NORTHEASTERN PA INTERSCHOLASTIC RIFLE LEAGUE
By-laws governing the operation of the League as revised at the League meeting held on February 26, 2025.

Section 1: LEAGUE CHAMPION
1.1. Competition will be conducted in one division with the following schools: Berwick, East Stroudsburg North, East Stroudsburg South, Emmaus, Freedom, Kutztown, Liberty, North Pocono, Salisbury, Southern Lehigh, and Stroudsburg.
1.2. The team with the best record will be the Regular Season Champion. In the case of 2 teams with the same record, the head-to-head winner shall be the regular season champion. If more than two schools are tied for first place, there will be a shoot-off with the teams involved.
1.3. The top six teams with the best record will compete in the League Team Tournament. The first match series would consist of the 4th vs 5th ranked teams and the 3rd vs 6th ranked teams. The second match series would consist of the 1st and 2nd ranked teams playing the winners of the first match series. The second-round matches will consist of 1st vs the lowest seed and 2nd vs the second-lowest remaining seed. A championship match would be held with the winners of the second match series. A consolation match between the two losing teams from the second match series will be held to determine the third-place state tournament qualifier.
1.4. The following will be the criteria used to break ties at the end of the season for determining seeding for the League Team Tournament and the State Tournament, in the following order: 1. Head to Head, 2. Team Match Average, 3. Total Season X Count.
1.5. All playoff matches will be held at the highest-seeded team’s range. All playoff matches, excluding the championship match, must be held head-to-head; postal matches are not allowed for any playoff match. The League president reserves the right to move the competition if a range is unsuitable to hold a competition due to unforeseen circumstances.
1.6. Individual Athlete Ranking: All athletes will be ranked by using the average of the total best match scores, minus one match score, of the scheduled number of League matches involving League member schools. If multiple shooters tie for #1, the dropped score will be used to determine Top Individual Honor (League Champion). Athletes shooting in less than the required number of matches will not be ranked.
1.7. All Shooters who have tied in average match score will be issued the highest ranked position based on the tied match scores.
1.8. The League will present an Individual Marksmanship trophy to the Athlete with the highest individual average for the season, as determined in 1.6. The next 9 ranked positions will be designated as the All League Team, and receive plaques designating their accomplishments

Section 2: LEAGUE DIRECTORY

2.1. A directory of the names, addresses, and phone numbers of all coaches, principals, and athletic directors will be prepared and sent to all coaches and athletic directors.

Section 3:  EMPLOYMENT

3.1.1. Reimbursement will be as follows:
3.1.2. $200.00 - League President
3.1.3. $200.00 - League Treasurer
3.1.4. $200.00 - League Secretary
3.1.5. $300.00 - League Statistician.
3.1.6. $50 - All-Star Tournament Host
3.1.7. $50 - State individual tournament host
3.1.8. $50 - State team tournament host
3.1.9. $50 - Neutral Playoff site host (approved by League President)

Section 4:  PUBLICITY

4.1. It is the responsibility of the home team coach to contact the League statistician as soon as possible after a match. The home team coaches will then contact all appropriate newspapers with the scores of their match fired that day.
4.2. The home team coaches will also send a legible copy of the match results to the league statistician and president within 12 hours of the conclusion of the match.

Section 5:  TARGETS

5.1. League Targets and Orion Scoring
5.1.1. The official League target for all matches will be the NRA A-17. Orion Branded targets will be used for all Regular season, NEPARL Tournament, and All-Star matches. The use of the Orion scoring system, Orion compatible targets, and decimal scoring is required in all League events, to include: All Star Match, Team
Tournament Matches, & State Qualifying Match. In state qualifying and championship matches, Orion-compatible USA-50 targets can be used if teams are given a minimum of a week's advanced notice.
5.1.2. If an Orion scoring machine is not available to a team participating in a postal match, targets must either be mailed to the league statistician for scoring within 24 hours, or the coach may notify the league president and statistician that the targets will be scored at the next regularly scheduled match. Notification should be made the same day of the postal match being conducted.
5.2. All targets used in a match are to be supplied by the home team. In order for identification of the targets by the scorer, all athletes names should be written in the appropriate area of the Orion target (top right) or be identified via an Orion generated label.
5.3. In the event that there is no independent scorer, a coach will score all targets. Each team may have a representative view all the targets that are being scored.
5.4. At the end of each relay the coaches will remove their targets from the backing. Every target must be removed with the opposing coach present. No black scoring areas of a target are to be touched by a coach.
5.5. All shooters will shoot two A-17 targets in 20 minutes for the All-Star Tournament and the end-of-season six-team tournament.
5.6. NEPARL strongly recommends that all participating teams have a working Orion scoring system with up-to-date software and necessary licenses

​Section 6: TIME

6.1. Starting time for matches will be 3:30 p.m., conditions permitting.
6.2. Fouling shots, if necessary, will be fired after the start of the clock.
6.3. Relay time will be 10 minutes, including all fouling shots, sighter shots, and record shots. Each shooter is to have a three-minute preparation time and must be in the firing position with at least one (1) minute remaining prior to the end of the preparation time.
6.4. The 10 minute time clock, for each relay, will start with the “Commence Firing” command from the range host
6.5. To avoid confusion, range commands for all matches shall follow the appropriate Firing Line Procedures and Commands found in the NRA Smallbore Rulebook.
 
