NEW THREE-POSITION AIR RIFLE RULES RELEASED
October 5, 2026
By Gary Anderson, DCM Emeritus
Three-Position Air Rifle (3PAR) has grown to become the most popular junior rifle program in the USA. Its massive participation base includes more than 2,000 high school JROTC programs, hundreds of 4-H Shooting Sports clubs and several hundred junior rifle clubs. An estimated 250,000 to 300,000 American youth participate annually in 3PAR marksmanship programs, with many of them engaging in 3PAR competition events. The national governing body for this major youth sports program is the National Three-Position Air Rifle Council. The Council governs this discipline through its rulebook, the National Standard Three-Position Air Rifle Rules (3PAR Rules).
3PAR Rules are revised and reissued on a bi-annual basis. The newest version of these rules, the 16th Edition 2026-2028 Rules, has just been released. An electronic version of the new rulebook can be downloaded from the CMP website at https://online.fliphtml5.com/ebacv/egzh/. A document titles “Changes in the 16th Edition 2026-2028 National Standard Three-Position Air Rifle Rules” can also be downloaded from this webpage. Printed copies of the new rulebooks will be available in a few weeks.
The CMP provides staff support for the National Council’s junior air rifle programs, including the publication of the National Standard Rules and the conduct of its competition championships. Anyone who wants information regarding the Three-Position Air Rifle Program should contact the CMP Staff via email at [email protected].
The Council’s rule change process began with questions and recommendations received from participants in 3PAR championships, as well as reports from CMP Staff and volunteers who conduct 3PAR competitions. An announcement of the upcoming 3PAR rulebook revision and a call for comments and recommendations was posted in CMP Shooters’ News on the 4th of August. Very few comments or recommendations were received, but this probably indicates that these rules have stabilized and that major changes are not needed. After all comments were evaluated, a new rules draft was prepared and distributed to Council members for their review and comment. Council members approved the release of the new rulebook.
There are very few significant changes in the new 3PAR Rules. The most important changes in the new rulebook involve the following topics:
ISSF RULE COORDINATION. With many 3PAR precision class athlete/es also competing in USA Shooting competitions, which essentially follow ISSF rules, and with a few USA juniors even competing in ISSF International Championships, the National Council has consistently concluded that it must keep 3PAR Rules closely aligned with ISSF Rules. The new 3PAR Rules include several rule changes where language in the 2026 ISSF Rules was followed. The two major ISSF-related issues that caused major concerns in 2026 were ISSF attempts to implement stricter controls on rifle clothing and the ISSF’s revision of its three-position finals. ISSF enforcement of its so-called stricter rifle clothing rules did not produce the significant changes in rifle scores that were expected. The Council concluded that since there was no measurable difference between scores fired with rifle clothing complying with older rules and those complying with the 2026 ISSF rules, there was no point in changing the rifle clothing rules in the 3PAR Rules. The new rulebook provides the following statement of explanation:
National Council Statement Regarding ISSF 2026 Rifle Clothing Rules. The National Council recognizes that many athletes who participate in Three-Position Air Rifle competitions governed by this rulebook also participate in competitions governed by ISSF and USA Shooting rifle clothing rules. Those rules were substantially changed in 2026 so that many USA school age athletes now have rifle clothing that complies with the 2026 ISSF/USA Shooting rules. The National Council has not adopted the 2026 ISSF/USAS rules for inclusion in this rulebook because international competition experiences in 2026 demonstrated that athletes whose clothing complies with 2026 ISSF/USA Shooting rifle clothing rules were not at a competitive disadvantage to athletes whose rifle clothing complied with the clothing rules that were adopted for the National Standard Rules prior to 2026. The 2026-2028 National Standard rifle clothing rules have not significantly changed from the rules that were in effect prior to 2025. The National Council did not adopt the stricter 2026 ISSF clothing requirements, but clothing modified or manufactured to comply with those requirements is also permitted in competitions governed by these rules.
This means that for the next two competition years, athletes whose rifle clothing complies with the 2026 ISSF Rules and athletes whose rifle clothing complies with previous rules will both compete together in Three-Position Air Rifle competitions.
