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NRA Sanctioned Tournament Information 

An NRA-sanctioned tournament is a competition sponsored by an NRA-affiliated club or association and approved by the NRA before the event begins. There are three main types of tournaments for the traditional NRA tournament: Approved Tournaments, Registered Tournaments, and Sanctioned Leagues.  There are additional tournament types for America’s Rifle Challenge (ARC).  For more information regarding ARC, please follow this America's Rifle Challenge.

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Key Terms

Tournament: A series of matches organized under a single program.

Program: The document that gives participants essential information such as dates, location, courses of fire, equipment rules, eligibility, awards, and how to enter.

Sponsor: The organization responsible for planning, scheduling, and publicizing the tournament.

Host: The organization that runs the tournament operations (often the same as the sponsor).

Match: The basic unit of competition, which may consist of one or more stages.

Stage: A portion of a match conducted under specific conditions, such as a particular range or course of fire.

Awards Schedule: The plan for distributing prizes, usually based on competitor classifications.

Classification: A system that groups shooters by skill level for fair competition.

Categories: Groups competitors by factors such as age, military status, or gender, regardless of skill level.

Official Bulletin: The final posted or distributed results of the tournament.

 

Approved Tournaments

An Approved Tournament is a formalized version of a regular club practice session. The sponsor submits an application and program to the NRA in advance. After the event, results and competitor information are reported so shooters’ classifications can be updated.

 

Registered Tournaments

A Registered Tournament is similar but more formal. Key differences include:

An NRA Referee (or Jury) oversees the event.

  • National records can be set.
  • Certain officials cannot compete.
  • Programs and final results must be distributed to all participants and the NRA.

Many clubs start with Approved Tournaments before moving on to Registered Tournaments.

 

NRA Classification System

This system groups competitors into classes based on scores fired in NRA-sanctioned competitions, ensuring fair competition among shooters of similar skill. Beginners compete in the highest class at their first event and maintain a temporary record book until they have enough scores for an official classification. As more scores are submitted, a shooter’s class may change. Teams are also classified using an average of team members’ classifications.

 

Categories

Categories separate competitors into distinct groups without regard to skill. Examples include:

  • Civilian
  • Police
  • Military/Service
  • Junior
  • Senior
  • Women
  • Collegiate or ROTC

Sponsors may establish specific categories and must clearly define them in the program to avoid confusion. Awards may also combine categories or classifications if participation is low.

 

Classifications vs. Qualifications

Classifications are earned only in sanctioned tournaments and reflect competitive skill. Qualifications, in contrast, come from the NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program, which is designed for training and personal achievement rather than competition.

 

In the new portal the tournaments are listed as:

NRA Regional Tournament (Rule 1.6.d), NRA State Championship (Rule 1.6.e), Special Tournament (Rule 1.6.j), NRA Approved Tournament (Rule 1.6.g), NRA Registered Tournament (Rule 1.6.f), NRA Sanctioned League (Rule 1.6.h), NRA National Championship (Rule 1.6.c), ARC – Club Sanctioned Tournament ARC – State Sanctioned Tournament, ARC – Regional Sanctioned Tournament, ARC – National Sanctioned Tournament, Sectional – Junior (Rule 1.6.d), Sectional – Open (Rule 1.6.d).  We have added the option to apply for ARC, America's Rifle Challenge tournaments.  Below is more information on their tournament types.

NRA ARC Club Sanctioned Tournament: This is the base level competitive shooting event for Level 1, Level 2, or ARC 2Gun and must have the four (4) required Level 1 stages or four (4) stages for Level 2/ARC 2Gun event. 4

NRA ARC State Sanctioned Tournament: There can only be ONE (1) state level ARC event per state per calendar year. This event may contain Level 1, Level 2 and/or ARC 2Gun and must be applied for and have approval from the NRA ARC Program Manager. State ARC must have the four (4) required Level 1 stages or a minimum of six (6) stages for Level 2/ARC 2Gun event.

ARC Regional Sanctioned Tournament: The number of regional events is limited each year and subject to NRA competition division approval. This event may contain Level 1, Level 2 and/or ARC 2Gun and must be applied for and have approval from the NRA ARC Program Manager. Regional ARC must have the four (4) required Level 1 stages or a minimum of six (6) stages for Level 2/ARC 2Gun event.

ARC National Sanctioned Tournament: National ARC Events are coordinated and approved directly from the NRA Director of Competitive Shooting. This event may contain Level 1, Level 2 and/or ARC 2Gun. The National ARC event must have the four (4) required Level 1 stages and a minimum of eight (8) stages for ARC Level 2 and ARC 2Gun event.


Cost Per Competitor for NRA Sanctioned Tournaments

America's Rifle Challenge Tournaments (ARC)

NRA Affiliated Clubs/Ranges

Cost per NRA Member:  $2
Cost per Non-NRA Member:  $4

Non-NRA Affiliated Clubs and Ranges

Cost per NRA Member:  $4
Cost per Non-NRA Member:  $6

 

Traditional Sports (non-Silhouette)

Approved Tournaments:  $4.50 per competitor
Registered/State Championship:  $5.50 per competitor
Leagues:  Fee is based on number of unique competitors.

