Sporting clays

Upcoming matches

18 events matching this sport’s disciplines. Discipline does not establish league affiliation. Coverage is partial; confirm dates and registration with the organizer.

1. Oct 21, 2026Listed date, not yet confirmed by the organizer
   Dunn Exploration, Corporate Event7 Teurlings Dr, Lafayette, LA 70501
   LA calendar →
2. Oct 23, 2026Listed date, not yet confirmed by the organizer
   Trane Air Conditioning Corporate7 Teurlings Dr, Lafayette, LA 70501
   LA calendar →
3. Oct 30, 2026Listed date, not yet confirmed by the organizer
   Representative Josh Carlson7 Teurlings Dr, Lafayette, LA 70501
   LA calendar →
4. Nov 6, 2026Listed date, not yet confirmed by the organizer
   L.O.S.T Championship7 Teurlings Dr, Lafayette, LA 70501
   LA calendar →
5. Nov 7, 2026Listed date, not yet confirmed by the organizer
   UL Shooting Team Benefit7 Teurlings Dr, Lafayette, LA 70501
   LA calendar →
6. Nov 8, 2026Listed date, not yet confirmed by the organizer
   The Member's Championship1419 SW 120th St, Augusta, KS 67010
   KS calendar →

How a match works

1. At registration, present your classification card and enter the proper class. Shoot management determines the stations and target presentations; all competitors face the same station program, although weather can change the targets in flight. [10] [9]
2. Check whether the shoot uses squadding or European Rotation. Squadded groups of three to six follow a fixed station sequence and an assigned start time; the first shooter rotates to last at each new station. European Rotation allows stations to be visited at random within the shoot’s start and end times. [29]
3. Before shooting, the first person in the squad sees at least one pair and no more than two pairs from the station. Guns must be unloaded during this preview. Only that first shooter may mount the unloaded gun and track the preview targets. Stations can present singles, report pairs, following pairs or true pairs. [31] [25]
4. When it is your turn, step into the station and load only when ready to shoot. Call “Pull” to ask for the target. The Field Judge, or referee, records the result and announces “hit” or “dead” for a broken target, or “lost” or “miss” for a miss. [6] [34]
5. In ordinary sporting clays, a single target permits two shots and a pair permits two shots total. American Field Sporting has separate one-shot and two-shot singles. [32] [39]
6. Check your score before leaving each station, and file the scorecard with shoot officials at the end of the day. Resolve any hit-or-miss disagreement at the station; the scoring section explains the protest deadline. [34]

Where to compete

Use NSCA Club Search for member clubs and Shoot Search for registered dates. The shoot schedule is updated weekly and is available as a search tool, PDF and Excel downloads. A sporting-clays facility is not necessarily the host of the registered event you want; check the event’s club and date. [50] [51] [7]

• NSCA match finder ↗
• NSCA club finder ↗
• Sporting clays ranges
• Clay shooting ranges
• Find a shooting range

Your first match

1. Find a club and a shoot. Choose a member club with NSCA Club Search, then check Shoot Search for a registered event at that club. [50] [51]
2. Tell the host you are new. Let fellow shooters and referees know this is your first shoot, and ask questions. Ask club management what ammunition is appropriate there. For instruction before competing, use NSCA’s Find an Instructor page. [4] [3] [52]
3. Choose registered or Hunter Class entry. Check whether you qualify for the $0 Complimentary Limited Membership (CLM). If the host offers Hunter Class, non-members may enter it instead, but cannot win NSCA awards and pay the same event fees as members. [49] [48] [17]
4. Confirm your class and event. Bring your classification card and report previous registered clay-target experience when joining. Check whether your entry is sporting clays, 5-Stand, Super Sporting, FITASC or AFS: the current rulebook includes separate rules for those games. [10] [11] [8]
5. Arrive ready for your assigned format. For a squadded shoot, be ready at your assigned start time; for European Rotation, complete the course within the published start and end times. Bring the required protection and sufficient ammunition and equipment. Do not change assigned squads or shooting times without shoot-management permission. [29] [44] [30]
6. Check and return your scorecard. Verify the score before leaving each station and resolve any hit-or-miss dispute there. You are responsible for the scorecard until it is filed with officials at the end of the day’s shooting. [34]

