Range Officers will ensure that the competitor’s chamber is cleared, magazine removed, and chamber flag/block inserted prior to the competitor moving their rifle off the firing line/prop.
8. It is highly recommended to have separate people spotting impacts and running the tablet. Ideally the spotter will have a mechanical, thumb operated, clicker counter to tally impacts while the other individual is recording the result of each shot on the tablet. Upon completion of the competitor’s allotted time, the spotter should confirm the number of impacts with the person operating the tablet. This process minimizes errors and ensures the spotter can watch for safety and concentrate on accurate impact calls.

E. Specific Competition Rules

1. The NRL22 monthly course of fire will always have 5 stages which may consist of prone, barricades, positional or a combination of any 3.
2. Seasoned competitors will only be allowed to take a position on any prop while on the clock and while shooting the stage. This will ensure that they don’t gain an advantage and helps to move the match along; however, the NRL22 is intended to be a friendly environment for beginners to learn the sport. Therefore touching the props and getting tips on building a stable shooting position is encouraged for newer competitors. “New competitors” is a term that is not strictly defined, however it is generally recommended to be competitors who are shooting their first or second NRL22 match. Everything within Section 3. E. 2. is at the discretion of the Match Director.
3. Shooting props cannot be moved nor positioned in a different manner unless the stage description clearly states to do so unless it must be repositioned to ensure it is safe for use. Bringing additional props onto a stage such as chairs, buckets, range equipment, etc. may not be used to assist the competitor in shooting a stage.
4. When shooting off any prop/barricade, the rifle must be primarily supported by said prop/barricade. 
5. Targets that are part of the competition will not be engaged to check DOPE nor practice.
6. Mulligans of any kind will not be allowed at NRL22 monthly matches.
7. The timed stage will be conducted as follows:
   1. The Range Officer shall, at a minimum, utilize a simple stop watch that can time down to a tenth of a second . (0.1 seconds, if a shot timer is not available.)
   2. The time starts when the Range Officer says “start” or “engage” which also starts the stage.
   3. After the last shot is fired, the Range Officer will stop the timer.
   4. The Range Officer records the time down to the tenth of a second. Rounding down or up is not required. If the total time elapsed is 119.29 then 119.2 should be recorded. If a shot timer is used then the Range Officer will make every attempt to capture the last shot on the shot timer.
   5. 0.1 bonus points shall be awarded for each second remaining.
   6. Example: The course of fire is 120 seconds with 10 target engagements. The competitor hits all 10 targets for 100 points. The course of fire was completed in 111.3 seconds. The competitor is awarded 0.87 bonus points for time remaining. The competitor’s score for the stage would be 100.87.
8. Shots taken up to 0.30 seconds after the clock are still eligible for points. The competitor is granted a buffer time of 0.30 seconds, this means that if the last shot registers as 120.30 then the competitor will be granted that point. The buffer of 0.30 seconds applies to all stages if a shot timer is used. 
9. Reshoots shall only be permitted in the event of an interruption of the stage that was outside the control of the competitor. This includes target failure, called ceasefires for any reason not caused by the competitor, a broken prop, or any other reason outside of the competitors control deemed reasonable by the Match Director. Target failure is defined as a target falling off the stand or stuck to such a degree that the competitor does not have the same advantage as they did at the beginning of the stage. Reshoots will not be permitted for equipment malfunctions unless the firearm was provided as a loaner rifle by the club/Match Director. Reshoots will not be permitted for competitors who claim to have not understood the stage description/target engagements after the stage begins (stage begins when time has been started), nor permitted due to variations or irregularities in the Range Officer’s commands. Competitors who are granted a reshoot must reshoot the stage in the same manner with the exact same equipment. With Match Director approval, the Range Officer can give a competitor the option for a reshoot without having been asked by the competitor if the Range Officer observes an incident which hindered the competitor. The competitor can request a reshoot if he/she believes one is warranted but only under the aforementioned circumstances. The competitor will have a period of two minutes to explain their grievance to the Range Officer. The Range Officer will then contact the Match Director to determine if a reshoot will be granted. The score on the reshoot will be the only score used. There are two types of reshoots available to the competitor: 
   1. A Full Reshoot – which means the competitor will run the entire stage over from start to finish. 
   2. A Partial Reshoot – which means the competitor is placed in the exact same position they were in at the time of the stoppage and will have the exact amount of time placed back on the clock which was remaining at the time of the stoppage. The remaining time will start within 10 seconds of the competitor getting into position. If either the position or the time remaining cannot be determined, the competitor must take a full reshoot.

