Scholastic Clay Target Program
SCTP is a team-based youth development program for students from elementary school through college, using trap, skeet, sporting clays, bunker trap and international skeet. Adult coaches lead teams, and school affiliation is not required. The Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation is the program’s sanctioning body. [1] [9] [4]
Governing bodies: Scholastic Clay Target Program · Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation
At a glance
- Who can join
- Grades 12 and under, with the maturity to participate safely. Junior eligibility ends at graduation or the 20th birthday, whichever comes first. Current-season graduates may finish the season, and national staff may allow age exceptions. College rules are separate. [1] [24] [17]
- Disciplines
- American trap, American skeet and sporting clays; Olympic trap (bunker) and international skeet. Many teams also offer handicap trap, doubles trap, doubles skeet, super sporting and 5-stand. [1]
- Athlete registration
- $35 per athlete. The season begins September 1 each year. [2]
- School affiliation
- Not required. Home-schooled athletes compete at their fall-semester grade level. [1] [7]
- Competitive squad
- For grade 12 and under: five athletes in American trap; three in skeet, sporting clays, Olympic trap and Olympic skeet. A team can have more than one squad. [6]
- Championship preparation
- Junior state and national championships require at least six team practice sessions. Competition shoots do not count. [7]
- Rules editions
- SCTP Handbook: Rules, Process & Regulations, updated 1/7/2025. College events also use the 2026-27 ACUI & SCTP Clay Targets Official Rulebook and the event’s match program. [4] [17]
- Next junior nationals
- July 9-17, 2027, at Cardinal Shooting Center. [19]
How a match works
- Your coach enters the team’s squads through the SHOT registration system for a state championship. The event host publishes whether awards use squad scoring or team scoring before registration. [11] [10]
- Attend the safety briefing and day’s instructions, including emergency procedures and expected shoot-off and award times. [16]
- In American trap, targets leave one trap house in front of five shooting posts. In American skeet, targets come from high and low houses across an eight-station field. In sporting clays, the squad works through a course of stations with different target presentations. [14]
- Athletes shoot the event’s target count while a scorekeeper records broken and unbroken targets. State and national courses of fire differ; the table below separates them. [15] [11]
- At state and national championships, on-field or on-station coaching is not allowed. A coach may stand behind Rookie athletes for safety purposes only. [11]
- The athlete is responsible for checking the score before leaving the station. The Best Practices Guide tells athletes to sign their score sheet at the end of each round; target challenges come from athletes, not parents or coaches acting for them. [15]
Where to compete
Use SCTP’s team map to find a team, and its calendar or SHOT system for shoots. A team may compete in one discipline or several; a range offering a clay game is not, by itself, a confirmed SCTP team. [3] [6]
No upcoming events for this sport are listed here. Check the official match finder; our coverage is not a complete schedule.
Your first match
- Find the nearest eligible team. Use SCTP’s team map, then contact the nearest team that will accept you. State or regional directors can help with local opportunities. [3] [7]
- Register through the team. The head coach or team administrator usually coordinates registration. Complete the athlete waiver, sportsmanship contract and medical consent, and update school grade and classification in SHOT. Complete profiles before requesting signatures. [2]
- Practice with your teammates. For junior state and national championships, attend at least six team practices. Competition shoots do not count. [7]
- Choose a shoot with the coach. Use SCTP’s calendar for dates and SHOT for open registration. The coach enters state-championship squads in SHOT; check the target count and whether awards use squad or team scoring. [3] [11] [10]
- Follow the event briefing and check your score. Attend the safety briefing with your team and bring the required equipment. Check your score before leaving the station, and sign the score sheet at the end of each round. [16] [8] [15]
Never fired a gun at a range? Start with your first range visit.
What to bring
Bring eye and hearing protection to your first match, even where a league only recommends it. Check the host’s requirements before you arrive.