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

Registered sporting-clays rules allow shotguns of 12 gauge or smaller that can fire two shots. A barrel shorter than 24 inches needs prior shoot-management approval. An over/under is not mandatory. [26]

Eye and ear protectionRequired

Required for everyone on the course at an NSCA-sanctioned tournament, including spectators, field judges and trap personnel. Ordinary AirPods and similar earbuds are not adequate unless custom molded to provide hearing protection. [44]

Ammunition accepted by the hostRequired

Check the host’s ammunition restrictions. Maximum shot loads depend on the event: 1 1/8 ounces in 12-gauge events, 7/8 ounce in 20-gauge events, 3/4 ounce in 28-gauge events and 1/2 ounce in .410 events. Permitted lead shot is U.S. No. 7-1/2 through No. 9; steel is No. 6 through No. 9. Hosts may impose tighter limits. [3] [27]

Classification card for registered entryRequired

The card must be shown each time a shooter registers for an event. The shooter is responsible for entering the proper class. [10] [11]

Extra chokesOptional

Interchangeable or adjustable chokes are permitted, not required. Sporting-clays rules restrict changes after viewing targets to between stations; 5-Stand prohibits choke changes after the round begins. [26] [36]

What it costs

Regular membership

One Year Regular E-Magazine: $50; One Year Regular Printed Magazine: $67. [47]

Junior membership

One Year Junior (Under 21) E-Magazine: $15; Printed Magazine: $42. The printed junior option excludes California residents. [47]

Limited membership

One Year CLM With Electronic Magazine: $0. Eligibility is first-time NSSA/NSCA membership or a lapse of more than three years; no NSSA or NSCA membership in the past three years. It permits registered competition but has no voting privileges. [48] [49]

Membership dates

The enrollment form says memberships processed after October 1, 2026 expire December 31, 2027. Membership processing is not immediate; its disclaimer says it can take up to 10 business days. [47]

Practice-price example: San Antonio

National Shooting Complex rates: sporting clays $.62 per target for non-members and $.52 for members and member youth; non-member 5-Stand $12.25 per 25 targets. These are San Antonio practice prices, not national match-entry fees. The venue limits membership rates and round cards to open public shooting dates. [55] [56]

Rental-price example: San Antonio

The National Shooting Complex lists gun rental at $15.00 for non-members and $10.00 for members and member youth. Its published rate sheet does not establish a nationwide rental price. [55]

Optional money purses

At Nationals, “options” are pay-to-play opportunities for additional money above the normal mandatory class purse. They are separate registration decisions; consult the event program for the offered options. [54]

How scoring works

The Field Judge scores a target hit or dead when it is hit and broken, and lost or missed when it is not. “Dusting” a target without breaking it is a miss. The scorecard totals the hits and misses at the stations. [34]

• In ordinary sporting clays, there is no extra credit for breaking a single with the first shot rather than the second: it is dead if either permitted shot breaks it. American Field Sporting has both one-shot and two-shot singles. [32] [39]
• Breaking both targets of a pair with either shot is scored as two hits. On report or following pairs, if a shooter uses the second cartridge on a missed first target, the result applies to the first target and the second target is lost. [32]
• A no-bird on a true or following pair establishes neither target’s score; repeat the pair. If the second target of a report pair is a no-bird, the first result stands. Repeat the pair, make a legitimate attempt at the first target and fire the second shot to establish the second result. [33]
• AFS has a scoring exception: each 25-target field includes an XBird, a bonus target attempted as a two-shot single. Breaking it with the first shot earns two points; breaking it with the second earns one. A field can therefore score 26 points. [40]
• Shooters must verify station totals before leaving. The Field Judge’s final decision on a hit-or-miss protest stands. [34]

