I. SAFETY
Shoot Management may disqualify a contestant for violation of these
Rules, and violations may also result in further disciplinary action.
1. It is the shooter’s responsibility and shoot management’s responsibility
to conduct a shoot in a reasonable and safe manner.
2. It is Shoot Management’s responsibility to remove any competitor who
is conducting himself/herself in an unsafe manner. (Repeat violators
should be reported to the Executive Committee for further action.)
3. It is Shoot Management’s responsibility to instruct the trap help in the
proper and safe conduct of their respective duties.
4. All trap help must have a flag or other warning device to warn of any
person(s) exiting from the trap house.
5. Trap personnel should be thoroughly instructed of the potential danger
of the trap (particularly the target throwing arm).
6. Movement and exposure on adjacent traps should be kept to the
minimum.
7. The practice of tracking targets behind a shooting squad is unsafe,
disconcerting to the shooters, and is not permitted.
8. Alcohol and drugs impair judgment and the ATA Rules pertaining
to the usage of alcohol and/or drugs must be enforced by Shoot
Management. This Rule shall be strictly complied with and shall apply
to practice shooting as well as registered and tournament events. (Rule
XII, B., 2., a.)
9. A gun, which for any reason fails to fire as intended, must be promptly
opened without any subsequent determination by the referee/scorer of
the cause of the Failure to Fire.
10. All guns must have the action opened and contain no live or empty
shells at any time, except while the shooter is on the firing line. A break
open gun’s action may be closed when it is in a gun rack but it shall not
contain a live or empty shell. Repeat offender(s) of these Official Rules
will be given a 30 day suspension upon a second violation of these
Rules; a third violation of these Rules will result in a 90 day suspension;
and further violations will be reviewed by the Executive Committee for
further disciplinary action.
11. As a safety precaution, test shots will not be permitted under any
circumstance.
12. A contestant shall place a live shell in his/her gun only when on a
post facing the traps. In Singles and Handicap shooting he/she may
place only one (1) live shell in his/her gun at a time and must remove it
or the empty shell(s) before moving from one post to another. In Doubles
shooting he/she may place two (2) live shells in his/her gun at a time
and must remove both live or empty shells before moving from one (1)
post to another. In changing from one (1) post to another, the shooter
shall not walk in front of the other competitors.
13. Snap caps or recoil reduction devices may be excluded from the
above only if colored a safety orange as to permanently identify them
as not being a live or empty shell.
14. A contestant may hold his/her gun in any position when it is his/her
turn to shoot. The contestant must in no manner interfere with the
preceding shooter by raising his/her gun to point or otherwise create
an observable distraction.
15. All guns used by contestants must be equipped, fitted and utilized
so as not to eject empty shells in a manner that substantially disturbs
or interferes with other contestants.
16. All persons including competitors, referee/scorers, and trap
personnel must wear appropriate eye and hearing protection while on
the trap field. Failure to comply may result in disqualification.
17. No shooter shall be permitted to participate in any ATA event while
seated in or otherwise using a golf cart on the firing line. Single passenger
conveyances are the appropriate means for participating should one
require assistance due to permanent or temporary disability.
18. While not prohibited, the practice of resting the muzzle of a shotgun
on a shooter’s toe is ill-advised and is discouraged.
