David- I agree! I know all of those SO worked their tails off all week. I expect each one of them would admit they missed some calls, but that's the game we play.

I really think some of the complaints/issues/gripes really have nothing to do with the match, and are a symptom of a larger problem we face. I understand that much of what happens in IDPA is done by volunteers. I won't presume to have all the answers (or any of them for that matter), but there are some questions we need to ask ourselves. Why have we lost many (if not most) of the truly top tier shooters? Can we PLEASE get a rulebook with clear definition that will allow us to bring more SOs into the sport with a clear understanding of what "is" and what "isn't".  Is the number of MA and EX level SOs at most sanctioned matches proportionate to their participation in the match itself(it was close at Nats, if not more so)? If not, why? I think if we can answer those questions, we'll continue to grow.

I certainly enjoyed this years Nats better than the Worlds last year, even though I shot MUCH worse. I have ventured out from IDPA this year, and shot some big matches in the "other" games.  I won't presume to know the ins and outs of putting on a match of this scale. But I will say strictly from a consumer's perspective, it wouldn't hurt IDPA to keep an eye on, and maybe try to learn from the "competition". 

Dave Horn

A35284