SECTION 4: NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH FORMAT, DATE, LOCATION, and QUALIFICATION

A. National Championship Match Rules

1. The NRL22 National Championship match shall consist of at least 190 rounds fired, and at least 18 individual stages. Having a sight in and D.O.P.E. gathering time is mandatory. Targets shall be at distance for competitors to gather elevation and environmental data.
2. The National Championship match will not release any information regarding stages or props beforehand.
3. It is recommended that no single stage should be worth 1.5 times over the amount of another stage within the match. Additionally, a stage in which a single shot removes all points without the opportunity to earn any back is discouraged.
4. It is understood that many ranges operate for profit and shutting a range down is not possible. Also, that train ups assist in profits for the range. Therefore, shooting at the range prior to a competition is allowed. Shooting on the range’s props is also allowed. However, shooting specific stages before the competition must not be allowed for any reason. For these reasons, it is important that the Match Director be involved or at least has knowledge of events taking place at the range prior to his or her competition so having common stages and/or course of fire does not occur.
5. No National Championship competitor may be allowed to assist in forming the stages, course of fire, or assist in setup of the match. Range Officers and the Match Director are all dedicated to that event and shall not participate in the match.
6. There will be a tiebreaker stage at the National Championship Match. The tiebreaker stage will be designated as such in the competitor booklet. The tie breaker will be conducted in the same fashion as the monthly timed stage. In the event of a tie, the Match Director shall have the competitors repeat the tie breaker stage until the tie is broken.
7. Competitors may only participate in one division at the National Championship. This means the competitor is only eligible to win their division they signed up for. For example, if a female competitor signs up to shoot in the Open division, then she will only be able to win the Open division.

B. National Championship Match Date, Location, and Qualification

1. The NRL22 will be responsible for conducting a National Championship match at the end of the season. The National Championship will take place June 21-23, 2024 in Frederic, WI and will be hosted by Justin Carbone and Ruth Soucie. Further specific details will be disclosed closer to the match date.
2. 45% of the National Championship match participants will come from NRL22, 45% will come from NRL22X, and 10% from international NRL22 clubs. The NRL22 Executive Staff will determine the number of invites from each division and will extend invites to the National Championship based on the competitor’s overall standing on the NRL22 leaderboard. With the exception of Open Division, this allocation will include at a minimum no less than a proportional number of invites per division based on overall participation after removing competitors who accepted an invite via NRL22X. (example: if 100 spots are available to NRL22 competitors and the season’s participation levels after removing the NRL22X invites is 50% Open, 10% Young Guns, 10% Ladies, 10% OG, 10% Air Rifle, and 10% Base, then no less than 10% of the invites will be extended to each of those divisions before extending additional invites to open.)
3. Invites will be distributed based on season participation and season performance in each division. Therefore competitors must compete in the division for which they accepted the invite.
4. NRL22 will allocate 10% of the invites and inform the international clubs on how many invites are awarded to international competitors.. International NRL22 clubs will be responsible to determine which competitors will attend from their country.
5. The NRL22 Series National Champion in each division and the rest of the rankings will be determined by combining each competitor’s leaderboard score with the National Championship match points. The National Championship match will be worth double points.

SECTION 5: RIFLE RULES, DIVISIONS, CLASSIFICATIONS, and SCORING

A. Rifle Rules

1. Rifles must be chambered in .22 Long Rifle. This cartridge is the most common and available rimfire cartridge. At these ranges it also most closely mimics centerfire cartridges at Precision Rifle. 17 HMR, 22 Magnum and like rimfires cartridges are not allowed.
2. Any .22 Long Rifle chambered rifle may be used, however, rifles with removable magazines must be used. Rifles with fixed tubular magazines are not allowed as they are more difficult to make safe.
3. Any scope, iron sights, or electronic sights may be used. However, magnified rifle scopes with externally adjustable turrets and reticles designed to assist in holdover and measurement are highly recommended.
4. Competitors may participate in the Air Rifle, Young Guns, Open, Old Guns, Adaptive, or Ladies division with an Air Rifle provided they meet the other requirements for the division they choose to compete in.
5. Competitors may only utilize one rifle in a competition. If a breakage occurs, the competitor must get permission from the Match Director before using a different rifle.