- ShotgunRequired
- Any safe, serviceable shotgun of 12 gauge or smaller is allowed. Except for trap, it must be able to fire twice without reloading. [8]
- AmmunitionRequired
- Shells must meet the discipline’s governing-body limits for shot weight and, where applicable, speed. Reloads are allowed only if the range permits them. [8]
- Eye and hearing protectionRequired
- Required for all registered athletes, coaches and anyone on the shooting field during practice and competition. Ordinary earbuds are not sufficient unless designed for shotgun noise protection. [8]
- Closed footwear and a shirt with sleevesRequired
- SCTP prohibits flip-flops and open-toed or open-heeled shoes/sandals. Shirts must have sleeves, and clothing that exposes the torso is prohibited. [8]
What it costs
- Athlete registration
- $35 per athlete for the annual season, which begins September 1. Shoot entry fees are separate. [2] [7]
- Adult registration
- $45 per coach/adult volunteer. [2]
- Team fee
- $20 per team, not per athlete. [2]
- Practice, travel and shoot fees
- Teams fund practice, travel and shoot fees. Coaches may not charge a coaching fee for the six required team practices. [7]
- Governing-body membership
- Appropriate governing-body membership is required for the registered trap, skeet and sporting clays events at junior nationals. [11]
- College membership exception
- For participating ACUI/SCTP coaches and athletes, the 2026-27 partnership covers the $45 coach and $35 student SHOT membership fees. Teams may owe those fees if someone is marked paid but does not compete that season. ACUI institutional membership is optional and gives registration discounts. [17]
How scoring works
One point for each target recorded as “dead”: the shot breaks a visible piece from the clay. A target recorded as “lost” earns no points. Squad scoring adds the scores of athletes in that squad; team scoring takes the highest eligible scores from the team. [15] [10]
- For junior team awards, the handbook takes the top five trap scores and the top three skeet, sporting clays and international scores in each division/category. The host must list its scoring format in SHOT before registration. [10]
- At Olympic state championships, athletes shoot 125 targets plus an optional final. Only the preliminary score counts for team placements; finals are for individual placements and experience. [12]
- College Bowl Series team High Overall (HOA) and Classic All Around (CAA) awards add the top five athletes’ totals across the contributing events. Teams need at least five shooters in those events, or three for international team awards. Teams eligible for team HOA cannot also receive team CAA. [18]
- Classic All Around combines American trap, American skeet and sporting clays. High Overall adds doubles trap, doubles skeet and super sporting, adjusted if an event does not offer all six American disciplines. [18]
| Competition | Discipline or division | Targets |
|---|---|---|
| Junior state championships | Rookie: trap, skeet and sporting clays | 100 |
| Junior state championships | Intermediate/Senior: trap and skeet | Normally 200 |
| Junior state championships | Intermediate/Senior: sporting clays | 100 or 200 |
| Junior nationals | Trap, skeet, sporting clays, handicap trap, doubles trap | 200 in each |
| Junior nationals | Super sporting and doubles skeet | 100 in each |
| Olympic state championships | Olympic trap and Olympic skeet | 125 plus optional final |
| 2026-27 college conference events | American trap, American skeet, sporting clays | 100 in each |
| 2026-27 college conference events | Doubles trap, doubles skeet, super sporting | 50 in each |
| 2027 collegiate nationals | Each of the six published American events | 100 in each |
Divisions and classes
- Rookie — American disciplines
- Grade 5 and under. No experience categories. [5]
- Intermediate — American disciplines
- Grades 6–8. Entry Level is the first year of participation in the Intermediate division; Advanced follows one year in Entry Level. [5]
- Senior — American disciplines
- Grades 9–12. Junior Varsity is the first year of participation in the Senior division; Varsity follows one year in Junior Varsity. [5]
- Open — American disciplines
- A competitive squad from one team with multiple classifications. College athletes are excluded. [5]
- High School — additional award
- A same-school award for grades 9–12: all Senior athletes must attend the same high school; home-schooled athletes must identify the school they would have attended. No Intermediate athletes may move up into this award division. A verification letter signed by the school principal or athletic director and head coach must reach the SCTP National Office by June 1 each year. Nationals use team scoring. School affiliation is not required to join SCTP. [5] [26] [1]
- Olympic disciplines
- Intermediate: grades 5–8; Senior: grades 9–12; Open: grade 12 and under; College is separate. Intermediate and Senior competitive squads have three teammates in the same division without regard to category. [12]
- College — 2026-27 ACUI/SCTP Bowl Series