Section 7: FIRING POSITIONS

7.1. Each range shall be set up in such a way as to be divided into left side and right side. The visiting team will choose either left or right side for the match.
7.2. Shooters are to remain in the prone positions after completing their target until the command to cease firing is given. A reminder is to be given at the beginning of each relay that failure to stay in the prone position, except in conditions of equipment failure.
7.3. Questions regarding a person’s shooting position may be addressed at any time of the relay.
7.4. For ranges that have five shooting lanes the third lane will remain neutral during all matches.
7.5. Coaches and shooters are to refrain from excessive movement or talking during relays.
7.6. The League will follow the NRA rule to use empty chamber indicators at all times except during the preparation period and when shooting at the target.
7.7. All rifles are to remain on the floor with bolts or actions open and empty chamber indicators inserted as long as there is someone down range

Section 8:  RIFLES AND EQUIPMENT

8.1. Any single shot .22 caliber rifle equipped with metallic (Non-corrective) sights and meeting the requirements set forth in the NRA Smallbore rulebook.
8.2. Questions about an opponent’s equipment must be discussed before the start of the relay in which the equipment is to be used.
8.3. Safety Glasses
8.3.1. All shooters participating in league matches, playoffs, and other league events, including but not limited to league tournaments such as State Qualifiers and State Tournaments hosted by NEPARL, are required to wear safety or protective prescription eyewear while on the line during their relay.
8.3.2. Failure to comply with this eyewear requirement will result in disqualification from the match, and the affected team position will be eliminated. A disqualified shooter will not have the opportunity to make up the match; this disqualification will count as their drop score if they participate in all other matches. Subsequent infractions will result in additional disqualifications and a score of 0 recorded for the athlete's year end average
8.3.3. Eye protection will either be ANSI-certified safety glasses (preferred) or conventional prescription glasses to protect participants from potential backsplash, ricochets, debris, ejected shell casings, etc.

Section 9:  MALFUNCTIONS.

9.1. In the event of a defective cartridge, disabled rifle or malfunction; procedures listed in the NRA Smallbore rulebook shall be followed.
9.2. Malfunctions shall include those of related equipment such as: slings, cuffs, D-rings, forehand stops and any other part of the rifle or other equipment necessary for shooting. This includes contact lenses or glasses.
9.3. Coaches should make only legitimate requests to stop the clock and range officers are to honor such requests as soon as possible.

Section 10: SCORING.

10.1. Electronic Scoring of Targets should follow the Procedures for Electronic Scoring in the NRA Smallbore rulebook.
10.2. In the event of a clearly discernible error in the Orion scoring of a target, the target will be rescored in accordance with the match policy
10.3. Any shot(s) on the target outside of the ring surrounding a center-sighter bull(s) is to be called to the attention of the opposing coach immediately. After the first shot for record is taken, any shot(s) on the target and not in a scoring bull are to be scored a zero or minus ten. Any excessive shots on a scoring bull(s) are to be scored according to the NRA small bore rulebook
10.4. Each Team may have one student representative present while scoring all targets.
10.5. Each target shall be scored for score (out of 100), X count, and Centers of Higher Value. Scoring procedures shall follow those listed in the NRA Smallbore Rulebook.
10.6. Each team will score the top 5 scores (Max out of 500 possible points).
 10.7. Ties in the Team match scoring will follow the protocols found in the NRA Smallbore Rulebook

Section 11: MULTIPLE TARGETS

11.1. All Star Tournament: All athletes' names and representative schools should be written in the appropriate area of the Orion target (top right) or identified via an Orion-generated label. Targets must be identified as target 1 and 2 for each athlete.
11.2. End of Season Team Tournament: All athletes' names and representative schools should be written in the appropriate area of the Orion target (top right) or be identified via an Orion-generated label. Targets must be identified as target 1 and 2 for each athlete.
11.3. State Individual Qualifying match: All athletes' names and representative schools should be written in the appropriate area of the Orion target (top right) or identified via an Orion-generated label. Targets must be identified as target 1 through 4 for each athlete.
11.4. Ties in scoring will follow the protocols found in the NRA Smallbore Rulebook

Section 12: POSTPONEMENT OF MATCHES.

