New F.A.S.T. Rules for 2012

As the Fundamentals Accuracy and Speed Test — and the F.A.S.T. challenge coin — become more well known, a need has arisen to clarify some things and establish some new rules to keep everything fair for all the folks who participate in official pistol-training.com events.

  • “Concealment” will be defined as the ability to walk ten feet, arms stretched out to the side parallel with the ground, without pistol, ammunition, or spare ammunition carriers being visible. Huge bulges or gear that extends below the concealment garment will not be considered concealed.
  • For those who wish to shoot the test neither from concealment nor with a legitimate retention holster, there will be a 3-second penalty. (previously, shooting from an open/range holster with no concealment did not count for score)
  • Except during a pistol-training.com class, shooters will be able to try for a pin or coin once in any 30-day period. Students cannot earn a pin or coin for a period of 30 days after a class. Shooters who attempt to win a pin or coin less than 30 days before taking a class will not be eligible during the class. During a pistol-training.com class, shooters are eligible to an attempt each day.
  • During pistol-training.com classes, only those directly involved in the class (students and instructors) may try for a pin or coin.

Train hard & stay safe! ToddG

14 comments

  1. My duty gear is a Safariland level 3 (ALS and SLS)but the magazine pouch I use on the street is an open topped model. Is there a penalty for using the open top mag pouch?

  2. Echoing Josh(BOM)’s question … what penalty will our guys using Serpa or Safariland holsters (in my case a Safariland ALS Lvl 1) and issued Eagle mag pouches incur? Does it matter where the mag pouches are (belt vs vest)?

    Thanks!!

  3. The rules for retention holsters haven’t changed. They are:

    * ALS (level 2), SERPA, and similar retention holsters that add no time to the draw are penalized by half a second. Please note that except for government-issued and mandated SERPA holsters, the SERPA is banned from all pistol-training.com classes beginning in 2012.

    * Other retention holsters (including ALS with Guard or ALS with SLS) receive no penalty.

    * Using any kind of retention holster plus covered/snap mag pouches grants a half second bonus.

    These are cumulative. So if you have a regular ALS (half second penalty) and snap mag pouches (half second bonus), it evens out.

  4. What is the rationale for the definition of concealment consisting of arms outstretched as opposed to say simply being able to walk ten feet with normal arm swing without revealing equipment?

  5. I’m thinking because the idea is performing the test with an actual concealment garment/rig, as opposed to a gamers concealment setup.

  6. The concealment requirement is the same that Todd is using for his Kinda Sorta Tactical Game (KTSG) so I imagine it’s for consistency since the FAST is the classifier for KTSG.

  7. ToddH — Because we want people to wear actual concealable gear and clothes, as Tyler said (which was the same motivation for the KSTG rules, as Lon pointed out). If you cannot move around, pick things up, etc., then you’re not really concealed.

  8. ToddG, in regard to point 3 above, what are the requirements for attempting to earn coin/pin outside of a class? Does it have to be done in your presence, another coin holders presence, on video, etc? Thanks!

  9. kris — No, the first class of the year will be in February.

    Doc — F.A.S.T. coins and pins are awarded only at official pistol-training.com events, which essentially means it has to happen in my presence.

  10. kris — The February class is a closed class (military). The next two classes I have scheduled are early March, one of those is also closed (law enforcement) and the other is already full. In late March I’ve got a class in Kansas which hasn’t been opened to enrollment yet. You can follow the link on the Classes tab at the top of this page to see the announcement and contact the host.

  11. The 3 second penalties just further proves that open carry is superior to concealed carry in draw time as well as tactically. 😛

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