IDPA - The New Rule Book is Here

Yep, still terrible.

Did you notice that their are editor's comments still in the official copy? Sloppy work.

Well IDPA used to be fun, guess not any more, reads like the IPGA rule book.

Rules, rules, rules

My crystal ball shows me shooting more USPSA and less IDPA in the future.

Has anyone seen a helpful guide on what's changed? I was just starting to shoot IDPA and learning the rules.. Now I get to start over I guess.

Not a ton has changed, but they have dumbed down the sport a bit. The made the longest distance you can shoot shorter, eliminated some fun steel targets, and now require all reloads to be done while stationary.

eliminated some fun steel targets

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I just read that section. I can't think of which steel targets that were IDPA appropriate before are no outlawed.

Refresh my memory?

Reloads may now be initiated in the open, if you've run dry. That's excellent.

Seventy-five percent (75%) of all shots required in a match must be fifteen (15) yards or less. No shots longer than twenty-five (25) yards may be required in scenario stages. 35-yard shots are only allowed in standard stages and limited to 6 rounds per stage.

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I'll miss the very occasional 35-yard shot in a scenario stage, but this does reflect the IDPA founding purpose.

It is good that 35 yard shots are still fine in standards stages. This largely reflects exactly how I've set up matches for years.

Any required Loaded Chamber/Cylinder Reloads on a Scenario stage must be performed off the clock. Loaded Chamber/Cylinder Reloads may be required “on the clock” in Standards stages, such as the IDPA Classifier

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Interesting. No mandatory reloads during a scenario stage. I'm ok with that. It was sometimes useful for stage design, but not very reflective of real-world procedures.

Magazine disconnects may be disabled or removed.

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Woo. Hoo. (Finally!)

Lasers that are incorporated into the firearm or sights are allowed if they comply with all other division rules and the laser is not activated during a string of fire. Tape may be used to prevent the laser from projecting.

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Good! (Though I still think it would be awesome if they'd let the laser sight guys try to compete using their lasers. Of course Crimson Trace, et al, would probably end up suing IDPA for defamation or something! )

Glad to see some of the changes:

-Round dumping gone... this will finally stop miles of pages of whining about it on the internet, but have no real impact to the way the game is played.

-Holster can be a little further forward to point of the hip now I believe? This will stop the morning "nudge the gun 1/4" back to satisfy the scarecrow guy" routine at the beginning of some matches.

Not so happy about others:

-35yd shots... I put these into my matches once or twice a year, and have never gone more than about 6 months without seeing 30+ shots at a major in the southeast. Carolina cup had at least 6 shots of 30+ this year (two shots at a laser-ranged 38yd) and I've been to an AL match with partial hardcover shots at a paced-off 38. I don't mind a shot that separates the men from the boys occassionally.

-No moving reloads; this is the big one for me. It eliminates the one bit of shooter-optional stage strategy that there was in the sport. There will be very, very little that is not 100% choreographed by the stage designer now. I really can't imagine the motivation for this.

They took the point of the hip definition back out. It was in the draft but not anymore.

Sam1911 said:

I just read that section. I can't think of which steel targets that were IDPA appropriate before are no outlawed.

Refresh my memory?

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As long as you observed the proper target ratio, you could use a texas star or platerack in the previous rulebook.

I'm not sure why either of those is less IDPA appropriate than a steel popper. It's just another shooting challenge.

Ahhh. I've not run into anyone using either of those for IDPA. Maybe once or twice a few years ago, but honestly the don't seem to fit so I can't see a loss to the sport in that.

I haven't seen them often either but there's no reason they shouldn't be allowed.

but there's no reason they shouldn't be allowed.

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Well, a pepper popper may be envisioned to be vaguely humanoid in silhouette, with a distinct "center of mass" to hit. Therefore, it can reasonably represent a threat.

Hard to imagine being attacked by a row (or spinning wheel) of 6" or 8" circles. My informal querying of IDPA shooters in the last few years has run into almost none who felt that a Texas Star had a "tactical" purpose in an IDPA stage, and I suppose HQ is merely acknowledging that they agree with that consensus.

They work just great in USPSA, where "practical" is given a much looser definition, and I'm sure they will continue to be available in that venue if you enjoy shooting at them.

8.8.4.2. Lights may not be attached to the shooter’s hand, wrist, or arm in any fashion
8.8.4.3. Rings or straps that go around any part of the shooter’s body (finger, palm, wrist, etc.) are not allowed.

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Well, that sucks. Going to make my revolver reloads a bit trickier without a finger loop to keep the light handy.

9.7.4. During the Classifier only, shooters may load to division capacity or fully load their normal IDPA compliant magazines.

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So, HQ catches on to what we're all doing anyway!

Sam1911 said:

Well, a pepper popper may be envisioned to be vaguely humanoid in silhouette, with a distinct "center of mass" to hit. Therefore, it can reasonably represent a threat.

Hard to imagine being attacked by a row (or spinning wheel) of 6" or 8" circles. My informal querying of IDPA shooters in the last few years has run into almost none who felt that a Texas Star had a "tactical" purpose in an IDPA stage, and I suppose HQ is merely acknowledging that they agree with that consensus.

They work just great in USPSA, where "practical" is given a much looser definition, and I'm sure they will continue to be available in that venue if you enjoy shooting at them.

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It doesn't have to have a tactical purpose...it's a shooting challenge. Steel plates are still allowed, so why not a few in a row? You can't use all 6 in a stage because of the limits on steel, but you can use a few. I think 3. You could use it to simulate required headshots on a team of body armored ninjas if you want to talk tactical.

As for the star, isn't acquiring and engaging a moving target a practical skill?

It seems like HQ is afraid that IDPA will be too hard (or maybe too much fun) unless they put these restrictions in place.

It seems like HQ is afraid that IDPA will be too hard (or maybe too much fun) unless they put these restrictions in place.

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What's especially hard about a plate rack or TX star? I don't see the same reasoning behind this decision that you do.

They took the point of the hip definition back out. It was in the draft but not anymore.

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Oh good...

Really, I don't think I care about anything but the static reloads in terms of actual changes.

The last three of IDPAs major-majors I have shot were stage designed this way anyway, so it doesn't really come as a surprise.

I've never understood the limitation on number of no shoots used.... you can come up with a gazillion tactical scenarios with no shoots everywhere. I was hoping that would be gone but no such luck.

Sam1911 said:

What's especially hard about a plate rack or TX star? I don't see the same reasoning behind this decision that you do.

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You think they eliminated them because they aren't tactical? You're probably right, but it's a stupid reason. Matches are supposed to be fun.

You think they eliminated them because they aren't tactical? You're probably right, but it's a stupid reason.

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Yes, I do. In fact, in talking to lots of shooters, various MDs, and even an AC or two, the topic of TX Stars has come up fairly frequently and universally it's been expressed as a given that they weren't "IDPA". Fun, yes. Tactically relevant, no.

Matches are supposed to be fun.

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Ok. But lots of shooting challenges are fun. IDPA doesn't list "fun" as one of its raisons d'etre. It's "Defensive" shooting. Says so right there in the name. Why don't we shoot balloons, ice cubes, jugs of water, melons and all sorts of things that are fun? Nothing wrong with having fun, but IDPA has a mission and if something doesn't really align with the mission I don't see any problem with them drawing a line there.

That's fine. I can only hope they will see their membership numbers dwindle and realize they made a mistake. I already decided to vote with my wallet when my membership expired at the end of April. The new rulebook convinced me to keep my $40.