Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
Which round or distance to shoot?
What are the new FITA age groups for young archers?
What is a FITA star?
What is the English Cross?
What is bowstyle?
Which type of arrows can I shoot?
Where is the entry form?
What about drugs testing?
Do competitors have to be members of GNAS?
How long does the shoot take?
How long is practice?
What clothing do competitors have to wear?
What is the target list?
What are first and second details?
Where do competitors stand?
How does the timing work?
What are bouncers?
How does the scoring work?
What is a void score?
What are line cutters?
Do competitors need a scope?
Can anyone take photos?
What about prize giving?
Can competitors claim an award?
What is missing from the FAQ's?

Which round/distance to shoot?
This is a FITA STAR metric shoot, which some archers, especially younger juniors, may not have shot before. The distances are in metres, not in yards as at most GNAS shoot. At the two longest distances the normal 122cm full size face is used, on the shorter two distances a smaller 80cm face used. Make sure that you have practiced at the correct distances and the smaller target face and made a note of the your sight marks. We always start with the longest distance and work down to the shortest distance. There are 3 dozen arrows at each distance. Different age groups shoot different distances.
The FITA Outdoor Target Archery Round, (FITA Star rounds) consists of 36 arrows from each of the following distances (in metres) shot in this order (please see new

FITA Age group rules below)
Men and Junior Men (U20)

90
70
50
30
Women, Cadet Men (U17), Junior Women (U20))

70
60
50
30
Cadet Women (U17)

60
50
40
30

Juniors who wish to qualify for the FITA star will have to shoot the above rounds, for some this will mean shooting up from their usual distance. We are also offering the normal Metric rounds. Juniors can shoot their normal distance, if they prefer, but their choice of round must be shown correctly on the entry form e.g. Junior Men, Cadet Women (for the FITA star rounds) OR Metric I through to Metric IV (non-FITA star/Metric rounds). As most older Juniors are likely to want to take the chance to shoot in the FITA star event target space on the equivalent Metric rounds will be limited. FITA star badges are NOT available to juniors who shoot the metric rounds regardless of high their score is.

FITA Age rules: There has been a change in FITA age groups for young archers. An athlete may participate in a Cadet Class in FITA tournaments when the competition takes place up to and in the year of his or her 17th birthday (e.g. born 1993 or later) An athlete may participate in a Junior Class in FITA tournaments when the competition takes place up to and in the year of his or her 20th birthday (e.g. born 1990 or later) An archer who became 20 during the first half of 2010, prior to the competition, is still eligible to shoot as a Junior Man or Junior Women in the FITA Star.

GNAS /Archery GB Age Rules: Other metric rounds (non-FITA star) on offer to juniors, new (April 2010) GNAS age rules apply- age is calculated on the day of the competition, distances are in metres:
Boys Under 18 (not shooting as Junior Men)
Metric I

70
60
50
30
Girls Under 18 (not shooting as Junior Women)
Metric II

60
50
40
30
Boys Under 16 (not shooting as Cadet Men)
Metric II

60
50
40
30
Girls Under 16 (not shooting as Cadet Women)
Metric III

50
40
30
20
Boys Under 14
Metric III

50
40
30
20
Girls Under 14
Metric IV

40
30
20
10
Boys Under 12
Metric IV

40
30
20
10
Girls Under 12
Metric V

30
20
15
10

Adults who don't want to shoot the longer FITA Star distances can shoot the metric rounds if space is available. There is a column on the entry form to show that the competitor is shooting out of class. Girls under 12 shooting the Metric 5 are not able to claim a national record.
What is a FITA star?
This competition is a FITA star, archers who reach a certain score can claim a prestigious badge as follows:
To qualify for a FITA Star under 18's have to shoot the adult rounds as FITA Juniors, Under 16's shoot as FITA cadet's to qualify. Juniors who choose to shoot the Metric rounds do not qualify for a FITA Star award. Also see claims page

What is an English Cross?

English archers are able to claim a badge for shooting certain scores on this FITA star. There are separate awards for adults and juniors. See the English Archer Federation web page for more details or go the  claims pageon this web site.

