New ISSF Finals Rules for London 2012?

Sparks

From the ISSF:

NEW SHOOTING SPORT RULES FOR LONDON 2012?

At the 2010 ISSF World Cup Final in Munich, the International Shooting Sport Federation tests new competition rules that might apply to the 2012 Olympics.



The ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup Final kicked-off at the 1972 Olympic Shooting Range of Munich, where the final is held between the 26th and the 29th of October. Only the best 2010 shooters, 91 athletes coming form 30 country, qualified to compete in this year’s Final throughout the four World Cup Stages of Sydney (AUS), Beijing (CHN), Fort Benning (USA) and Belgrade (SRB), and through the 2010 ISSF World Championship.

This Final could become a milestone in the history of the ISSF. New rules for shooting event finals are being introduced and tested during event. The office of the ISSF Secretary General explained that these changes are designed to make shooting finals more appealing.

The decision to change how shooting finals are conducted was made after TV productions made during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing were analyzed by the International Olympic Committee Olympic Broadcast System (IOC-OBS) and ISSF. The analysis by IOC-OBS and ISSF experts proposed a series of changes that are now being tested during the 2010 World Cup Final. The ISSF Technical Delegate for the World Cup Final, Gary Anderson, said "ISSF leaders are confident these changes will make the presentation of the shooting sport more exciting and interesting to spectators and television viewers."

If the tests at the World Cup Final are successful, the changes will be presented for approval to the ISSF Administrative Council when it meets in November. If approved by the Council, these changes will be incorporated into ISSF Rules that will be used during the 2011 and 2012 ISSF competition seasons, as well as during the 2012 London Olympic Games. Read more about the new rules!

The first final rounds following the new procedures are taking place in these hours. Check the schedule and follow the 2010 ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup Final live on www.issf-sports.org!

And from the ISSF website:

New competition rules introduced at ISSF World Cup Final in Munich

New competition rules for Olympic event finals are being introduced during the 2010 ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup Final that is kicking-off in Munich today.

The ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup Final is kicking-off today at the 1972 Olympic Shooting Range of Munich. It could be destined to become a milestone in shooting sport history.

New rules for shooting event finals are being introduced and tested during this World Cup Final. The office of the ISSF Secretary General explained that these changes are designed to make shooting finals more appealing.

The decision to change how shooting finals are conducted was made after TV productions made during the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing were analyzed by the International Olympic Committee Olympic Broadcast System (IOC-OBS) and ISSF. The analysis by IOC-OBS and ISSF experts proposed a series of changes that are now being tested during the 2010 World Cup Final. The ISSF Technical Delegate for the World Cup Final, Gary Anderson, said “ISSF leaders are confident these changes will make the presentation of the shooting sport more exciting and interesting to spectators and television viewers.”

If the tests at the World Cup Final are successful, the changes will be presented for approval to the ISSF Administrative Council when it meets in November. If approved by the Council, these changes will be incorporated into ISSF Rules that will be used during the 2011 and 2012 ISSF competition seasons, as well as during the 2012 London Olympic Games. The rule changes being tested in Munich mainly concern when finalists’ warm ups and presentations take place. A new ISSF Dress Code that was introduced earlier in 2010 will also be incorporated into the ISSF Rules.

- Order for Preparation, Sighting Shots and Athletes Presentation:

Current ISSF Rules call for the presentation (introduction) of finalists BEFORE they complete their preparation or warm-up period and sighting shots. These warm-up activities are followed by a pause to reset the targets before the first record shot is fired. This created a problem for television productions because broadcasters and spectators are interested in the presentation of finalists, but most broadcasters do not want to show warm-up activities. The OBS-ISSF analysis concluded that reversing the order of these final round warm-up procedures could solve this problem. The new procedures have the athletes complete their preparation periods and sighting shots first. The athlete presentations are then made AFTER their warm-ups and immediately before the first final round record shots. After finalists complete their sighting shots, they must set their rifles or pistols down and turn to face spectators so they can be introduced. After their introductions, they are given two minutes to return to their firing positions. Immediately after that, the commands for the first final round shots begin. The result is that eight and one-half minutes of “dead time” at the beginning of each final is eliminated.

