IFAA Field Manual

IFAA Field and 3D Archery
IFAA
FIELD ARCHERY
MANUAL
2015
Annexure to:
Level 2
Instruction Manual
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Posture for shooting downhill with level feet
position .......................................................... 19
Contents Posture for shooting uphill on sloping ground:
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ..............................................3 ........................................................................ 20
INTRODUCTION ........................................................4 Posture for shooting downhill on sloping
Shooting styles:.....................................................4 ground ............................................................ 20
Age groups ............................................................4 Shooting across a slope ...................................... 21
The shooting course: ............................................4 Target appearance on steep slopes ................... 22
SETTING OUT A COURSE ...........................................5 SETTING BOW SIGHTS ............................................ 23
General .................................................................5 The adjustable sight ........................................... 23
Typical field course layout ....................................5 The non-adjustable sight.................................... 23
Marking the shooting positions ............................7 RANGE FINDING ..................................................... 24
Measuring the shooting distance .........................7 Exercise techniques to range finding ................. 25
Basic setting-out requirements ............................8 Range finding without using a sight ............... 25
The practice course ..............................................9 Range finding with the use of a sight ............. 25
Allowing for equipment failure ......................... 10 PRACTICAL TRAINING TIPS ..................................... 26
Targets used by the IFAA ................................... 10 PERSONAL CARE ..................................................... 28
Setting out marked distances ............................ 11 Footwear ........................................................ 28
The Field Round ............................................. 11 Clothing in cold weather ................................ 28
The Hunter Round ......................................... 12 Clothing in hot weather ................................. 29
The Marked Animal Round ............................ 12 Clothing in rainy weather ............................... 29
Combining marked Rounds on a single course Accessories ......................................................... 29
....................................................................... 12 Binoculars ....................................................... 29
Setting out unmarked distances ........................ 13 Backpack and belt .......................................... 30
The Unmarked Animal Round ....................... 13 Spare parts ..................................................... 30
The 3D Hunting Round .................................. 13 Nutrition ............................................................. 30
The 3D Standard Round................................. 14 SAFETY .................................................................... 31
Combining unmarked Rounds on a single Safety in field archery ........................................ 31
course ............................................................ 14
Facilities.......................................................... 31
SHOOTING AND SCORING ..................................... 14
Directional signs / Danger tape ...................... 31
Entering a tournament ...................................... 14
Emergency action plan ................................... 31
Shooting sequence ............................................ 15
First aid ........................................................... 32
Marked distances .......................................... 15
Individual safety ............................................. 32
Unmarked distances ...................................... 16
Safety within the target group ....................... 32
Some general scoring rules............................ 17
Duty of care of participants ............................... 32
Some general safety rules ............................. 18
Personal protective clothing .......................... 32
SPECIAL FIELD CONDITIONS................................... 18
Lost arrows ..................................................... 33
Uphill and downhill shooting ............................. 18
Sighting for shooting uphill............................ 18
Sighting for shooting downhill ....................... 19
Posture for shooting uphill with level feet
position .......................................................... 19
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
World Archery (WA) kindly agreed that the IFAA may use their Field Archery Manual as the basis of this
manual.
Various pictures and graphics have been copied from the WA manual as well as the text relevant to the
IFAA of the following sections:
Range Finding
Special Field Conditions
Practical Training
Personal Care
Safety
Some graphics and pictures have been modified to be more IFAA specific.
With thanks to Tim Stone and Martin Koini for their input and proof reading this manual.
This manual is an integral part of the IFAA Level 2 Instructors’ Manual.
IFAA
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INTRODUCTION numbers of different historical bows.

The topic of this module is archery on a field course, They have two common denominators:
which includes the following disciplines in field - All bow models in this style must have
archery: Field Round, Hunter Round, Animal Round, proven ancestry from before 1900
Unmarked Animal Round, 3D Standard Round and - All bow models in this style must be
the 3D Hunter Round. made with “traditional” materials, not
All these archery rounds practice archery in natural including modern glues and bow string.
surroundings, such as shooting in a forest, uphill
and downhill shooting in the hills or mountains, Details of the style definitions are explained in
across lakes and slopes and with all kinds of other Annexure 1 of this manual.
natural obstacles with a minimal amount of
clearance. Age groups
The IFAA courses are set out in accordance with the
recognised different age groups:
Veteran (V) for archers the age of 55 and over
Adult (A) archers of the age of 19 to 54
Young Adults (YA) of the ages 17 and 18
Juniors (J) of the age group 13 to 17
Cubs (C) of the age under 13
The shooting course:

An IFAA course consists of 28 targets, spread in
numerical order along the two sides of a walking
track. Such a track varies in length, but normally is
According to the type of bow that is utilized, we between 2-4 kilometres.
distinguish for each discipline the following Groups of archers , normally 4 or 6 archers in a
shooting styles: group, are sent to their starting target, shoot the
target, record the arrow score on a specific score
Shooting styles: sheet and continue to the next target, shoot that
1. The compound bow target and score, and so on, until they have shot all
The IFAA distinguishes between the following targets.
shooting styles:
a) No release (finger draw)
 Barebow Compound (BBC)
 Freestyle Limited Compound (FSC)
 Bowhunter Compound (BHC)
 Bowhunter Limited (BL)
b) With release (Wrists or hand held release
aid)
 Freestyle Unlimited (FU)
 Bowhunter Unlimited (BU)
2. The recurve bow

The IFAA distinguishes between the following
shooting styles:
 Freestyle Limited Recurve (FSR)
 Barebow Recurve (BBR)
 Bowhunter Recurve (BHR)
3. The longbow
When all the targets have been shot, the archer
There is no distinction made between the
returns to the administration tent and submits the
various “longbows”, flat bows, etc.
score sheet.
This principle applies to all the types of field
4. The Historical Bow
rounds.
There is no distinction made between the vast
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SETTING OUT A COURSE

General
When setting out a field range, the basic principle
of the IFAA must be taken into consideration at all
times:
The IFAA is an archery association for all ages.
The IFAA has as logo the “Family of Archers”, which
depicts a man, a woman and a child.
The IFAA ranges must be set out in a manner that
children and elderly archers can walk the ranges,
even though the shots may be very difficult. The
idea is that all gender and age groups can compete
on the same course.
Cub distance is situated in the river. The target must

be moved either away from the water or possibly
closer to the water.
Therefore it is strongly recommended that when a

course is set out, that the shorter distance that the
children shoot is checked out first, before the adult
distance on the same target is set out, especially
when crossing obstacles, such as brooks and steep
slopes. They may not fit and you may have to
include an additional target butt at additional costs.
The Field distance (white marker) and Hunter walk-
This consideration must be given when setting out a up distances (red marker) do not fit on the same
combined range that allows for shooting a Field target butt.
Round on the first day and a Hunter Round on the
second day and an Animal Round of the third day. Typical field course layout
Distances are not the same for these rounds and it It is not possible to define a fixed layout of a field
will become more complicated when Cub and course.
Junior distances are included on the same range for Shooting distances are not sequentially fixed and
the three days. depend on the layout and topography of the course
Other than the complications associated when area.
combining age groups and Rounds on the same The rule is that the courses must be safe and fairly
course, there are various other potential problems easily accessible and targets as well as the walking
that must be taken into consideration. route must be properly indicated as part of this
They will be discussed as part of the setting out safety measure.
requirements of the various types of courses. The rest is up to the course designer and the more
experienced he/she is the better and more
interesting the course may be.
Normally the courses for international events are
pre-marked a few weeks or months before the
event. Targets and markers are only placed in
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position a few days before the event to minimise The above range only has the first 7 targets in
the chance of vandalism. straight line and the remaining 21 targets in a circle,
which will reduce the time required shooting, when
compared to a full straight “herringbone” lay-out.
Figure 1: A typical 14 butt course layout for a field

archery club.
Above another typical circular course lay-out. The

picture shows the potential arrow deflection of up
to 15 degrees, something that should be taken into
consideration when setting out a range.
The picture was obtained from the internet and
amended to show only 28 targets.
Neither of the two course layouts is ideal, as both

are a “herringbone” design and result in much
additional walking.
The above layout could be a typical “once off”

course, set out for a specific IFAA tournament, using
Google Earth technology. The course will be
dismantled on completion of the tournament.
The range is set out with 28 targets in a “herring
bone” pattern, meaning that the targets are set up
on each side of an existing track. After drawing the
arrows the archers must first walk back to the track
to continue toward the next target.
As archers do not walk directly away from the
target towards the next target, this type of course
normally takes longer to shoot as walking distances
can be considerably longer.
Some “herringbone” courses are set out along a

single straight track with target 1 on one end of the
track and target 28 on the other end of the track.
After target 28 is shot the target group will have to
walk all the way back to target 1 and continue to
shoot; a lengthy process. Figure 2: A typical double range layout as designed
for Kings Mountain Archers.
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Figure two shows a much better course layout In the event of two markers, care should be taken
where archers walk directly away from the butt to that the standing conditions at each marker are
the next shooting position without having to walk similar.
back to the shooting line, thus reducing walking Every marker shows the shooting distance!
time. The position of the first marker should be clearly
Such a lay-out is also considered to be safer, marked with an indicator board that shows the
especially when the archers walk away from the relevant target information:
target at 90 degrees, rather than walking away from  Target number
the target in line parallel to the shooting line.  Shooting distance (marked rounds only)
This set up also reduces waiting time for the  Target size or group
following target group.
The drawing also clearly shows two courses. A

double range layout is a requirement for all IFAA
sanctioned events, where targets are marked from
1-14 and 15-28. These are two individual ranges
and each range must have all targets (see IFAA
Rounds). There may not be any duplication on a
single course (e.g. no two 80 yard walk-up on the
first 14 targets and none on the second 14 targets).
The advantage of above range layout that there is a
central part where the courses meet and that single
catering and ablution facilities can be used for the
combined ranges. Typical indicator board for Field, Hunter and Animal
Rounds, shot on a single range
Marking the shooting positions
The shooting position of an archer is marked by a
stake or peg, which is hammered into the ground
and clearly visible to the archer.
The markers have a specific colour, depending on
the type of Round and the age group of the archer.
Age group Field Hunter Animal 3D

