FAQs  
      Home S&W IDPA Practical League


            What Equipment Do I Need to Compete?
            As a reminder, here are the requirements for participating:
                A basic safe, serviceable handgun (no porting or optical sights 
                allowed) in a minimum caliber of 9mm or .38 Special. 
                A safe carry-type holster that covers the trigger guard and can 
                be worn behind the hip. 
                A double magazine or speedloader pouch. 
                Three to five magazines or speedloaders. 
                About 90 rounds of ammunition. 
                One of the following: Bianchi Cup, IPSC or IDPA competition 
                experience, attendance in a course that involves drawing from a 
                holster or background in law enforcement. 
            What Division Do I Enter?
            IDPA provides four shooting divisions so shooters only compete 
            against others with similar equipment. All revolvers enter Stock 
            Service Revolver. In general, single action .45 and 10mm semi-autos 
            shoot in Custom Defensive Pistol while single action .40 and 9mm 
            semi-autos shoot in Enhanced Service Pistol. Double action autos 
            shoot in Stock Service Pistol regardless of caliber. Be sure to mark 
            your division on your score sheet. If unsure, check the rule book, 
            ask a Safety Officer or write in the model and caliber and we will 
            figure it out for you. 
            Can Non-Members Compete?
            Certainly! Official IDPA rules allow non-members to shoot one match 
            before joining. While we endorse that position and encourage our 
            competitors to join and support IDPA, we do not presently check 
            individual memberships. 
            How Do I Get Classified?
            Your classification is based on your total time to shoot three 
            official classifier stages. We generally shoot one of the classifier 
            stages each month, so it may take three months to get in all three 
            stages. Your best time is scored if you shoot the same stage more 
            than once. You will earn a separate classification in each division 
            that you enter. 
            Classification records are kept separately at each IDPA club. There 
            is no national database or notification system. We post the 
            classifier scores in the lounge and on the web site. When you have 
            earned a classification, present your IDPA classification card to 
            Harry Simonsen or Bruce Ramey to be marked. We will use scores from 
            matches at other clubs if you bring in a match report that 
            identifies the classifier stage and your division. 
            Understanding Your Match Report
            IDPA rules require separate scorekeeping for each division. Your 
            score on each stage is based on actual shooting time plus penalties 
            for misses and procedural errors. Total Time is the sum of all stage 
            times. As in golf, lower is better. The lowest Total Time wins the 
            division. Other shooters in the division are listed in order of 
            finish. 
            We compute Match Scores to compare performance of shooters in 
            different divisions. Match Score is your total time multiplied by an 
            adjustment factor that accounts for the difference in the divisions. 
            The factor is based on standard classifier times for master level 
            shooters. ESP times are already the fastest so they require no 
            adjustment. Other division times are reduced by the factors shown on 
            each match report. Match Place is your overall ranking in the match. 

            Match Points is a percentage value that indicates how well you shot 
            compared to the match winner. Divide the match winners score by your 
            own score to calculate Match Points. This number determines annual 
            standings because it is a better measure of skill than match place. 
            Our match scoring method is not an official IDPA scoring procedure. 
            What Are Annual Standings?
            Annual standings rank each shooter's performance over the whole 
            year.  Annual standing is based on your average match points over 
            your best eight matches. 
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      Updated: 04/01/00 10:28 PM