12.1. Postponement due to any reason is the responsibility of the home team.
Notice of postponement must be made at the soonest possible moment to the visiting team, League President and League Statistician. Postal matches (Orion scorable) are also allowable in periods of inclement weather during the regular season with the agreement of both teams’ coaches and league President.
12.2. Any match postponed because of weather shall be scheduled for the next available school day unless another match had been scheduled for that day.
12.3. Saturdays may be used with the approval of both schools. If transportation problems arise because of postponement, make up dates shall be arranged by the schools involved within seven days.
12.4. If a match in progress is called before the end of the varsity match because of weather, the match is to be rescheduled and shot over in its entirety.
12.5. If a match is postponed due to a teacher strike or any reason other than an Act of God the match may be rescheduled with the mutual agreement of both schools involved. In such cases, the match must conform to PIAA regulations.
 Inability to reschedule a match shall result in forfeiture by the closed school.

Section 13: SPECTATORS

13.1. Only professional employees may coach (PIAA Amendment 9, Article XIII, Section I). League rules permit two people affiliated with the teams to spot for their coach.
13.2. Each coach is responsible for the conduct of anyone associated with his/her team.

Section 14: MISCELLANEOUS

14.1. In all situations not covered by the League rules, the NRA Small Bore Rifle Rules shall be the official reference.
14.2. The PIAA does not recognize protest.
14.3. Postal matches, using the Orion Scoring System, are allowable but not required for regular season matches if teams are over 1 1/2 hours of driving time, with the agreement of both teams’ coaches and League President.
14.4. Additional regulations for Junior Varsity (JV) Program
14.4.1. The JV program would be a yearly opt-in/opt-out format for all league teams, teams need to communicate their decision to opt in or out prior to the start of the PIAA First Regular Season Contest Date
14.4.2. Matches would consist of a single relay of 2 shooters per team, and would run directly after the scheduled regular season competition. JV matches would only occur if both teams of a scheduled regular season competition have opted into the JV program.
14.4.3. A single Championship trophy would be awarded at the end of the season to the team with the best overall record, with ties being broken by 1. Head to Head, 2. Team Match average. No individual awards would be presented as no individual statistics would be tracked by the league.
14.4.4. Athletes eligible to participate in the JV program would be limited to students in their first or second year on the team. Participation in the JV program would not exclude athletes from the regular season level of competition.
14.4.5. The JV level of competition would end at the conclusion of the regular match season. No playoff structure, All Star, or Tournament participation would occur.
14.5. The League will provide all targets used for postal matches. These targets will be marked with a security stamp and individually numbered. All teams will receive one match worth of targets to be used in case of weather conditions. All other postal match targets must be requested at least one week before the Fall Coaches meeting, where all materials will be distributed to respective teams. Materials will be mailed to coaches who are not attending the Fall Coaches meeting. No JV matches will require the marked targets. All unused targets must be returned at the end of the season.
14.6. NEPARL is authorized to hold appropriate fundraisers at league events. The proceeds may only be used to offset League costs from the competition season.

Section 15: DUTIES OF LEAGUE OFFICERS

15.1. President
15.1.1. Preside at all League meetings.
15.1.2. Select sites for shoot-offs in the event competing schools cannot agree.
15.1.3. Score, or provide for scoring, all targets at any shoot-off, in the event competing schools cannot agree on a scorer.
15.2. Secretary
15.2.1. Record minutes of meetings.
15.2.2. Act on behalf of the league President in the event of his/her absence.
15.2.3. Assist League President with correspondence.
15.2.4. Correspond with team coaches in an efficient manner.
15.2.5. Maintain league directory & League By-Laws.
15.2.6. Prepare League schedule.
15.2.7. Maintain league copy of team rosters.
15.3. Statistician
15.3.1. Maintain a complete set of statistics and records of all matches.
15.3.2. Release, as often as possible, all match scores, top 10 individual averages, and team standings
15.3.3. Maintain and update/keep current league ranking and match scores on the league website.
15.3.4. Maintain and update/keep current league website.
15.3.5. Maintain and provide league historical data for publication purposes.
15.4. Treasurer
15.4.1. Receive all dues and maintain complete and accurate financial records.
15.4.2. Pay all bills and expenses incurred in League operation.

Section 16: SHOOT-OFFS

16.1. Choice of lanes will be determined by coin toss.
16.2. Lighting conditions on the range shall be the same as used on that range for a normal match.
16.3. Scoring of targets should be done at the end of each relay, unless otherwise agreed on by both coaches.
16.4. Results of scores will not be revealed to anyone until the completion of the match.