Veteran, Adult,
White Red Yellow Yellow
Young adult
Junior Blue Blue Blue Blue
Cub Black Black Black Black
Marker colours Typical indicator board for an unmarked
3D Standard, Hunter or Unmarked Animal Round.
Where Adults and Juniors shoot from the same peg, The kill area must be clearly visible.
the colours can be combined on one peg, however
only the colour for adults will also be acceptable. Measuring the shooting distance
The shooting distance is measured from the centre
Two archers shoot side by side and it is of the target to the shooting marker at navel height,
recommended that each target has two sets of using a steel tape or a high quality non-stretch
markers, one for each archer. The archer stands nylon tape. The measuring tape must be held as
with the front foot against the marker or within 15 tight as possible and must be in a straight line
cm from the marker, but never in front of the between the target and the marker.
marker. All distances shall be correct within 150mm (6”)
A single marker is also allowed, in which case the and no deviation is permitted.
two archers stand on each side of the marker, no
further than 3 feet from the marker and never in In the event of unmarked distance events, the
front of the marker or more than 15 cm behind the distance may be measured with the use of a good
marker. quality range finder.
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Basic setting-out requirements back to the shooting line shall be at least 20
The following course layout requirements should be meters from the shooting lane.
considered at all times: j. Note: Normally this lay-out should be
1. Marked Rounds avoided.
a. The primary consideration for setting out a k. Bales or butts must not leak arrows. They
field range: The IFAA determines the best shall not be reinforced with any material
archer as the shooter with the highest score that may damage arrows.
and not necessary the fittest archer. Ranges
should be reasonable as far as walking is 2. Unmarked Rounds
concerned even though the shots may be a. Although the primary consideration for
very difficult. The range should not be a setting out an unmarked range is to
physical fitness course and special determine the best archer and not the fittest
consideration should be given to the veteran archer, the IFAA Bowhunter tournaments are
archers and the cubs. No one should be intended to represent a degree of “hunting”
“forced” to leave the tournament because of conditions. Targets should be placed in
physical or health problems. We are a shooting lanes to simulate hunting
“family” sport! conditions, but at the same time these
b. Direction of the paths must be clearly marked shots should be good, clean (not clear)
to avoid archers walking into the shooting and safe. Remember, realistic bowhunting
lane practice shots.
c. Shooting distances used shall be those given b. Direction of the paths must be clearly marked
in the latest edition of the IFAA By-laws. to avoid archers walking into the shooting
d. All butts must be stable so there is no lane.
danger of tipping. If such a chance exists, c. All distances may be measured with an
then they must be braced or anchored. accurate range finder and shall be within
e. Shooting lanes must be cleared wherever the range given in the latest edition of the
possible so that the lightest bows can shoot IFAA By-laws.
an arrow to the target without it being d. All butts and/or 3D targets shall be stable so
deflected by overhanging branches. Special there is no danger of tipping over. If such a
consideration should be given to the lady chance exists, then they must be braced or
longbow division. It is advised that an area anchored.
one quarter of the shooting distance shall e. Although shooting lanes must be naturally
be cleared in front of the butts. clear to accommodate the lightest bows,
f. Any person, regardless of height, must archers must determine their shooting stance
have a clear view of the full face of the to avoid any overhead branches. Archers may
target. have to bend down or even kneel for the
g. If the target has no backstop, one-half the shot.
shooting distance, to a maximum of 30 yards, f. Any person, regardless of height, must
shall be cleared behind the butt. If the butt have a clear view of the “kill” area o n the
has a backstop or is placed in front of an target.
embankment, then the area to such g. If the target has no backstop, one-half the
backstop or embankment shall be cleared target distance shall be cleared behind the
so that arrows may easily be found. butt. If the butt has a backstop or is placed
Consideration must be given for our class in front of an embankment, then the area to
“B” and “C” archers. Arrows are expensive such backstop or embankment shall be
and an excessive loss of arrows should be cleared so that arrows may easily be found.
avoided. Note: an embankment is seen to be a wall of
Note: an embankment is seen to be a wall of earth or gravel. Rocks, boulders or big trees
earth or fine gravel. Rocks, boulders or big may not be used as a “back stop”.
trees may not be used as a “back stop”. h. Paths between targets should be clearly
h. Paths between targets should be clearly marked.
marked and cleared enough for easy i. Paths shall leave the butt/3D target
walking without obstructions. sideways and away from the shooting line.
i. Paths shall leave the butt sideways and Paths that bring the archers back to the
away from the shooting line. Paths that lead shooting line should be avoided, but if that
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is not possible the path shall be at least 10
meters from the shooting lane.
j. Bales or butts and 3D targets must not leak
arrows. They shall not be reinforced with
any material that may damage arrows. In
the event of 3D targets, the centre piece
must be replaced or the entire target should
be replaced if the target becomes shot out.
The practice course

The practice course is an integral part of the IFAA
field tournament, be they either Field or 3D.
The practice course is mainly used for “warm-up”
and adjusting sight settings and is used by most
competitors on a daily basis. A practice range for 500 to 600 archers. For fewer
Safety rules that apply for the tournament courses archers the number of butts may be reduced. For
also apply to the practice course, if not more so. more archers an additional range will be required.
Practice ranges are normally open two days before
the start of the tournament, as well as in the early When setting out a practice course, stick to the
mornings before the daily briefing of the archers following principles:
and in the afternoon, after the archers come off the  Fence off the practice course in some way or
courses. another.
During those periods the organisers are required to  Clearly mark the shooting line, either by a chalk
have range officer(s) on these ranges who control line or rope. Distances must be clearly marked
the movement of the archers. on the target butt. There are so many butts on
the course that an archer can easily mistake the
Safety on a practice course. butt he shoots at.
Practice courses should be flat or have a slight  No-one must stand in front of the shooting line
uphill or downhill slope. when archers are shooting. (No arrow drawing
The area that is chosen must be separate from the while other archers are still shooting).
tournament courses and may not be part of such a  The cub range should be separate from the main
course. practice range.
Safety precaution is essential and the course must  Place double butts on the shooting distances
be set out in such a way that there is no path or that are less than 50 yards. It reduces the chance
road directly behind the course. Is there a path or of arrow damage. It also allows for more archers
road then the organisers will have to place a proper on the course.
barrier behind the targets in a manner that is  Place a back stop behind the long distance butts,
acceptable to the IFAA. especially when there are a lot of archers
Spectators should also not be allowed to stand at shooting unsighted styles. It saves time as fewer
the sides of the course. All archers and spectators arrows will be missing after each session and
must stand behind the shooting line. searching time is reduced.
Long distance targets must have a system that  Replace faces daily! The used faces from the
“captures” overshot arrows. This can be a net or shoot on the previous day may be used. Keep
can be straw bales. spare faces with the range officer.
Individual lanes may not be allowed to walk
forward to collect arrows. All archers on the Setting out a practice course for 3D archery
shooting line walk forward together after the signal  The basic principles that apply to the Field
is given by the course supervisor. Normally the archery also apply to 3D archery; however the
supervisor uses a whistle to notify the archers. The maximum target distance is only 60 yards.
use of traffic lights (red/green) is quite common on,  Animal faces and/or 3D targets can be mixed.
but always in combination with a whistle. Some archers may prefer Field faces to set their
sights
Setting out a practice course for Field archery  Start using back stops from 40 yards. The
Below a typical layout of a practice course for Field numbers of participants in the unsighted styles
archery: normally far outnumber the sighted styles.
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Allowing for equipment failure Targets used by the IFAA
The rules of the IFAA allow and archers with 1. Marked distances
equipment to leave the range under guidance of The IFAA uses different target faces for the
one of the range officials. various Rounds:
The archer is allowed reasonable time to repair the
equipment, while the other members of the
shooting group either wait (a short period only) or Field face
continue the shoot without the archer.
The archer later re-joins the group and continues
the shoot. The targets that were skipped may be
shot under guidance of the range official, but time Hunter face
is limited by the time the score cards must be
handed in. No time extension will be given!
Current IFAA tournaments, especially the 3D Field Round Hunter Round

