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Copyright 2011

OnTarget Challenge, Inc.

15312 Spencerville Ct.
Suite 100
Burtonsville, Md 20866

Phone 301.421.4433
Fax 301.421.9575


LEOPARD Challenge Rules


The LEOPARD Challenge
The LEOPARD stands for Law Enforcement Officer Performance And Reaction Drill. The LEOPARD Challenge is the competitive component of the comprehensive LEOPARD Challenge Program, a fitness initiative for law enforcement officers.

The LEOPARD Challenge is a spirited and friendly competition based on physical skills routinely encountered in the law enforcement setting. Racing against the clock and each other, officers sequentially negotiate a series of 10 linked tasks common to policing duties, including laser-shooting scenarios.

Eligibility
There are three eligibility categories for LEOPARD competitions: sworn officers, full-time military police officers and cadets. A sworn officer must be an individual currently in a recognized law enforcement agency who has taken an oath of service and holds the status rank of patrolman, trooper, deputy or constable and has the power to arrest. The cadet category includes academy cadets of law enforcement agencies and those enrolled in college/education programs that will result in a position in law enforcement as a sworn officer in a recognized law enforcement organization and do not yet hold the power of arrest. Examples of such programs are criminal justice studies conducted by junior colleges, police colleges, etc. that are prerequisites for attendance in academies or hiring by police organizations. To participate for prizes and qualify for National or World Championship events you must be qualified in one of these three above categories. Retirees, security guards, personal protective employees, etc., do not meet eligibility requirements for LEOPARD Challenge competition.

Competition Categories
LEOPARD competitions are divided into gender divisions (top male and top female) with additional age categories of „40 and „50 for each group. Your category assignment is based on your age at the time of competition. However, anyone regardless of age may win in the overall Top Male/Top Female categories.

To participate in a National or World Championship competition you must qualify in that age category before the Championship event. For example, you cannot qualify for the World Championships in the male over 40 division as a 39 year old competitor even though you will be forty before the World Championships. You must qualify as a 40 year old.

There is also a Team category. A team is composed of 3-5 members of any gender or age. To compete as a Team you must register as a Team. All team members are automatically entered in individual categories. To qualify as a Team for Regional, National and World Championship events all team members must be from the same organization. Multi-department or jurisdictional teams (All-Stars) are not permitted to compete in Regional, National or World Championship events.

There is also a cadet category. Male and Female Law Enforcement cadets will compete within this division only. The top five male and female cadets can compete for the cadet national championship category. The cadet division can only be won by a cadet and vice-versus a cadet cannot compete in the other divisions of the Leopard Challenge.


Awards and Prizes
Awards and prizes will be presented at the discretion of On Target Challenge. However, normally the top three places in each individual category will receive a plaque recognizing their performance. Prizes will normally also be awarded to the top three competitors in each gender category and for teams. In the individual categories competitors will receive plaques for all categories where they place. However, if they place in multiple categories, they must chose which one prize package they will accept. An individual can win and accept both individual and team prizes, but not multiple individual prizes. For example, a female 42 years old may win Top Female and Best >40 Female and be on the winning team. She would receive winning plaques for all three categories, but would have to select which of the two individual prize packages she will accept. She cannot receive both Top Female and Top >40 prize packages. She would receive the team prize package.

Scoring and Timing
The competition is based on time. The official time of each competitor determines his/her finishing order. A competitor’s official time is defined as the clock time it takes to properly run the course plus penalty time minus bonus time = official time. The official course time is kept by the tow course officials (one assigned to each lane) on a stop watch. The finish line clock time is unofficial and shown for comparison, reference and audience purposes. It does not include penalties. A time becomes official after the course official records the course time and adds in penalties and subtracts any bonus time, and signs the scorecard. The course official’s time keeping is final and cannot be contested.

Team time is the sum time of the fastest three individual team member’s times. A team must have three individual qualifying times to have a team score. One person’s time cannot be used more than once to establish a team time.

Course time begins at the starter command, usually a horn and lights and ends when the competitor crosses the finish line.

