Details & Rules

The English Game

2024 English Sporting Clays Series

The Details of Each 100 Target Match

Each 100 target match is a fun, casual and enjoyable introduction to English Sporting targets, intended to appeal to everyone who enjoys shooting clay targets. If you shoot casually here and there, you can turn up to any of our 100 target matches and enjoy breaking some targets. Alternatively, if you are a regular competitive shooter then you will enjoy the various championships, and be challenged by the handicap system, where you will need to constantly better yourself through the year to earn the Series points.

O) The outright score records from each 100 target event are fed into our Overall Series Leaderboard for end of year ranking in the categories Juniors, Ladies, Veterans, Super Veterans and Open. With large prizes awarded to place-getters in these categories. See details about the Series below.

H) Handicap (by targets in allowance) is calculated on each 100 target match, using a calculation based on each shooters average percentage from previous matches (including 2022 & 2023 Series). If you haven't shot a Series match previously, don't worry, we've got a way to include you and get you started in the Series. See details about handicap allocation opposite.

Each 100 target match will award Series points to the top 10 shooters on Handicap, that feed into our Series Leaderboard to determine who gets the prizes at the completion of the Series. (See Series details below)
At the conclusion of each 100 target match, the top 10 places (on the handicap system) are allocated Series Championship points that feed into our Series Leaderboard to determine who gets the prizes at the completion of the Series. (See Series details below). At each Series match the winner gets 25 Championship points, on a decreasing scale to 10th place getting 1 point. (Just like the Formula One points system).
- Winner 25 points
- Runner-up 18 points
- Third 15 points
- Fourth 12 points
- Fifth 10 points
- Sixth 8 points
- Seventh 6 points
- Eighth 4 points
- Ninth 2 points
- Tenth 1 point
At each match, if there is a tie for any of the Top 5 Series Championship points paying positions, then a tie break shoot off will take place to establish positions 1 - 5 and allocate points.
At each match, if there is a tie for any of the Series Championship points paying positions 6th - 10th then the points will be accumulated and divided equally between those shooters who are tied.
- i.e If three shooters are tied for 6th position, the points for 6th, 7th and 8th places (8 + 6 + 4) are added together, and divided equally to the three shooters. Each shooter therefore receiving 6 points on the Handicap Series Leaderboard

THE DETAILS OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

At the final event of the Series, 28th April 2024, we will recognise The English Game Champion for 2024 in both outright Overall ranking, and also Handicap (by points earned in the handicap system at each event)

For both Championships and all leaderboard positions, the final event on 28th April is a compulsory counting score, which is counted along with a shooters top 2 points scores from any of the 3 previous events.
The English Game Overall Champion (Open category winner) shall be determined from a total of 300 possible points, allocated in the following way:
- The overall winning score of any given event is rated as 100%, with all scores from the event being rated as a percentage against this winning score. i.e The winner shoots 93/100. The 93 is rated as 100%. 2nd best score is 90 (96.77%), with 3rd and 4th both on 87 (both get 93.55%),
The English Game Handicap Champion shall be determined from a total of 75 possible points, using the points scoring system described above.

RULES

GENERAL

The following rules apply to all Wairarapa Clay Target Club (the Club) matches that are part of The English Game, English Sporting Clay Series. The following rules are not NZCTA approved rules, and are supplementary to NZCTA rules.

HANDICAP RULES

1.1 Handicap ‘targets in’ are allocated to each individual shooter, using a mathematical formula incorporating that shooters average from previous Series matches run by the Club. The formula takes the average of (up to) a shooters most recent 6 Series scores (out of 50. Note for The English Game, each 100 target day counts for 2 Series scores for handicapping averaging purposes). This average is converted to a percentage, which shows what the shooters average 'shortfall' to 100 targets is. Knowing the shortfall, the Club will give 70% of that shortfall to the shooter (rounded down to the nearest whole number) as a handicap 'targets in' for the next 100 target English Game match.