events, are very large with five or more ranges,
sometimes so spread out that special transport is
arranged to bring the archers to and from the
ranges.
There will simply be not sufficient time to go back
to the central area of the tournament, fix the bow,
have some practice shots and return to the range.
So the organisers must accommodate this problem,

which can be done as follows:
 Many archers, especially compound archers,
have a spare bow for the tournament. They Animal face
bring these bows with them to the range. The
organisers must allow for a secure and protected Target faces must show the IFAA mark of
area where the spare bows will be kept. It is approval when used in IFAA sanctioned events.
strongly advised that archers who bring in Target faces have different sizes, depending on
equipment for safe keeping receive a numbered the distance that is shot. As a rule the longer the
token that corresponds with a number on the distance, the larger the target face.
bow case. The official will retrieve the The following sizes are used:
equipment from the safe keeping preventing Field and Hunter Rounds: 65cm, 50cm, 35cm,
unauthorised access by others. 20cm
Such area for safe keeping should be either at Animal targets faces are graded in accordance
the entrance of the course or at the nearest rest with their “high scoring” area (also named “kill
area. area”), a marked area normally above the front
 The organisers must allow for a marked practice leg.
butt to allow the archer a few shots to set the They are graded as follows:
bow sight. The best place will be next to where Group 1: 229x368mm, with rounded ends
the spare equipment is kept for safe keeping. (a Group 2: 178x267mm, with rounded ends
target on the course may not be used!) Group 3: 114x178mm, with rounded ends
Group 4: 64x92mm, with rounded ends
For all the above Rounds, the distance shall be
clearly marked on the indicator board and on
the markers.
2. Unmarked distances
The normal animal faces can be used for events
where un-marked distances are shot.
The same grading applies as that of the marked
distance,
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The IFAA has no preference in 3D targets The Field Round consists of a standard unit of 14
provided they last for the day’s shooting and do targets which is made up of the following marked
not leak arrows. distances and target sizes:
3D targets must be life size; the further the
distance, the larger the animal. Number Diameter Number Distance in yards
It is recommended that targets are tested for of of face in of Veterans Juniors Cubs
1
faces cm shooting Adults
durability before a large number is ordered for a positions Young
tournament. Adults
1 Ø 65 4x1 80,70,60,50 50 30,25,20,15
1 Ø 65 1x4 65 50 30
1 Ø 65 1x4 60 45 25
1 Ø 65 1x4 55 40 20
2x1 Ø 50 4x1 45,40,35,30 As adult 20
2x1 Ø 50 4x1 35,35,35,35 As adult 20
2x1 Ø 50 1x4 50 As adult 20
2x1 Ø 50 1x4 45 As adult 15
2x1 Ø 50 1x4 40 As adult 15,15,15,15
2x2 Ø 35 1x4 30 As adult 10
Also the 3D targets are graded in accordance
with the size of the “high scoring” area, which is 2x2 Ø 35 1x4 25 As adult 10
measured from the top line to the bottom line of 2x2 Ø 35 1x4 20 As adult 10
the high score area through the centre of the 2x2 Ø 35 1x4 15 As adult 10
“ring”. 4x4 Ø 20 4x1 35,30,25,20 ft As adult 20 feet
Group 1: A>250mm Junior distances may not be more than 50 yards and
Group 2: A=201-250mm Cubs shoot distances no more than 30 yards.
Group 3: A=150-200mm The colour of the shooting markers for the Field
Group 4: A<150mm Round may differ for each age group to avoid
possible confusion.
Neither the indicator board nor the markers
must show the shooting distance! Field Round markers:
Although the IFAA has no official ruling on what
targets should be used and what should not be
Age group Target size Distance Marker colour
used, it is sound policy not to used faces that
depict: Adult, Veteran,
All sizes All distances White*
Young Adult
 Great apes like chimpanzee, gorilla, etc.
Ø 65 50, 50, 45, 40 Blue
 Large cats like lion, tiger, cheetah, etc.
Junior
 Rhinoceros, elephant and similar All other
All other sizes White *
distances
 Large raptors
 Other images that may be seen as offensive Cub All sizes All distances Black
by the media or in any way may damage
the image of the IFAA. *: The marker can be a combined white and blue
colour to avoid possible confusion by
Setting out marked distances inexperienced juniors.
The IFAA recognises various Rounds with marked 1
: The number of faces depicted allows for shooting
(known) distances. They include the Field Round, the face with four archers in the target group
the Hunter Round and the Animal Round. There are without having to score and draw arrows after
other rounds, however they are not that popular the first two archers have shot. If half the
with the archers and not often offered as number of faces is used (i.e. 2=1 and 4=2) arrows
tournaments. must be drawn after the first two archers have
shot and scored to minimize damage to arrows.
The Field Round
A single or double marker lay-out may be used;
The Field Round is the first integral round of the
however a double marker lay-out is preferred for
IFAA in the World Field Archery Championships and
IFAA sanctioned tournaments.
the various Regional Field Championships.
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The Hunter Round The Marked Animal Round
The Hunter Round is the second integral round in The Marked Animal Round is the third integral
the World Field Archery Championships and the round in the World Field Archery Championships
various Regional Field championships. and the various Regional Field championships.
The Hunter Round consists of a standard unit of 14 The Marked Animal Round consists of a standard
targets which is made up of the following marked unit of 14 targets which is made up of the following
distances and target sizes: marked distances and target sizes:
Number Diameter Number Distance in yards No. Group Maximum Distance of furthest marker in yards
of of face in of Veterans Juniors Cubs of size of number of Veterans Adults Juniors Cubs
1
faces cm shooting Adults faces face shooting Young Adults
positions Young positions
Adults 1 1 3 60-40 From adult 30-25-20
1 Ø 65 4x1 70-65-61-58 50 30-25-20-15 1 1 3 3x5 yard walk-up front marker 30
1 Ø 65 4x1 64-59-55-52 50 30 1 1 3 25
1 Ø 65 4x1 58-53-48-45 45 25
1 2 3 45-30 As adult 20
2x1 Ø 50 4x1 53-48-44-41 41 20
1 2 3 3x3 yard walk-up 20
2x1 Ø 50 1x4 48 As adult 20
1 2 3 20
2x1 Ø 50 1x4 44 As adult 20 1 3 1 35-20 As adult 20
2x1 Ø 50 1x4 40 As adult 20 1 3 1 Single marker 15
2x1 Ø 50 4x1 36-36-36-36 As adult 15 1 3 1 15-15-15-15
2x2 Ø 35 4x1 32-32-32-32 As adult 15-15-15-15 1 3 1 10
2x2 Ø 35 4x1 28-28-28-28 As adult 10 2x1 4 1 20-10 As adult 10
2x2 Ø 35 2x2 23-20 As adult 10 2x1 4 1 Single marker 10
2x2 Ø 35 2x2 19-17 As adult 10 2x1 4 1 10
2x2 Ø 35 2x2 15-14 As adult 10 2x1 4 1 20 feet
4x4 Ø 20 1x4 11 As adult 20 feet
Marked Animal Round markers:
Junior distances may not be more than 50 yards and
Cubs shoot distances up to 30 yards. Age group Target group Distance Marker colour
The colour of the shooting markers for the Hunter Adult, Veteran,
All groups All distances Yellow
Round may differ for each age group to avoid Young Adult
possible confusion. Group 1 Blue
Junior All other
All other groups Yellow *
distances
Hunter Round markers:
Cub All distances Black
Age group Target size Distance Marker colour *: The marker can be yellow and blue to avoid
Adult, Veteran, possible confusion by inexperienced juniors.
All sizes All distances Red
Young Adult
Ø 65 50, 50, 45 Blue A double marker lay-out shall be used for all IFAA
Junior Ø 50 41 Blue sanctioned tournaments.
All other
All other sizes Red *
distances Combining marked Rounds on a single course
Cub All distances Black When tournaments are hosted with less than 120
participants, the three Rounds can be combined on
*: The marker can be red and blue to avoid possible a single course.
confusion by inexperienced juniors. In this way the course is “maximised” and the same
1
: See comments below the Field Round Markers target butts can be used for the full tournament,
table. thus greatly reducing the costs as well as minimizing
the required number of Range Marshals and other
A single or double marker lay-out may be used; maintenance volunteers.
however a double marker lay-out is preferred for Care must be taken when setting out a combined
IFAA sanctioned tournaments. course: Always set out the Cub distance first to
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assure that there are no obstacles closer to the Setting out unmarked distances
target. (see illustrations on page 3) The IFAA recognises three different unmarked
Rounds, all of which are shot in the Wold
The way to read the chart: Bowhunter Championships and the various Regional
Bowhunter Championships:
Combined marked rounds on a single course
Read the distances from left to right. The Unmarked Animal Round
The first target will have a 65cm face for the Field The lay-out of the Unmarked Animal Round is
Round and the Hunter Round and a Group 1 face identical to the Marked Animal Round; however the
for the Marked Animal Round. shooting distances are not marked on the indicator
board or on the markers. The walk-up distances
On that target the Cubs shoot the four arrow 30 however are the same.
Yard walk-up for the Field and Hunter Round and Markers are the same as those for the Marked
the three arrow walk-up for the Animal Round. Animal Round. (Double marker lay-out)
The Unmarked Animal Round can be either made
The Veterans, Adults and Young Adults shoot on the up of animal faces or 3D targets, but may not be
same target, but they shoot the four arrow 80 yards combined on the same course.
walk-up for the Field Round and the 70 yards walk- Unlike the Marked Animal Round, where a standard
up for the Hunter Round. unit consists of 14 targets, the Unmarked Animal
The Juniors shoot 50 yards on the same target. Round standard unit consists of 28 targets.
For the Marked Animal Round the Veterans, Adults The 3D Hunting Round
Like the Unmarked Animal Round, this Round also
and Young Adults shoot the same distances (see the
consists of 28 targets.
table in the left column) as a walk-up of maximal
This round only allows for 3D targets and faces or
three arrows and Juniors shoot all arrows from the
silhouettes may not be used.
front marker.
Keep in mind that distances do not follow the chart
A single or double marker layout is permitted.
in sequence, but distances are mixed at random.
Markers are the same as those of the Unmarked
Animal Round (yellow, blue and black).
No distances shall be shown on the indicator board
or on the markers.
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The distances for each group of target will be as Normally the scoring is indicated on the score sheet
follows: that an archers carries with him during the day’s
shoot to record the score of each arrow.
Target Number of Maximum distance On completion of the day’s shoot the archer
Group targets per Veterans/Adults/ summarises the score and signs the score sheet off
number Group Juniors Cubs
Young Adults as being correct, countersigned by the scorer of the
1 6 60 Y 50 Y 30 Y target group. Irrespective of what the scorer
2 6 45 Y 45 Y 25 Y records, the archer must check the score before
3 8 35 Y 35 Y 20 Y signing off. The archer remains responsible for the
4 8 20 Y 20 Y 10 Y correctness of the score!
It is recommended that waterproof pens are used
for score recording, especially in rainy weather.
The 3D Standard Round
Like the 3D Hunting Round, this round also consists
of 28 targets and only 3D targets shall be used.
The 3D standard round however has two markers,
each at a different distance from the target.
The distances for each group of target will be as

