Let's assume, for purposes of this discussion, that the technology will soon be available to allow people to safely "shoot" each other with some sort of realistic, affordable handgun simulators. (I realize that all of the current technologies -- e.g., paintball, Simunitions, airsoft -- fall short of this standard.)
If we now have the ability to stage mock gunfights, can we turn them into a sport? Ideally, the rules of the sport would make it:
1) Possible to keep score to introduce the element of competition
2) Fun enough to get people to participate
3) A way to learn about the dynamics of real gunfights that are absent from all the other shooting games where the targets don't shoot back.
One major problem that comes to mind is that if competitors get within a few yards of each other (as they would "for real") someone is going to resort to hand-to-hand techniques and injuries will result.
If we now have the ability to stage mock gunfights, can we turn them into a sport? Ideally, the rules of the sport would make it:
1) Possible to keep score to introduce the element of competition
2) Fun enough to get people to participate
3) A way to learn about the dynamics of real gunfights that are absent from all the other shooting games where the targets don't shoot back.
One major problem that comes to mind is that if competitors get within a few yards of each other (as they would "for real") someone is going to resort to hand-to-hand techniques and injuries will result.