The Three positions are conducted with an equal number of shots fired from the Prone, the Standing and the Kneeling positions, always in that order.

The International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) recognizes four three position events. Two of these events, both called 50 m Rifle, are shot in the Olympics, one for men, the other for women. The two Olympic events are shot with a rimfire rifle at 50m. The two three position events not in the Olympics, 300 m Rifle and 300 m Standard Rifle, are shot with a centerfire rifle at a distance of 300m.

For the Olympic events, men shoot a 3 * 40, or rather 40 shots in each prone, standing, and kneeling. Women shoot a 3 * 20, 20 shots in each position. This is considered the qualification round. Following the qualification round, the top eight shooters fire an additional 10 shots, one at a time, in a final. The winner of the match is the shooter with the highest aggregate in both the qualification round and the final.