follows:
Target Number of Maximum distance of first marker

Group targets per Veterans/Adults/
number Group Juniors Cubs
Young Adults
1 6 60 Y 50 Y 30 Y
2 6 45 Y 45 Y 25 Y
3 8 35 Y 35 Y 20 Y
4 8 20 Y 20 Y 10 Y
The distance from the first marker and the second

marker is not fixed and left up to the discretion of
the course designer.
A single or double marker layout is permitted.
Markers are the same as those of the Unmarked
Animal Round (yellow, blue and black).
No distances shall be shown on the indicator board
or on the markers.
Entering a tournament
Combining unmarked Rounds on a single
Pre-registration over the months preceding the
course
Unmarked Rounds may not be combined on a single event is normally required to allow the organisers
course. If only one course is available then the to set up the correct number of courses.
Range officers must change the position of the Nevertheless participants must register at the
tournament also.
markers and if need be the target on each day
before the shoot of the day starts. At registration each participant will be given the
tournament information in writing and the
For IFAA sanctioned events it is the norm that
unmarked ranges are set out on “unknown” terrain equipment needs to be checked for correctness.
that was not previously used and that each detail The IFAA uses a specific inspection form to record
only shoots the course once. E.g. for IFAA events the archer’s equipment. Most organisers also issue
four ranges are a minimal requirement. the score cards for the full tournament.
At IFAA sanctioned events the participant is
required to show proof of membership with an IFAA
affiliated association as well as his/her
SHOOTING AND SCORING
classification/score card.
The marked and unmarked rounds have a variation
The day prior to the start of the tournament the
of shots and a variation in the scoring.
representative of each of the attending associations
14 | P a g e
will be called in for a briefing, when the various There are also three targets with four “Walk-up”
aspects and rules of the tournament are explained shooting positions. These targets have four markers
so that they in turn can inform their archers. per shooter at different shooting distances. The
archer shoots a single arrow from each marker, a
Every day before the start of the shoot there will be total of four arrows.
an assembly of all participating archers so that any The fourteenth target has a “Fan” shooting position.
issues from the previous day can be mentioned and There are four side by side markers at equal
clarified. distance from the target. The markers are three
After the assembly each archer goes to the marker feet apart.
that indicates the name of the range. This marker The archer shoots a single arrow from each marker,
normally is carried by the Range Marshal who is thus making up the four arrows.
responsible for the running of that course with the If two faces are set up, the left face is shot from the
help of a few Range Officers. He will walk to the two left side markers and the right face is shot from
range (or bus transport to the range if walking is too the two right side markers.
far) and the archers allocated to that range will
follow him. The archers in the Target Group will decide which
It is important that archers shoot in the correct two archers will start shooting first. They shoot side
target group on the correct course. by side on the first target and complete their four
Archers in the incorrect target group must be arrows and thereafter the second two archers shoot
moved to the correct target group before the day’s their four arrows.
shoot can start. On shooting distances less than 55 yards there
This can delay the start of the shoot considerably. should be two faces and thus two archers per face.
If there are more than four archers in the group, the
Each archer is allocated a target to start from. Target Captain may decide that arrows are also
Normally there are four archers in the group (called drawn after the second two archers have
target group) but there can be as many as six in a completed their shots.
group, depending on the type of tournament and Some of the unsighted shooting styles struggle to
the shooting style(s) in the group. place all their arrows in the target centre (also
The target groups in the tournaments with called “the Spot”). If there is a “spread” of arrows
unmarked distances tend to be larger than those in over the face, drawing of the arrows may not be
the marked distances as there are fewer arrows necessary. The decision lies with the target group.
shot in those events. This sequence of shooting remains the same for the
full standard unit.
The target groups have a fixed composition: If two standard units are shot, the archers change
The first listed archer is the Target Captain; the shooting positions at target 1 and target 15. The
second listed archer is the first scorer. The next two archers who shot first will now shoot second
listed archer is the second scorer and the fourth and the archer on the left marker now shoots0 from
member of the group normally draws the arrows. the right marker.
Other archers in the group have no distinct function Scoring the arrows:
in the group.
Once all archers are on the correct target, the

Range Marshal shall give the start signal and
archers may start shooting arrows.
Shooting sequence
Shooting positions and shooting sequence vary
from Round to Round and from target to target:
Marked distances
Field Round.
This round has ten targets with a single shooting
position, meaning that there is only one marker per
shooter and each shooter shoots four arrows from
the same marker. An arrow must break the score dividing line to be
scored the higher value.
15 | P a g e
An archer can shoot a maximum of 20 points on Marked Animal Round

each target; a maximum total of 280 points per The Marked Animal Round is a round where an
standard unit. archer continues shooting until the arrow hits the
Hunter Round scoring area. Thereafter the archer stops shooting
The Hunter Round is shot in a similar fashion as the at the target as no higher score can be achieved. Up
Field Round and scoring is the same. to three arrows may be shot.
This round has four targets with a single shooting If no arrow has hit scoring area by that time, there
position, meaning that there is only one marker per is no score on that target.
shooter and each shooter shoots four arrows from
the same marker. An animal target is divided over two scoring areas:
There are four “Walk-up” targets each with four 1. The high scoring area, also called “kill area”
markers per shooter, each at a different distance to 2. The low scoring area, also call the “wound
the target. One arrow is shot from each marker. area”.
There are three “Walk-up” targets each with two
markers, each at a different distance to the target.
Two arrows are shot from each marker.
Three targets have the “Fan” shooting positions.
Scoring the arrows:
Scoring of the arrows will be as follows:
Arrow High scoring Low scoring

st
1 20 points 18 points
nd
rd
To assure that the correct arrows will be scored, all

