Kind regards: Archery judge.

Sight marks

Some athletes keep their sight tape pristine. Others carry a crumpled post-it in their quiver. Maybe both. But how much is too much in a field competition?

The rules are clear. “Athletes may carry their sight marks on the course, meaning a single point of reference for each specific distance.” (Book 4 'Field and 3D archery', Chapter 22 'Athlete Equipment')
You're allowed to have your sight marks with you. You can have a printed list, a handwritten notebook, or even the markings directly on your sight. What matters is that each distance has only one mark. No coded systems or extra indicators are allowed to help you guess unknown distances or adapt to slopes.

And yes, if you use a sight tape you can also have a printed/written list with you, as long as both lists reflect the same information. Judges! It's important to check this! During equipment inspection we need to check all sight marks that the athlete carries, and make sure they match.

Where it gets tricky is when archers try to build in shortcuts. A coloured dot next to a sight mark to remind them of a certain target. A second set of marks for steep slopes. A coded note in their notebook with "range guesses" per peg. Those things go beyond “a single point of reference”, and are not allowed.

Field archery is meant to test your ability to adapt, read the terrain, and trust your preparation. It's unpredictable on purpose. The rules are there to make sure everyone walks into the course with the same kind of tools, and the same limits. Knowing how to change your sight at a steep target is part of the game.

So yes, bring your sight marks. Know your numbers. Trust your prep. Leave the clever tricks in your mind, or at home. Don't outsmart the rules, outshoot your opponent.

Kind regards, Archery Judge.

High draw

Many archers want to shoot for the stars and aim for the moon. That’s totally fine—as long as you don’t actually do it. Because that, dear archers, is considered a high draw, and it’s not permitted in our beloved sport.

It’s all about safety. We can’t have arrows ending up in places they’re not supposed to be, potentially causing damage or injury. A large part of an archery judge’s responsibilities involves safety, so we have to be especially cautious about high draws.

So, what’s a high draw? How high is too high? Of course, an arrow is always shot at some angle—it needs to travel a distance to reach the target. And that’s the key: the arrow needs to reach the target. The Judges Guidebook describes a high draw as follows:

"... a technique to draw back the string which could allow the arrow, if accidentally released, to fly beyond a safety zone or safety arrangements ..."

This is based on observations—it’s not a clear-cut, black-and-white issue. For example, a high draw isn’t automatically the case if the athlete’s bow hand is above their shoulder. Several factors need to be considered: the type of bow, the draw weight, the venue, the safety zones, and so on.

When a judge spots a potential high draw, they will usually consult another judge to be certain. After involving the COJ, the coach of the athlete may be advised that the technique needs to be adjusted. If the athlete continues using that technique after being informed, they will be asked to stop shooting in the interest of safety.

Official Practice is a great time for judges to observe athletes and get familiar with their techniques. It’s also the best moment to address a high draw, as we prefer not to distract athletes once scoring begins.

Don’t worry—you won’t have a judge breathing down your neck the moment you raise your bow a little too high. We understand your muscles and joints need to align a certain way for you to shoot at your best. Just keep in mind what you’re aiming for. And if you're ever notified that your technique isn’t safe, remember: we’re doing it to keep everyone safe.

Kind regards: Archery judge.

Equipment failure

You're in the middle of qualifications, ready to shoot your next arrow, but then you see your limb has cracked and you can't continue...
Is everything lost? Not necessarily.

The rulebook allows for makeup arrows in case of equipment failure in the qualification round (except for WR or multisport events). You can get 15 minutes (following regular order of shooting and timing), or two ends of six arrows outdoors and three ends of three arrows indoors, whichever happens first.

But... what's eligible for an equipment failure claim? There's no exact list of what is or isn't. A good rule of thumb is that only equipment that needs to be replaced or repaired may get you extra time. A dirty scope will not give you extra time, as it’s expected you can clean this within your regular shooting time. A broken scope, however, may be eligible because it prevents you from shooting unless it’s repaired or replaced.

A broken nock clearly needs to be replaced, but you won’t get extra time for this as you’re expected to have replacement arrows or nocks on hand. The Judges Guidebook mentions "It is not designed to allow an athlete to re-serve a string, re-fletch an arrow and so on, for which replacements should be on hand." As usual, we apply common sense.

One more important thing to note: the rules say you 'may' get extra time, not that you 'will'. It’s still up to the judge to decide whether you do or don’t. For example, if an athlete purposely damaged their equipment, the judge may decide not to allow it.

So, do you need to replace or repair your equipment? Notify a judge and you may get extra time.
Do you need to clean or fasten something, or is it assumed you have a spare? Solve it within the given shooting time.

Kind regards: Archery judge.

Uniforms.