Section 17: NON-LEAGUE SHOOTER REQUIREMENTS

17.1. In order for a non-League student to participate in the State Individual Tournament with the Northeast PA Rifle League the following requirements must be completed before the State Individual Tournament.
17.2. The home school of the non-League student will provide a certificate of insurance to the League President in the amount of $1,000,000 or greater naming the Northeast PA Rifle League as the certificate holder.
17.3. The home school of the non-League student will provide a letter to the League President, indicating that the non-League student is eligible to participate in athletics and has met all of the PIAA requirements for student participation.
17.4. The home school of the non-League student will provide a letter to the League President, indicating a school-approved coach for the non-League student.
17.5. The non-League student must participate in the League State Individual Qualifier to attempt to qualify for the State Individual Tournament.
17.6. The non-League student must score better than the 11th placed/ranked league participant in the League State Individual Qualifier in order to qualify for the State Individual Tournament.
17.7. The non-League student must reside in either PIAA District I, II, III or XI

Section 18: TOURNAMENTS

18.1. All Star Tournament
18.1.1. Each school will select two shooters to compete in the All-Star Tournament.
18.1.2. The All-Star Tournament will be held annually at East Stroudsburg South High School.
18.1.3. Regular season rules and multi-target scoring rules will be in effect for the All-Star Tournament
18.2. League Team Tournament
18.2.1. The League Tournament will consist of the top 6 ranked regular season teams
18.2.2. All playoff matches (Semi-finals, finals, and consolidation) will be held at the home range of the higher-seeded team
18.2.3. Regular season rules and multi-target scoring rules will be in effect for the League Team Tournament
18.3. State Tournament
18.3.1. The League Team Tournament Finalists and a consolation match between the losing teams of the League Team Tournament Semi-Final matches will determine the State Team Match representatives.
18.3.2. A qualifying match will be held to determine the Individual State Match Representatives. Positions in the match will be determined by the total number of athletes a league team has that meet the requirements of Bi-law
1.6 with a match average of at least 99.0 after the regular season, plus 1 athlete from each league team/non–league PIAA school. The coach of each team may pick any athletes on their team to fill those positions with.
18.3.3. The sponsoring organization sets all Tournament Rules for the State Scholastic Prone Championship.
18.3.4. Rules governing equipment for the State Tournament will use the NRA Small Rifle Handbook.
18.4. All state matches must be shot in accordance with the rules and regulations set by the sponsoring organization and NEPARL.
18.5. All Tournament sites must have and utilize an Orion scoring system for scoring targets at the conclusion of the match

Section 19: VOTING PROCEDURES

19.1. A majority of votes must be cast in the affirmative for a motion to pass and become part of the League By-Laws.
19.2. League By-Laws can only be changed at the annual end of season meeting or a special meeting of the League.
19.3. In the event that a team representative (coach, athletic Director, or Assistant coach) cannot attend the league business meeting due to an emergency; Absentee Voting by Email or phone is acceptable. The absent team representative can submit their vote on proposed by-law changes by Email/Phone - casting their vote to the league president and all other teams prior to the start of the league meeting. The vote is valid as long as the email is received by a minimum of 3 recipients’ in the event of technical transition issues prior to the start of the meeting.

Section 20: LEAGUE MEMBERSHIP
 
20.1. The Northeast PA Rifle League consists of the following member schools: Berwick, East Stroudsburg North, East Stroudsburg South, Emmaus, Freedom, Kutztown, Liberty, North Pocono, Salisbury, Southern Lehigh, and Stroudsburg.
20.2. Process to Request League Membership
20.2.1. A request for membership will only be accepted from a PIAA member school physically located in Pennsylvania.
20.2.2. Schools requesting membership must submit a formal letter of request. The letter must be on official School district stationery and signed by the high school principal. The letter must include the following: The current contact information of the school athletic director, team coach(es) along with the name and address of the range to be used for all matches.
20.2.3. Range and associated facilities
20.2.3.1. The range to be used must be physically located in the state of Pennsylvania. Range must be visited by at least two league representatives and must meet these minimum requirements: (1) Facility must be a completely indoor range with finished ceilings, walls and floor. (2) Facility must have acceptable lighting, heating and ventilation and visibly show that the facility is well maintained
20.2.3.2. Must have available on site: indoor, heated lavatory facilities with light and running water.
20.2.3.3. Distance of travel, to the new member schools’ range, cannot be more than 1 hour 46 minutes from any current member schools range based upon an accepted web-based trip calculator.
20.2.4. Voting on admission to league
20.2.4.1. Coaches must unanimously vote to accept request and send their recommendations to their Athletic director
20.2.4.2. Athletic directors vote to accept or reject
20.2.4.3. If both coaches and athletic directors vote to accept, the school is granted league membership.
20.2.5. The newly admitted school will shoot matches as part of the regular schedule; if the school is accepted after the annual coach’s meeting it will not become a part of the regular season schedule until the following season.