Double trap is a shotgun shooting sport, one of the ISSF shooting events. Participants use a shotgun to attempt to break two clay disks flung away from the shooter at high speed.

The layout of double trap shooting is similar to that of trap shooting. The shooter stands 16 yards behind the house that releases the targets. Two targets are released simultaneously from the house. They follow set paths, usually 35 degrees to left and right of straightaway. The shooter can take one shot at each target.

In international Double Trap competitions, the course of fire is 75 doubles for men and 60 doubles for women. As the men's event enjoys Olympic status, it also involves a 25-double final for the top six competitors. The women's event was taken off the Olympic program after the 2004 Summer Olympics. Final shooting for women was discontinued in international competition as a result.

Double trap for women should be started again as a different category or a mixed team event should be started without affecting the Double trap men Category in Olympic Games.

The recent news about the possible elimination from the Olympic program of the double trap men shooting, traditionally included among the sport shooting Olympic events, have shocked the world of the sport shooting and the social media.

Eliminating Double Trap shooting from the Olympic program it would have effects, not only referring to the Olympic Games, but on the structure of ISSF competitions, as they would no longer organize competitions of Double trap shooting on the World Cups aimed for getting Olympic quota places, leaving thousands athletes who practice this sport into inactivity and without illusion.
This event fixes perfectly into the Olympic sport concept, the athletes can practice it without being professional, and may continue on a high level after they get 40 or maybe longer because it’s not necessary to take the body to an extreme stress to obtain good results, although constant training and being in very good shape is essential. ISSF changed Double trap rules on 23.11.2012 and now they are recommending to quash Double trap men event. They should give time to the sport, Shooters are prepared on basis of 8 year program for Olympics and they changed the rules 4 years ago and now when shooters around the globe have been preparing and practicing according to the new rules, ISSF is planning to remove DT from Olympic Games.
It will kill the dreams and all the efforts of shooters to get used to the new rules will be in vain and now shifting to a new sport won't be easy. Organisations are made so that we have stability not instability and fear about what will happen to our sport.

23.11.2012- ISSF Changed rules for Double Trap qualification was changed from three series of 50 targets (25 pair) or three series of 40 targets for women to five series of 30 targets (15 pair) for men and four series of 30 targets for women. What makes Double Trap more difficult is that random schemes will now be used to determine the target combinations that are thrown (scheme A, B or C) This move will break their dreams and the hard work they have put in for perfection in Double trap shooting will be in vain.

We, double trap athletes and coaches, official representatives of National Shooting Sport Federations, Olympic champions, winners of World and Continental Championships, representatives of mass-media, firms producing weapons and ammunition for shotgun shooting, owners of shooting clubs worldwide, are greatly alarmed by the plans published on the ISSF website about excluding our discipline from the Olympic Games program.
The main purpose of the activity of the ISSF, according to the constitution of the organization, is the promotion and guidance of the development of the shooting sports. As a result of the planned exclusion of the discipline double trap from the program of Olympic Games, the number of athletes in the shooting sports in the world will decrease inevitably.
Thus, these actions of the ISSF will contradict its constitution.

Double trap is a discipline with the rich history, well-established, comprehensible and vibrant format of the performance, having features essentially different from other shooting disciplines, and involving athletes concerned solely with it. Multimillion-dollar investments of Federations developing this beautiful (to quote the words of the many spectators and shooters) discipline turn out to be in vain. The hopes of the whole generation of young athletes, who are enthusiastically dedicated to double trap, will be murdered by a stroke of a pen.

Is it indeed what the ISSF was created for? We presume the answer is NO! Therefore blind adherence to instructions of the IOC will lead to a tragedy. It is necessary to carefully cherish each shooting discipline, search for and find the compromise decisions keeping double trap in the shooting family!

In this respect, it is reasonable to introduce a small change of the rules in double trap consisting of its modification into double trap mixed team event. In accordance to the recommendations of the IOC 2020, men and women will perform side by side. Each nation will have a possibility to win one quota place for men and one quota place for women, hereunder representatives of nine best countries will be able to take part in the Olympic Games.

The format for World Championships, World Cup and European Championships should allow three teams from each federation. This will result in a vibrant, attractive performance.

It is guaranteed that women-athletes will compete in this new discipline, since for a real athlete Olympic Games are the career crown. In addition, it is in your power to oblige all concerned National Shooting Sport Federation to delegate three women-athletes to World championships, World Cup and World Cup Final events to participate the double trap mixed team event.
We kindly ask you to think twice and not to take hasty decisions, which will weaken the shooting sport in general and change dramatically the fates of many athletes worldwide who develop our remarkable discipline for many years. Let the shooting sport flourish and prosper!

On behalf of double trap athletes and coaches, official representatives of National Shooting Sport Federations, Olympic champions, winners of World and Continental Championships, representatives of mass-media, firms producing weapons and ammunition for shotgun shooting, owners of shooting clubs.

For everything I said before, please keep the Double Trap shooting event into the Olympic program.