How IPSC Works
Stages, courses of fire, scoring, and the structure of a typical match.
An IPSC match consists of several "Stages," each with a different arrangement of paper and steel targets, obstacles, and movement paths.
Before shooting, a competitor may inspect the stage up close (a "walkthrough") and plan their strategy, but the actual run is typically performed only once, without prior practice on that exact layout.
A Range Officer (RO) directs and controls each competitor's run using a standardized set of commands.
Most stages use "Comstock" scoring: the final score comes from dividing total hit points by the time taken (the Hit Factor), so both accuracy and speed directly affect the result.
The match's overall result combines every stage's score, typically as a percentage relative to the top scorer on each stage.