Although the date suggested an April Fool's joke, the Polish Shooting Sport Association (PZSS) surprised everyone with serious changes to its regulations. The Regulations for Exams Confirming the Qualifications Necessary for Practicing Shooting Sports (i.e., the regulations for patent exams) and the Regulations of the PZSS Judges Board were updated. The new rules regarding exams will come into effect on July 1, 2025, while changes to the judges' regulations came into force on April 1, 2025.

At first glance, it is clear that lawyers worked on the regulations – their new version has a more formal character and resembles a serious document rather than a hastily created note. Since the most interest is drawn by the changes related to the Shooting Patent, we will focus on them first.

Shooting Patent Regulations

Some changes are organizational – the regulation has been expanded with attachments containing provisions that previously existed in the form of PZSS Board resolutions. As a result, the number of pages increased from 7 to 32, due to the addition of new attachments as well as a more detailed description of various issues.

Stricter Rules for Revoking a Patent

The most significant change for people who already hold a Shooting Patent is the expansion of the reasons for which it can be revoked. The previous (still valid) version of the regulation foresaw revocation in fairly clear and obvious cases – a doctor's decision, the use of (or refusal to undergo testing for) doping or alcohol, violation of shooting regulations, and failure to follow safety rules. The new version adds further reasons that are controversial. Here is the full list:

a) persistent violation of the statutes, regulations, or resolutions of the PZSS, WZSS, or sports club,
b) violation of the statute, regulations, or resolution of the PZSS, WZSS, or sports club in a way that shows a contemptuous attitude toward these rules,
c) failure to fulfill obligations toward the PZSS, WZSS, or sports club in a manner showing a contemptuous attitude toward these entities.

These formulations are vague enough to allow for broad interpretation. Could a delay in paying membership fees be considered as "failure to fulfill obligations toward the club"? Could a club require its members to attend competitions or events and treat their absence as a violation of the regulations? This may sound absurd, but across the country, there are hundreds of clubs, and in some of them, ridiculous personal games, internal conflicts, and attempts to undermine others occur. While decisions regarding the revocation of Patents will be made by the Licensing-Patent Commission, concerns about potential abuses seem justified.

The Patent has also become a necessary basis for holding refereeing, instructing, and coaching licenses, meaning that losing the Patent results in the automatic loss of these other qualifications.

New Rules for Exam Candidates

Other changes concern people who plan to apply for a Patent, and here things are generally better, but also somewhat worse at the same time.

An incomprehensible change in the 21st century and in the era of freedom of movement and freedom of association is the requirement to take the exam in the same province where the sports club to which the candidate belongs is registered. There used to be a similar restriction, but the candidate could choose either the province of the club or the province of residence. This option has now been inexplicably removed.

The mandatory theoretical training program for the exam has also been extended to nearly three days. The training program includes strange (from a competitor's point of view) topics like self-defense and the state of necessity.

On the positive side, it should be easier to pass the practical exam. The unfortunate pneumatic guns (both pistols and rifles), which I believe were the most difficult part of the test, have been removed. Now, the pistol exam will only be held with a rimfire pistol, and in the rifle exam, the pneumatic weapon has been replaced with shooting with a PCC (Pistol Caliber Carbine from IPSC), or a Mini Rifle (a rimfire rifle from IPSC), or with a rimfire rifle at a pistol sized target at 25 meters for a standing position, where a 10 cm grouping must be achieved. Interestingly, a third option has been added for the shotgun exam – shooting with slug rounds at a target at 25 meters, and here, it doesn't matter if the grouping is achieved, only whether the target is hit.

New Developments in the Judges' Regulations

Many interesting changes have appeared in the PZSS Judges Board Regulations. Perhaps the most significant change is, as mentioned earlier, the connection of a judge license with the Patent (previously, this applied to second-class and higher rated judges). An alternative is having a certificate allowing the possession of firearms.

An important change is that the entire circulation of "documents" related to the awarding of licenses will now be handled through a computerized system, much like the process for granting and extending sports licenses has been for several years.

An interesting addition is the introduction of a regulation determining who and when can wear a "PZSS Judge" vest. This is undoubtedly a consequence of the famous video and events at the shooting range near Bydgoszcz.

Summary

The changes in the PZSS regulations have both positive and questionable aspects. On the one hand, the Shooting Patent exam may become easier thanks to the removal of some elements, but on the other hand, the limitation on the freedom to choose the exam location and the longer theoretical training may pose a barrier to new shooters.

The most controversial aspect, however, is the expansion of the reasons for revoking the Patent, which may open the door to overinterpretation and abuse. Hopefully, in practice, these will remain only theoretical threats used only in extreme cases.

One thing is certain – PZSS is taking steps toward streamlining regulations and digitizing administrative processes. We can only hope that these changes will truly contribute to the development of shooting sports in Poland.