Scoring rules are similar to those of the Field Round. arrows shall be marked with one ring, two rings or
three rings at the back of the arrow, and must be
shot in that sequence.
Scoring rules are similar to those of the Field Round.
Unmarked distances
The Unmarked Animal Round
The Unmarked Animal Round may either be made
up of flat animal faces or 3D targets. They may
however not be combined on the same course.
When faces are used, the scoring is exactly the

same as that of the Marked Animal Round.
3D targets have a variation of different high scoring

areas, which can be summarised as follows:
The high scoring area is measured over the full
marked central area. Any “spot” marking is not
considered.
Various shooting positions Scoring rules are the same as those when faces are
used.
16 | P a g e
However for an arrow to score, it must remain area to be scored the higher score! (see figure 1
embedded in the body of actual animal. Horns and and figure 2)
antlers are not considered scoring areas.
Arrows that rip through the hairline of the animal
and do not remain embedded shall have no score.
The 3D Standard Round and 3D Hunter Round
Both rounds only use 3D targets and the scoring

areas are similar:
The high scoring area is divided in a high scoring

“Kill” area and a lower scoring “Vital” area.
The “wound” area is similar as to that of the
Unmarked Animal Round.
Scoring the 3D Standard Round:
Figure 1
The arrows must break through the line!
Only one arrow is shot at the targets and scores as

follows:
Kill 20 points
Vital 16 points
Wound 10 points
Figure 2
Scoring the 3D Hunter Round:
The arrows must break into the area!
Two arrows are shot at the targets and scored as
3. No arrows in the target or butt may be touched
follows for each arrow:
until the arrows have been scored. Arrows
passing through the target face but still in the
Kill 10 points
butt may be pushed back by the Target Captain
Vital 8 points
or deputy who did not shoot the arrow, and
Wound 5 points
scored accordingly.
Some general scoring rules 4. If an arrow hits the scoring area but bounces off
the target or an arrow passes through the
1. No arrows shall be touched until all arrows are scoring area and is not retained in the butt,
scored and the scores agreed between the two another arrow, which has been specially marked,
scorers! shall be shot.
2. An arrow shall break through the score line to 5. An arrow hitting another within the target and
score the higher score or in the case that there is remaining embedded in that arrow shall have
no score line, shall break into the higher score the same scoring value as that arrow. Arrows
being deflected by other arrows shall be scored
17 | P a g e
by their position. In the event of a mis-shot The archer has to learn by experience how much to
arrow, an archer may shoot another arrow correct in different situations.
provided the mis-shot arrow can be reached How much distance to subtract, has to be
with the bow from the archer’s position at the discovered by each individual archer, it depends on
marker. the archer’s equipment and shooting technique
6. Skids or glances off the ground into the target BEST PRACTICE IS TO OBTAIN PRACTICAL
shall not be counted. EXPERIENCE AND KEEP RECORD ON SHOOTING
7. An archer who shoots from the wrong marker or DISTANCE AND ANGLE AND SO CREATE A PERSONAL
at the wrong face will lose the score of that COMPENSATION TABLE.
arrow. No new arrow may be shot. Distance correction for slopes is an art in itself and a
8. Even though scoring is done by the two correct shooting form is essential. In general: the
designated scorers, the correctness of the score distance to aim is less than the distance to shoot for
remains the responsibility of the archer. The both uphill and downhill shooting.
scores must be checked by the archer before As a rule of thumb:
signing the score sheets. On slopes up to 10 degrees, no correction should be
9. It is the archer’s responsibility to assure that the required.
score sheet is returned to the score recorder On slopes between 10 degrees and 20 degrees
before the cut-off time. about 5% of the distance may have to be deducted.
From 20 degrees up to 30 degrees up to 10% may
Some general safety rules have to be deducted – between 30 and 40 degrees
1. The Field Captain is responsible for the safety of even as much as 20°
the shoot. Archers must accept the decision of In general: The steeper the angle gets, the more
the Field Captain, the Field Marshals or any you need to deduct. If the distance of your shoot is
other designated safety personnel. exceeding 60 yards, pending on the speed of your
2. Archers in the group who are not on the arrow, the impact of gravity could well counteract
shooting line are required to look for any unsafe this compensation rule.
conditions and warn the shooters if such
condition occurs. Below are some popular corrections for
3. A competitor must have at least one piece of inexperienced field archers:
clearly visible garment on his/her body.
4. No shooting after the archers are called off the Sighting for shooting uphill
course by the Field Marshal because of  At a slight slope, and especially at long distances,
dangerous conditions, i.e. thunder storms, add one or two yards to the real distance
darkness, etc. (dependent of the yardage and the efficiency of
5. Removing of arrows should be done with care the bow).
for the arrows as well as for the targets. The one
hand method is recommended where one hand
is on the 3D target or butt pushing and the
other one on the arrow shaft close to the
impact point, pulling
SPECIAL FIELD CONDITIONS

Uphill and downhill shooting
A sight mark or sight pin corresponds to a certain
elevation of the bow while aiming.
In field archery, when shooting uphill or downhill,
elevation depends not only on the distance to
shoot, but also on the difference in altitude. The  At a very steep slope, deduct at least two yards
“distance to aim at” can be different from “distance from the real distance (dependent of the
to shoot”. The archer corrects by adding or yardage and the efficiency of the bow).
subtracting a few yards according to the slope.
Distance to shoot + Correction = Distance to aim at
18 | P a g e
Note: Shooting more or less straight up or straight
down, archers have to see it to believe it, let them
try their 20 yards mark/sight pin.
Posture for shooting uphill with level feet

position
The basic posture is in all types of archery is always
the ‘T’.
The steeper the slope, the more the archer

subtracts; however, in uphill shooting above a
certain distance, called the “jump”, the rule is “the
steeper the slope, the less to subtract”. The
distance of this “jump” is dependent on the
efficiency of the bow.
Sighting for shooting downhill

 At a slight slope, deduct one, two or three
meters from the real distance (dependent of the
yardage and the efficiency of the bow).
For slight uphill shots move the hips towards the

target before the draw, for steep uphill shots put
the bow foot forward and move the hips towards
the target before the draw.
 At a very steep slope, deduct up to 10 meters

from the distance (dependent of the yardage
and the efficiency of the bow).
We can calculate the “jump” as follows. Write down

the sight marks from 10 yards up to 50 yards
distance with a step of 5 yards in a table. Next we
add one column to the table in which we calculate
between 15 and 60 yards the difference between
two adjacent sight marks. The differences
(adjustments for 5 yards further) are fairly constant
below about 40 yards. Between 40 and 50 yards the At even steeper uphill shots you could move the
list of differences makes a ‘jump’, possibly up to string foot a little backwards so that you get more
double the previous differences, and then become room in the chest to hold the correct draw length.
approximately constant again as the distance Too little ‘swing’ in the hips, gives a wrong shoulder
increases. and bow arm position, shorter draw length and
When the distance uphill or downhill is not marked probably a bad release.
and has to be estimated, usually an uphill target is
Posture for shooting downhill with level feet
judged too short and a downhill target is usually position
judged too far. For this reason the archer should as For slight downhill shots move the hips away from
a rule add a few yards to his estimation when the target before the draw.
shooting uphill and subtract a few metres when
shooting downhill.
19 | P a g e
The downhill standard position is a swing in the hips Or even face the target with whole body and twist
to the rear and a wide stance. upper body towards the target face. Although
For steep downhill shots let the archer take an open anatomical not reasonable it is only for a maximum
stance and move their hips away from the target; of four shots and archer has a good balance.
have the archer straighten their upper body before
the draw. The steeper downhill the shot the more Examples of common mistakes
the archer has to open their stance.  Hips not forward enough, giving wrong shoulder
and bow arm position, shorter draw length and
probably a bad release.
 Tilting the bow causing left or right hits.
 Bent knees give unstable shooting.
Posture for shooting uphill on sloping ground:

With very steep uphill shots, sometimes archers
shooting position will become more stable if they
kneel on their forward knee.
Posture for shooting downhill on sloping

ground
For a downhill shot we put the feet wide apart and
push the hips away from the target.
20 | P a g e
When shooting at a target across a slope the
probability of hitting on the downhill side of the
face is greater than hitting on the uphill side.
With a very steep downhill shot and an extremely

steep hillside sometimes the archers shooting
position will become more stable if they kneel on
their rear knee.
The reason for this sideways grouping is that archer
In extreme slippery conditions an archer can push
is leaning and that the bow is therefore tilted.
the bow stand into the ground to give support to
Archers tend to lean downhill when standing on
the front or back foot and to avoid slipping down
sloping ground.
the hill.
Shooting across a slope

This section is especially important for archers who
shoot in styles that do not allow for a spirit level
(bubble level) i.e. All Bowhunter styles, the When shooting across a slope an archer should start
Longbow style and the Historical bow style. drawing the bow with the tip towards the hill. This
will prevent the archer from leaning away from the
hill.
21 | P a g e
An archer should not adjust the sight when the  Prepare the shot by leaning the top of the bow
arrows hit the downhill side of the target. He should towards the hill. At full draw, check your vertical
just aim uphill on the next arrow or tilt the bow in alignment using the image of the vertical trunk
the uphill direction. of a tree, or through an imaginary vertical line
through the target.
 Line up your body in a vertical position, and

make sure you are not leaning downhill.
 If you are unable to stand in a vertical position

and your bow is tilting, you will have to aim a
little to the opposite side of the tilt.
 Archers shooting Freestyle Unlimited or

Freestyle Limited can of course check their level.
Always start by leaning the bow towards the hill.
This reduces the tendency of tilting the bow
away from the slope.
Target appearance on steep slopes