General Rules and Penalties
The LEOPARD Challenge is set up to be as objective a competition as possible. To obtain a qualifying time/score an individual must complete the course with all proscribed equipment, properly negotiating all obstacles and completing all tasks. Below is a summary of the basic rules and their penalties;


1. Competitors must negotiate all obstacles without outside assistance off any kind

2. Failure to properly complete a task or obstacle results in disqualification

3. Once a competitor leaves the ready tent for the start position the fit and function of his equipment, including weapon, becomes solely his/her responsibility. Competitors must ensure they are properly prepared and all equipment is in proper working order prior to taking the course.

4. Competitors must carry all of their proscribed gear (vest, helmet, handcuffs w/carrier, flashlight w/carrier, holster w/pistol and one magazine, magazine pouch and spare magazine, ammunition, belt) with them through the course from start to finish. If they drop a piece of equipment they must retrieve it before they can advance. Dropped equipment may be retrieved directly. It is not necessary to go through the course backwards. Competitors may then return to the spot where they realized they were missing the piece of equipment and continue to advance. The handcuffs and expended magazines may be left on the course after use without penalty.

5. A competitor’s weapon must be in its holster whenever he/she is surmounting the wall obstacle into and exiting the course. A competitor going over the wall with an un-holstered weapon is disqualified

6. If a competitor’s weapon is dropped at any time (on the floor or on an obstacle) they are disqualified

7. Hitting the bonus pop-up target results in 10 seconds subtracted from course time

8. Firing more than one shot at the bonus target is a 5 second penalty and no bonus awarded

9. Globe targets must be hit twice (double tapped). One or less hits on a globe target is defined as a miss with a 5-second penalty for each target missed (max missed target penalty is 30 seconds)

10. Crossing the finish line without all proscribed gear results in disqualification

Equipment Requirements

All participants will wear an approved duty or tactical uniform and shoes/boots (no athletic dress or running style shoes). Competitors will wear the issued vest and helmet and use the provided inert weapon (magazines and ammunition will be provided). A duty belt must also be worn that at a minimum has: handcuffs w/holder, flashlight w/holder, holster for the weapon and extra magazine pouch. Competitors may wear their own duty belt or use those that are provided. Knee-pads and eye protection are allowed, available and recommended. There is no proscribed way for gear to be arranged or carried except the duty belt must be around the waist.

Equipment Responsibility

Once the competitor leaves the ready area, the responsibility for his/her equipment fit and function are entirely their own responsibility. All required gear as noted above must be carried by the competitor through the entire course (each evolution and obstacle). Equipment dropped must be retrieved before a competitor can proceed to the next course obstacle. If a competitor crosses the finish line without a piece of required equipment he/she is disqualified. Pistol magazines may be discarded when the are empty and handcuffs left after use. If at any time a competitor drops his/her weapon on the course they are immediately disqualified (no exceptions).

The LEOPARD Challenge Course

The Start: The Officer will be seated, with the seat belt on, in a seat of the patrol car, both hands on dashboard. With the audible and visual “start” signal, the officer unfastens the seat belt and exits the vehicle. The competitor will run 20’ to the first obstacle, the Wall Barrier. (View the course here.)

First Task: Wall Barrier. A six-foot wall must be surmounted with the weapon in its holster and without touching the braces or sides of the wall. Failure to get over the wall, using the sides of the wall or the wall braces to assist your climb will result in disqualification. Upon successfully completing the task, the competitor runs 20’ to the second station.

Second Task: Culvert Crawl. With flashlight drawn, the competitor will illuminate the photo-cell target at the end of the tunnel as he/she crawls 6’ through the 3’ diameter culvert. Upon exiting the tunnel, the officer will run 20’ to the next station, the Window Entry.

Third Task: Window Entry. The competitor will gain entry through the 3’(w) x 4’(h) window (from the ground) by opening the window and crawling through. However, immediately upon opening the window a pop-up target will appear for 3 seconds. This is an optional bonus target. The officer has the option of firing one round at the target and if it is hit a 10-second time bonus will be subtracted from his/her course time. If the target is missed there is no penalty. Failure to successfully negotiate the window obstacle will result in disqualification.

