𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟 𝗥𝗨𝗟𝗘𝗦

𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗦𝗧 • 𝗙𝗔𝗜𝗥 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬 • 𝗦𝗣𝗜𝗥𝗜𝗧

The Virtual League remains fundamentally the same competition as before.

For the shooter, there is very little new to do.

Register, turn up at your nominated venue, shoot exactly as you normally would and make sure your score is reported.

There is no separate Virtual League shoot, no separate divisional shoot and no separate team shoot.

The new divisional and team competitions simply make greater use of the scores you are already shooting.

𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

Registration is open until and including 25 October 2026.

Register here:

https://www.lincolnshirebelltargetleague.co.uk/virtual...

Once registration closes, entries will be frozen so that the final divisions can be calculated.

Teams will not be registered until after the divisions have been confirmed. A separate four-person team registration link will then be provided.

𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗨𝗘

Each discipline must have a nominated venue.

Your qualifying Virtual League scores for that discipline must be shot at the venue you registered for it.

You simply attend your normal qualifying shoots and shoot as you normally would.

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𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗕𝗘𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗦𝗞𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗗𝗢 𝗔𝗡𝗬𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗘𝗫𝗧𝗥𝗔

This is worth stressing.

You are not required to shoot additional rounds, attend special Virtual League events or travel somewhere else simply because divisions and teams have been introduced.

Turn up, shoot normally and have your score reported.

That is it.

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𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗩𝗜𝗥𝗧𝗨𝗔𝗟 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗚𝗨𝗘 𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗜𝗦 𝗖𝗔𝗟𝗖𝗨𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗗

Your first four rounds at a qualifying event count towards your Virtual League score.

The four scores are added together and the bell tally is taken from those same four rounds.

Only those first four rounds count.

𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚

Standard Lincolnshire Bell Target scoring applies:

5.5 – Bell
5 – Inner
4 – Next scoring ring
3 – Next scoring ring
2 – Outer scoring ring

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𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝟭𝟬-𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠-𝟭𝟯 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗧

Each participating venue will nominate 13 qualifying events.

Each competitor needs 10 counting events to complete their Virtual League campaign.

Your first 10 qualifying events count.

This gives everybody three events of breathing space for holidays, illness, work or other commitments.

Once you have completed your 10 counting events, your individual campaign is complete.

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𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗗𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗖𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘

The major addition this time is a divisional competition.

The intention is to give shooters throughout the ability range something meaningful to compete for.

The structure will begin:

Premier League – top 30 eligible entrants

Division 1 – next 30

Division 2 – next 30

Division 3 – next 30

and so on, depending upon the final number of entries.

The lowest division may naturally contain fewer than 30 competitors.

𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗦𝗧 𝗗𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗕𝗘 𝗗𝗘𝗖𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗗

The completed Spring/Summer 2026 Virtual League provides the initial ranking.

Returning shooters will be placed in order according to the position they earned in that competition.

The 30 highest-ranked entrants go into the Premier League, the next 30 into Division 1, the next 30 into Division 2 and so on.

While registration remains open, any divisional position is provisional.

Once registration closes on 25 October, the final divisions will be calculated, published and locked for the competition.

𝗡𝗘𝗪 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗦

Anybody without a recorded result from the completed Spring/Summer 2026 Virtual League will begin in the lowest division.

This includes completely new competitors and anyone who may previously have registered but did not record a qualifying score.

They will then have the opportunity to earn promotion through their performances.

𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗜𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗢𝗪𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗗𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗗𝗢𝗘𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗟𝗜𝗠𝗜𝗧 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗖𝗔𝗡 𝗪𝗜𝗡

The divisions are additional championships.

They do not replace the existing titles.

A brand-new shooter could start in the lowest division, win their divisional championship and still win the Supreme Championship if their scores are good enough.

There is no ceiling on what somebody in a lower division can achieve.

𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣 𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗦

The existing classes continue:

Supreme Championship
Men's
Ladies'
Young Guns – aged 16 and under
Veterans – aged 65 and over
Springers
Pistols

These run alongside the new divisional championships.

𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗚𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

There will be promotion and relegation between divisions for future Virtual Leagues.

Shooters performing towards the top of their division will put themselves in a position to move upwards.

Shooters towards the bottom may move down.

The exact numbers promoted and relegated will remain flexible because entry numbers may change from one Virtual League to another.

𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥-𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

Once the divisions have been finalised, competitors will be able to form four-person teams.

The Virtual League remains primarily an individual competition.

The team competition simply runs alongside it using exactly the same scores.

𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

Every team consists of four competitors.

To help keep the team competition balanced, each team may contain:

𝗔 𝗠𝗔𝗫𝗜𝗠𝗨𝗠 𝗢𝗙 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗜𝗘𝗥 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗚𝗨𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗥.

𝗔 𝗠𝗔𝗫𝗜𝗠𝗨𝗠 𝗢𝗙 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗗𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗥.

The remaining places may be filled by competitors from Division Two or any lower division.

There is 𝗡𝗢 requirement for a team to contain a Premier League shooter.

There is 𝗡𝗢 requirement for a team to contain a Division One shooter.

A team may contain neither.

For example, all of the following are valid:

1 Premier League + 1 Division One + 2 lower-division shooters

1 Premier League + 3 lower-division shooters

1 Division One + 3 lower-division shooters

4 lower-division shooters

The only restriction is:

𝗡𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗜𝗘𝗥 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗚𝗨𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗥.