The IFAA allows maximum uphill or downhill shots
of 45 degrees with the horizontal.
Butts are normally slightly tilted to allow for the

flight of the arrows and degree on entry in the butt
as well to give the butt greater stability which
prevents it from falling over. However the tilt
should be no more than 15 degrees.
Vertical body position reduces the downhill hitting
effect. The archer can check this as follows: If the target is placed at 90 degrees in the vertical,
the target will appear to be “deformed” and instead
of appearing as a circle, it now appears to be oval in
shape.
A 65cm target will appear to the archer to be only
45cm high and the spot only 9cm high, thus
effectively giving the archer the illusion that the
target is 30% smaller than in reality.
If the butt leans slightly back in uphill shots, the
height of the targets will appear to be less than
45cm and may drop to 40cm and the spot as small
as 7cm.
So in addition to adjustment to any sight settings

for the steep downhill or uphill shot, you also will
have to deal with the illusion that the target is no
longer round but oval and thus much smaller.
An archer who uses non-adjustable pin sights or no
sights at all will be greater affected than archers
who use adjustable type sights
 Try to find a level piece of ground. In a

competition you are allowed to move a little
behind the line (around but never in front of the
peg), as long as they do not obstruct their
competitor.
22 | P a g e
Directions: Away from or towards the bow riser, up
and down and sideways.
Such type of sight is expensive and will set you back
several hundred Euros.
Once the sight has been set up properly the only

change that is required is the vertical settings for
the different distances.
SETTING BOW SIGHTS

The IFAA recognises three basic ways of aiming at a
target.
 Using an adjustable sight, either with or without
a magnifying scope, used in the Freestyle This sight has a 10cm ruler with millimetre markings
Unlimited and Freestyle Limited styles. on the side.
 Using a non-adjustable pin sights with 4 or 5 pin
settings that may not be adjusted during the To calibrate the various distances that will be shot
shoot of a round. They are used in the at any of the IFAA field or 3D courses, the archer
Bowhunter Unlimited and Bowhunter Limited needs to set the sight on a marked distance practice
styles. range that has distance markings from five yards to
 The unsighted styles with various sighting 80 yards in five or ten yards increments.
techniques split into four groups: The Barebow Every distance will correspond to a reading on the
style, the Bowhunter style, the Longbow and the ruler, a reading that the archer records in his note
Historical bow. book that he is allowed to have with him during a
The sighting techniques of the above four styles will tournament. This system requires some degree of
be addressed in another manual. interpolation if the actual shooting distance lies
between two of the set readings on the ruler.
The adjustable sight Some archers record the setting for each actual
distance that is shot during a tournament, which
does not require interpolation but still requires the
archer to have a large number of readings.
The non-adjustable sight
The Vernier type as shown above is the more

versatile model that can be adjusted in three
23 | P a g e
The term “non-adjustable” is not actually correct. In RANGE FINDING
fact the sight is also adjustable as can be seen in the
preceding picture. The IFAA Field tournaments are shot with known
However tournament and shooting style rules of shooting distances, so range finding is not a
the IFAA stipulate that the archer may not adjust requirement.
the sight during the round: i.e. he may not make The IFAA Bowhunter tournaments are all based on
any corrections to the sight in the event that the unknown distances even though each target size
sights settings have moved for any reason. corresponds to a maximum shooting distance. An
Unlike the Freestyle sights, the Bowhunter sight IFAA archer should know that a Group 1 target
may not incorporate a visible spirit level; neither (shown on the indicator board) has a maximum
may a scope sight be included. distance of 60 yards; a Group 2 target is maximal at
45 yards, etc. etc. So they are not really completely
To be able to use this type of sight accurately in a unknown.
tournament a single pin, like with the adjustable Correctly estimating the shooting distance to a
sight, would not suffice and the archer is allowed to target also called “Range finding”, makes the
have 4-5 pins. tournament champion.
Normally the pins have different colour markings to Dead ground, such as where archers are looking
easily distinguish them over a ridge at a target and can’t see the ground
Each of these pins corresponds to a certain distance area between them and the target, or shooting over
and may not be adjusted. water, are notoriously difficult situations to
Below a typical example of a pin sight setting: estimate distance. The same is true, to lesser
extent, when shooting across a valley where the
direct distance is very different to the actual ground
distance.
Generally speaking it is the longer distances the
archer needs to concentrate on for guessing. At the
shorter distances, the extent of compensation is by
far less, especially when using a fast bow.
Shooting a lot of Bowhunter (3D) tournaments on
unmarked distances will give the archers more and
more experience, which also allows them to achieve
higher scores.
Each pin is set for a different distance, normally The IFAA rules clearly state that the use of range
starting with the 20 yard pin on the top. finding devices is not allowed. However there is no
The position of the other four pins may depend on rule that prevents the archers from measuring the
the type of Round and some archers have a sight for distance to the target by applying their common
the Field Round and the Hunter Round. equipment.
When setting/calibrating pins the archer should Archers are allowed to use any information from
keep in mind that by far the most shooting the Rules, i.e. Group size and personal notes.
distances are less than 60 yards (Field: 20%, Hunter: So, they can have a list of all the distances each
7% and Animal or 3D: 100%) target must be set in for each bow style. The archer
It stands to reason that pin settings may differ from can come to full draw and then compare the size of
Round to Round and that pins should be more a special part of the bow with the known size of the
concentrated for the distances between 20 yards target face.
and 60 yards. Quite often the maximum pin is set at However because of the large number of 3D targets
about 65 yards. and paper animal faces now available, such notes
The archer will need to learn various aiming points would become very extensive and almost
on the target face and which pin to use, especially impossible to implement.
on the longer distances where for instance the 35 The archer however is not permitted to take notes
yard pin can be more effective when aimed on the while on the competition range; neither may the
3-4 score line above the spot to shoot 70 yards, distances be discussed among the archers, until
rather than using the 65 Yard pin and aim just the whole tournament is completed. The use of
above the spot. mobile phones or radio technique is prohibited for
the same reason. No archer is allowed to move
24 | P a g e
towards the target until all archers in the group distance. An error of X% in the 10 yards guess
have completed their shots implies an error of X% error in the estimated
distance.
Exercise techniques to range finding 7. Try to find a point half-way to a “target” and
Unless you regularly practise the various techniques estimate the distance to that point. Then double
of range finding, you will never become a good 3D this distance and find the estimated distance to
archer or “bowhunter” and you will lose or break that target. X% error in the half-way guess will
many arrows during a tournament. result in a 2X% error in the estimated distance.
Range finding without using a sight
1. Judging by feel
This means that an archer learns to judge the
distance by “feeling” the size of the target in
relation to the distance. In order to do this he
needs to practice a lot, e.g. take different 3D
targets or animal faces and place them in the
field at random and judge the distance and then
measure them.
2. Notice the different sizes of animal faces or 3D
targets on various distances (start with the
maximum distances), shoot at the targets while
getting accustomed with their sizes.
3. Locate the animal faces or 3D targets in the field,
judge the distance by ‘feeling’, shoot at them,
measure the distance using a measuring-line or
by counting steps. Always remember the Range finding requires various techniques,
maximum distance 3D target according to the depending on the preferred shooting style of the
rules. It is common to judge the distance too archer.
short!
4. A good distance training exercise is that the 8. An archer can get some information by looking
archer takes a distance finder and goes for a through the binoculars at arrow holes punched
walk in the countryside, woods or mountains. in the animal face or 3D target. If, for example,
Guess the distance to randomly chosen trees, most of the holes are below the kill zone, it
plants or objects. Then check the accuracy by indicates that many of the preceding archers did
measuring with the range finder. underestimate the distance. An archer might
5. Learn how distances of 10 yards look like in therefore deduce that the target is further away
various terrains. than it looks like.
Irrespective of the position of most of the
arrow holes, trust your own judgement!
All the above methods are not the Alpha and

Omega of getting a correct estimate. There are
simply little aids to assist an inexperienced archer.
There is only one way to get good at
estimating/guessing distances and that is
experience.
Range finding with the use of a sight

The technique of estimation a distance is based on
using two fixed points of a sight and measure
against certain parts of the 3D target or animal
faces.
The large number of 3D targets and faces that are
6. Find a point at 10 yards away from the archer; now available but availability is usually regional,
copy this 10 yard distance visually until close to with some of the larger suppliers selling worldwide.
the target. Add or subtract the remaining
25 | P a g e
So techniques are usually “regional” as it is almost minimum and a maximum dimension which may
impossible to obtain sight settings for each target or differ by 25-20% and there is no minimum target
animal face at various distances. distance defined either.
This would mean that each target should be known
The only part of the various types of targets that is to the archer as well as the dimemsion of the target
constant is the kill and vital areas, which are not within the scope area for several distances and not
easily visible without a scope sight. only two distances.
Archers who shoot the Bowhunter Unlimited or the This would mean extensive personal notes and
Bowhunter Limited styles, that have fixed pin sights probably only the most common 3D targets.
that may not be moved during the day’s shoot, will
find it quite difficult to use the positions of the pins
in the sight unless they have extensive notes that PRACTICAL TRAINING TIPS
apply to a large number of target faces of 3D
targets.  As the stance is the basic for body alignment and
consequently for a good shot, let the archer
An example of using the sight scope to determine a practice all possibilities that we meet when
distance: shooting in natural surroundings.
 Always start a training session with a warm up.
An archer must be made aware that the
warming up procedure on the field can be
interrupted. The regular warming up before
shooting on the practice range may have to be
repeated after the archers are taken into the
field to their target. It may take 30 minutes or
more before the competition actually starts so
that the archer should also do a small warming
up at the starting target. During the day it can
happen that, while rotating from one target to
another, the archer has to wait because there is
a “jam” which can last half an hour or longer. It
is recommended in this case to do a warming up
before starting to shoot again. (An elastic band
in the backpack is recommended).
 An archer should get in the habit of watching the
target every time he starts to shoot so that he
gets a good recognition of the target.
The two maximum settings of a Group 2 Animal