What is bowstyle?
There are three recognised bowstyles in FITA target archery; recurve, compound and standard. Recurve is the most common style and shot at the Olympic Games. Compound bows are shorter and have wheels and pulleys with lots of wires. In this competition we refer to the bows in the standard bow class as longbows. Longbow (see below) is the traditional ("bent stick") style that has been in existence for many centuries and most closely associated with Robin Hood or the military archers of the early Middle Ages. Longbows come under the FITA regulation 7.3.2 for standard bows, These are simple bows which, when fully assembled but unstrung, will pass completely through a ring of 12.2 cm diameter. A recurve bow without sights, sometimes called a barebow, is allowed for adults but not for juniors.
Which type of arrows can I shoot?
FITA told GNAS in January 2008 that carbon arrows can NOT be banned at World Record Status events. So in our FITA Star archers can shoot all normal styles; pure carbons, mixed carbons (most archers shoot aluminium core with a carbon outer), aluminium and wood. The reason some events banned pure carbon arrows was because they are hard to find with a metal detector in the grass. Events that do still want/have to ban carbons can't now be world record status.
Arrows must have archers initials on and be numbered (usually 1 to 12). You can use a permanent marker on aluminium but will need to use transfer decals on black outer carbons.
Where is the entry form?
Where do I find the entry form?   See online entry tab

What about drugs testing?
This event is subject to random drugs testing of all competitors, which doesn't mean it will happen but it could. There is more information about anti-doping regulations on the FITA (international archery) web site under the anti-doping section at http://www.archery.org/ Ifa competitor refuses, or forgets, to take a drugs test it is a very serious offence. Parents. orguardians, must give written permission for a drugs test to be carried out and there is a section on the entry form for this. If clubs are doing the entry form on behalf of a group of juniors it can be difficult to get this organised but could be done on the day of the competition if the parent will be present at the event. Competitors can not drink alcohol during the competition (it is a banned substance) and nobody can smoke in the competition area. Smoking is permitted away from the other archers well behind the tents area.

Do competitors have be a member of GNAS or FITA?
As this is a record status event competitors have to be members of a recognised club in the UK and/or a member of the Grand National Archery Association (GNAS), which changed its name in 2008 to Archery GB. Members of clubs in other countries recognised by FITA can also shoot. Competitors who have only just joined a club you may not yet have a full GNAS number, but may have been given a temporary number by the club membership secretary. This number has to go on the entry form. Don't forget to take the membership card with you.

How long does the shoot take?
Be prepared for a very long day. Assembly will be about 8.30 am followed by 45 minutes of practice. The competition is scheduled to start at about 9.30 am. Most competitors will want to arrive well before practice starts (yes, that means getting to the car park at about 8.00 am!) so that you can find a slot behind the tent line for some where to sit that is reasonable close to the lane you are shooting in. Many competitors bring a little tent for shelter from rain/sun, although a large umbrella will do. What almost everybody does bring is a fold up chair. Although a food vendor may be present do make sure you have some food and plenty of drink, don't get dehydrated. Don't forget sun protection either.
Competitors have to sign in when they arrive at the main tent. The organiser may do a spot check on whether competitors have a GNAS (or FITA) membership card so make sure it is available.
After 3 dozen arrows there is a short break of 5 minutes, at the most, as the targets are moved forward. At the following change of distance, between the 2nd and 3rd distances there is a longer break for lunch. The chief judge announces when shooting will recommence. Shooting will finish around 4.30pm or 5pm (but can be longer in poor weather conditions).

How long is practice?
In a FITA star there is open practice for 45 minutes. There are no sighters as there are in GNAS competitions. Practice starts at 8.30am. It is likely that the judges will call for an equipment check during or just before practice, for example, checking to see if competitor's arrows are correctly initialled and numbered. During practice the timing lights will be used, however competitors can shoot as many arrows as they like during the 240 seconds period they are on the line. Practice will finish around about 9.15am, followed by assembly at about 9.20am. Competitors don't have to take part in practice and don't have to shoot for the whole of practice. It is likely that the target faces at the end of practice will be replaced with new faces for competition so competitors may not need to mark arrow holes in practice. The judge will confirm this on the day.

What clothing should the competitors wear?
As this is a record status shoot, competitors have to wear particular colours. Traditionally this is dark green or white, as shown in the above photo. In recent years clubs have been able to create their colour schemes, provided the club colours have been registered with GNAS you can wear a club T-shirt. Competitors can wear shorts (of any length), skirts or long trousers, in white or dark green (not camouflage or sage green), unless the trousers are in club colours as well. Trousers can have a small amount of piping/pattern. A judge can prevent a competitor from shooting if they are not happy with a competitors shooting colours, i.e. don't turn up in denim jeans!
Previously any shoe was permitted, from 2010 open shoes, such as sandals, flip-flops or crocs, are no longer permitted. Shoes must be closed.

What is the target list?
This is a list of all the competitors, showing which number target they are shooting on.. It is published a few days before the competition day,(see target list page) however it can change on the day. Competitors will be told at sign in if there is a change to the target number. The target list also shows A/B/C or D against each competitor's name. A/B are the first detail and C/D are the second detail. Competitors must know which letter is next to their name and which detail they are in.