Divisions and classes

Gauge and gun-type events

A shoot may offer 20-gauge, 28-gauge and .410 events, or gun-type events such as side-by-side and pump. These are event choices, not skill classes. Punches earned in sub-gauge events apply only to sub-gauge classification; a 16-gauge event uses 12-gauge classification. [16]

Sub-Junior and Junior concurrents

Sub-Junior: has not reached the 16th birthday on or before January 1 of the target year. Junior: has not reached the 21st birthday on or before that date. Age is fixed for the entire shooting year, and a shooter cannot enter more than one individual age concurrent. [14]

Veteran concurrents

As of January 1 of the target year: Veteran is 55 or over but not yet 65; Super Veteran is 65 or over but not yet 73; Senior Super Veteran is 73 or over but not yet 80; Legacy is 80 or over. [14]

Lady concurrent

The rulebook defines Lady as a shooter of any age whose original birth certificate states an assigned gender of female-F. A qualified shooter may enter Lady and an eligible age concurrent. FITASC and USA Sporting Clays Team concurrent qualifications have separate criteria. [14]

Class and concurrent awards

Concurrents run alongside the six skill classes; shooters can compete for both class and concurrent awards. Nationals, the U.S. Open, Regional, State and Major shoots must offer all applicable concurrents. If an event offers a reduced concurrent-only entry fee, taking it gives up eligibility for class titles, but does not prevent earning class punches. [15]

NSCA 5-Stand

Targets are shot in 25-bird increments from five stands, with shooters rotating between stands. Six or eight automatic traps provide a predetermined target sequence displayed on menu cards. The targets are registered separately under 5-Stand rules but use NSCA classification. [35]

Super Sporting

Each stand has at least three traps. NSCA sporting-clays rules apply, but Super Sporting has its own presentation rules. A registered Super Sporting event requires at least 50 targets. [37]

FITASC / international sporting

The rulebook includes this international sporting discipline, which uses varied terrain and artificial targets. Unlike ordinary NSCA sporting clays, its ready-position rule does not allow the gun to be shouldered until the target appears. [16] [38] [32]

American Field Sporting

AFS uses 25-target fields in Red, White, Blue and Green formats, with one-shot singles, two-shot singles and pairs. Master and AA shooters must hold the stock below their marked ready-position line until the target is visible. A through D may choose the gun height, but must keep the stock’s heel against the body and remain in the ready position until the target is visible. [39] [41]

Hunter Class

Non-members may participate in a separate Hunter Class category. They cannot win NSCA awards or monies, but shoot management may offer separate awards. Hunter Class pays the same event entry fees, including target fees, as NSCA members. [17]

Classification

The six skill classes are Master, AA, A, B, C and D, with separate 12-gauge and sub-gauge classifications. Shooters with no registered clay-target history start in C for 12 gauge and D for sub-gauge; previous classifications, international membership and known ability can change that assignment. The enrollment form says new international shooters start in AA or higher. Advancement uses punches for high scores or ties in class, not a score percentage. Sub-gauge class cannot be more than one class below 12-gauge class. After the first 300 registered 12-gauge targets with no punches, a shooter may request a 12-gauge classification review in writing. Classifications carry over between years. [11] [13] [12] [47]