THREE-POSITION FINAL. In an attempt to shorten its three-position final for television, the ISSF reduced its final from 45 to 35 shots. The ISSF also provided for a stage at the beginning of the final where finalists fire 10 Match shots kneeling, change to prone to fire sighters and 10 Match shots prone and then change to standing where finalists fire sighters in preparation for the decisive standing stages, all in 22 minutes. This 22-mine stage has not worked well but it may be too late to change it until after the 2028 Olympics. For a Three-Position Air Rifle final, the Council decided to modify the ISSF format based on how current Council three-position rules provide for separate changeover and sighting and Match firing stages for each position. The new Council rules adopt the 35-shot final, but the ISSF’s 22-minute stage is divided into two ten-minute Match firing stages for kneeling and prone and separate changeover and sighting stages for prone and standing. The remainder of the final is the same as the ISSF final, with two five-shot standing series followed by five single shots standing to conclude the final. There’s a good chance you will like the Council’s version better than the ISSF’s version!
OTHER COUNCIL DECISIONS. There were a couple of proposals to increase the Sporter Air Rifle price ceiling that now stands at $700, but these proposals were not accepted. A major Council concern continues to be sustaining the integrity of the Sporter Class. The Sporter Class presents by far the most popular junior rifle event and keeping sporter air rifles affordable plays a key role in making this discipline accessible. There were several rule changes but no especially significant changes. Download and check the list of changes to see if any impact athletes in your program.
JUNIOR DISTINGUISHED BADGE PROGRAM. This program is one of the most popular features of the entire 3PAR Program. It awards Junior Distinguished Badges and other distinctions to athletes who earn “EIC credit points” in EIC Cup Matches and 3PAR National Championships. The Council evaluated the cut scores for awarding EIC credit points and decided that the present cut scores should be continued. A proposal to reinstate Virtual Cup Matches that were used during the covid era was not approved.
PRINTED RULES AND DOWNLOADABLE SUPPORT DOCUMENTS. Previous editions of the 3PAR Rules included a series of support documents such as Range Officer scripts, that were not part of the rules, but which are based on the rules. Range Officers download those scripts and print them in large print so they can keep them in loose-leaf notebooks and place them on their Range Officer stands. The following documents are not in the rulebook, but they are available for downloading from the CMP website at: https://thecmp.org/youth/air/national-standard-three-position-air-rifle-rules/:
- Summary of Rule Changes in the 2026-2028 Rulebook
- Team Entry and Eligibility Declaration Form
- Documents for Sanctioning Matches (Instructions and Forms)
- Range Officer Scripts (Firing Procedures and Instructions) for:
- 3×10 & 3×20 Courses of Fire
- Standing (60 shot) Course of Fire
- 3×10 & 3×20 Courses on Ranges with automated procedures
- Standard Final
- One Position Start-from-Zero Final
- Three-Position Start-from-Zero Final (Changed from a 45-shot final to a 35-shot final)
FINALS OPTIONS. The 2026-2028 3PAR Rules continue to offer match sponsors the choice of including either start-from-zero or the older plus ten standard finals in their matches. To properly conduct start from zero finals, it is necessary to have electronic targets, but the rapidly expanding availability of electronic targets (approximately 400 3PAR ranges now have electronic targets) means that more 3PAR individual competitions can now be decided with start-from-zero finals. The CMP has been using start-from-zero three-position finals to decide the individual awards in its championships for three years and they have been well-accepted. Responses from athletes, coaches, and spectators are overwhelmingly positive. Any match sponsor that has electronic targets available in their range is urged to conduct start-from-zero finals.
3PAR National Championships. The 3PAR competition schedule for the upcoming competition year (October 2026 – July 2027) will include four major national championships and a larger series of qualifying competitions. American Legion 3-Position Air Rifle National Championship qualifying begins with postal events this fall and will culminate with the Legion’s National Championship next summer. JROTC postal competition qualifying that starts in October features 6,000 Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force JROTC athletes who compete to advance to JROTC Regional or Service Championship and ultimately to the JROTC National Air Rifle Championship in March 2027. The CMP National Three-Position Air Rifle Championship also begins with postal and Regional Match qualifying. The Sporter Championship will be in June, the Precision Championship in July. The Precision Championship is scheduled to take place at the beginning of the National Matches’ Air Rifle (60-shot) Open Championship.
Developments that are occurring in 3PAR shooting are especially important in a sports discipline that appeals to youth. Virtually all of today’s 3PAR programs use either electronic scoring (Orion) or have electronic targets. Many programs are doing innovative things to attract new members and engage spectators. Three-Position Air Rifle strives to serve American youth while making shooting more of a spectator sport. Three-Position Air Rifle is a great way to teach life skills. Every American community should offer a 3PAR program to its youth. If there is no youth shooting program in your community the CMP stands ready to work with you in getting a new Three-Position Air Rifle Program started.