Targets in = ((100 - Average %) x 0.7) RoundedDown

i.e A shooters average percentage from the last 6 of 50 target rounds is 73.33%. Subtract from 100 = 26.67. Multiple by 0.7 to find the 70% targets in that the Club will allow the shooter as a handicap, and round that down. so 26.67 * 0.7 = 18.669, rounded down to 18.

1.2 The average percentage used in the Rule 1.1 formula is determined by the following method:

a) Where a shooter has previously participated at the Club in an eligible Series match(es), the most recent 6 of 50 target matches or rounds (or part thereof) shall be averaged, and converted to a percentage to determine the number used in the formula. Eligible Series matches are:

All those of the 2022 Compak Series, each match counting as one 50 target score
All those of 2023 FITASC Series, each match counting as one 50 target score
All those of the 2024 English Game Series, each match counting as two 50 target scores (one 50 target round in AM, and another in PM)

i.e Shooter A participated in two 2022 Compak Series matches, and two 2023 FITASC Series matches only. The shooters scores in those 4 matches are averaged and converted to percentage to give a number for use in the Rule 1.1 formula.

Shooter B participated in all matches of the 2023 FITASC Series, plus match 1 of the 2024 English Game Series. The shooters most recent 4 scores across both Series (matches 13-16 of the FITASC Series, plus 2 x 50 target rounds of the English Game round 1) are averaged and converted to percentage to give a number for use in the Rule 1.1 formula that will apply to their next English Game attendance.

b) If a shooter has no record of eligible Series matches at the Club, then the following shall apply

If the shooter has an NZCTA handicap book, with rule off's in Sporting and/or Compak, then the highest rule off percentage from their most recent two rule offs in these disciplines shall be used in the Clubs handicap formula.
If the shooter does not have an NZCTA handicap book, or rule off's in Sporting and/or Compak, then their score from their first 50 target AM round of a Series match will be applied to Rule 1.1 formula to determine the results for that 100 target Series match. Whereafter an average percentage from 2 x 50 target rounds can then be used for subsequent matches.

c) English Sporting targets shall not be recorded in NZCTA handicap books.

d) The Club reserves the right to adjust a shooters average if it is not seen as a true representation of that shooters ability

TIE BREAK RULES

2.1 If a tie break situation exists to determine positions one through five for Handicap in a Series match, the tie is broken by shooters following each other through one station (3 pair targets), tallying scores at the completion of each station (accounting for any targets in as per Rule 5.2, that a shooter may have in a Handicap shoot off) to determine a result

a) The shooter order is drawn by lot. Shooting station order is as allocated by shoot management. Those who remain tied after station one, continue in same shooter order, on station two, and so on.

b) There are 6 or 8 targets per station (3 or 4 pair) with targets tallied at the completion of each station.

c) One pair is shown to the shooters prior to shooting each station. No competitor may stand within the station while targets are shown. The referee must occupy the station to show the targets, before shooter one enters the station and is given the instruction to load their gun and commence the scored sequence.

d) On any given station, it is not the order of hits and misses within the stand, but the tallied result of the completed station that determines results.

2.2 If a shooter exceeds the possible score (100) when their targets in Handicap is added to their Off Gun score, then any targets exceeding the possible score may be carried into the shoot off. For shooters who are required to shoot off on a Handicap adjusted score that totals less than the possible, then those shoot off's are carried out on a 'scratch' first miss and out basis.

a) Example: Shooter A's adjusted score is 102, Shooter B is 101 and Shooter C is 100. On station one, Shooter A hits 4/6, Shooter B hits 5/6 and shooter C hits 4/6. Shooter C is eliminated because they had no targets in reserve, while shooter A and B used their reserve targets to survive the first station, and now go into the second station on a level standing. Whoever shoots the higher score from Shooter A and B on station two wins. If they are equal after station two, they continue to station three until a result is obtained.