Safety rules

• Read NSCA’s safety rules and the host range’s policies before participating. Members and clubs are responsible for knowing the rules; spectators must comply with shoot officials and the range’s safety and emergency procedures. [45]
• NSCA requires eye and ear protection for spectators as well as competitors. Report unsafe conditions or actions immediately to shoot officials. [44]
• Keep the action open so others can see the shotgun is unloaded. Load only when you are in the shooting box, it is your turn and you are ready to shoot. Never leave a station until the gun is open and safe. [5]
• If the gun malfunctions or fails to fire, keep it pointed safely downrange and unload it or ask for assistance. If a shot sounds light or different, stop immediately, unload and check the barrel for an obstruction. [5]
• NSCA-certified instructors teach shotgunning and sporting clays at levels from beginner to Master. Use the official instructor finder for instruction before competing. [52]
• Disqualification grounds include willful or repeated gun-safety violations that endanger others, misrepresenting eligibility, physically assaulting a Field Judge or using abusive language toward one. Shoot management acts on evidence under the rulebook’s complaint and hearing procedure; unsportsmanlike conduct can also lead to refusal or withdrawal of entry. [46]

Match levels and major events

• A registered shoot can contain a main event, preliminaries and other disciplines or gauge and gun-type events. Registered events require at least 25 targets; the rulebook says events generally consist of a multiple of 25. [16] [9]
• A Major Shoot is a registered shoot expecting 100 or more shooters by projection or past experience. NSCA strongly suggests use of its classification system; all applicable concurrents are required. [18] [15]
• State and Regional Championships are annual events. AA through D shooters need 300 registered 12-gauge and sub-gauge targets combined for class-award eligibility in 12-gauge events. Count targets shot before the championship in the current year, plus the previous October 1–December 31. League and monthly targets do not count; preliminary events count only under a separate shoot number. Below the minimum, shooters compete one class higher; Master has no penalty class. [19] [20]
• The U.S. Open and National Championship require 500 registered 12-gauge and sub-gauge targets combined for AA through D shooters’ award eligibility in 12-gauge events. Below the minimum, shooters compete one class higher; Master has no penalty class. Count current-year targets before the shoot plus the previous October 1–December 31, excluding league and monthly targets. Preliminary events count only under a separate shoot number. This is an award rule, not a ban on entry. [21]
• Registered sporting-clays and 5-Stand leagues run over at least 10 weeks; monthly targets run within a calendar month. Neither leagues nor monthly targets award punches. [24]

Major events

2026 National Sporting Clays Championship ↗

October 17–25, 2026, at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio, TX. Any NSCA member in good standing can participate; NSSA members may use their Crossfire number. Participation is separate from award eligibility: only bona fide U.S. citizens can win the Nationals Main Event Open, Concurrent or Class Champion awards. [53] [54] [23]

Common questions

Glossary

Station / stand

A shooting position on the course. Shoot officials set the number of stations and the targets presented at each one. [9]

Squad

The group of shooters proceeding around the course together. NSCA’s general introduction describes typical squads of two to six; registered squadding rules specify three to six at the officials’ discretion. [1] [29]

Report pair

Two sequential targets; the second is launched at the sound of the shot at the first. One or more traps may be used. [25]

True pair

Also called a simultaneous pair: both targets are launched at the same time, from one or more traps. [25]

Following pair

Two targets thrown from the same trap along the same trajectory as the trap arm reloads. They may be shot in either order. [25]

Dead / lost

The rulebook’s words for hit / missed. A hit must break the target; dust alone is lost. [34]

Punch

An advancement credit earned by a high score or tie in class. Awards normally depend on class entries; the Nationals and U.S. Open main events have their own schedule. [12]

Concurrent

An age- or gender-based award category entered alongside a shooter’s skill class, rather than replacing it. [14]

Sub-gauge event

A registered event not shot with a 12- or 16-gauge shotgun. A 16-gauge event is classified as a 12-gauge event. [16]

Rabbit, midi, mini and battue

Specialty clay targets: rabbit is robust enough to bounce along the ground; midi measures 90mm, mini 60mm, and the thin battue 108mm in diameter. [43]

CLM

Complimentary Limited Membership: the introductory membership with registered-shoot privileges but no association voting privileges. [49] [48]

Field Judge / referee

The official who records targets as hit or missed and decides a scoring protest at the station. [34]

