Q. 1. Does everyone get a grade ?.

The BFTA grades each person's shooting ability, based on their performance in regional and local competitions. Only those shooters having a current BFTA Shooters card are graded, as the card number is used to identify each person.

Q. 2. What are the grades used and what do they mean?

The Grades used are "AA" , "A","B", and "C".This means that in competition, shooters are generally only competing with other shooters of similar ability.

"AA" grade shooters are those who's average score is above 80%

"A" grade shooters are those with an average score between 70% and 80%

"B" grade shooters are those with an average score between 55% and 70%

"C" grade is for shooters with an average score up to 55%

Q. 3. How is the percentage calculated?

Your percentage score is based on the number of targets shot by you as a percentage of the number of targets shot by the HIGHEST SCORING SHOOTER in the same competition.

e.g. A 50 Target course is used.

The winner on the day hits 40 Targets - so 40 becomes the 100% benchmark against which your percentage is calculated.

You hit 30 Targets so your percentage would be 75% because you hit 75% of the targets hit by the Winner.

(A quick method using a calculator is divide your lower score by the highest score and multiply by 100 - or learn to use the percentage key.)

Q. 4. Who does the grading?

At each shoot you attend, someone calculates a percentage for you. If these are National BFTA organised GP's then the grading is done automatically by the BFTA Grading Officers. If they are local or regional shoots, the BFTA Grading Officer does not know you have taken part until he is sent the results by your local / regional Competition Secretary.

Q. 5. How is the grading done?

 All new shooters will start in "C" Grade and grading is done twice per year, once after the "Winter League" results and again after the National GP results in the summer.

Grading lists will go out the second week in April after the Inter Regionals and again the third week in September, after the Europeans.

Based on a "Rolling Average" it will allow shooters to work out their own percentages and monitor their own progress.

STARTING WITH A BASE %, ADD THE NEW % TO IT AND DIVIDE BY 2, GIVING A NEW AVERAGE %.
ADD ANOTHER, DIVIDE BY 3, ADD ANOTHER, DIVIDE BY 4 AND SO ON, UP TO A ROLLING TOTAL OF 10. EVEN THOUGH THE DISPLAYED AVE. % AND AVE. GRADE MAY CONSTANTLY CHANGE, THE SHOOTERS GRADE AT THE START OF THE SEASON WILL REMAIN FOR THAT SEASON. UP / DOWN GRADING WILL BE DEPENDANT ON % RESULTS OBTAINED AND TO WHICH GRADE THEY APPERTAIN TO. A SHOOTER MAY CHOOSE TO SHOOT IN A HIGHER GRADE BUT NOT A LOWER ONE

IF SIGNED IN AT A SHOOT, THEN A SCORE CARD MUST BE HANDED IN OR A WITNESSED NOTIFICATION OF THE SCORE WITHIN 24 HOURS AND WILL BE COUNTED AS PART OF THEIR TOTAL SCORE TO ASSESS GRADING. IF A POOR SCORE IS OBTAINED DUE TO ILLNESS OR GUN FAILURE FOR INSTANCE, THEN DISPENSATION FOR WITHDRAWEL OF A SCORE CARD CAN BE OBTAINED.

IT WILL BE OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE THAT CLUB SECRETARIES SEND IN RESULTS A.S.A.P. AND CERTAINLY WITHIN 5 WORKING DAYS. THIS WILL ALLOW THE WEB SITE TO BE UPDATED MONTHLY.ALL SCORES MUST BE SENT IN EXCEL AND IN SCORE  ORDER   

Q. 6. I think my grading is wrong!!

The gradings are done on an automated system and are based only on results supplied to the BFTA. In nearly every case that a grading is queried, it is due to a competitors recent results not being forwarded to the BFTA or the results forwarded were incorrect, so in the first instance - any query should be taken up with your regional competition secretary or the person responsible for passing on the grades.

If you still think there is an error, then contact the Grading Officer by e-mail : Grading@BFTA.net