Interested in competing but don’t know where to start? This guide will walk you through entering your first tournament, preparing, and what will happen on the day.
Picking a tournament
The first step is selecting a tournament that you want to enter. There are a few places to look:
Cleve Archers host a number of shoots, including a Novice tournament especially for archers with under 2 years of experience. You can find these on the Cleve Tournaments page.
Archery GB also have a Competition Finder where you can search by area or type of competition.
Most of the information about the tournament are found in the prospectus (sometimes called an event guide). This document will tell you the key details of the tournament (where, when, and who the key contacts are) but will also tell you which rounds are available. Make sure to check this so you know which distances you need to practice. Archery Geekery have a useful guide on target archery rounds.
Some events are UK record status (UKRS) or World record status (WRS), which means that archers may claim records at these events if they have broken one. There are also several badge schemes that can be awarded at events with the relevant status, which can be claimed by any archer achieving a set score. There is more information on these on the Badge Awards page.
Once you have picked a tournament, you will need to complete the entry form. Most clubs use an online form, but in some cases you will need to fill out a document and email it to the tournament organiser.
Practice!
Once you have picked a tournament, it’s time to get practicing. Make sure you have sight marks for every distance that you will need on competition day.
Some rounds are shot over multiple distances and may change target face size at different distances.
On the day, you will have a set amount of time to shoot your arrows (usually 40 seconds per arrow but check the prospectus, some events are 30 seconds). For most people this is plenty of time, but you may want to practice with a time limit to make sure you are comfortable with it.
Before the day, make sure you know how to score your arrows. There is a helpful guide on the Start Archery website. You should practice calling your arrows in sets of three, from highest score to lowest before touching any of the arrows or the target. For example X 10 8, 7, 3, miss (recorded on the scoresheet as ‘M’). On the day, you will need to make sure all scores are recorded on your target before any arrows are touched.
Check your Equipment
Before the day, you will need to check that your equipment is in line with the rules set out in the Rules of Shooting- this can be found in the ‘Member Resources’ section of the Archery GB members’ portal here. If you’re not sure, ask a coach, judge or experienced archer who should be able to help.
Labelled arrows: all of your arrows need to have your name or initials clearly marked on the arrow shaft (not the fletching) so that you can identify them. Permanent marker works well, or you can buy name labels or arrow wraps with your name/initials on them.
Spare arrows: we’d advise having at least two spare arrows ready to go in case one breaks or is lost. More is better if you have them! The number of arrows you will shoot in an end should be detailed in the prospectus (generally ends of 6 for outdoor and ends of 3 indoor).
Clothing
There are a few clothing regulations that apply on competition days.
- No blue denim or camouflage
- Tops or shirts must cover the midriff at full draw (front and back of the body), and include sleeves of any length (with the exception of run archery events)
- Wording and logos must represent archery organisations- with the exception of the wearer’s name, manufacturer’s logo, and/or sponsors’ (during the sponsorship period).
Other than these rules, you should choose clothes that are comfortable and suitable for the weather conditions. It’s a good idea to bring layers so that you can adjust as needed.
Example Packing List
An example packing list is below:
- Your archery equipment- including spare arrows
- Archery GB Card (physical or e-card)
- Lunch and snacks- some clubs will also have refreshments available to buy on the day
- Water
- Waterproofs
- Warm layers
- Suncream
- Hat
- Money for refreshments and raffle tickets (Cleve has a card machine but some clubs are cash only)
- Camping chair*
- Tent**
*Not essential, but most outdoor tournaments are a full day of shooting.
**If you visit other clubs, you will likely find that people bring tents to store their equipment in/shelter in. At Cleve we have a large shooting shelter so tents are not allowed. These are definitely not essential, and most archers are happy to share!
On the day
When you arrive at the venue, there are a few key people to look out for. The Tournament Organiser will usually be busy right at the start of the day, but they will introduce themself at assembly (see below) and will be able to help with questions later in the day. The judges will be dressed in green uniforms so that they are easily identifiable. They are there to make sure everyone is sticking to the rules, but will also be happy to help if you have any questions. There are usually event volunteers or club members in the club’s shirts who will be able to point you in the right direction if you have questions. If you’re not sure, ask!
Arrival: you should plan to arrive with enough time to get ready before assembly (this will be listed in the prospectus). Most people arrive 45-60 minutes before the assembly time, but you need to ensure you have enough time to get yourself and your equipment ready. Allow extra time for traffic if you’re travelling a long distance or are unfamiliar with the venue.
Registration: normally there will be a registration desk where you can check in on arrival. The volunteer will ask to see your Archery GB card to show that you are a current member- you can use either a physical card or an e-card (you should have an email from Archery GB). If you’ve joined very recently and don’t yet have a card, an email from your club secretary or treasurer to confirm you are an Archery GB member should be sufficient.
Normally you will receive a target list a few days before the event, but if not you will be able to check which target number you are on at registration.
If you wish to take photos or videos (even on your phone) you will need to sign the photo register. This is usually on the registration desk.
Equipment Inspection: usually before assembly, the judges will make an announcement to begin equipment inspection. You should have your bow, arrows, and tab/release aid ready. The judge will check that your equipment and clothing is allowed within the rules.