- ISSF Dress Code:

The new ISSF Dress Code that was introduced earlier in 2010 was designed to ensure that all competitors in ISSF Championships wear competition clothing appropriate for an international sporting event. Clothing such as jeans and work or ordinary casual clothes are no longer permitted. Sports uniforms that display national colors are now required. Anderson said “the new ISSF Dress Code has already produced a significant improvement in the images presented by shooting athletes while they are competing and appearing in ISSF-TV and television productions.”

Marco Dalla Dea

Sparks

And confirmed:

ISSF Rule Changes - Letter from the ISSF

The ISSF Executive Committee and Administrative Council approved rule changes which will be valid starting from the 1st of January 2011, and which will govern the conduct of the 2011 and 2012 ISSF Championships and of the 2012 Olympic Games.



Dear Friends,

We are sending this special communication to inform you of some important ISSF rule changes that will be implemented on 1st January 2011. These changes concern the presentation of finalists before Finals begin and the Rapid-Fire Pistol Men event. Most of you may already have seen our ISSF Newsletter announcement of these changes (27.10.10). You may also have had an opportunity to look at the ISSF-TV final round videos from the 2010 World Cup Final in Munich in October 2010 (http://www.issf-sports.org/tvplayer.aspx) where these changes were tested. These changes were developed in cooperation with the IOC Olympic Broadcast System (OBS) staff that cooperated with the ISSF to evaluate OBS television productions during the 2008 Olympic Games. The OBS Director, Mr. Manolo Romero, invited ISSF Officials to participate in a special workshop with his staff in Madrid in November 2009. During this meeting the ISSF identified several changes that the shooting sport needs to make in order to address challenges in the conduct of our Finals.

In addition, the ISSF received several comments from IOC members, Member Federation Officials and ISSF Officials during the World Championships in Munich and the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore urging the ISSF to improve the Rapid-Fire Pistol Final because the present system is neither very attractive nor media friendly. It is very important for the shooting sport and especially for the future of the Rapid-Fire Pistol Event to cooperate with the IOC in developing improved final round presentations and events. Olympic sports today are dynamic and changing; the sports that will advance and grow are the sports that are best adapted to the modern media and electronic age; it is important for shooting to also adopt changes to improve its presentation and image and to make its events more media and spectator friendly. We of course know that any change means hard work and intensive training for our shooters and coaches, but we know that we can count on their cooperation in implementing these changes for the benefit of our shooting sport.

The final round presentation and Rapid-Fire Pistol final round changes that were developed after our meetings with the IOC OBS were then discussed with many shooters and coaches from member federations and major tests were conducted in February and August 2010. A revised version was presented to participants in the World Cup Final in Munich. This important test received many positive reactions as well as some proposals for changes. The ISSF took these proposals seriously and incorporated several of them in the final version of the rules that were presented for approval to the ISSF Executive Committee and Administrative Council that met in Acapulco, Mexico on 7-8 November 2010. Both bodies discussed these proposed changes in great detail. The Executive Committee unanimously approved them and the Administrative Council accepted them with only one dissenting vote. These new rules will become effective on 1 January 2011 and will govern the conduct of the 2011 and 2012 ISSF Championships and of course the 2012 Olympic Games. Finally, we would like to express our concern about a circular letter and survey expressing opposition to these changes that was distributed to all ISSF Member Federations without the knowledge or approval of either the ISSF President, Executive Committee or Administrative Council. This letter unfortunately asked ISSF Members Federations to respond without giving them any information about the changes and it asked that replies be sent to a non-ISSF email address. The ISSF has, however, discussed these changes with many federations and they all expressed very positive views regarding the changes in final round presentations and the Rapid-Fire Pistol Final.

To give you a full explanation of the changes, we are linking a document titled Summary of ISSF Rules Changes Approved by the ISSF Administrative Council, To be Valid from 1 January 2011. You will receive complete official rules and regulations very soon.

In addition, the ISSF is planning to organize a demonstration competition for the new Rapid-Fire Pistol Final that will help athletes, coaches, Range Officers and Judges prepare for the new final before the 2011 World Cups begin. You will receive an invitation soon. Further, the ISSF is offering our Continental Shooting Confederations any support they may require to organize further demonstration competitions.

The ISSF looks forward to having more exciting Finals next year as a result of these changes. We are very confident that these changes will enhance the image of a very active and innovative shooting sport and that these changes will aid in the promotion of our sport worldwide.

