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CHAPTER 1: Course Design
The following general principles of course design list the criteria, responsibilities and restrictions governing course
designers as the architects of the sport of IPSC shooting.

1.1

General Principles

1.1.1

Safety – IPSC matches must be designed, constructed and conducted with due consideration to safety.

1.1.2

Quality – The value of an IPSC match is determined by the quality of the challenge presented in the course
design. Courses of fire must be designed primarily to test a competitor’s IPSC shooting skills, not their
physical abilities.

1.1.3

Balance – Accuracy, Power and Speed are equivalent elements of IPSC shooting, and are expressed in the
Latin words "Diligentia, Vis, Celeritas" ("DVC"). A properly balanced course of fire will depend largely
upon the nature of the challenges presented therein, however, courses must be designed, and IPSC matches
must be conducted in such a way, as to evaluate these elements equally. IPSC Action Air matches are
exempt from minimum power considerations (also see Rule 5.6.1).

1.1.4

Diversity – IPSC shooting challenges are diverse. While it is not necessary to construct new courses for each
match, no single course of fire must be repeated to allow its use to be considered a definitive measure of
IPSC shooting skills.

1.1.5

Freestyle – IPSC matches are freestyle. Competitors must be permitted to solve the challenge presented in a
freestyle manner and, for handgun matches, to shoot targets on an "as and when visible" basis. After the start
signal, courses of fire must not require mandatory reloads nor dictate a shooting position, location or stance,
except as specified below. However, conditions may be created, and barriers or other physical limitations
may be constructed, to compel a competitor into shooting positions, locations or stances.
1.1.5.1

Level I and Level II matches are not required to comply strictly with the freestyle requirements or
projectile count limitations (see Section 1.2).

1.1.5.2

Short Courses and Classifiers may include mandatory reloads and may dictate a shooting position,
location and/or stance.

1.1.5.3

General Courses and Classifiers may specify shooting strong hand or weak hand only without the
need to enforce compliance using physical means (e.g. hook-and-loop fasteners etc.). The
specified hand must be used exclusively from the point stipulated for the remainder of the stage.

1.1.5.4

If a written stage briefing specifies strong or weak hand only, Rule 10.2.8 will apply. If a
competitor is merely required to carry, retain or grasp an object during his attempt at a course of
fire, Rule 10.2.2 will apply.

1.1.5.5

Course designers may give competitors freedom to await the Start Signal anywhere within the
boundaries of a well demarcated firing zone.

1.1.6

Difficulty – IPSC matches present varied degrees of difficulty. No shooting challenge may be appealed as
being prohibitive. This does not apply to non-shooting challenges, which should reasonably allow for
differences in competitor's height and physical build.

1.2

Types of Courses

IPSC matches may contain the following types of courses of fire:
1.2.1

General Courses of Fire:
1.2.1.1

Short Courses – Must not require more than 12 projectiles to complete. Course design and
construction must not require more than 9 scoring hits from any single location or view.

1.2.1.2

Medium Courses – Must not require more than 24 projectiles to complete. Course design and
construction must not require more than 9 scoring hits from any single location or view, nor allow
a competitor to shoot all targets in the course of fire from any single location or view.

IPSC Action Air Rules, January 2012 Edition

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