B. Divisions

NRL22 monthly matches have seven divisions – Open, Base, Young Guns, Ladies, Air Rifle, Old Guns, and Adaptive.

1. Competitors must pick one division to shoot at the beginning of a local monthly shoot or the National Championship. The competitor is only eligible for placement in the division in which they signed up. For example, if a female competitor with a base rifle signs up for Ladies division and wins the entire shoot, she will only be recognized for the placement in the division in which she signed up for. In this example, that would be the Ladies division.
2. Open is for any competitor that does not meet the criteria of Base, Young Guns, Ladies , Old Guns, or Air Rifle division.
3. Base division is intended to be budget oriented. Any rifle system that comes in under or at a combined MSRP of $1300, as listed on the manufacturer’s website, shall be eligible to compete in Base division.
   1. This combined MSRP price is for the rifle and scope only. It excludes scope rings and bases, bipods, suppressors, data card holders, magazines, spare magazine holders, auto bolt releases, aftermarket triggers, extended magazine releases, weight kits, hand grips, bolt knobs, and barrel tuners – these examples are considered accessories to the rifle.
   2. Factory barrels may be threaded to accept a suppressor.
   3. Base rifles must remain in their factory configured stock. If a barreled action is removed from the factory stock and placed in an aftermarket stock not available by the manufacturer and not available as an option to purchase as a complete rifle or chassis, then that rifle will be classified as an Open division rifle. The only authorized adjustments to the rifle stock/chassis itself are as follows: adjustments to the stock to get proper cheek weld and bedding of the stock. Any questions regarding what is considered an acceptable adjustment to the stock please email matches@nrl22.org.
   4. Rails of any type utilized to mount a bipod may be added.
   5. Base division competitors should be mindful that manufacturers may change the MSRP of their products from time to time. Neither price changes nor discontinuations of products are the fault of the NRL22. However, the production status and MSRP on the first day of the season will be considered valid for the entire season. Additionally, left handed models identical in configuration to right handed models but with a higher MSRP will be recognized at the MSRP of the right handed version. Rifles and scopes that are out of production are difficult to check the MSRP. The NRL22 will not maintain a list of authorized rifles or scopes due to the dynamics of the ever-changing cycle of revised models, new products, and upgrades being released by manufacturers. 
   6. At sign in, the Match Director shall inspect the rifle and ensure that the combined MSRP comes in under $1300. If it goes over, the competitor shall compete in the Open division. It is difficult for local match directors to keep up with every detail. Base division competitors are encouraged to assist local Match Directors with ensuring Base division rifles appropriately fall into Base division. Match Directors are responsible for enforcing the Base division regulation matters when they arise on a case-by-case basis. For the National Championship, these rules will be followed to the letter. There will be a gunsmith or a representative from NRL22 board of directors present at the NRL22 National Championship for Base division rifle inspections.
4. Young Guns will be any competitor 17 years old or younger. Young Guns must be less than 18 years old (still 17 years old) on the first day of the season. A parent or guardian must be present with the competitor, who will take responsibility for the actions of the Young Gun. From time to time, the parent or guardian may need to assist the Young Gun with the firearm during a stage however the Young Gun must be acutely aware of safe and responsible firearm manipulation at all times. Verbal coaching is absolutely acceptable and encouraged. Calling shot placement corrections should be reserved until after the stage is complete however, this is acceptable during the stage for Young Guns that are newer to the sport. “Newer Young Guns” is a term that is not strictly defined, however it is generally recommended to be competitors who are shooting their first or second NRL22 match. Please note that NRL22 monthly matches are intended to be a friendly environment for learning and new competitors but NRL22X competitions and above will have stricter interpretations of this rule. Young Guns may sign up to compete in any other division instead of Young Guns, as long as they meet the requirements of that division.
5. Ladies division is for the female competitor. Alternatively, Ladies may sign up to compete in any other division as long as they meet the requirements of that division.
6. Air Rifle division is for competitors using a rifle that operates with compressed air to fire a pellet or slug. Projectiles cannot exceed 85 grains and must be .35 caliber or lower. Projectiles must be mass produced. Tethered tanks are not allowed. Alternatively, competitors using air rifles may sign up to compete in any other division as long as they meet the requirements of that division.
7. Old Guns (OG) division will be available to any competitor 60 years old and older. OGs may choose to compete in any other division as long as they meet the requirement of that division. OGs will shoot the same course of fire following the same stage instructions as all other competitors.
8. Adaptive division is an optional division that will be available to any competitor that has special needs/considerations severely limiting their ability to participate in the match as written. This division is intended to allow participation in the monthly NRL22 courses of fire for individuals who are no longer able to perform a significant amount of the motions published within the course of fire. A few examples would be competitors who have had spinal fusions preventing prone positions, or competitors who have declined mobility due to many years of living life to the fullest, or folks who have a passion for precision rifle but shooting the published course of fire would result in a long drive home in pain followed by another day or two of being stiff and sore. It is up to the Adaptive division participants to have reviewed the course of fire prior to the local match. An example would be utilizing a tripod and stool instead of shooting prone, or using a stool when shooting from the saw horse or tank trap tips. It is important to note that adaptations to the course of fire are only acceptable in the monthly NRL22 format and changes to the course of fire are not allowed in NRL22X nor in the NRL22 National Championship. Adaptive competitors with active NRL22 memberships will still be recognized for the monthly drawings but will be combined into the Old Guns division for the live show. Hosting the Adaptive division is solely at the discretion of the Match Director.