During equipment inspection judges do not only check shooting equipment, they also check uniforms. You might think "I'm not going to shoot any extra points by wearing a different colour long-sleeve" and you're probably correct; not all rules are related to performance. The dress regulations are all about professionalism and identification. It's important that everyone is neatly dressed in sports clothing representing their country so the competition looks professional and we know exactly who is who.

In Chapter 20 "Dress Regulations", you'll find what's allowed and what is not. Here are some things I'd like to highlight:

"Due to weather conditions, protective clothing such as sweaters, track suits, raingear, etc. may be worn following approval by the Technical Delegate of the event,or, in the Technical Delegate's absence, the Chairperson of the Tournament Judge Commission"
This rule explains that you can wear protective clothing in weather conditions (such as rain), that are not necessarily part of the team kit. Please note this clearly states the pieces of clothing need to be approved by the TD, so you cannot just wear whatever you like. Make sure whatever you use (whether it's shooting equipment or clothing) is approved to avoid problems.

"Team officials may wear a different style but should wear the same colours and should be easily identified as the official of their team;"
Remember that the coach is a part of the team and should be easily identified as such. They do not need to have their name on their shirt like the athletes do, but should wear the same colours as the athletes in order to be identified as their coach and part of the team.

"All members of one team by category shall be dressed in the same team uniform. The teams of one country may wear different design and colour uniforms."
This rule allows for different teams of one country to wear different uniforms, for example Recurve Men wearing a blue shirt and Recurve Women wearing a white shirt. However, when two athletes compete in the Mixed Team event, the uniform shall be the same (for example, they will both wear the blue shirt). The following elaborates on this:
"During the Team and Mixed Team match play competition the same colour and style shirt/blouse/top and the same colour pants/shorts/skirts shall be worn;"
This allows for one athlete to wear trousers and the other to wear shorts or a skirt, as long as they are the same colour. Trousers and skirts are not the same thing, but the main intent is the identification of a team.

"Athletes and team officials shall conform to the dress regulations during the Official Practice."
Sometimes we hear from athletes or officials they didn't know the rules also apply to Official Practice. "It's just practice.". This is exactly where my point at the beginning of this post comes into play; not all rules are related to performance. Official Practice is part of the event, just as much as the finals are. Dress regulations apply.

Together we make sure our beloved sport of archery looks as professional as it is.
If you have any questions, let me know!

Kind regards: Archery judge.

-

(This post refers to Target Archery. There are slightly different rules for Field and 3D, and additional rules for the Olympics)
📷: World Archery

The Superbowl of archery, The Vegas Shoot, is the biggest indoor archery event of the year. It is shot with (some slightly altered) NFAA rules instead of World Archery rules. Here are some differences in rules and procedures:

Big 10.
Compound athletes score the 'big 10' and count Xs, hence why you'll find scores mentioned as '900 85X'. For non-compound divisions there's no difference in scoring compared to World Archery rules.

Reshooting arrows.
In case of a bouncer or passthrough, arrows will be reshot at the Vegas Shoot. Arrows aren't marked on the target face either. The make up arrows will be shot at the conclusion of the session.

STOP/GO paddles
The line judges use STOP/GO paddles to indicate to the DOS that a line is clear (GO), or when there is an issue that needs to be resolved before timing can start (STOP). Please remember that a GO signal does not mean the archers can go to the shooting line, it is only a signal for the DOS that everything is ready to go. Athletes can go to the shooting line when the first two sound signals are given.

Too many arrows shot.
When an athlete shoots too many arrows, not only do they score the lowest three values, they also lose 1 point per extra arrow shot. For example 10-9-8-7 will become 9-8-7, -1 point, 23 points.

Chain of command.
The Director Of Shooting (DOS) at The Vegas Shoot is higher in the chain of command than the other judges. Next to regulating the timing of practice, scoring and completion of competition, the DOS interprets and decides questions of rules.

Apart from the differences, our role as judge is the same. We make sure everything is safe, fair and sportsmanlike, for the athletes. The DOS at the finals said "We help make their dreams come true. The athletes come all the way to Las Vegas to pursue their dreams and we as judges help facilitate that."

Kind regards: Archery judge.

Finals.

In finals you see athletes, coaches and... judges! Usually you'll find a line judge, target judge and scorer.

Each different role comes with a different set of tasks and people to work with. The line judge mostly communicates with the athletes, coaches and DOS. The target judge and scorer mostly communicate with each other, the agents and the scoring team. Each role takes practice to master and is equally important.

And guess what: we practice too! Usually on the day before the event moves to the finals field, we will check the field and practice our procedures from start to finish. The procedures are standardized but the venues aren't, for example the placement of the blinds and cameras. By doing a test run we will know exactly who will move where and when, with the end result being smoothly run finals that are fair, safe and enjoyable to watch.