target are between 30 yards and 45 yards. The kill
zone for all group 2 faces is exactly the same. So by
comparing the area within the scope of these two
distances with the size of the kill area, you can quite
accurately estimate the target distance.
Archers are allowed to have these notes with them
during a tournament.
To attempt a similar method for the 3D targets

would be an extensive excersise as the height of the
kill/vital area is not fixed but falls between a
26 | P a g e
 To practice shooting on soft ground use an inner shoot standing and kneeling to get the feeling of
tube from a tyre, filled with air to approximately shooting uphill and downhill.
three quarters and a strong board placed over it
in the middle. Let the archer focus his attention
on the target which will distract his attention
from the stand.
Open and closed stances should be practiced.
 Place a chair with the back facing the target and
let the archer shoot with one foot on the seat.
Observe the body alignment; the standing leg,
on which the archer puts the bodyweight, should
be in a straight line with the body whilst the
other leg is ‘resting’ on the chair.
 For practicing non-level positions in the field,

place a small board under one foot. Placed
under both feet it can simulate shooting on an
 Do the same with the other leg position with the upward or downward slope.
chair facing away from the target. The foot /
toes should point in the same direction as the
knee to avoid twisting the knee and lower leg.
 Closed stance and open stance should be

practiced for field archery. The stance depends
on the position of the shooting peg in relation to
the target.
 Place a chair towards the target and place a

strong board on the seat of the chair–a different
length of the board will give a higher or lower
angle slope, place the chair at different angles
towards the target and you will achieve a
different view on the target face. Let the archer
27 | P a g e
 Practice the uphill and downhill circumstances kind of weather conditions and with a couple pairs
by stretching all the way up as far as possible of socks to be used only at training sessions and
and then come back to straight shooting position tournaments.
when you haven’t got a target placed at high Make sure that the walking boots have a good
position profile to deal with the natural surroundings that
(Arrows should not be in the bow for this may be very slippery due to rainy weather and soft
exercise). underground. Solid walking boots are necessary for
 To simulate shooting uphill you could make use a good stance in the field, to protect the ankles (to
of a target at high level with a pulley avoid a sprained ankle) and for a safe walk from one
construction, downhill can be practiced from a target to another in natural surroundings in all
table platform as used by building contractors. weather conditions.
For rainy weather or for high grass, boot protection
is advisable and some form of canvas gators may be
appropriate.
 Practice shooting in different light conditions by

turning of the light on the targets and have light
only on the shooting position or turn of the light
on the shooting line and have only light on the Clothing in cold weather
target. Or if possible, have only light halfway to Clothing varies for all weather conditions.
the target. In cold weather the clothing should be “breathing”
 Use original animal faces or 3D targets. at all times and must not be too loose around the
 Use the binoculars after each shot to get used to body to avoid string contact.
the rhythm in the field to analyse each shot. A woollen jumper or sweater is very good for field
 Keep in mind that there is only a maximum of archery in cold weather as wool has the ability to
three shots in the Unmarked Animal Round, one, hold the warmth of the body. During rain it
shot in the 3D Hunter Round and two shots in becomes wet but will still hold the body
the 3D Standard Round per target and that the temperature.
next target will be different all together.
PERSONAL CARE
The field archer needs to plan for the whole course,
decide what kind of food and drinks they need for a
whole day of competition, which spare equipment
to take along on the field. They have to carry
whatever they need through the field them self.
As weather conditions can change, they have to
learn to experiment with clothing and equipment in
order to be prepared for ‘everything’. Clothing
Footwear
The archer has to make a choice of footwear,
waterproof walking boots. Try out the boots in all
28 | P a g e
Gloves are recommended for the periods between
shooting. Also a pouch (self-made) attached to the
archer’s belt to warm the hands is recommended;
there are different kinds of warming devices which
can be placed into the pouch.
Suitable is a large plastic (garbage) bag where at the

bottom and side holes are cut out to fit the arms
and head to be worn over the shooting clothing and
under a woollen jumper/sweater.
Also suitable is the tight body fitting clothing which
Trousers with pockets on the side of the legs where is used in the bicycle fraternity.
the archer can reach them easily are very handy. Try out the wet weather clothing during training
sessions so you know what suites you best and so
Clothing in hot weather that you have no unexpected encounters during a
It is recommended that people on a Field course tournament.
wear long trousers at all times to protect the legs
from insects and annoying plants like nettle and
ivy, which could distract the archer while shooting.
The shirt should have long sleeves, also to protect
the archer from insects and annoying plants. The
field archer has one big enemy in the field and
these are the ticks and leeches. Although ticks and
leeches are not everywhere in the world, certain
countries have them.
From 10º Celsius the ticks settle in bushes and
branches. Leeches are more frequent in warmer
countries, especially in wet and humid conditions.
Ticks and leeches are parasites that suck blood of
humans and animals and may by doing so transfer
You should consider taking an umbrella. An
contagious infections and illness. So it is important
umbrella is useful for different reasons: keeping you
that archers cover their body with sufficient
dry if it rains, protection against the sun, as a
clothing and that they check their entire body after
temporary bow stand and a really handy walking
a tournament for these parasites.
stick for getting up slippery and tricky slopes.
Clothing in rainy weather
Good waterproof wet weather clothing is of Accessories
importance as the field archer will be in the field
Binoculars
the whole day and cannot sit in a tent or go to the
The IFAA allows the use of binoculars in all types of
car to fetch clothing for differing weather
Field events. However in the unmarked distance
conditions. The field archer will have to decide if
shoots binoculars may not have a rangefinder or
they take wet weather clothing along with them at
similar incorporated and the focus dial must be free
the start of the tournament. It is advisable to have
from any markings.
some kind of lightweight wet weather clothes
available.
29 | P a g e
Some archers may carry with them a small first aid
kit and spray against insects and sun protection.
Some archers prefer a belt to carry their needs,
besides the quiver, during the field tournament but
many archers prefer a backpack with a seat so that
they can sit down during the waiting time at
targets.
A good backpack must be waterproof and strong
enough to sit on, have different compartments,
good shoulder pads / carrying strap.
Such backpack should include a small towel to dry
parts of the equipment as well as cleaning aids for
Binoculars should be easily reachable to use. Get the various sight parts and glasses.
used to using the binoculars after each shot or even Try and get used to carrying the backpack on two
before shooting to gather information from the shoulders. Carrying the backpack on one shoulder
target face. could overburden this shoulder.
As arrows are shot from different angles at target
faces and 3D targets the impact of the arrows are Spare parts
such that the archer may see the arrow nock in the The IFAA allows an archer to leave the course under
“4” while the arrow point lies in the “5”. guidance of a Range Officer in the event of a
“Spotting”, meaning that another archer in the genuine equipment breakage (e.g. broken limb or
target group checks the position of the arrow and riser, snapped bow string, trigger release, etc.).
let you know, is allowed in IFAA archery, however Damage to equipment caused by wear and tear is
always keep in mind that you always will be seen to be part of bad equipment maintenance and
responsible for the arrow score and have no cause the archer will need to make repairs on the range.
to ask for another arrow when the “spotter” reads
the position of the arrow wrong. Always check the Decide which spare equipment to take along on the
arrow position with your binoculars before you field course. This is an individual mater for the
move away from the shooting marker. archer and the shooting style. A compound archer
will most probably take more spare parts into the
Backpack and belt field than a longbow or bare bow archer.
An archer should familiarise himself with the sort of A knife should be part of the archer’s equipment.
backpack or belt that would be best for him. A good
backpack is a must for field archery as the archer Nutrition
may stay out on the field course the whole day Decide what kind of food and drinks to take along
without the opportunity to leave the field and fetch for a whole day of competition.
something. Nutrition is one of the most important aspects for
The archer needs for example up to 2 litres# of athletes because of the increased need for energy.
drinks, food, spare parts and possibly wet weather The energy expenditure of an adult amounts to
clothing. approximately 2000 to 2800 calories per day.
Note #: IFAA tournaments require at least two rest Physical activity by means of competition will
areas where drinks and food will be available. increase the daily expenditure by 1000 to 2000
During very dry and hot conditions free water must calories, depending on physical fitness, duration,
be made available to the competitors on every and type of intensity of the activity. For this reason
seven targets. an archer must adapt the energy intake by
increasing food consumption, according to the level
of daily energy expenditure.
This increased food intake should be well balanced.
Large perspiration losses may pose a risk to health
by inducing severe dehydration, impaired blood
circulation and heat dissipation, leading to heat
exhaustion and collapse.
Food and meals to be ingested shortly before and
during training, or during a small break between
training or competition periods, should be adapted
to specific ingestion and assimilation conditions,
30 | P a g e
which depend on the nature and circumstances of  No tracks or roads may be situated directly
our sport. behind a target.
The archer should find the right balance for food  Inspect the field for hazardous objects especially
intake and drinking. It has to be tried out during after stormy weather conditions.
training and competition.  Inspect the targets in the mornings, before the
As field archers may have to carry their food and shoot starts: the target butts or 3D should be
drinks for the whole day (i.e. not use the catering firmly anchored so that they will not tip over.
facilities on the courses), the archer should carefully  Beware of the safety zones especially with uphill
consider what to take. Advisable are the rich in targets before the start of the shoot and make
carbohydrate biscuits, chocolates and other high sure all is free of obstacles, and livestock.
energy foods as well as isotonic drinks that  Have danger tape to mark safe walking paths to
replenish salts that are lost through perspiration. each target.
Again it is up to the archer to see what food and  Have reserve target faces laid down behind the
drinks suits best and the only way to experience targets.
that is during an intensive training program and
competition. Always insure that there is sufficient Directional signs / Danger tape
water available. Care must be taken in the placement of the safe
path directional arrows. Although not mandatory in
Below are some basics concerning food and drinks: law, they are there for the guidance and safety of
the archers when they are travelling between
 Have breakfast at least two hours the targets.
competition. They must not direct the archers, or spectators into
 Drink only small amounts before the areas where there is a risk of flying arrows, or an
competition. area that may be considered a hazard due to the
 Drink and eat small portions all day. If you thirsty terrain.
or hungry during the competition it is too late, If needed, extra directional arrows should be used,
you are already dehydrated and it could and an alternative route sought to guide those
influence your concentration. persons away from any hazard, but keeping them
 Archers need up to 4 litres of liquid a day within the course boundaries.
especially during competition. Where an alternative cannot be found, the targets
 After a day competition eat a carbohydrate rich in the area concerned must be relocated
meal within two hours. accordingly.
Shortly after the activity the body takes up the Any dangerous areas shall be taped off with the use
carbohydrates more easily than at a later time. A of danger tape.
spaghetti or macaroni meal is excellent. Unused tracks need be closed to archers and
 Be careful with caffeine products such as coffee spectators to prevent people wandering around the
as they have the tendency to waste body fluid course.
(not to mention the heartbeat effects). Entrance to and exit from the course must be
 Do not drink liquid that is too cold. clearly indicated, as well as any emergency exits.
Under no condition are archers or spectators
allowed to walk back against the layout “flow” of
SAFETY the course!
Emergency action plan