C. Classifications

1. Any match hosted within the NRL22’s umbrella of events has four classifications – Novice, Marksman, Sharpshooter, and Expert. Classifications are based on experience, participation, and skill. Classifications are intended to allow competitors to grow and track their progress through the sport. All competitors will be classified and classed up based on participation and performance at any match within the NRL22 umbrella of events that is submitted for score. NRL22 will display classification levels for all members.
2. Classifications will carry over from one season to the next. Throughout the season, competitors will continue to earn credits towards classing up to the next classification level. All competitors and their historical performance at NRL22 events will be assessed to properly classify new members as well as properly award current members for credits earned against non-member competitors. From time to time, skilled competitors with a lack of historical precedence in NRL22 events will be classed lower than expected however, the system is designed to allow these competitors to quickly ascend up into their proper classification.
3. Competitors will class up once they have reached the maximum number of credits allowed for that class. Credits earned will always start at zero for each class achieved. If a competitor earns more than the credits allowed within a class, they will still enter the new class with zero credits. Maximum credits are based on 2 years worth of accumulated credits. Credits older than 2 years will expire and will no longer count towards your class credits.
   
   Maximum credits allowed in each class are as follows:
   1. Expert – Unlimited
   2. Sharpshooter – 12 credits
   3. Marksman – 8 credits
   4. Novice – 6 credits
4. Earning Credits for Classing Up: Competitors will earn credits to class up by earning the high score or tying for the high score in their class, or by outscoring higher classed competitors. Credits will be distributed as follows:
   1. National Championship: The top 5 scores in each class will receive 4 credits; the 6th and 7th place scores in each class will receive 3 credits; the 8th and 9th place scores in each class will receive 2 credits; the 10th place score in each class will receive 1 credit.
   2. All other sanctioned events will award credits based on the number of competitors in each respective class at that event combined with any higher classed competitors that a competitor outscored.*
      1. Outscoring Higher Classed Competitors: Each competitor who outscores a higher classed competitor will receive 0.1 credits per higher classed competitor that they outscored.
      2. High Overall Credit: The competitor with the highest overall score for the entire event will earn 1 credit if the event has a minimum of 20 shooters, and there are less than 3 competitors in the high overall competitor’s class (or higher*). A competitor will only receive a credit for high overall score or a credit from a class win but not both.
      3. 0 – 2 competitors in class (or higher*): 0 credits
      4. 3 – 9 competitors in class (or higher*): 1 credit for class winner.
      5. 10 – 14 competitors in class (or higher*): 2 credits for class winner, and 1 credit for second place.
      6. 15 – 29 competitors in class (or higher*): 4 credits for class winner, 2 credits for second, and 1 credit for third place.
      7. 30 – 44 competitors in class (or higher*): 4 credits for class winner, 4 credits for second, 2 credits for third, and 1 credit for fourth place.
      8. 45+ competitors in class (or higher*): 4 credits for class winner, 4 credits for second and third, 3 credits for fourth, 2 credits for fifth, and 1 credit for sixth place.