Kind regards: Archery judge.

Being deputy.

Recently I've had the honor to be deputy for the European Championships.

Within the commission of judges we work as a team. But there are some people that make decisions in case of trouble of unclear situations. We have the COJ (Chair of Judges) who has the overall authority. The COJ also appoints a deputy to be his/her right hand throughout the event. I had the honor to be deputy during Europeans in Essen.

The COJ and deputy work together closely to guide the commission of judges. Usually on the evening before the next day of competition we make the appointments for the next day, for example. Also when the COJ is away, people resort to the deputy.

It's an amazing experience and I hope to have many more. Hopefully one day: becoming COJ.

Kind regards: Archery judge.

Let's break the barrier. Shall we?

Some people think judges are like police. Standing around, judging you on your actions and enforcing rules. Trying to be important and feeling like they're above everything else.

If that's what you think, you haven't met true judges. A true judge is there for you and helps you with your tournament. They are like a host and guide you throughout the event. We are there to answer questions, whether it be about tournament procedures and rules or simply where you should be in the next phase of eliminations.

Yes, we might call an arrow in your disfavour. Yes, we might raise a yellow card against your team. Yes, we might give you a warning in case of unsafe or unsportsmanlike behavior. That's not because we want to enforce authority or because we don't like you. Like said in so many other posts: we act in such ways to make it fair for everybody.

We enjoy being on the field together with you and to make sure you have a good time. Don't forget: many judges are archers too, so we understand what's going on.

Kind regards: Archery judge.

Red and yellow cards.

In archery we use red and yellow cards. Yellow cards are used in team matches, red cards are used in any part of the competition (except for practice).

Yellow cards are used to prevent any unfair advantage in a team match. For crossing the 1-meter line before the 10 seconds countdown has finished, for having two athletes in the 1-meter area at the same time (touching the ground with one foot simultaneously), for having the point of your arrow out of the quiver before straddling the shooting line and for having your release aid hooked on the string while crossing the 1-meter line.

Red cards are used to indicate that an arrow has been shot out of time, or when a yellow card is ignored and the arrow is shot nevertheless.

A yellow card means you go behind the line again, reset, and go again. This is a time penalty.
A red card means you loose the highest scoring arrow of that end, which will be scored a miss. This is a score penalty.

When a judge pulls a yellow card, they will put it up in the air in a way that's visible for the coach and athletes, and call the name of the team loud and clear. This way, there is no doubt who the card is meant for.

Let me be clear: pulling a card is not a punishment. It's an action to make it fair for the whole field. We keep the competition fair and equal.

Kind regards: Archery judge.

Filling a scorecard.

You need to write down your scoring values. And also, if it happens, missed arrows. That's clear, right?
But what if you (or someone else) writes down a incorrect value? Then you cross it out and write down the correct value. All athletes on that target have to sign to confirm this value change is valid.

The rules about scorecards are highlighted under rule 14.4.1. There is too much to explain in a post like this, so I recommend you to read the rule on the World Archery website. Here are some contents of the rule:

"If there is a discrepancy in the arrow values between an electronic and a paper score card, the paper card will take precedence."

"Where one paper scorecard and one electronic scorecard are used, the total of the electronic scorecard will be used for total score"

"In case no total score is entered on the manual scorecard when it is submitted to the results team, then the athlete shall be disqualified"

And a very important (and humane) one: "If the organisers or the officials note an error or a missing signature at the time of submission, they will ask the athletes concerned to correct such error and the result as corrected will stand."

So remember: The arrow values of the paper scorecard take precedence, but the total score of the electronic scoring system takes precedence to avoid human error in calculation. When two paper scorecards are used, the lower one of the two shall be the official entry. Sign in case of error and at the completion of the round.

Organisers and officials are there to make sure you have a great event. But there are rules to make it fair for everyone.

Kind regards: Archery judge.

Preparation.

As a judge we have to make sure everything goes according to the rules to make it fair for everybody, and in a safe manner obviously. We have to prepare well. So it is vital that we are aware of the rules and recent rule changes.

Usually a judge reads through the rules and interpretations before heading to an event so their knowledge is up to date. Also, World Archery makes sure we all take a re-accredition test every accreditation period (4 years), and we attend a WA Judge seminar. This way we get to keep up with the rules and procedures, do some tests and have some practical exercises.
It's a great system, because in this way we (and you) are sure that we are applying the recent rules on every competition. And we don't stick with 20(?) year-old rules. Time moves on, and and so does the sport and the rules.

We learn a lot from the tests, the seminars and reading the rules, but in my opinion we learn the most from actual event experience. It's like getting your driver's license: you learn the most on the road. And with this knowledge and experience, you're able to prepare yourself better for the next event. That's how we grow as judges.

Kind regards: Archery Judge.