Rochester Brooks Level I Match Directors Check List
Early Preparation – (These tasks cannot be completed done too early)
Confirm match date, day, and check for any scheduling conflicts. Keys required to enter the storage sheds, pavilion and unlock the pass key gate are available inside the gray storage shed. These must be put back as soon as you are done as the match director.
Understand required number of stages and any time constraints. Is a USPSA classifier required or desired? RB Runs 5 stages & a classifier from April thru October, a total of 6-Stages every month.
Make sure the event is properly listed on published schedules at the RB Website and on the ELS Master Schedule. Promote the match early and often.
Get good stages. Challenge the shooters but make them fun. Variety is good. Providing different options for shooters with various skills is good. Stages need to be designed for the bay they will occupy! You can draw stages or request design help from others or “borrow” stages from other events and modify appropriately.
Make sure we have consistent and clear written stage briefings & we actually have the props you plan to use for all the stages? Doors, swingers etc.
Confirm who is doing stats (scoring)? Be sure they have what they need. You MUST provide them with match round count 5-days before the match. Ask them to help you verify each squad will have competent RO’s embedded.
If the club truck is required, make sure the club manager (Scott Holmes) knows when you will need it so it will be available. Line up anyone you need to help you build stages or run the match. Get it on their calendar.
Match week – (or earlier)
Confirm you will have the help you need setting up /building stages. A mass e-mailing is okay when there are no other options, but you need to be prepared for too many or not enough help. Better to personally ask for and get commitments from the people you want to work with. A match that doesn’t start on time will simply be your fault.
The RB Parctiscore sign up interface now has a check box asking for participants to volunteer to help with set up. A list is generated a few days before the match. The list with phone numbers & e-mail addresses will be provided to the Match Director a few days before the match so they can reach out and verify who will be helping with set up.
Arrange for one of the club members with keys to get there early and lock the gate open on set up day if you do not have keys.
Make lists of the required props, number of stands, walls, sticks, etc. for each bay. (This is critical)
Make multiple copies of stage drawings with the prop lists on them. The stage number should match the bay number it is set up in.
You should go a day or two ahead of time & determine the following:
- What is the condition of bays?
- Will stages need modification due to conditions?
- Is there air in the trailer tires?
- Paint up the required hard cover targets or make sure you have a worker allocated to that task on “set up day”. Make sure there are enough standard targets.
We need to notify RB members when set up will affect range hours this is usually listed on the website.
Set up night/day of the stages
Delegate – Be the leader you can be polite, but you need to be in charge and that is Okay.
We have all witnessed set up days with one guy walking around looking at angles and moving targets around with a crumpled-up piece of paper in his hand while 8 or 10 people eager to help stand watching or socializing with no guidance. Don’t be that guy.
You have previously arranged for the club truck if needed. Send someone (2 people) to get it.
Hand out the prop list so workers can load the trailer. Assign a worker to start delivering the props and equipment to all other bays as you (the MD) start placing the first stage. This is probably a team of 2-3 people; a driver and two prop carriers.
Assign someone to prepare the stage boxes. Make sure each box has the following:
- Check the timer & it’s batteries
- Replenish pasters, (Brown, White and Black) & white spray paint
- Stapler gun and staples
- Make sure a Stage Description/Walk Through Sheet is in each appropriate box
- Assign someone to paint all required hard cover targets. If possible, the MD should have already done it.
Make sure you have somebody assigned to cover the targets with plastic bags if they are set the night before the match. Assign a worker to tie off or use the long zip ties to join the walls together at corners if needed.
Assign a capable worker can install cables and test moving targets if applicable.
The Range Master (RM) or Match Director (MD) should calibrate and paint the steel targets on each stage using a 9mm with sub-minor ammo. The RBPS club will load and provide plenty of sub minor 9mm ammo and it will be kept in the main storage shed and labeled as “9mm Match Steel Calibration Ammo”.
The best system has been to give a stage drawing to someone you trust and have them go “rough it in”. They can put the steel and moving targets in their approximate location, measure off the safe distances and lay down fault lines, put up walls, place target stands and put in the sticks and give it a once over. It should resemble your drawing.
When the MD (you) gets there, you can look at various views of the targets, check for shoot throughs check all target presentations and adjust the stage to look the way you envisioned it. Assign a worker to pin the target stands with 2 of the 8” landscape spikes at an angle and place sandbags where required as stages are completed.
In most cases targets should not be stapled to the uprights until the morning of the match. This makes it hard to finalize target placement the night before the match. If you do place targets the night before a match they must be bagged, or morning dew will make them sag.
Remember “all rounds fired must impact a berm”! Safety is one of your BIGGEST responsibilities during stage set up. Have someone you trust vet the stages for shoot throughs, hit locations on berms, 180° traps or any other potentially unsafe conditions. Then do it yourself too, more eyes on this are a good thing.
Protect our walls and equipment by proper placement or by using No-shoot targets or the white corrugated wall edging (kept in the main storage shed) on ends and edges to prevent them from getting shot up and destroyed.
Match Day
Who locks the gate open…they will need a gate key? (Mike Cole or Bob Urban can get you keys or combinations if you need them.) What time will the gate be locked open 8:00AM is the target time?
Make sure you have a crew to staple targets on the stages where required. Check every stage to make sure it is correct and make final target placement tweaks if required.
Before the match begins (around 8:30Am to 9:15AM) send a worker to the clubhouse to pick up bottled water and ice for the workers and competitors. Very important on hot summer days and we have coolers in the shed for the water.
Basically, it is assumed that the RB Monthly Match Director MD is also the RM…If you are not comfortable with this role Bob Urban, Mike Cole or Jay Tovey can fill that role. You should be prepared for the Range Master duties as well.
Start on time! ~ If you aren’t doing the welcome/safety briefing who is? Are they ready to give the briefing? If things need to be announced have a list.
Match Tear Down
Once the match is completed its usually pretty easy to have a team assembled to take down all the stages and props and get them put away. Make sure you instruct all competitors to take down their last stage and pile the props in one location for faster and easy pick up with the trailer.