With best regards,

Sincerely yours,
Olegario Vázquez Raña
(ISSF President)

Horst G. Schreiber
(ISSF Secretary General)

Sparks

It seems that the internal fun and games Irish shooting associations have had in recent years isn't a purely Irish phenomenon. After the circular letter from ISSF above, confirming the mid-Olympic cycle rule changes, comes this comment from the ESC president:

Urgent Message from the ESC President

Dear shooting friends!

It is time to discuss openly the problems which have appeared in the shooting world. The situation with the changes of rules of the Olympic discipline in the middle of the Olympic cycle, which we all faced, to my opinion reflects clearly the essence of the trends within the ISSF, which work out in close door decision making process quite often. All federations received a circular letter from the ISSF. I would like to introduce a different point of view to the community and kindly ask you to express your opinion. Below you may see my letter as the President of ESC to the President of ISSF. I hope that this correspondence (the full version of all letters is available here), will be the subject of open debates in our shooting community, and will give the impetus to the development of both the Federation and our sport in general.

Sincerely yours,
ESC President
ISSF Administrative Council Member
Vladimir Lisin

And there are a fair few links to letters on that page too, which explains the reference in the ISSF letter to "concern about a circular letter and survey expressing opposition to these changes":

To:
Mr. Olegario Vázquez Raña
ISSF President

Mr. Horst G. Schreiber
ISSF Secretary General

Mr. Gary Anderson
ISSF Vice-President
WCF Technical Delegate

28.10.2010

Dear Sirs,
As I have learned, at the meeting of a Technical Committee that was held on October, 25 - there were the proposals discussed regarding the changes of rules of conducting finals and the programs of shooting for rapid-fire pistol. Certainly I thank you for the fact that the proposals of ЕSC and me personally, which we discussed with the President of ISSF in all details, found
reflection in certain steps! At the same time I'd like to pay your attention to the fact that if these changes concern the Rules of competitions, then in the middle of Olympic cycle it seems impossible to change them without making damage to the athlete and receiving objections. Russian athletes have already applied to the National Olympic Committee with a question about equal reception of licenses, which they won when carried on different finals and rules, till 2012. Besides I receive the questions from the members of other European federations. I suppose that the situation which laid out may become the ground for the protest in IOC. As for the solution of this issue, we should of course make experiments, but not within the frames of official competitions, and as an addition to it, before the end of Olympic cycle. And the official changes should be prepared after 2012.

Regards,
Vladimir S. Lisin
ESС President

From the ESC president to the ISSF president:

03/11/2010
Mr. President,
Dear Olegario,
As I have already informed you, the situation with changes in the rules is ambiguous. After the end of World Cup Final, I discussed them with representatives of the participating countries. Seeing the general negative reaction of athletes, I have invited Mr. Schreiber and Mr. Anderson to the conversation, during which none of the representatives of countries participants of the Cup (namely Australia, Belarus, Georgia, Germany, Israel, Spain, India, Italy, Kazakhstan, Russia, USA, Ukraine, France, Japan), did not support these innovations.

There was a consensus that making changes in the middle of the Olympic cycle is impossible. In addition, it was found out that today many countries don’t have even basic technical base for training under the new conditions. Since Mr. Anderson didn’t want to discuss the situation, there was the impression that the question regarding the new rules has been settled.

You and I repeatedly discussed the need for changes in the rules and came to a common understanding in this matter. But, in my opinion, for the introduction of such innovations we need to create more loyal atmosphere in the federations, after asking their opinion and finding out about their wishes regarding the input changes. Such an approach would be more
productive.

In these circumstances, Mr. President, I suggest to organize a written survey of federations members of ISSF, inviting them to express their views on the proposed changes. It is obvious that the observations to changes in the rules should be collected and analyzed. And I suggest not to accept the changes in a hurry and without proper analysis and preparation, breaking the cycle of training athletes in the current Olympic cycle.

Best regards,
Vladimir Lisin

Circular letter from the ESC to all federation members:

European Shooting Confederation – Avenue de Rhodanie 60 – 1007 Lausanne
To all ESC Member Federations
ISSF Administrative Council Meeting / rule changes
Dear Colleagues,
During the World Cup Final on Rifle and Pistol which was just held in Munich the competitors applied to me with the questions regarding the new rules for the rapid pistol finals. Athletes, coaches and representatives of the federations had serious questions about the changes.

