The rules of Shooting vary according to the discipline, distance, and types of target and arm, firing position, number of shots and the time within which the shots have to be fired. Special rules are applied to determine ranking in the event of a tie.
Each discipline consists of a qualification and a final round. The score in the final round is added to the competitor’s score in the qualification round and the winner is the competitor with the most points at the end of the match.
Shotgun
In all shotgun events (trap, skeet and double trap) shooters stand in stations and fire at the clay targets, shaped like flying saucers, as they are released on the shooters’ signals. In each event, the targets are propelled at high speed, and the person who hits the most wins.
Trap
In the Trap events, named after the device that fires the clay targets into the air, a bank of three traps set at different heights and angles sits within the trench in front of each shooter. The heights vary, and the shooter does not know which of the three traps will release next. As each target is released, the shooter is allowed two shots.
Shooters move through a series of five adjacent Shooting stations.
In squads of six, they move round clockwise to the five firing stations, with five taking their place on the stations and the sixth waiting his or her turn behind the competitor on station 1.
The clay targets are released at speed, covering a distance of 75 metres with a trajectory height of two to four metres. Every shooter has the right to attempt two shots at each clay target while it is in the air. In Men’s Trap competitors shoot at 125 targets; in Women’s Trap, at 75 targets.
The six best competitors from the qualification round advance to the final and they shoot 25 clay targets.
Double trap
The only difference from the single trap is that two targets are released simultaneously from the left and right traps of the central station, reaching a height of some three to three and a half metres. Every competitor must shoot at both targets. In Men’s Double Trap, competitors shoot at 150 clay targets; in the Women’s event, at 120.
The six best competitors from the qualification round advance to the final. Men shoot 50 clay targets and Women 40.
Skeet
The two clay targets are released from separate trap houses at either end of a semicircular Shooting range. The releasing procedure involves single and double targets thrown from two houses, a ‘low house’ and a ‘high house’. Competitors have the right to take one shot at each target.
The shooter holds the shotgun at hip level until the target appears, whereupon he or she raises the shotgun to shoulder and fires. Skeet uses eight Shooting stations: seven on the circumference of what is virtually a semicircle, and one in the middle. In Men’s Skeet competitors shoot at 125 clay targets; in the Women’s event, at 75.
The six best competitors from the qualification round advance to the final and they shoot 25 clay targets.
Pistol
The pistol events include one at 50 metres, two at 25 metres, and two at 10 metres. Electronic targets are used for all events.
Pistol events are scored the same as rifle events, with competitors aiming at a 10-ring target. Pistol shooters use a standing position and must hold and fire the gun with the one hand, with the wrist clearly free of support.
Men’s 50 m pistol
Sixty shots are fired at a target 50 metres away, and must be completed within 120 minutes. An unlimited number of sighting shots are permitted before the match begins. The eight best competitors from the qualification round advance to the final, which consists of 10 shots within75 seconds for each.
Men’s 25 m rapid fire pistol
Two rounds of 30 shots (in six series of five shots each) are fired at a target 25 metres away. The first two series must be completed within a time of 8 seconds each; the second two within 6 seconds; and the last two within 4 seconds. The six best competitors from the qualification round advance to the final, which consists of two series of five shots within 4 seconds each.
Women’s 25 m pistol
This discipline consists of six series of five precision shots, and six series of five rapid-fire shots. Each precision series must be completed within five minutes, while each shot of the rapid fire series must be completed within 3 seconds. The eight best competitors from the qualification round advance to the final, which consists of ten rapid fire shots.
10 m air pistol
Shots are fired at a target 10 metres away: 60 shots within 105 minutes for men, with unlimited sighting shots, and 40 shots within 75 minutes for women, practice shots included. The eight best competitors from the qualification round advance to the final, which consists of ten shots with 75 seconds for each.
Rifle
There are two rifle disciplines at a 10-metre range and three at a 50-metre range, each with an electronic target.
Scoring
In a rifle discipline, the competitor fires from either a prone, a standing, or a kneeling position, earning points with his/her shots at a 10-ring target (10 for the centre ring, 9 for the next one, and so on). In the final, each ring is subdivided into ten score zones and the highest possible score is10.9.
Men’s 50 m rifle three positions
Athletes fire 40 shots each prone, standing and kneeling at a target 50 metres away, within 45 minutes (prone), 75 minutes (standing), and 60 minutes (kneeling). An unlimited number of sighting shots are permitted before the match begins. The eight best competitors from the qualification round advance to the final, which consists of 10 shots within a time limit of 75 seconds in the standing position.
Men’s 50 m rifle prone
Sixty shots are fired from the prone position at a target 50 metres away, within 75 minutes. An unlimited number of sighting shots are permitted before the match begins. The eight best competitors from the qualification round advance to the final, which consists of ten shots with 45 seconds for each.
Women’s 50 m rifle three positions
Competitors fire twenty shots each in the prone, standing and kneeling positions at a target 50 metres away, within a time limit not more than 135 minutes. An unlimited number of sighting shots are permitted before the match begins. The eight best competitors from the qualification round advance to the final, which consists of ten shots with 75 seconds for each in standing position.
10 m air rifle
In both events (men’s and women’s) shots are fired standing at a target 10 metres away: 60 shots within 105 minutes for men, with unlimited sighting shots; 40 shots within 75 minutes for women (sighting shots included in this time). The eight best competitors from the qualification round advance to the final, which consists of 10 shots with 75 seconds for each competitor.
