COMPETITION RULES

1. INTRODUCTION - This competition is designed to test the physical and mental abilities of your team by creating challenges intended to mirror those of actual operations. The purpose of AARTAC is to test your fitness, shooting skills, communication skills, and your ability to make split second decisions under stress. AARTAC is intentionally difficult and features targets and obstacles that are “difficult for a purpose.” AARTAC is not for the faint of heart. Our goal is to use the synergistic pressures of competition, physical effort, challenging targets, unusual angles, difficult shooting positions and your team's reliance on you to push you to the limit of your training and skills. It is our hope that deficiencies revealed at AARTAC will yield updated training for your team and thereby make your team safer.
2. TEAM COMPOSITION - Each team must be comprised of four members. Those four members must remain the same for the entire duration of the event. Each team may also appoint one alternate. In the event of an injury or other emergency, we reserve the right to allow a team member to be substituted by the alternate.
3. COMPETITION FORMAT
1. In total, there are four separate events that comprise this year’s overall championship. Throughout the day all teams will rotate through each of the four events.
1. Handgun Competition - Will consist of each team member shooting a single course of fire individually. The combined times (including penalties) for these four runs will equal your team’s time for this event.
2. Carbine Competition – Will consist of your team shooting a single course of fire as two teams of two shooters. The combined times (including penalties) for these 2 runs will equal your team’s time for this event.
3. Combat Course – Will consist of your team making a single run as a four-man team. The time for this run will be your team’s time for this event (including penalties).
4. Obstacle Course (PT) Competition – Will consist of your team making a single run of the course as a four-man relay. The time for this run will be your team’s time for this event.
4. STARTING PROCEDURES
1. In an effort to minimize down time, we have elected to utilize a shotgun start similar to that of a golf tournament. Each team has been assigned to a run group designated by one of the following colors: Red, Yellow, Green and Orange.  Each run group will contain between 8 and 10 teams who will remain together for the entire competition.
2. All run groups have been assigned a starting location. For each session, your run group will rotate to a different event over two hours and fifteen minutes. Over the course of the day each group will visit all four events.
3. To minimize confusion, each team member will be given a color-coded bracelet for their run group. In addition, there is a color-coded schedule in your packets, schedules posted in several locations, and there will be a color-coded flag at each event to help you figure out where you are supposed to be.
4. Teams must be ready when called. If a team is not ready when called, they will receive a two-minute penalty on top of their time for the event.
5. Teams will be staged in three steps using baseball terminology: in the hole (meaning you are two away), on deck (meaning you are up next), and up (meaning you are about to start).  Your team should be ready to go at least two teams prior to being in the hole.
5. SCORING
1. Teams will be scored and ranked based on their overall time. The winning team for each event will be the team with the lowest overall time. Overall time is comprised of actual run time plus any time penalties incurred during their run.
2. Time for each of the individual events will then be added together to establish the teams overall combined time for all events.
6. TARGETS
1. AARTAC incorporates color coded targets which are designed to force you to think on your feet. The meaning of each color is not always intuitive. As a result, it is essential that you pay attention to the color coding listed below. Failure to do so will result in penalties being applied to your time.
2. Red Targets – Are hostages do not shoot them! Hitting a red target will result in a penalty of 30 seconds per hit.
3. White Targets – Should be shot once each.
4. Yellow Targets – Should be shot two times each.
5. Green Targets – Should be shot one time at the end of your run. Shooting the green target will end your run. If you shoot this target before completing your run your time will stop and you will be assessed a penalty for each missed target.
6. Black Targets – Do not need to be shot but will incur no penalties if they are shot while reaching another target.
7. Bowling Pins and Steel Plates– Should be shot until they fall down.
8. Clay Pigeons – Do not need to completely break up, they simply must be shot one time. 
9. PLEASE NOTE: there is no penalty for extra hits on targets but each missed target will carry a penalty of 1 point or 10 seconds.
7. PENALTIES
1. Time penalties will be assessed on a points basis. Each point will represent ten seconds added to your time. For example, if a team incurs five penalty points they will receive 50 seconds added to their time.
2. Penalties will be assessed for the following violations:
1. Procedural Violations – one point (10 seconds) per occurrence - These include: not performing tasks in the correct order, losing any equipment (other than a weapon) on the course, skipping a target, using off limits portions of obstacles, etc.
2. Weapons Violation – 3 points per occurrence. These include violation of loading/unloading protocols, leaving a weapon on the course, shooting a “don’t shoot” target, or violating any basic firearms safety rules at any time.
3. Please note that live scoring will be posted at www.scoreboard.aartac.com.
   
8. TIMING
1. Each run will be timed by several people. The primary time is the time kept by the course Captain for each event. All other timers are backups in case of a malfunction.
2. The timer will start when the starter for each event says go and will stop when they complete the course.
3. When your team completes each course, the Team Leader will be required to review and sign the score sheet. Once the score sheet is signed, no protests may be raised. If a team disagrees with the timing or scoring, they should refuse to sign the score sheet and immediately tell the course Captain that they are protesting their timing and scoring.
9. PROTESTS
1. When a team protests their timing the match will be temporarily stopped and the Match Director will immediately be called.
