The NCAA News - News Features

Competitive advantage? Rule change may close rifle gap

Gender equality has been a selling point for the sport of collegiate rifle for many years. In no other NCAA sport do men and women compete against each other, head-to-head, on an even playing field.

But that is not true at the international level, where the genders compete separately under different rules. The differences between NCAA and international competition have prompted some women who aspire to qualify for the U.S. national team to voluntarily tilt the scales against themselves in NCAA competition and follow international rules.

Women competing in smallbore competition at International Shooting Union (UIT) events have been using a "standard" rifle, which can weigh no more than 5.5 kilograms and has to meet restrictions on size, shape and adjustments. Palm rests and butt plates with a hook larger than two centimeters are prohibited.

In comparison, the men's "free" rifle weight limit is 8 kilograms, including extra equipment such as a hook butt plate and a palm rest.

The NCAA uses the 8 kilogram limit for both men and women. But women vying for spots in international smallbore competition sometimes opt to use the lighter weapon in NCAA competition. That decision can put the woman shooter at a disadvantage in head-to-head competition against men, because a heavier weapon can negate a shooter's movement, thus reducing human error.

But using a lighter rifle than required in NCAA competition may soon be unnecessary, because of a change in international rules.

UIT rules change

Beginning in January, UIT rules will permit women to use the same smallbore rifle and accessories as men, although the rifle may weigh no more than 6.5 kilograms. This gun is known as a "sport" rifle. (The men's free rifle weight limit will remain unchanged.)

"The two rifles (free and sport) are essentially the same," said Gary Anderson, the U.S. vice-president for UIT. "I suspect that a lot of men use rifles that weigh less than 6.5 kilograms, so many of the free rifles will meet sport rifle standards."

How much will the 1997 UIT change affect NCAA rifle? Initially, probably not at all, since most shooters will not want to switch rifles in midseason. In coming years, some effect is likely.

It is debatable, though, whether women's scores will improve.

"Some might argue that the (standard and sport) rifles are the same, but I don't know of any men who use the lighter rifle (at the collegiate level)," Anderson said. "Some may have used it when they were younger, but they don't now. I would contend that (the lighter rifle) is more difficult to shoot well in the prone and kneeling positions."

Randy Pitney, former chair of the NCAA Men's and Women's Rifle Committee and coach at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, agrees that use of a heavier gun is an advantage.

Even so, Pitney thinks the most significant factor in the change is not weight but the allowance of extra equipment -- specifically, the hook butt plate. This device provides an unlimited range of adjustment compared to the standard rifle's butt plate, which could be moved up and down a maximum of only 30 millimeters.

Standard rifle simpler to use

Use of the curved plate can be a two-edged sword. Pitney said that such a plate, adjusted correctly, can be advantageous. But correct adjustment requires practice. Set incorrectly, the plate will reduce the shooter's accuracy.

In other words, the old standard rifle with the flat plate was simpler to use.

The purpose of a hook butt plate is to allow a rifle to fit more securely in the shooter's shoulder, while a palm rest sits in front of the rifle and allows the shooter in a standing position to support more easily the fore-end of the stock.

A shooter has to adjust to the standard rifle. But the sport rifle and free rifle are adapted to the shooter -- provided the shooter knows how to operate the extra equipment.

Overall, many more men than women compete in the sport of rifle, but a disproportionately high number of women place in the NCAA championships' top 10 in air rifle -- an event in which both genders use the same type of gun.

Some foresee the same thing happening in smallbore, once the women adjust to the sport rifle.

"I think this will eventually be a big advantage for women," said Tony Hammett, coach of the all-woman team at the University of Texas at El Paso.

"Men, watch out," Hammett said. "I'm serious as a heart attack."

Others are not so sure. Ray Anti, coach at the U.S. Naval Academy, thinks the change was a mistake.

"The women had a good thing going," he said. "I don't know if a smaller woman will be able to handle the heavier gun."

Possible air rifle effect

The UIT rules change eventually also may affect NCAA air rifle competition.

The standard smallbore rifle used up to now by women in UIT and NCAA competition is about the same size and weight as an air gun (air guns are identical for both genders in UIT and NCAA levels). As a result, the argument goes, switching from one rifle to the other has been easier for women than for men, who must adjust to a lighter weapon for air rifle competition.

"Women are more competitive with men in air rifle. I believe this is because there is a high transfer of training between the very similar standard and air rifles," said West Virginia coach Marsha Beasley, who coached the only female to repeat as NCAA air rifle champion, Ann-Marie Pfiffner (1991 and 1992).

"As women change to sport rifles, they will likely become more competitive with men in smallbore but will lose the training advantage they've had for air rifle."

Beasley said that regardless of what happens to scoring, she hopes the UIT change will encourage more women to participate in the sport of rifle, since they will not have to shoot smallbore at a handicap -- real or perceived.