- Men’s and Women’s individual classes; HOA and CAA team divisions. The collegiate national championship’s classification and division system belongs to its own match program, not the junior grade-level table. [17]
Classification
Fall-semester grade determines the junior division, including for summer championships and home-schooled students. An athlete’s highest experience category in one discipline applies to every discipline they enter. Incorrect classification moves the squad to Open if available; otherwise, the squad is disqualified. [5] [7] [26]
Safety rules
- The head coach or a designated registered assistant coach/adult volunteer must supervise practices and matches, and a qualified coach must be on the field. A supervision violation disqualifies the team from entering an event and voids volunteer liability coverage. [9]
- Every junior team needs a head coach who is at least 21; the handbook permits a coach aged 18 or older for a college team. [9]
- Never point the shotgun at yourself or another person. Keep it open and empty off the firing line and while moving between posts or stations. [25]
- Do not rest the end of the barrel on your foot, even on a toe pad. Violating this rule, the footwear rule or the gun-pointing rules may lead to disqualification. [25]
- Unsafe firearm handling, cheating, disrupting a competitor and abusive or profane language are grounds for disqualification, suspension or expulsion. Alcohol, tobacco, vaping and non-prescribed drugs are prohibited before or during any SCTP activity. [25]
Match levels and major events
- Use SCTP’s calendar for your state’s championship dates, and SHOT for events open for registration. State or regional directors can explain local opportunities. [3] [27]
- Any team may attend an SCTP regional tournament. The handbook says regional tournaments have no qualifying requirements for attendance. [13]
- For junior American nationals, an athlete must have competed in any SCTP state team championship in the state where registered. Exceptions require approval from the SCTP National Office and National Director. [11]
- For international national awards, competitors must have shot their state’s international championship. If their state has none, currently registered athletes who meet practice and eligibility requirements may compete for awards. There is no minimum qualifying score. [12]
- Collegiate athletes compete under the joint ACUI/SCTP program, including the 2026-27 Shotgun Bowl Series and the 2027 Collegiate Clay Target Championships. The collegiate rules and each event’s match program apply. [17] [18] [20]
Major events
- SCTP National Championships
- July 9-17, 2027, at Cardinal Shooting Center. Junior American nationals include trap, skeet, sporting clays, handicap trap, doubles trap, super sporting and doubles skeet. [19] [11]
- SCTP International Nationals
- SCTP describes its International Nationals as held annually at Cardinal Shooting Center the week before the July SCTP Nationals. International Team athletes receive support for USA Shooting events, training camps and individualized coaching. [21]
- ACUI/SCTP Collegiate Clay Target Championships
- March 14, 2027 – March 20, 2027, at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio. The published course of fire is 100 targets each in American skeet, American trap, sporting clays, doubles skeet, doubles trap and super sporting. [20]
- State championships — selected calendar dates
- The official calendar lists Virginia State Skeet Championship on October 10, 2026; Georgia SCTP State Championship on June 11–13, 2027; and Ohio SCTP State Championships on June 19–21, 2027. These are examples, not a nationwide schedule; check the calendar for your state. [27]
Common questions
What does SCTP stand for?
Scholastic Clay Target Program: a youth development program using team-based clay target shooting, sanctioned by the Scholastic Shooting Sports Foundation. [1] [4]
How do I join an SCTP team near me?
Use the official interactive team map, then work with the team’s head coach or administrator on registration. The handbook expects athletes to shoot for the closest team that will accept them; state or regional directors can help with local competition opportunities. [3] [2] [7]
Is SCTP only for high school teams?
No. It includes students from elementary school through college, and school affiliation is not required. Home-schooled athletes compete at their fall-semester grade level. [1] [7]
What is the minimum age for SCTP?
The national FAQ gives no single minimum age: requirements vary by state. It welcomes boys and girls in grades 12 and under who are ready to participate safely. Ask the state SCTP organization about local age requirements. [1]
What is the difference between a division and a category?
In junior American disciplines, divisions follow school grade: Rookie, Intermediate and Senior. Categories separate experience within Intermediate (Entry Level/Advanced) and Senior (Junior Varsity/Varsity). Rookie has no categories. Olympic divisions and collegiate events use different groupings. [5] [12] [17]
How much does SCTP cost?
