4-H Membership – All 4-H Shooting Sports members in good standing and meeting the criteria below are eligible to compete in 4-H shooting sports events, subject to limitations imposed by the specific event and the rules for active membership instituted by their state. Official 4-H enrollment is required.
Age Requirements – Participants must be 14 to 18 years of age on January 1, 2025, to compete at the Championships.
Official Entry– Participants and teams must be approved as the official entry by the State 4-H Program Leader or his/her designee. The selection of participants is at the discretion of the State 4-H Program, or the Land Grant University, in which the 4-H Shooting Sports Program resides. A state event is not required to select participants for the national event.
Individual Participation – All individuals participating as team members are competing concomitantly as individuals. Where teams cannot be formed, individual participants may compete in the Championships for individual awards and recognition.
Team Composition - Teams are composed of no less than 3 and no more than 4 individuals. Each land grant university, operating a state 4-H Shooting Sports Program, is limited to one team per discipline, with a maximum of 36 participants overall.
Team Representation - No participant may be a member of more than one team or represent more than one 4-H Shooting Sports Program in the national event. This does not preclude individuals who change residences and are otherwise eligible from participating as members on any team in 4-H events after meeting the eligibility requirements of the sponsoring 4-H Shooting Sports Program.
Event Participation – Each of the nine disciplines in this competition includes three different events. A given team or individual is restricted to participating in the events in only one discipline in any annual Championships, i.e., no individual may compete in more than one discipline in any given Championship. Participants are expected to complete all individual events in the discipline they represent.
Repeat Participation - An individual may enter the Championships repeatedly, through the process of selection used in their home state. They may participate in an event in which they qualified if they have not previously competed in that discipline in a prior Championship, i.e., they may represent their state in each discipline only once.
Substitutions - A team may send a substitute for a registered participant who is unable to attend the Championships. Substitutes must have the written approval of the state Shooting Sports Coordinator and meet all eligibility requirements for participation in the Championships. Substitutes will be accepted until the state contact picks up the official registration materials at the Championships.
Post-Secondary Restriction – Participants shall not have participated in any post-secondary (university, college, junior college, or technical school) competitive collegiate shooting sports event at any level. A competitive event is defined here as an event open to more than one educational institution (or its students) in which scores are kept and awards are offered to any or all participants.
Entry Fee - The 2025 registration fee is $275 per competitor for all disciplines. Registration must be completed by 11:59 pm CT, May 21, 2025. Registrations received between May 22 and June 6 will be charged a late fee of $350 per competitor for all disciplines. There is no fee for coaches. Only payment by credit card will be accepted unless previous arrangements have been made. Registration closes on June 6, 2025, and no late entries will be accepted. All entry fees must be paid in full by June 6, 2025.
Cancellations - Cancellations received by May 21, 2025, will be fully refunded. Individuals who cancel after May 21 and before June 22, 2025, will be reimbursed 70% of the paid registration fee. No refunds will be made after this deadline.