[Tim Burke]

If you are playing a game, which IDPA is, then it must be the same for everyone. So all use a flashlight or all do not.

Giving everyone the same choice in how to shoot it is fair. There is no need to mandate that everyone use the flashlight.

You can force what you want with course design.

Which I think is preferable to mandating a particular course of action in the stage description.
We've set up surprise stages where one will likely miss the opportunity to shoot a disappearing target if one elects to advance before tac-loading. Everyone is free to act as they wish, and pay the consequences.

 

[Tim Burke]

As you can see, he stated "solve the problem" not "solve the problem with a flashlight."

Probably just as well. Based on the above post, where some shooter shot the strobe light because it was wrapped in a T-shirt, if they said "solve the problem with a flashlight" somebody would run downrange and club the targets.

I don't see how the way I shot the stage would be any sort of gaming advantage.

Nor do I. Regardless of the stage description, I would not have given you a procedural.