Where do competitors stand to shoot?
Competitors stand on the shooting line, A and C stand on the left of the target number (marked on the ground on the shooting line) facing the target. Competitors B and D stand on the right of the number. Although that is the rule, at most competitions, competitors make an amicable arrangement about which side they stand. Some competitors put little foot markers in the grass so that always stand in the same place each time. Don't put foot markers down before an agreement has been reached about who is standing where. When shooting, both feet should be either side of the line. At some competitions there might be 5 or 6 competitors on a target, in which case A/D stand on the left, B/E on the number and C/F on the right. A/B/C would be first detail and D/E/F in the second detail. There is also a 3m dropped arrow line. If your arrow falls off the bow and lands beyond the shooting line, BUT not over the 3m line, you can ask the judge to shoot another arrow. DON'T step forward to pick up the arrow until going to score.
Before the competition starts competitors should work out which is the shooting line (the numbers on the ground are the clue), where they would prefer to stand if given a choice, whether they are A/B in first detail or C/D second detail, and introduce themselves to the other competitors on their target. The target list will show A/B/C/D against each name.

Target 1 (Mens FITA) is at the right hand end of the shooting line and furthest away from the pavillion. There will be some portable toilets in the midddle. There is a cricket pitch between targets 28 and 29 which means a 25m+ gap in the middle. Juniors shoot on targets 40 to50 at the left hand end of the shooting line and nearest the pavillion.

See the detailed map for more information.

How does the timing work?
Competitors, who have never shot a FITA rules event, will notice the timing as the most distinctive difference from the usual GNAS rules shoots. We are using a visual traffic light and clock system. When the first detail is ready to shoot the red light will show with 10 seconds on the clock (new rule for 2010) The archers go to the line but do not start shooting. The clock will count down from 10 to 1, the green light will then come on with 240 showing on the clock. Archers now have 240 seconds (4 minutes) to shoot all six of their arrows. Archers can only shoot when the green or amber light is showing, they must never shoot when the red light is showing.

The clock counts down from 240 seconds to 30 seconds and the light then changes to amber to warn competitors that time is nearly up. At 0 the light goes red and shooting stops. Arrows released after the red light comes on will mean that the judge will deduct the highest scoring arrow, even if that was not the arrow shot last.

Although it is very rare for anyone to go into the red time zone it is the competitor's responsibility to watch the lights and clock. There will be a pair of lights to the left and right of the FITA star shooting lanes at 30m from the line. There will a separate pair of lights either side of the junior metric rounds. The metric rounds are subject to the same timing rules and use the same equipment as on the FITA Star.

There is one further variation in the timing. At the shorter two distances, the better archers are starting to get very good grouping of arrows in the centre of the target. There could be 24 arrows (from 4 competitors) in the X ring, in which case the chance of arrow damage would quite high. To prevent this the arrows are shot in ends of 3 in 120 seconds (2 minutes) and scored after the 3 arrows rather than the 6 as was the case at the longer distances. The score sheet still shows totals for 6 arrows. The clock counts down from 120 seconds, rather than the 240 used at the longer distances, but the light still goes amber at 30 seconds to go.

What are first and second detail?
In this competition A/B (first detail) go to the shooting line first when the 10 seconds appears on the clock and shoot 6 arrows in 240 seconds (see timing). When the next 10 seconds appears on the clock the second detail of C/D go to the line to shoot their six arrows. At the next end the details rotate so that C/D shoots first. Details then keep rotating each end. If competitors are not sure watch other people who are shooting the same detail as them in adjacent lanes. It also helps to look at the score sheet and to know that A/B always start shooting at the beginning each dozen arrows. On the two shorter distances the same rotation applies even though competitors have 120 seconds to shoot 3 arrows.

What are bouncers and why do archers mark the arrow holes?

(new wording from June 2010)
All arrow holes on the target face (including the practice round) must be marked with a pen AFTER the arrows have been scored. This can be a little vertical line above the hole at 1 o'clock and a little horizontal line at 3 o'clock making a v shape next to the arrow hole.

An arrow hitting the target boss and rebounding will score according to the mark it makes on the target face, provided that all other arrow holes have been marked and an unmarked hole or mark can be identified by the judge. In this competition you do NOT shoot any extra arrows. If the archer thinks that they have had an arrow that bounced out of the target they should tell the other archers in their detail on their target, all the archers in that detail should stop shooting and call a judge immediately.   The judge will tell the archers what to do next.

How does the scoring work?
Scoring is FITA 10 zone. The inner ring in the gold is scored as an X (worth 10 points), the next ring is still worth 10, the outer ring in gold is worth 9. The inner red ring is worth 8, the outer 7 and so on down to 1 on the outer white ring. In the photo above the arrow on the left near the centre is written down on the score sheet as an X, worth 10 points. The arrow on the right in the outer gold ring is not such as good shot and only scores 9.
We do not score gold's separately, the totals on the score sheet show X and 10's. If an arrow hits the dead centre (the X spot) it is called shooting a "dead spider". The maximum score for 6 arrows is 60 points, the maximum score for the round is 1440.

