XII. Arbitration Committee
Rules and procedures for the arbitration committee in practical shooting competitions.
XII. ARBITRATION COMMITTEE AND APPEALS PROCEDURE
12.1. General Principles
12.1.1 During the conduct of competitions, disputes may arise which require resolution in accordance with the applicable Rules.
12.1.2 Each participant has the right to appeal decisions made by officials in accordance with the established procedure.
12.1.3 Appeals may be submitted to arbitration in respect of any matter, except where expressly prohibited by this Rules.
12.1.4 Appeals arising from disqualifications for safety violations shall be considered solely to determine whether exceptional circumstances exist to justify reconsideration of the disqualification, and not to challenge the fact of the violation itself.
12.2. Submission of Appeals
12.2.1 General Requirements
12.2.1.1 An appeal shall be submitted to the Chief Judge together with proof of payment of the appeal fee.
12.2.1.2 The appeal must be submitted within one (1) hour from the time of the disputed decision, as recorded by match officials.
12.2.1.3 Failure to comply with the submission deadline or requirements shall render the appeal invalid, and no further action will be taken.
12.2.1.4 The appellant has the right to request that the Chief Judge ensures the preservation of all relevant evidence (documents, photo, and video materials) until the appeal is reviewed.
12.2.1.5 Any judge who becomes aware of an intention to submit an appeal must immediately inform the Chief Judge and record the identities of all persons involved in the incident (judges and witnesses).
12.2.2 Forms of Submission
12.2.2.1 The appeal may be submitted in the following forms:
- handwritten and signed by the appellant
- printed and signed by the appellant
- in electronic form (sent to the email address specified in the competition information)
12.2.3 Proof of Payment
12.2.3.1 Proof of payment of the appeal fee may be submitted:
in paper form:
- bank receipt
- payment confirmation
- electronic receipt
in electronic form:
- via email to the Chief Judge
- via messenger specified by the organizers
12.2.4 Time of Submission
12.2.4.1 The time of submission of an appeal shall be considered the latest time at which the complete set of documents (appeal and proof of payment) is received, if submitted separately.
12.2.5 Confirmation of Receipt
12.2.5.1 The Chief Judge must immediately confirm receipt of the appeal:
- for paper documents — by recording the date and time of receipt
- for electronic submissions — by sending a confirmation message
12.3. Appeal Fee
12.3.1 The appeal fee shall be paid by the appellant to the organizers using the payment details provided during registration.
12.3.2 The amount of the appeal fee shall be equal to the individual competition entry fee (excluding any discounts or benefits).
12.3.1 Refund Policy
12.3.1.1 If the appeal is upheld, the fee shall be refunded to the appellant (excluding any bank commission fees).
12.3.1.2 If the appeal is denied, the fee shall not be refunded.
12.4. Arbitration Committee
12.4.1 Formation
12.4.1.1 The Arbitration Committee shall be appointed by the Organizing Committee prior to the competition and convened upon submission of an appeal.
12.4.2 Composition
12.4.2.1 The Committee shall consist of no fewer than three (3) internationally certified judges present at the competition (not necessarily acting as judges).
12.4.2.2 Where necessary, members of the International Judges Committee may be involved.
12.4.3 Requirements for Committee Members
12.4.3.1 Committee members must:
- be impartial and have no conflict of interest
- not have participated in the original decision
12.4.4 Principles of Operation
12.4.4.1 The Arbitration Committee shall:
- apply the current WPSF Rules
- where interpretation is required:
- rely on written instructions of the International Judges Committee (if available)
- apply best practices
- act in the spirit of the Rules
12.5. Appeal Review Procedure
12.5.1 The Committee has the authority to:
- review written, photo, and video evidence
- hear the appellant
- question judges and witnesses
- request additional evidence
- inspect the location related to the incident
12.5.2 After reviewing all materials, the Committee shall conduct a closed deliberation and reach a decision.
12.5.3 Any attempt to influence members of the Arbitration Committee outside the established procedure may result in disciplinary action.
12.5.4 Decisions shall be made by a majority vote of the Committee members.
12.6. Time Limits for Decision
12.6.1 The Committee must:
- reach a decision within 24 hours of submission of the appeal, or
- before the final results of the competition are announced by the Head of the Organizing Committee
(whichever occurs first)
12.6.2 If the Committee fails to reach a decision within the prescribed time:
- the appeal shall be deemed upheld automatically
- the appeal fee shall be refunded
12.7. Decision
12.7.1 The decision:
- shall be communicated to the appellant
- shall be communicated to participants in a manner determined by the organizers
- shall be implemented by the Chief Judge
- shall not have retroactive effect
12.7.2 The decision shall be final unless new significant evidence emerges prior to the official confirmation of the results.
12.8. Third-Party Appeals
12.8.1 Appeals may also be submitted by third parties. In such cases, all provisions of these Rules shall apply.
12.9. Documentation
12.9.1 The appeal and the decision protocol must be submitted to the International Judges Committee:
- within 7 days after the completion of the competition, or
- within the same period after returning from the competition