Field archery

Field archery involves shooting at targets of varying and often unmarked distance, typically in woodland and rough terrain. As well as being a sport in its own right, it can be used to improve the techniques and abilities required for bowhunting in a realistic outdoor setting. Archers sometimes refer to the additional skills required to deal with challenging terrain and lighting as "fieldcraft".[1]

Field archery

Field Archery, 2014
Highest governing body	WA, IFAA
First developed	Ancient antiquity
Characteristics
Contact	No
Mixed gender	No
Type	Target sport
Equipment	Bows, arrows, targets
Presence
Country or region	Worldwide
Olympic	No
World Games	1985 – 2017

Events are usually conducted according to the rules of either the International Field Archery Association (IFAA)[2] or the World Archery Federation (WA). Others may be held under the rules of national organisations such as the UK National Field Archery Society (NFAS) and the US National Field Archery Association (NFAA).

IFAA/NFAA

International Field Archery Association (IFAA) and US National Field Archery Association (NFAA)[3] competitions include three rounds: field, hunter, and animal. A round consists of 28 targets in two units of 14.[4][5]

Field rounds are at 'even' distances up to 80 yards (75 m) (although some of the shortest are measured in feet), using targets with a black inner ring, two white middle rings and two black outer rings. Four face sizes are used for the various distances. A score of five points is awarded for shots which hit the centre spot, four for the white inner ring, and three for the outer black ring.

Hunter rounds use 'uneven' distances up to 70 yards (65 m). Scoring is similar to a field round, the target has an all-black face with a white bullseye. Child and youth positions for these two rounds are closer, no more than 30 and 50 yards (25 and 45 m), respectively.

Animal rounds use life-size 2D animal targets with 'uneven' distances reminiscent of the hunter round. The rules and scoring are also significantly different. The archer begins at the first station of the target and shoots his first arrow. If it hits, he does not have to shoot again. If it misses, he advances to station two and shoots a second arrow, then to station three for a third if needed. Scoring areas are vital (20, 16, or 12) and nonvital (18, 14, or 10) with points awarded depending on which arrow scored first. Again, children and youth shoot from reduced range.

3D rounds use life-size models of game animals such as deer. It is most common to see unmarked distances in 3D archery, as the goal is to accurately recreate a hunting environment for competition, albeit a more loosely organized form of competition than other types of field archery. Though the goal is hunting practice, hunting tips (broadheads) are not used, as they would tear up the foam targets too much. Normal target or field tips, of the same weight as the intended broadhead, are used instead.

WA Field

An archer shooting at a 50-metre (55 yd) target during a marked WA 24 round using freestyle recurve

The information in this section is taken from Book 4 of the WA Constitution & Rules.[6]

The World Archery Federation, commonly known as WA and formerly as FITA (Fédération Internationale de Tir à l'Arc), defines a suite of rounds based on a 24-target course.

Four target face sizes are specified: 80 cm (30 inches); 60 cm (25 inches); 40 cm (15 inches) and 20 cm (8 inches). Six target faces of each size are used on the course. For each target face size there are upper and lower distance limits for the various divisions of archer. Target faces have four black outer rings and a yellow spot, each with an equal width. The yellow spot is subdivided into two rings. The black rings score 1 point for the outermost to 4 points for the innermost. A hit in the outer yellow scores 5 points. A hit in the inner yellow scores 6 points. Before April 2008, the innermost yellow ring counted as an X (the number of Xs was used for tie-breaks) but only scored 5 points.

Shooting positions are marked by coloured pegs set at a distance from each target. Generally the red peg is set the furthest from the target, the blue peg is set nearer, and the yellow peg (or white peg in the UK) is set the nearest. The course layer may choose to vary this, though. Each peg is associated with one or more divisions of archer:

Pegs for archer divisions

Peg colour	Division
Red	Recurve and compound
Blue	Bare bow, cadet recurve and cadet compound
Yellow	Cadet bare bow

The UK operates some variations on this for junior archers. When shooting marked distances, the distance to the target is shown on each peg. On unmarked distances, the distance is not shown.

A WA 24 Marked round is shot on a single day using 24 targets at marked distances only. A WA 24 Unmarked round is shot on a single day using 24 targets at unmarked distances only. A WA 24 Mixed round is shot on a single day using 12 targets at marked distances and 12 targets at unmarked distances. A WA Combined Field round consists of a WA 24 Unmarked round shot on one day and a WA 24 Marked round shot on the same course the following day with the distances having been increased.

WA rules state that the lanes between the shooting positions and the targets must not be obstructed by branches or tree trunks.

Archers follow the course in groups of between two and four. The pegs are arranged so that two people can shoot from one peg at the same time. Each archer shoots three arrows at each target, making a round of 72 arrows.

National Field Archery Society (UK)

In the United Kingdom, the National Field Archery Society (NFAS) sets the rules for many shoots, including Big Game and 3D shoots. Most of these consist of 36 or 40 targets or 2×20 targets. The NFAS is not affiliated to any international organisation. According to the NFAS Rules of Shooting:[7][8]

The most common NFAS rounds have a "walk-up" format, where the archer starts at the furthest peg from the target; if the archer fails to score, they proceed to the next closest peg. These pegs are coloured red, white, and blue. The archer is allowed a maximum of three shots per target.[8]

Scoring for a typical Big Game round[8]

Peg colour	Points
	Inner kill zone	Kill zone	Wound zone
Red	24	20	16
White	–	14	10
Blue	–	8	4
Yellow	at the discretion of oranisers
Orange

The inner kill zone is only used in some competitions, and only for the first arrow shot from the furthest peg. The wound zone is marked by wound lines on 2D targets, or by any target hit outside the kill zone excluding the antlers, hooves and target base.[8]

Adults (aged 16 and over) start from the red peg. Juniors aged 14 or 15 start from the white peg, and juniors aged 12 or 13 start from the blue peg. Cubs aged 9–11 start from the yellow peg, and those under age 9 start from the orange peg. The placement and scoring for yellow and orange pegs is left to the discretion of the organisers.[8]

There are multiple classes including American flatbow, barebow, bowhunter, compound limited, freestyle, hunting tackle, longbow, primitive, traditional bowhunter, unlimited, and crossbow.[8]

All archers attending these shoots must carry a valid NFAS card in order to shoot. The NFAS is required to hold an annual championship open to all members. In 2019, two championships were held: the 3D Championships (in May) and the National Championships (in September). Participants for these events must have competed in three open shoots in the bow style that they wish to shoot, or have participated in a previous Championship.[8][9]

See also

• Archery
• Target archery
• Clout archery
• History of archery
• Arrow
• Bow
• Field archery at the 2009 World Games

References

1. "Field Archery". World Archery. 2015-03-24. Retrieved 2017-01-20.
2. "International Field Archery Association rules" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-05-17. Retrieved 2008-05-28.
3. "Archery and Bowhunter Range Guidelines" (PDF). NFAA.
4. "IFAA Book of Rules 2013"
5. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-09-03. Retrieved 2014-08-29.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
6. "WA Constitution and Rules Book 4 - Field Archery Rules" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2019-12-15.
7. {{cite web|url=http://www.nfas.net/aboutus/rules.asp |title=NFAS – Rules and Constitution|website=National Field Archery Society|
8. "National Field Archery Society Shooting Handbook 2020" (PDF). National Field Archery Society. Retrieved 17 March 2020.
9. "NFAS - About us".