So are we blaming Jersey Boys, the PRS, the MD or the RO who allowed it. Any of us who have been around competition understand why we have umpires or referees. Imagine all the money that could be saved if all competitors were honest and our little leagues no longer needed a mediator.
That’s a tiered answer.
First and foremost, if a stage is obviously intended to have the rifle resting on a rope, putting what is essentially a table under the rope and supporting the rifle on the table/bag is without question against the intent.
And yes, the RO shouldn’t have allowed it or called the MD. However, the problem still stemmed from the shooter/s.
And there is the argument “well, the MD should be more specific.” Well.....at what point are we getting into sheer absurdity? What if a cof for a stage says:
Equipment: No restrictions
Can I drive a side by side or a tractor up and prop up a barricade that is otherwise pretty shaky? The cof says no restrictions right??
Why don’t you see shooters using this bag on literally every stage at every match? Except for rare circumstances, you never see a bag size restriction in a match book. Yet you almost never see this bag. If it was even remotely considered acceptable, shooters would be using it on literally every stage that isn’t spelled out they can’t. (You don’t see it because everyone knows it’s ridiculous)
And, we get into a very dangerous area if we take the approach: “if it’s not specifically stated in the stage or cof description, it’s allowed.”
As that translates to telling people it’s ok to try to find any loophole possible.
In baseball for example, if a player cheats and doesn’t get caught, who’s fault is it?
Short version: the blame is squarely on the shooter despite the RO not disallowing it.
Shooting disciplines are pretty funny. What everyone else calls cheating, we call “gaming”.
(I am in no way calling the shooter/s cheaters. As I don’t believe they had any ill intent as far as that goes)
When points matter more than keeping in line with the intent of the competition, we have jumped the shark.