For compound bows, you may be asked to use a draw weight scale to demonstrate the bow is within the weight limit. The judge will guide you through this.
Assembly: assembly is the briefing before the event starts and should cover information specific to the event. The tournament organiser will introduce themselves, the judges, and the Lady Paramount/Gentleman Patron for the event and tell you key information about the venue. They will then hand over to one of the judges who will run through some reminders on the rules.
Shooting in Details: next to your name on the target list, there should be a letter. This is your detail and tells you where to stand on the target, and when to approach the line. Details A and C shoot on the left hand side, and details B and D shoot on the right.
Most tournaments* are shot in alternating details, which means that A and B shoot first on the odd-numbered ends, and C and D shoot first on the even-numbered ends.
*The Cleve Inclusion Shoot will be shot in one single detail, so everyone will shoot at the same time.
Timing System/Shooting Control: all of Cleve’s tournaments are controlled by a countdown timing system. This tells you which detail should be shooting and has a countdown clock. A yellow light will be shown when 30 seconds are remaining.
Some clubs may use whistles instead of digital timers, this is also the backup if the timers malfunction. For both systems the following commands will apply:
Two bleeps/whistles- there will be 10 seconds for the first detail to approach the line. You may nock an arrow but must not draw the bow.
One bleep/whistle- first detail may now shoot and the countdown begins.
Two bleeps/whistles- there will be 10 seconds for the second detail to approach the line. You may nock an arrow but must not draw the bow.
One bleep/whistle- second detail may now shoot and the countdown begins.
Three bleeps/whistles- everyone goes together to score and collect.
The 3m line and waiting line: the competition field will have some extra lines that you may not have seen in practice. The 3m (3 metre) line is marked 3m from the shooting line and shows the line over which an arrow has been shot. In the case of equipment failure, any arrow over this line is a miss, but an arrow between the shooting line and 3m line does not count. Make sure you know which line is the shooting line before you approach for the first time!
There will also be a waiting line to show where you should wait when you are not shooting. All of your equipment must be behind this line (including bow limbs and stabilisers) to ensure the judges can walk freely down the line without tripping.
At other clubs, there may also be a tent line behind which tents can be pitched. Cleve Archers do not allow tents at their tournaments as we have a large shooting shelter.
Practice/Sighters: depending on the round, you will either have a set practice period or a set number of sighter arrows. This should be specified on the prospectus. The key difference is practice is a set period of time in which you will shoot multiple ends (depending how quickly everyone goes) and during practice you may shoot as many arrows as you like within your detail’s allocated time. Sighters, on the other hand is a set number of arrows only. Outdoors, this is usually one end of 6.
For all rounds shot over multiple distances, you will only get practice/sighters at the longest distance of the round. The first arrows you shoot at the shorter distance(s) will be scoring.
Equipment failures and bouncers: while we hope everything goes smoothly, sometimes things do go wrong and equipment breaks unexpectedly! If your equipment does break while you are on the line, step back off of the line and raise your bow into the air so that the judging team can see there is a problem. A judge will approach you to find out what is going on and guide you through the process. You have up to 15 minutes to fix the problem, and you will be allowed to take ‘make up’ arrows so you won’t miss out on any scored arrows.
The same process applies if you have a bouncer (an arrow that hits the target but bounces out) or a hanger (an arrow that only just sticks in and hangs from the target). Exactly what happens next will depend on the ruleset being followed, but the judge will explain the process to you.
Scoring & Collecting Arrows: the judges will announce when the first scoring end begins. After this point every arrow must be scored.
Each target will have a scoresheet that needs to be filled out and added up each end. You may also have a PDA (small phone for digital scoring) or a second scoresheet, these must be filled out at the same time as the primary scoresheet. Scoresheets must be filled out in blue or black pen with permanent ink (no magic erasable pens).
When you approach, you must not touch the arrows or target until everyone on your target’s arrow values have been recorded. It is polite to wait until everyone has recorded their arrows before searching for any behind the target.
Call your arrows in sets of three, and wait for the person recording the scores to repeat the values to you. Make sure they are repeating the numbers and writing them down correctly.
If you make a mistake recording an arrow value, you must call a judge before anyone touches the arrows. The judge will correct the mistake in red pen and sign the scoresheet to validate the score.
If you make a mistake on the maths columns, you can cross this out and correct it yourself.
If your target disagrees on the value of an arrow, you must call a judge to make a decision.
To call a judge, step back from your target, raise your hand and shout ‘judge’ loudly! Note that the judges may be helping other targets, but they will come to help once free.
At the end of each scoresheet, make sure that all boxes are completed and the scores match the second scoring system (if present). Once you are happy, the archer and the scorer must sign the sheet to confirm the score. You must do this otherwise you may get a score of zero.
Awards:
At the end of the day, there will be an awards ceremony. This is not compulsory but is a nice way to celebrate the high scores.
The prospectus should have a guide on what awards are available. If you are shooting a competition where badges can be achieved, check if you have shot a score to achieve one. The tournament organiser can help you with claiming these.