Since I was at the shooting range, we discussed these innovations, having invited ISSF Executive Director Mr. Franz Schreiber and ISSF Cup Final Technical Delegate, the Vice President of ISSF Mr. Gary Anderson. They were asked numerous questions from the participants of the meeting. Representatives from 17 countries have expressed strong view that it is not allowed to make changes before the end of the Olympic cycle, as it both complicates the preparation for the Olympics and also puts athletes competing for their participation in the Olympics at the unequal position. There was a general understanding that in case of adoption of these rule changes we'll have a situation where in one Olympic cycle some shooters win quota places by one set of rules, and some - by different rules.

I would not want to dwell on the procedural issues, on the fact that there has been no prior discussion of such innovations, and the rules were sent to the federations short before the Cup Final. But it is obvious that the suggestions to changes in the rules should be collected and analyzed. And since in the course of conversation at the shooting range in Munich there were announced many organizational and technical problems of such innovations, we kindly ask you to send us your view on the following issues:

1. Is your Federation ready for rule changes till the beginning of the next Olympic cycle?
2. Is your Federation ready to prepare for the Olympics with the changed rules?
3. Do you have any suggestions for changing the rules?
4. Do you think that all changes should be made in the beginning of the next Olympic cycle? And how much time it might take: month, six months, year or other to your opinion?

At the meeting of the Administrative Council in Acapulco on November 8th 2010 will be discussed the adoption of these changes in formal rules. Please give your suggestions regarding the essence of changes as soon as possible (office@escsport.eu).

Regards,
Vladimir Lisin
ESC President
Member of Administrative Council of ISSF

Then the circular from ISSF above was send around, and then a response followed from the ESC:

ESC Headquarter – Avenue de Rhodanie 60 – 1007 Lausanne – Switzerland
To: The President of the International Shooting Sport Federation
CC: All ISSF Member Federations
ISSF Rule Changes
Dear Mr President,
Dear Sir / Madam,
Since I received the circular letter regarding changes of the rules, accepted by the Administrative Council, I would like to mention that the basis of our position remains the promotion of shooting sports as a spectator sport. The European Confederation has always insisted on the necessity of changes.

I would like to draw your attention to some details of your letter which caused confusion.

You insist that the proposed changes received a positive response during their presentation at the World Cup Final in Munich. This statement is not correct. The reaction of the audience and participants of the rapid fire final was negative. At the meeting of shooters and coaches (after the final) many critical views were stated in the presence of the Executive Director Mr. W. Schreiber and the Technical Delegate Vice-President Mr. G. Anderson. Almost nobody supported the innovation. This fact was reported to you personally, Mr. President, in my letter on November the 3rd.

In addition to the many technical suggestions all the participants agreed that is not reasonable to change the rules in the middle of the Olympic cycle. Probably it is time to make relevant changes in the ISSF Statutes.

Surely the Administrative Council of ISSF has the right to approve changes without taking in to consideration the opinion of the shooting community. But is it worth it to use this right and be proud of that? We have already lost a few great Olympic disciplines!

Why did you keep preparations of such important changes in secret? If you do care at all about the future of our sport it would be better to consider the opinion of the best shooters and coaches!

It is not clear at all why it surprises you when the President of one of the Continental Confederations and ISSF Administrative Council member addresses other ISSF member Federations?

Such communication fully satisfies both - the Statutes of the Federation and democratic principals on which we should build our relationship. Before sending a letter to member federations I have addressed you personally, Mr. President, but you made no suggestions or proposals in response to my appeal.

We are deeply confident that the opinion of athletes and coaches should be heard and considered.

We strongly believe that the leaders of the federation should serve the interest of the community.

We are sure that the open exchange of opinions between member federations should be profitable for the sport and we do believe in the necessity of constructive dialog with all organizations and people who are interested in its development.

The right to have an opinion is undeniable in a democratic society and we insist on its realization!

And we regret if you don’t share these ideas.

We regret, but we won’t accept it!

With due respect,
ISSF Administrative Council Member
ESC President
V. Lisin

Seems that we've gone past the point where a few shooters (even the well-known ones like Debevec) have a public grievance with the ISSF procedures for changing rules here. Perhaps we'll see a better outcome from this all going public. That certainly seems to have been the pattern in our experience in Ireland.

ps. Not sure if this should stay in Target Shooting over the no-politics rule, so it may get moved...