@GJM suggested in a different thread that a discussion of how the USPSA classification system could be revamped to better reflect match performance. I think that's a fair question, so here it is.
I'm not going to detail here how the USPSA classification system works. I assume most reading this subforum already know that. If a reader unfamiliar with it wants some background, all one would want to know is here: https://uspsa.org/pages/about/classification
As a way to kick off the conversation I'll bring up a sport that has some important parallels to practical pistol competition: sporting clays. The relevant similarity is that both sports have non-standardized courses of fire. Sporting clays target presentations, like those of USPSA (and IPSC and IDPA) are never the same from match to match. even at the same range/shooting ground.
US Sporting Clays (governed by the National Sporting Clays Association) has no classifiers. Your classification depends on how you place within your class at every match you go.
The basic system works on the premise that it takes a certain number of "punches" (aka points) to move up in class. As the classifications go higher, the number of punches needed to get into them increase.
Punches are awarded on a sliding scale based on how many people were in your classification at a particular match. The more people in your class at a particular match, the higher the number of punches for the class winner and the deeper the punches go within class.
Examples:
- 1 to 2 shooters in a classification at a particular match = no punches for anyone
- 3 - 9 shooters in class, 1 punch earned by top score in class and all those who tie it
- 10 - 14 shooters in a class, 2 punches for high score and ties, 1 punch for second highest score and ties
- 15 - 29 punches in class, 3 punches for high score and ties, 2 punches for second highest score and ties, 1 punch for third highest score and ties
- etc.....
Punches earned in a calendar year carry over one more year. You lose punches earned more than one calendar year back from where you are.
Having climbed up that system from E (the bottom) to A (3rd highest classification) I think the system is pretty fair and does what it's supposed to do: group shooters of similar ability. It's not perfect, and there are variations on that theme, but I think a similar system would better reflect overall competitive ability in USPSA compared to what we have now.