Safety in field archery The tournament organisers should be in the
Although serious injuries or accidents rarely occur
possession of an action plan for emergencies for
in Field archery a system must be in place to deal
every field course so that everyone is clear of their
with them if they occur.
responsibilities.
During competition the archers must adhere to the
It should contain at least the following aspects:
safety guidelines but it is the organizers that are
 The Range Marshal should be in contact with the
responsible for the overall safety procedures.
Tournament Captain at all times by mobile
Facilities phone or portable radio. Range officers should
 Secure the course with signs and tape to keep be in direct contact with each other and the
out wanderers, mountain bikers or even horse- Range Marshal.
back riders.
31 | P a g e
 An emergency vehicle i.e. ambulance and first  When looking for lost arrows make sure a bow is
aid personnel must be stationed at a central part placed in front of the target, or place a person
of the course(s) and be contactable at all times. near the target, so that it is visible for oncoming
 A map that shows points of entrance to the archers to see that the target is not available.
various courses will be available at the
emergency vehicle as well as at all rest areas.
 Rest areas should be accessible by motorised
transport.
 Everyone on the course must be aware of the
basic IFAA rule to stop shooting when the
arranged emergency signal is given (e.g. three
loud blasts or shots).
First aid
It is the duty of every tournament organizer to have
a first aid station, supervised by a competent
person, established to cater for all situations likely
to occur.
At World or Regional Championship tournaments
the tournament organisers will require a mobile
emergency vehicle or ambulance for the duration of
the tournament.
In addition a means of communication must be
present, to enable help to be summoned from Keep in mind that “looking for arrows” may not
emergency services such as fire, police and delay the following groups. An archer is
ambulance. This can be in the form of a mobile expected to bring enough arrows to complete
telephone or two way radio base station, regardless the day’s shoot.
of which, it must be tested by a competent person
to ensure that a connection can be made to the Duty of care of participants
relevant Services before the event commences.  It is the responsibility of each archer
participating in any field archery event to ensure
Individual safety that the equipment they use is in a safe
 Behave in a responsible manner and behave in condition and within the guidelines laid down by
the manner described in the IFAA Code of the equipment manufacturer and rules of the
conduct. tournament, and is capable of withstanding the
 Do not move into dangerous terrain. requirements of a field archery course.
 Watch where they walk going to a target to  It is their further responsibility to decline any
score, and when walking on to the next target. shot that they consider too dangerous. The
 When going downhill try and keep equipment in target captain shall report to the Range Officer
one hand, away from the hillside, thus keeping any matter that is deemed to be hazardous to
the other hand free for safety reasons. the health and safety of any participant or
 Be alert for the unexpected in the field such as spectator.
wanderers, bikers, dogs, horse riders, etc.  Participants can also be in breach of the duty of
 Do not run! care regulations by not adhering to laid down
rules and regulations, which result in negligence,
Safety within the target group
caused by their own acts or omissions.
 Safety in the group is the responsibility of all the
members in the group. When two archers are Personal protective clothing
shooting the rest of the group will be on the Field Archery can be a hazardous sport both from
lookout for any dangerous situations. the equipment in use and the condition of the
 Under no circumstances should anyone shoot if course. It is the responsibility of each archer to take
someone is in the field near the targets, this also whatever steps deemed necessary to ensure their
includes all animal life. personal safety and protection against equipment
 Care should be taken when drawing arrows out failure in addition to the elements of weather and
of the target, especially when there is an uneven terrain.
area in front of the targets.
32 | P a g e
For cubs, the onus is on the tournament organizers
or appointed guardians to ensure those in their care
are suitably protected
Lost arrows
Every effort should be made to recover lost arrows
on the course.
If they cannot be found during the course of the
day’s shoot (you are not allowed to unduly delay
the following group), the archer is expected to
come back later and try to retrieve the lost arrows.
Archers who find lost arrows that do not belong to
him are expected to bring these arrows at the end
of the day’s shoot and deposit them in the
collection bin at the registration offices.
Normally a concentrated search should be carried
out to recover any arrows, so as to reduce the
possibility of injury at a later date to either
pedestrians or livestock.
33 | P a g e

IFAA Field Manual

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IFAA Field and 3D Archery

This manual is an integral part of the IFAA Level 2 Instructors’ Manual.

INTRODUCTION numbers of different historical bows.

The shooting course:

2. The recurve bow

SETTING OUT A COURSE

Cub distance is situated in the river. The target must

Therefore it is strongly recommended that when a

Figure 1: A typical 14 butt course layout for a field

Above another typical circular course lay-out. The

Neither of the two course layouts is ideal, as both

The above layout could be a typical “once off”

Some “herringbone” courses are set out along a

The drawing also clearly shows two courses. A

Age group Field Hunter Animal 3D

The practice course

Current IFAA tournaments, especially the 3D Field Round Hunter Round

So the organisers must accommodate this problem,

Combined marked rounds on a single course

The distances for each group of target will be as

Target Number of Maximum distance of first marker

The distance from the first marker and the second

Once all archers are on the correct target, the

An archer can shoot a maximum of 20 points on Marked Animal Round

Scoring the arrows:

Scoring of the arrows will be as follows:

Arrow High scoring Low scoring

To assure that the correct arrows will be scored, all

When faces are used, the scoring is exactly the

3D targets have a variation of different high scoring

The 3D Standard Round and 3D Hunter Round

Both rounds only use 3D targets and the scoring

The high scoring area is divided in a high scoring

Scoring the 3D Standard Round:

Only one arrow is shot at the targets and scores as

SPECIAL FIELD CONDITIONS

Distance to shoot + Correction = Distance to aim at

Posture for shooting uphill with level feet

The steeper the slope, the more the archer

Sighting for shooting downhill

For slight uphill shots move the hips towards the

 At a very steep slope, deduct up to 10 meters

We can calculate the “jump” as follows. Write down

Posture for shooting uphill on sloping ground:

Posture for shooting downhill on sloping

With a very steep downhill shot and an extremely

Shooting across a slope

 Line up your body in a vertical position, and

 If you are unable to stand in a vertical position

 Archers shooting Freestyle Unlimited or

Target appearance on steep slopes

Butts are normally slightly tilted to allow for the

So in addition to adjustment to any sight settings

 Try to find a level piece of ground. In a

Once the sight has been set up properly the only

SETTING BOW SIGHTS

The non-adjustable sight

The Vernier type as shown above is the more

All the above methods are not the Alpha and