𝗡𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗗𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗧𝗘𝗥.

The purpose is to prevent teams being loaded with the highest-ranked shooters and to create a more balanced competition.

𝗖𝗥𝗢𝗦𝗦-𝗖𝗟𝗨𝗕 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠𝗦

Team members do not have to shoot for the same club.

A team can contain four shooters from one club or shooters from several different clubs.

Each person continues to represent their normal club. The Virtual League team is simply an additional competition.

𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗧𝗢𝗥 – 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠

A competitor may be registered for one Virtual League team only.

Nobody may appear in two or more teams during the same competition.

Once teams are accepted and locked, competitors cannot leave one team to join another.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗠𝗘 𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗕𝗢𝗧𝗛

You do not shoot again for your team.

Your normal qualifying Virtual League score counts towards your individual competition and automatically counts towards your team.

One shoot.

One score.

No additional work for the competitor.

𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠𝗦 𝗔𝗥𝗘 𝗙𝗜𝗫𝗘𝗗

Once the competition begins, teams are fixed.

There will be no substitutes or transfers between teams.

𝗠𝗜𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗧

Missing an occasional qualifying event does not mean you have withdrawn.

That is why there are 13 available events and only 10 required scores.

No substitute and no artificial average will be introduced merely because somebody misses an event.

𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛𝗗𝗥𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗟 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗠 𝗔 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠

If a team member permanently withdraws from the Virtual League, their team will not be allowed to introduce a replacement.

Instead, an allocated average will be used for that person's remaining team scores.

Where the shooter has a completed average from the previous Virtual League in the same discipline, that average will be used.

If no previous completed average exists, their current Virtual League average at the point of withdrawal will be used.

That figure will then be locked.

The allocated average applies to the team competition only.

Artificial scores will never be added to the withdrawn shooter's individual record.

𝗠𝗨𝗟𝗧𝗜𝗣𝗟𝗘 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗖𝗜𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗨𝗘𝗦

Competitors may enter more than one discipline.

You may shoot PCP, Springer and Pistol if you wish.

Those disciplines do not all have to be shot at the same venue.

For example, somebody could register:

PCP – Anderby

Springer – Willoughby

Pistol – Sutton

In that example, three separate registrations would be required because each discipline is being shot at a different nominated venue.

If you shoot several disciplines at the same venue, they must still be clearly identified.

The important rule is:

𝗘𝗔𝗖𝗛 𝗗𝗜𝗦𝗖𝗜𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗠𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗕𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗔𝗚𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗨𝗘 𝗔𝗧 𝗪𝗛𝗜𝗖𝗛 𝗜𝗧 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗕𝗘 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗧.

Again, this does not mean any additional shooting. You simply shoot that discipline normally at the venue at which you have registered it.

𝗘𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗣𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗜𝗗𝗦

Eye patches and gloves are permitted.

Specialist equipment or shooting aids which provide an unfair or artificial advantage are not permitted.

This includes specialised shooting jackets, shooting trousers, shooting boots or other equipment specifically designed to provide additional support or stability.

Open sights and dioptre sights are permitted.

Telescopic sights, red-dot sights and laser sights are not permitted.

If the eligibility of any item is questioned, the League Organiser may investigate.

The League Organiser's decision will be final.

𝗤𝗨𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗬𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗦

Each venue will nominate its qualifying events in advance.

If a venue is forced to cancel a qualifying event for reasons beyond its control, it may rearrange the event where possible.

This applies to the venue as a whole, not to an individual shooter.

𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧 𝗔 𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗧

If you do not want an upcoming qualifying event to count towards your Virtual League campaign, you must notify the League Organiser before the event takes place.

You cannot shoot a poor score and then decide afterwards that you do not want it to count.

Any attempt to manipulate this rule may be dealt with under the Trust, Fair Play and Spirit provisions.

𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗦

Qualifying scores must be reported so the Virtual League standings can be maintained.

Once again:

𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗨𝗣.
𝗦𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗧 𝗔𝗦 𝗡𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗔𝗟.
𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗘𝗗.

Everything else happens around those scores.

𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗦𝗧, 𝗙𝗔𝗜𝗥 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗣𝗜𝗥𝗜𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗩𝗜𝗥𝗧𝗨𝗔𝗟 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗚𝗨𝗘

The Virtual League is run largely on trust.

It is supposed to be competitive, but above all it is supposed to be enjoyable.

Everyone is expected to compete honestly and in the spirit in which the competition was created.

Any deliberate attempt to game, manipulate or exploit the system to gain an unfair advantage will not be accepted.

If the League Organiser has reasonable grounds to believe that a competitor, team or venue may be attempting to manipulate the competition, the matter may be investigated.

Reasonable action may then be taken to protect the fairness and integrity of the Virtual League.

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗟𝗘𝗔𝗚𝗨𝗘 𝗢𝗥𝗚𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗘𝗥'𝗦 𝗗𝗘𝗖𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗕𝗘 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟.

The intention is not to make the Virtual League complicated or overly serious.

It remains a fun competition based on trust.

𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗦𝗧 • 𝗙𝗔𝗜𝗥 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗬 • 𝗦𝗣𝗜𝗥𝗜𝗧

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