Earlier this year, the NSCA Executive Council proposed a rule change regarding the number of punches required to move up in class, and NSCA National Delegates have now voted to ratify the change. The following rule change will be effective January 1, 2026:
V-A-3-b & c – MOVING UP IN CLASS
b. It is the shooter’s responsibility to determine these punches and move up one class after reaching the following number of punches:
12-Gauge Classification
AA Class to Master Class – 25 punches
A Class to AA Class – 18 punches
B Class to A Class – 10 punches
C Class to B Class – 6 punches
D Class to C Class – 4 punches
The changes apply to punches required to move from A Class to AA Class and from AA to Master class. Last year, the Executive Council started the process of updating punch requirements to move up in 12-gauge class by lowering the number of punches required for the lower classes. The second phase of this was to increase the number of punches to move up into AA and Master class, making it a bit more challenging to move up into these higher-ranked classes. The end goal is to better align classification with a member’s shooting ability.
