Youth shooters are the future of any shooting sport. CFDA recognizes the need to properly train and teach our younger shooters the fundamentals of safe gun handling. Our youngsters who become involved in the shooting sports learn discipline and respect for their fellow competitors like in no other form of sport. Learning good sportsmanship at a young age leads to a fair, balanced and successful life.

A Youth Shooter is defined as any participant under the age of 18. Our first mission is always safe gun handling and learning the safe and proper use of firearms. A Youth Shooter’s parent or legal guardian must be present in the general shooting area (not required on the firing line) at all times when the youth is competing in a CFDA recognized event, monthly match, practices, sanctioned titled matches, etc.

A Youth shooter must be 8 years of age to draw a pistol from a holster. Younger ages may fire the pistols and raise them from the low-ready position. There are no formal competitive categories for youths firing from the low-ready position, but this can be an introductory level in which gives a youth an opportunity to learn basic gun handling and safety skills as shown below.

Categories and Levels of Training Youths are split among two major divisions:

1. Junior Category Boy & Girls ages 16-17, plus Level 4 Youth compete with adults in Men’s and Women’s Divisions.

2. Youth Division containing a minimum of two categories Billy the Kid (Boys) and Annie Oakley (Girls) ages 8-15. (Youth Level 1 – 3)

Important: Youths Levels 1 – 3 will be issued a training level completion card by their CFDA Affiliated Club, which is signed by the Youth Shooter, the Instructing Range Officer or U.S. Marshal, and the youth’s parent or legal guardian. Youth Level 4 Cards must be approved and will be issued by CFDA. These cards allows our youth shooters to enter competitions for the learning levels that they have completed and are recognized by all CFDA Affiliated Clubs. The Youth’s parent agrees that they accept full responsibility and liability by permitting their child to compete in CFDA competitions and events.