No-bird

An invalid target presentation, such as a target broken at launch or thrown on an obviously different trajectory. The referee calls “No bird”; whether a pair’s first result stands depends on the pair type. [33]

European Rotation

A format allowing stations to be visited in any order, with the event completed within its published start and end times. [29]

Penalty class

One class above the shooter’s normal class when the applicable championship target minimum has not been met. Master has no penalty class. [19] [21]

Options / money purse

At Nationals, options are optional paid entries for prize money above the normal mandatory class purse. [54]

Ready position

How the gun is held before the target appears. Ordinary sporting clays permits a lowered gun or one already shouldered; FITASC and AFS have their own ready-position rules. [32] [38] [41]

Crossfire number

The number an NSSA member can use to participate in the NSCA National Championship. [54]

Registered shoot / targets

An NSCA-approved competition whose official scores are recorded with the association. Registered scores must be shot on approved dates under NSCA rules. [22]

Preliminary event

An additional event alongside the main event. For championship target minimums, it counts only if held under a separate shoot number. [16] [19] [21]

Known ability

A shooter’s demonstrated skill can affect class assignment. An NSCA known-ability review can assign a different class when the current class does not reflect the shooter’s true level. [13]

Watch and read

• NSCA sporting-clays introduction ↗Page · National Sporting Clays Association
• NSCA instructional video collection ↗Page · National Sporting Clays Association
• First-timer’s guide to the 2026 National Championship ↗Page · National Sporting Clays Association

Related sports

• Trap shooting
• Skeet shooting
• Olympic shooting
• Scholastic Clay Target Program
• USA Clay Target League
• Compare every league

Sources

Facts checked October 4, 2026 against the sources below. Each bracketed number on the page links to its source.