2. Protests will be promptly resolved before the match continues. When an error in timing has been made, we reserve the right to utilize any remedy we believe is fair and just. These include time adjustments, rule changes, and/or granting a rerun.
3. The Match Director's decision is final.
10. PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
1. Handgun, Carbine and Combat Courses - Teams are expected to be equipped as they would for a normal operation.
1. Each team member must be equipped with the following:
1. Tactical Body Armor – This needs to be a tactical entry vest or tactical plate carrier. If your team normally wears full coverage tactical armor you are not required to wear plates, shoulders, or groin protectors. If your team normally wears plate racks for operations, you can wear them for the competition, however, you must wear your plates with them. Please note: Concealable body armor, tactical outer carriers or body armor carriers without ballistics will not be allowed.
2. Gas Mask and carrying pouch – You must have a working gas mask with a filter on it and be capable of demonstrating a seal with the mask.
3. Ballistic Helmet
4. Eye Protection
5. Hearing Protection
2. PT Course - Teams should wear their boots and swat/utility uniform pants for the obstacle course.  T-shirts are welcome, but boots must be worn as footwear. We are no longer allowing running shoes and PT gear for the Obstacle Course.
3. Please note: We reserve the right to disqualify teams who are not wearing their proper operational gear for events. Please don’t put us in a position of questioning your gear and just wear your real gear.
11. FIREARMS
1. Carbine - Each team member will need to bring a carbine with a sling and at least 100 rounds of ammunition. Optics for the carbine are not required but are strongly suggested. No armor piercing or tracer ammunition is permitted.
2. Handgun – Handguns of any normal pistol caliber are permitted. Each team member musts have a secure holster and at least 100 rounds of ammunition. No armor piercing or tracer ammunition is permitted.
12. AWARDS
1. Medals will be given to the top three teams in each of the four events based upon the best times for that event. In addition, medals, trophies and possibly prizes will be given to the top five teams in the overall competition.
13. TIE BREAK PROCEDURES – If two or more teams have identical times in a competition, ties will be broken as follows:
1. Handgun – The team with the lowest total number of total handgun penalties, then the team with the lowest average time, finally the team with the lowest single individual time.
2. Carbine – The team with the lowest total number of total carbine penalties, then the team with the lowest single run time, and finally the team with the lowest number of 3 point carbine penalties.
3. Combat Course - The team with the lowest total number of total combat shooting penalties, then the team with the lowest number of 3 point combat shooting penalties.
4. Obstacle Course – Teams will compete in a runoff.
5. Overall Championship – The team with the lowest time on the combat shooting course, then the team with the lowest time on the obstacle course, then the team with the lowest time on the handgun course, then the lowest time on the carbine course and finally the team with the lowest number of penalties.
14. MANDATORY BRIEFINGS
1. There is a mandatory all competitor briefing at 6:50am in the picnic area. Each run group will have an event specific briefing immediately following the overall briefing and then immediately begin their courses.
2. It is your responsibility to be at the correct location, at the correct time, for each briefing. Failure to be on time or attend the briefing will result in penalties that will affect your time for that event and your overall placement. So, please show up on time.
3. With each rotation to a new event, there will be a briefing for the new course that is mandatory for all teams in that rotation.  Teams within the first 5 teams to run in each event should show up for this briefing in their gear.
15. RUNNING ORDER – Team running order has been established by a random drawing for each run group and for each event separately. This means that your running order will change through the competition. Running orders for each event are in your packets and are posted in several locations. If you are uncertain about your running order please locate any AARDVARK staff member and we will help you.
16. PHOTOGRAPHY
1. We will be videotaping and photographing the competition and intend to put the photos and videos online to share with you. As a result, if you are working any kind of deep cover, secret squirrel assignment that prohibits you from being photographed please tell the photographer taking your picture so that they can try to avoid you.
17. WEAPONS PROCEDURES
1. All weapons must be unloaded when you come to the start line. No magazines can be in your weapons. You will load your weapons when you reach the first area in your course of fire. To facilitate inspection please have your slides or bolts locked back when you reach the on-deck circle. Once inspected working parts can be closed for your run.
2. If you drop any equipment and leave it behind on any course you will receive one penalty (10 seconds). However, if that equipment is a weapon, it will be a three point or 30 second penalty. Please note that it is okay to drop magazines during the shooting portions of the course, but please remember to collect them after your run.
18. OVERALL DISCLAIMERS
1. Please try to remember this is a training event not the Olympics. Please try to be understanding. Our goal is to give you guys a great training experience.
2. Please also remember that you are all adults. As such, please try to act like it. Please don’t try to cheat, don’t complain about other teams, and please recognize that we are doing everything we can to make this fair and fun.
3. Yes, we know the courses are hard and yes we know the targets are difficult to hit. We fully intended it to be that way to most realistically replicate the conditions under which you operate. We intend this to be a real test of your team fitness and skill.
4. Ultimately, we reserve the right to do whatever our range staff believes to be fair and safe. In the case where Murphy joins our competition and makes weird things happen, our remedies may include giving a team a rerun, reevaluating penalties with video footage, or anything else we think is reasonable and fair for the situation.
5. These rules are subject to change at any time at the sole discretion of AARTAC leadership.