@Lowlight I think flighting the field after a match would be a good idea. For example, I play in a lot of golf scrambles over the summer. A lot of times these scrambles have different flight winners based on scores.
Example: A Flight (Top 33% scores) B Flight (Middle 33% scores) C Flight (Bottom 33% scores).
My team is not the best, but were not the worst. With the flight system, we generally end up near the top of the B flight or bottom of the A flight.
Generally, cash prizes are paid for the top 1-2places in each flight after the scores are turned in after the round.
Therefore, its fairly hard to sandbag/know where you are going to place because everybody is out participating at the same time.
From a PRS standpoint, I believe this could work. MD compiles scores at the end of match. Say there were 60 shooters then top 20 scores would be A flight, next 20 B flight, last 20 C flight. Top 3 in each flight get cash award + trip to prize table. The A flight cash awards could be higher than B flights and C Flight cash awards could be lower than A and B flights.
Let A,B, and C flight winners go to prize table in order. Then 2nd place in each flight go, then 3rd place in each flight go. That would be nine people total to prize table.
After that, maybe a raffle type system for all remaining participants that stuck around.
The reason I like this idea is it gives a lower score guy ( a guy that knows he's not going to be anywhere near high score a chance to win/motivation to shoot well). A guy that regularly finishes near midpack of a match may place/possibly win the B flight depending on how he shoots or may be bumped into the bottom of A flight class.
A person that scores near the bottom (new guy/kids/etc.) on a regular basis has hope/motivation to go out and compete in hopes of placing at the top of the C flight.
This flighting system works in golf. There are some superstar teams that show up to scrambles that will undoubtedly win the whole thing (A flight), but your average joe team still has incentive to attempt to play to the best of their abilities in hopes of maybe winning a lower flight such as a B or C flight. Then, if you have some newcomers or a team that likes to play golf, but not very good at, they may still win an award at the end of the day hence the C/lowest flight.
Golf scrambles usually have huge turnouts and seem to be growing as of late so it may be a route to consider for PRS matches. They could still keep the prize table, but you got lower flight winners taking some of the bigger prizes instead of the same ten or so sponsored guys getting all the top prizes every match.
I hope this makes sense and I would be willing to elaborate further if need be.
Per my example of a 60 shooter field flighted three times =
A flight winners would be top overall 1st,2nd, and 3rd place finishers.
B flight winners would be overall 21st ,22nd, and 23rd finishers.
C flight winners would be overall 41st, 42nd and 43rd finishers.
Obviously, MD's could flight the field as many times as they want. A,B,C,D,E,.....,etc. They could also pay out/give awards to more places in each flight if they wished to do so, but I think 1st, 2nd, and 3rd is the norm for most sporting events.
This would also not mess with PRS scoring. Even though you may have won the C flight for example, you still placed 41st out of 60 overall and your total score is still based off of the 1st place shooter's score.