Current national registration is $35 per athlete, $45 per coach/adult volunteer and $20 per team. Teams also fund practice, travel and shoot fees. Participating ACUI/SCTP collegiate athletes and coaches have their SHOT membership fees covered by the partnership under the 2026-27 rules. [2] [7] [17]
Can I finish the SCTP season after high school graduation?
Yes, if you graduate during the current SCTP shooting season, the handbook lets you finish that season. Otherwise, junior eligibility ends at high school graduation or the 20th birthday, whichever comes first. National staff may grant an age exception for special circumstances. College competition has separate eligibility rules. [24] [17]
Do I need to win my state championship to shoot nationals?
The junior American rule requires participation in a state championship, not a state-title win; exceptions need national approval. International nationals have a separate state-event rule and an exception for states without an international championship. [11] [12]
Is SCTP the same as the USA Clay Target League?
No. SCTP is sanctioned by SSSF and does not require school affiliation. The USA Clay Target League describes itself as an independent provider of clay target sports to secondary and postsecondary schools. Its fees and eligibility rules are not SCTP rules. [4] [1] [22]
Does SCTP offer rifle or pistol competition?
The SCTP disciplines published here are shotgun clay games. SSSF’s separate Scholastic Action Shooting Program (SASP) offers .22 rifles and handguns, revolver, pistol-caliber carbine and centerfire handgun events on steel targets. [1] [23]
Can SCTP lead to Olympic-style competition?
SCTP offers bunker trap and international skeet, and describes a pathway from SCTP Nationals to its International Team, USA Shooting selection matches and international competition. An SCTP state international championship does not itself qualify an athlete for USA Shooting’s National Junior Olympic Championships. [1] [21] [12]
Can graduate students or older veterans compete in college events?
Yes. The 2026-27 collegiate rules require nine credits for undergraduates or six for graduate students; graduating seniors may qualify with the hours needed to finish their degree. The usual age range is 18–25, with a season-completion provision when turning 26. Student veterans aged 26–29 may receive a waiver and finish a season in which they turn 30. Eligibility lasts up to six years, or three at a two-year institution; transferring to a four-year school allows six years total. The school must certify eligibility; nationals also require the registrar’s seal and signature. [28]
Are SCTP college scholarships available?
Yes. SCTP’s About page reports 179 scholarships for $129,000 in 2026, plus $12,000 at ACUI/SCTP College Championships to 26 athletes ($7,500 from SCTP and $4,500 from ACUI). These are reported awards, not a promise of a scholarship to every athlete. [1]
Glossary
- Team
- The entire group of athletes registered under a head coach. A team can enter multiple competitive squads. [6]
- Squad
- The junior competitive unit: five athletes in American trap, or three in skeet, sporting clays, Olympic trap or Olympic skeet. [6]
- Bird
- A clay target. [15]
- Dead
- A target from which the shot breaks a visible piece; one point. [15]
- Lost
- A target without a visible piece broken by the shot; no points. [15]
- Squad scoring
- Scores compiled from athletes on the same squad to determine the award. [10]
- Team scoring
- The highest eligible scores from a team are used for the award rather than only the scores from one squad. [10]
- Report pair
- Two clay targets, with the second launched when the first shot is fired. [14]
- Simultaneous pair
- Two targets launched at the same time from different launchers. [14]
- CAA
- Classic All Around: the college award combining American trap, American skeet and sporting clays. [18]
- HOA
- High Overall: the college award combining the American disciplines offered, normally the three core events plus doubles trap, doubles skeet and super sporting. [18]
- SHOT
- SSSF’s online system for registering teams, managing athletes and registering for shoots. [3]
- ACUI
- SCTP’s collegiate competition partner. The two organizations publish a joint collegiate rulebook. [17]
Watch and read
- SCTP highlight video Video · Scholastic Clay Target Program
- SCTP registration and SHOT video tutorials Page · Scholastic Clay Target Program
- SCTP International Team and Olympic pathway Page · Scholastic Clay Target Program
Sources
Facts checked October 4, 2026 against the sources below. Each bracketed number on the page links to its source.
- SCTP National Championships: 2027 datesmysctp.com
- 2027 Collegiate Clay Target Championshipsacuiclays.org
- USA Clay Target League: program identityusaclaytarget.com
Inclusion is not an endorsement. Send a source or correction.