06Sep
Ladies Divisions and Categories in IPSC
Yael Dagan and Tal Shapira at WSXVI
In practical shooting there are Competitor Categories and there are IPSC Divisions. All the shooters in the different Categories and Divisions shoot the match together and shoot exactly the same stages under the same conditions. However, at the end of the match, the scores are published according to the Division the competitor has entered. In addition, if there are a minimum number of shooters in one Division of a different category, their scores will be ranked separately and there will be prizes for this category.
Ladies Divisions and Categories
Ladies Divisions and Categories in IPSC
By Tal Shapira
In practical shooting there are Competitor Categories and there are IPSC Divisions. All the shooters in the different Categories and Divisions shoot the match together and shoot exactly the same stages under the same conditions. However, at the end of the match, the scores are published according to the Division the competitor has entered. In addition, if there are a minimum number of shooters in one Division of a different category, their scores will be ranked separately and there will be prizes for this category.
IPSC Divisions
IPSC DivisionsThe Division defines the kind of gun being used: Open Division, Standard Division, Production Division, Revolver Division and Classic Division. The category usually defines the age of the competitor. These are Junior (under the age of 21), Overall (between 21 and 50), Senior (between the ages of 50 and 60) Super Senior (over 60 years old). There is also a gender category for women called the Ladies Category. For men, there is a Division (type of gun) definition and an age definition if you are under the age of 21 or over the age of 50 or 60.
If you are very young and inexperienced or old, you are not expected to compete
against young men whose physical and mental status is different than your own.
For women, on the other hand, this privilege does not exist
Lady's Category
Lady’s CategoryThis means, that if you are very young and inexperienced or old, you are not expected to compete against young men whose physical and mental status is different than your own. For women, on the other hand, this privilege does not exist. If you are a woman and even if you are 60 years old or over, you must compete against young women of all ages. According to the rule book a shooter may belong to one category only. The definition of gender as a category prevents lady shooters from also being Junior or Senior shooters. This inclusion of gender in the categories is more like the dark ages of history when women were discriminated against as a second class group.
If you are a woman and even if you are 60 years old or over, you must compete against young women of all ages
Parallel Categories
Parallel CategoriesThere should be two parallel systems of Junior, Overall, Senior and Super Seniors categories, one for men and one for women in all the IPSC Divisions. It is discriminating to put lady shooters in the position where they have to choose whether they are ladies, or seniors. They may be both, just like men may be men and seniors at the same time.
Around the globe there are many lady shooters over the age of 50 and even 60. Maybe there will not be enough lady senior shooters in every local match, but in Level 4 Continental Championships and in Level 5 World Shoots there are more than enough ladies of all age groups to make this a viable option.
Those who would be interested in helping me galvanize support and influence a change on the rules on this matter can contact me at
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Tal Shapira
Lady Senior Competitor
IPSC Israel
There should be two parallel systems of Junior, Overall, Senior and Super Seniors
categories, one for men and one for women in all the IPSC Divisions. Here Tal is at
the Delta Cup Open in Belgrade, Serbia with the Czech Republic’s Martina Sera