Fourth Task: Stair Obstacle. The officer climbs the stair obstacle ensuring that at least one foot touches each riser of the stairs both up and down. Failure to touch a stair level will be a two second time penalty for each stair missed. Failure to successfully negotiate the stair obstacle will result in disqualification. After crossing the stair obstacle the competitor moves 20’ the second culvert.

Fifth Task: Keiser Culvert Crawl. The competitor next crawls through the 6’ by 3’ diameter culvert from the inside of the course towards the banner line to the first shooting position.

Sixth Task: Kneeling Shot. At the far end of the second culvert competitors will assume a kneeling position within the shooting box and engage the three globe targets. Each target must be hit twice (double tapped). If the weapon empties it is encouraged magazines changed, however, this is not required.

Seventh Task: Cuffing Drill. The officer will roll the 150-pound mannequin from the supine to the prone position and apply handcuffs to both wrists so that his arms are secured behind his back. If the hands break free at any time while the competitor is on the course he/she is disqualified. After cuffing the perp the officer moves to the next station.

Eighth Task: Officer Rescue. The competitor will move to the rescue dummy that simulates a downed officer. This task requires the competitor to drag the 165-pound mannequin a distance of 50-feet. The downed officer cannot be moved by his clothing or appendages, but must be lifted and dragged/moved with some hold around his body. He may be picked up and carried, but this method of moving him is dangerous and is discouraged. After pulling the entire body of the rescue dummy across the 50-foot finish line the competitor drops the dummy and moves to the last shooting task.

Ninth Task: Standing Shoot. The competitor moves to the second shooting box and takes up a standing shooting position ensuring his entire body is in the shooting box and engages three glob targets double tapping each to record a hit. One hit or less is a miss and each miss will result in a 5-second penalty.

Tenth Task: Wall Barrier. Following the last shooting task the competitor holsters his weapon and surmounts the six-foot barrier to exit the course. The competitor’s weapons must be in their holster for this task or the competitor will be disqualified. Once over the wall the competitor runs to and crosses the finish line stopping the time.

Official Time

When the course is completed the course official will determine any penalties or bonus and calculate a competitors total and official time.

Appeals and Alibis

The Course Official (one for each lane) keeps the official clock (stop watch) for each competitor. He/she calls penalties and disqualifications. When an individual commits a disqualifying act (fails to properly complete an obstacle or task, drops his/her weapon, crosses the finish line without all of the proscribed equipment) time is stopped and the run immediately terminated. Penalties and missed targets will be noted on scorecards by the Course Official and communicated to the competitors along with their official time following their run and before they leave the course.

There are no appeals on gear failures or dropped weapons. If there is a pistol stoppage competitors should employ immediate action to clear/correct the stoppage. There are no alibis for jammed weapons, competitors must ensure when they take the course that they are familiar with the weapon and that it is functioning properly to their satisfaction. If there are equipment issues bring them up to the ready area manager before you run the course. Once on the course there are no equipment excuses. The lone exception is in the unlikely event there is a malfunction in the laser system. A competitor may appeal a malfunctioning pistol laser on their run. The remedy to a successful appeal is that the competitor will be permitted another run after a rest interval and that new time will become their score for the competition.

All appeals must be made before the competitor leaves the course (moves outside the banner line or ready tent). Once a competitor leaves the course he/she loses the ability to appeal any problems. The proper appeal procedure is to communicate your appeal to your Course Official immediately at the completion of your run. At that time he/she will check the facts and explain their position conferring with the Course Marshal and other staff as necessary. A decision will be rendered immediately on the merits of any appealed issue. The sole remedy for mishaps on the course, not the fault of a competitor, that resulted in a disadvantaged run/time loss is to be awarded an additional chance to run the course. No discretionary time bonuses will be awarded.

Should the pop-up target malfunction and not work properly, thus denying the competitor a chance at the 10-second bonus the remedy will be the chance to re-run the course with the target working properly or take the time they have. In the event a competitor chooses to re-run the course the time of second run, better or worse, will be the competitor’s official time.

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