Precision Pistol and Action Pistol

Regional:  $8.00
Distinguished Revolver:  $5.00
Regional Team:  $5.00

High Power Rifle, Air Rifle and Smallbore Rifle

Regional:  $9.00
Regional Team:  $5.00

BB Gun

Fee per competitor for all tournaments except Sectional:  $2.00

Sectional Tournaments

Per Competitor

BB Gun 4 Position Match:  $3.00
All Other $8.00

Per Team

BB Gun 4 Position $3.00
All Other $5.00

 

Silhouette

Approved Tournaments:  NO cost per Competitor
Registered:  $3.50 per Competitor
State Championship:  $4.50 per Competitor
Regional:  $6.50 per Competitor

 

Questions & Answers

Where does a tournament sponsor get entry cards (NRA SR-1, SR-1A, SR-45, SR-27, SR-500 cards)?

Individual Score Reporting Forms (SR cards) are available for downloading in PDF format. Once downloaded you may make as many copies as you need for the competitors in your tournament. Note: These are only the part of the SR card that is submitted to the NRA.

NRA Conventional Tournaments (Except High Power Rifle)  Download 
NRA International Tournaments  Download 
NRA High Power Rifle Tournaments only  Download 
NRA Intl Fullbore Prone Tournaments only  Download 
NRA Black Powder Target Rifle and Muzzle Loading  Download 
NRA Action Shooting  Download 
Silhouette Jury Report  Download 

Should competitors use their full name when completing the entry card?

Competitors should use their given name, middle initial, surname, NRA ID number and address as shown on current NRA membership card. Competitors should use the same name to enter every tournament.  The NRA maintains a large number of classifications and is unable to determine whether "R.O. Smith" is the same person as "Robert O. Smith", even if they have the same address. 

What is the advantage of advance entries?

Advance entries permit the tournament sponsor to assign firing points and times to "squad" his tournament. The sponsor will have some idea of the number of relays that will be required and also the number of awards that must be provided. Shooters should send in their entry to a tournament at the earliest possible date.

How much should a tournament sponsor charge for an entry fee?

There is considerable variation in the fees charged. The total cost for attending a tournament may vary anywhere from five dollars per match to as much as $100 per match. It is up to the tournament sponsor to keep his fee at the lowest possible figure to permit shooters to attend. This can be done by using volunteer labor and keeping the awards reasonable.

What use is made of NRA tournament registration fees?

These fees are used to offset a portion of the costs of the administration of NRA sanctioned tournaments and maintenance of the NRA competitor classification system. These fees are also used to pay the referee's expenses in the case of Championship Tournaments.

Why should the statement "NRA Rules shall govern," be in every program?

The tournament program is the vehicle which is used to cover all regulations concerning the tournament operation. For this reason, it is necessary that some such statement be made in order to let all competitors know the specific rules under which they are firing. The tournament sponsor has, in some cases, the privilege of specifying which NRA Rule will be in effect.

Who is eligible to enter an NRA sanctioned tournament?

NRA rules do not require membership for participation in either Approved Tournaments or Sanctioned Leagues. NRA membership is encouraged but not required of all competitors in a Registered Tournament. NRA membership is required for National Records. If other restrictions are made by the tournament sponsor, they must be clearly stated in the Tournament Program. Restrictions placed on participation must not be in violation of any local, state or federal legislation.

May special regulations be included in a program?

Yes. Such special regulations cannot contradict NRA tournament rules but may set up special "ground rules" for the range, a special firing procedure, a special award program, etc.

What reports must be made to the NRA after a tournament has been completed?

The Referee, Jury Chairman or appointed Supervisor is responsible for making a personal report to the NRA and forms are provided for this purpose. An SR-1 card is also required for each competitor (SR-1A for international, SR-45 for Action Pistol and SR-27 for shotgun). The bottom part of this two part card is to have the total number of shots and total score posted by the sponsor and be forwarded to NRA to be used for classification purposes. The tournament sponsor must remit registration fees to the NRA, and a tournament report form must be submitted. A copy of the final results bulletin must be forwarded to the NRA for every Registered Tournament. Approved Tournaments which publish such official bulletins should also send a copy to the NRA. This must be done within 30 days of firing (Rule 19.13) at the same time as the scores and fees are submitted. Programs and applications for future tournaments MUST be sent separately from the scores and fees of a previously fired tournament.

Can a computer generated report be sent to NRA instead of the SR cards?

Yes. However, the report must include the tournament date, location and type of tournament (rifle, pistol, etc.). It must also include the following information for each competitor: NRA ID number, complete name & address, total shots fired and total score for the tournament. Do not include averages. The type size must be large enough to read for data entry purposes.

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For more information about the Competitions Division, call us at (877) 672-6282 or email [email protected].

 

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