How trap is scored
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- Targets per round
- 25
- Posts
- 5
- Singles distance
- 16 yards
- Shots per target
- 1
The field
American trap, governed by the ATA in the US and Canada, is shot from five posts set in a shallow arc 16 yards behind a low trap house. The machine swings side to side, so you don't know the target's angle until it is in the air. Every target flies away from you.
A round
A squad of up to five shooters takes one post each. In turn, each shooter calls for one target, until everyone has shot five. Then the whole squad moves one post to the right, and the shooter on post 5 walks back to post 1.
After five rotations, everyone has shot five targets from every post: 25 targets, one round. Registered events are usually 100 or 200 targets.
Scoring
You get one shot per target. A target the referee sees broken is dead, anything else is lost. Your score is the number broken out of 25, and 25/25 is a straight.
Handicap trap
Handicap is the same game shot from farther back, anywhere from 18 to 27 yards, set by the shooter's assigned yardage. Stronger shooters stand farther back, which lets shooters of different levels compete on one scoreboard.
In the ATA, yardage is earned: winning or posting a high score at a registered handicap event moves you back. New shooters start near the front.
Doubles
In doubles, the machine throws two targets at once on fixed angles, shot from the 16-yard line. Each shooter takes five pairs per post, so a doubles round is 50 targets.
Averages
Your trap average is targets broken divided by targets shot. The ATA keeps separate singles, handicap and doubles averages, and singles classes (AA, A, B, C and D) come from your singles average.

Score a round of trap with Dustd
- Tap the + button at the bottom of the screen, then Keep Score.
- Choose Trap and fill the five posts: add yourself, friends on Dustd, or guests by name.
- Hold to start, then tap Dead or Lost for each shot. Dustd follows the rotation and shows Change! when the squad moves posts. Hold to undo takes back the last shot.
- When the round ends, the squad is ranked and the round is saved to the profile of every shooter who is on Dustd.
Where to shoot trap
Find a club that offers it, or see what shoots are coming up.