1. [1]
   What is Sporting Clays?nsca.nssa-nsca.org
2. [2]
   What is Sporting Clays? — shotgunsnsca.nssa-nsca.org
3. [3]
   What is Sporting Clays? — ammunition questionsnsca.nssa-nsca.org
4. [4]
   What is Sporting Clays? — newcomersnsca.nssa-nsca.org
5. [5]
   What is Sporting Clays? — safe handling and malfunctionsnsca.nssa-nsca.org
6. [6]
   What is Sporting Clays? — station procedure and target callnsca.nssa-nsca.org
7. [7]
   About NSCAnsca.nssa-nsca.org
8. [8]
   2026 NSCA Official Rules & Regulations — cover, updated 4/22/26nsca.nssa-nsca.org
9. [9]
   2026 NSCA rules — VI-D, course and targetsnsca.nssa-nsca.org
10. [10]
    2026 NSCA rules — V-A-4, registration responsibilitynsca.nssa-nsca.org
11. [11]
    2026 NSCA rules — V-A, classes and new membersnsca.nssa-nsca.org
12. [12]
    2026 NSCA rules — V-A-2, punches and advancementnsca.nssa-nsca.org
13. [13]
    2026 NSCA rules — V-A-3, known-ability reviewsnsca.nssa-nsca.org
14. [14]
    2026 NSCA rules — V-A-7, concurrent definitionsnsca.nssa-nsca.org
15. [15]
    2026 NSCA rules — V-A-7-b/c, concurrent awards and reduced feesnsca.nssa-nsca.org
16. [16]
    2026 NSCA rules — VI-B, registered event typesnsca.nssa-nsca.org
17. [17]
    2026 NSCA rules — VI-B, non-member Hunter Classnsca.nssa-nsca.org
18. [18]
    2026 NSCA rules — VI-B-2, major shootsnsca.nssa-nsca.org
19. [19]
    2026 NSCA rules — VI-B-3/4, state and regional championshipsnsca.nssa-nsca.org
20. [20]
    2026 NSCA rules — VI-B-4, Regional Championship minimumsnsca.nssa-nsca.org
21. [21]
    2026 NSCA rules — VI-B-5/6, U.S. Open and Nationals eligibilitynsca.nssa-nsca.org
22. [22]
    2026 NSCA rules — VI-I, official registered scoresnsca.nssa-nsca.org
23. [23]
    2026 NSCA rules — VI-B-6-a, Nationals champion eligibilitynsca.nssa-nsca.org
24. [24]
    2026 NSCA rules — VI-B-7/8, leagues and monthly targetsnsca.nssa-nsca.org
25. [25]
    2026 NSCA rules — VI-C-1-e, pair typesnsca.nssa-nsca.org
26. [26]
    2026 NSCA rules — VII-B, shotguns and chokesnsca.nssa-nsca.org
27. [27]
    2026 NSCA rules — VII-A/C, ammunition limitsnsca.nssa-nsca.org
28. [28]
    2026 NSCA rules — VII-B-7, recording and feedback devicesnsca.nssa-nsca.org
29. [29]
    2026 NSCA rules — VII-D, shooting ordernsca.nssa-nsca.org
30. [30]
    2026 NSCA rules — VII-E-2, equipment readinessnsca.nssa-nsca.org
31. [31]
    2026 NSCA rules — VII-F-3, viewing targetsnsca.nssa-nsca.org
32. [32]
    2026 NSCA rules — VII-F, single and pair scoringnsca.nssa-nsca.org
33. [33]
    2026 NSCA rules — VII-F-c and VII-H-4, no-birdsnsca.nssa-nsca.org
34. [34]
    2026 NSCA rules — VII-G, scorecards and disputesnsca.nssa-nsca.org
35. [35]
    2026 NSCA rules — VII-I, NSCA 5-Standnsca.nssa-nsca.org
36. [36]
    2026 NSCA rules — VII-I-4-f, 5-Stand chokesnsca.nssa-nsca.org
37. [37]
    2026 NSCA rules — VII-J, Super Sportingnsca.nssa-nsca.org
38. [38]
    2026 NSCA rules — IX, FITASC definition and ready positionnsca.nssa-nsca.org
39. [39]
    2026 NSCA rules — XII-III, American Field Sportingnsca.nssa-nsca.org
40. [40]
    2026 NSCA rules — XII-III-B/C and XII-IV-A-ii, AFS XBird scoringnsca.nssa-nsca.org
41. [41]
    2026 NSCA rules — XII-V-G/H, AFS ready positionsnsca.nssa-nsca.org
42. [42]
    2026 NSCA rules — XII-V-C, AFS ammunitionnsca.nssa-nsca.org
43. [43]
    2026 NSCA rules — XIII, approved target typesnsca.nssa-nsca.org
44. [44]
    2026 NSCA rules — II-A, required protection and reportingnsca.nssa-nsca.org
45. [45]
    2026 NSCA rules — IV-A and IV-G, member and spectator conductnsca.nssa-nsca.org
46. [46]
    2026 NSCA rules — IV-F, disqualification and expulsionnsca.nssa-nsca.org
47. [47]
    NSCA new-member enrollment form and feesnssa-nsca.com
48. [48]
    NSCA Complementary Limited Membership enrollmentnssa-nsca.com
49. [49]
    Enroll / Renew Membership — CLM benefitsnsca.nssa-nsca.org
50. [50]
    NSCA Club Searchnsca.nssa-nsca.org
51. [51]
    NSCA Shoot Searchnsca.nssa-nsca.org
52. [52]
    Find an Instructornsca.nssa-nsca.org
53. [53]
    2026 National Sporting Clays Championshipnsca.nssa-nsca.org
54. [54]
    First-timer’s guide to the 2026 National Championshipnsca.nssa-nsca.org
55. [55]
    National Shooting Complex rate sheet, updated 9/4/25nsc.nssa-nsca.org
56. [56]
    National Shooting Complex Membership/Rates — rate scopensc.nssa-nsca.org

Inclusion is not an endorsement. Send a source or correction.