CLICK HERE FOR A VISUAL CLASSIFICATION CHART

D. Equipment and Positional Shooting

1. NRL22 competitors are considered to be the most welcoming participants in any shooting sport. Sharing of equipment, especially to new competitors, is highly encouraged.
2. Unless mentioned in the course of fire or rules below, any shooting equipment may be used; however, the use of additional props such as chairs, buckets, range equipment, etc. may not be used to assist the competitor in shooting a stage.
3. Tripods and shooting sticks are not allowed on any stage unless the stage specifically incorporates the tripod into the stage from the NRL22 list of approved props. All competitors must use the same tripod that is provided by the Match Director.
4. The bipod is not considered equipment and is part of the rifle system; however, it cannot be used to support the rifle while shooting in any unsupported position. Additionally, the bipod does not have to be removed while shooting in an unsupported position.
5. A sling is designed to provide a way to carry the rifle and also to assist in unsupported positional shooting. The sling may attach at 1 or 2 points to the rifle. It may have cuffs or adjustments to aid in unsupported positional shooting. A sling is the only authorized piece of equipment that may be used in any unsupported position.
6. The standing unsupported position means both legs are fully erect with both feet flat on the ground and the rifle being supported by a sling, hand and/or shoulder.
7. Kneeling unsupported position means that one knee must be in contact with the ground, the other knee may be on the ground. The competitor may also sit on the leg that is on the ground. The rifle can only be supported by the knee, sling, hand and/or shoulder.
8. In the unsupported seated position, the competitor must have their butt on the ground. The competitor may use their knees, sling, hand and/or shoulder to support the rifle.
9. In the prone unsupported position, the competitor will be laying flat on the ground with the rifle being solely supported by the competitor’s hand and/or shoulder, a sling may be used as well. It is never acceptable to have any part of the rifle, or any part of the hand, resting on the ground to support the rifle. The ground includes a mat, tarp, bag, glove, coat, etc.

E. Local Match Scoring

1. Local Match points for the 2024 season will be earned by competing in any of the 12 sanctioned NRL22 local monthly competitions of the 2024 season (May of 2023 to April of 2024).
2. Match points will be based on the percentage of the winning score. (For example, if the winning competitor scores 480.87 points, and the second-place competitor scores 460.21 points you would divide 460.21 by 480.87 and multiply by 100 to end up with 95.70 points) Points will be rounded to the hundredth. Competitors are encouraged to compete in multiple matches to increase their monthly leaderboard score and earn additional entries into the random drawings; however, members will only be allowed one entry into the monthly winner drawings.
3. Environmental conditions, slight difference in Course of Fire interpretation, use of the different options in the course of fire and local match sizes are inevitably going to be different. For all these reasons, the winner of the local shoot sets the benchmark to what is achievable in those conditions.. Example: The open winner of the Las Vegas local match scores 485/500 points with no wind and 30 competitors. The open winner of the Albuquerque local match scores 230/500 points with sustained 30 MPH winds and 12 participants. NRL22 sees both scores as the same 100 points and both winners along with any other local match winners are eligible for a chance at any prizes designated for each of their respective divisions.

SECTION 6: SPORTSMANSHIP

A. Good Sportsmanship.

1. Good Sportsmanship is one of the founding principles of NRL22 and is highly regarded by the NRL as a whole. Good sportsmanship helps grow the sport, creates positive role models, and is impressive to the sponsors. It is not something that can be quantified but is easy to recognize by all participants.

B. Unsportsmanlike Conduct.

1. Unsportsmanlike conduct is taken very seriously by NRL22.
2. Examples of bad sportsmanship include treating participants or range staff with disrespect, unwarranted complaining, throwing tantrums, or being unpleasant.

C. Cheating

The NRL22X defines cheating as acting dishonestly or unfairly in order to gain an advantage in competition. Examples of cheating are:

1. Sabotaging another competitor’s equipment.
2. Using unauthorized modifications in the Base division.
3. Altering or destruction of score sheets.
4. Any other act as deemed unfair/cheating by a Range Officer or Match Director.

D. Penalties for Unsportsmanlike Conduct and Cheating

1. Any competitor who is deemed as acting in an unsportsmanlike fashion will be subject to any penalty that the Match Director deems appropriate including warnings; stage zeros and/or match DQ and being removed from competition.
2. The only penalty appropriate for cheating shall be the Match Director issuing a match DQ and being removed from competition.
3. In the event of a competitor being removed from a competition for cheating or unsportsmanlike conduct no match points will be awarded.
4. Depending on the severity of unsportsmanlike conduct and/or cheating may result in the competitor being suspended from the NRL22 for a minimum of a year.

Addendum

1. Tank Trap Plans
2. Tank Trap Anatomy
3. Rooftop Plans
4. NRL22 Pyramid

End of Document