On the Junior Metric targets we need the help of the parents for scoring, so we will come round looking for volunteers. Please make sure that Juniorsknow to point at their arrows and call their scores in groups of 3. The person scoring will usually call the scores back to the competitor to confirm the score. On senior targets the competitors agree between themselves who will score (the target captain). When calling the score the competitor points at each of their arrows in turn, ALWAYS calling the highest scoring arrow first. Competitors must NOT touch the arrows or the target face whilst scoring. Arrows which have not scored are called as a Miss and are written as M on the score sheet.

If the competitor realises they have called the wrong score, OR the scorer writes down an incorrect score for the arrows scores the scorer is NOT allowed to change the arrow scores. They must call the judge who will write over the top in a different colour ink and sign it. If the scorer makes an error in adding up the score for half a dozen or a dozen arrows they can correct this without calling the judge, BUT see note below about void scores

As soon as all the arrows have been scored BUT BEFORE the arrows are pulled the competitors (or parents helping) must put a mark with an ink pen next to the hole for every arrow on the target. This is because bouncers are allowed. After all the arrows holes have been marked then the arrows can be pulled.

Dozen scores, and running totals must be completed on the main score sheet as well as 10's, X's, and final total at the end. We do not record hits in this competition. The organiser will also want the scorer to complete a tear off sheet (shown below) with the totals for each competitor on the target after each distance (each 3 dozen) A runner will collect these from the score boards.
A leader board will be posted with all the competitors' scores after each change of distance except after the last distance is finished.

Please note that it is the responsibility of each archer to ensure that their final score and the totals of tens and X's recorded on the score sheet are correct. Please will archers keep an accurate record of their own scores as the competition goes on and check all the totals before signing the score sheet. Juniors may wish to get their parents or another adult to check their scores with them. Bring a calculator if you need it. The final score of an archer, and any record claim, will be void if the signed score is later found to be higher than the correct total.

What are line cutters?
Line cutters are arrows cutting or even just touching the line dividing the different scoring zones. In this case the competitor claims the higher score. The competitor can look closely at the hole the arrow has made but mustn't touch the paper face or the arrow. If the competitor thinks that the arrow probably is touching the line but it is really a close call they can say "I want to score this as a 9?" (if it is touching the line between the red and the gold line) before they start scoring properly. It is really a question, asked with confidence, to the other competitors to challenge their claim. The other competitors can look and will either confirm it is an acceptable line cutter by giving the higher score or they will disagree because they can see a tiny bit of colour of the lower score zone around the whole of the arrow. The target captain (the person scoring) can make a ruling, although the final decision is always with the judge. It is really hard for Juniors to understand the subtlety of a confident claim of a close call. If they are just not sure about a line cutter they may prefer just to ask the other competitors, or an adult scoring, what score the arrow is.

Do competitors need a scope?

Lots of recurve and compound archers use a telescope (scope) as an aid to see their grouping of arrows on the target. Weather conditions do make a difference to sight marks. However, most archers don't start using one until they are consistent in their groupings and making small adjustments would make a difference to their score. Inexperienced competitors, especially younger Juniors, do not usually shoot with a scope, nor do longbow archers. In this competition competitors are allowed to shoot with the scope next to them on the line and do not have to remove the scope when finished shooting unless it conflicts with another archer. Scopes should be no higher than an archers armpit.

Can anyone take photos?
GNAS has a child protection policy that covers photos of children at archery competitions. Anyone who wishes to take photos, regardless of the intended subjects, is required to sign their name and address on the photo list at the official tent. Photos which appear in print or on a web site should not show the full names of Junior competitors. The organiser may issue numbered stickers to show which photographers have signed in. Parents, who see someone taking photos of their children, or other Juniors and is not displaying a sticker may prefer to inform the organiser rather than challenge the photographer.

What about prize giving
After everyone has packed their tents and equipment away there will be a raffle draw, starting about 30 minutes after the end of shooting. Someone will be selling raffle tickets throughout the day. The raffle draw and prize giving can take an unbelievable long time. This is likely to finish at about 6.30pm but it could be later. Most people stay for prize giving as there a lot of medals. Most juniors have a good chance of winning a medal but it does partly depend on numbers in each category. Prize giving will take place in front of the pavillion.
Can competitors claim an award?
Certain scores mean competitors can claim various badges or records, depending on the status of the shoot. Claims must be made in person on the day of the competition at the end of the event and with a valid GNAS or FITA membership card.

...and finally - what is missing from the FAQ's?
If you have some suggestions for something that is missing from the FAQ list, something is wrong, or even if you found this section helpful, then please email the organiser: