# Field archery rules?



## Hikari (May 15, 2021)

In USA/World Archery rules, a rangefinder is illegal. Judging distance is a skill in field archery. You stand next to the stake at a comfortable distance with any archery you are sharing the stake with. I am not sure about NFAA rules, but I think they a similar.


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## Bikeman CU (Nov 27, 2005)

In NFAA a range finder is legal. On most ranges you will have two stakes- left/right, you stand between them straddling an imaginary line. On a fan target you have four shooting stakes and you shoot one arrow from each stake.
Go to the NFAA website, under "Documents" section are the rules for Field archery and the different rounds.


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## Arcus (Jul 7, 2005)

Hikari said:


> Judging distance is a skill in field archery.


That is, for the unmarked distances portion. Even for the marked distances portion, electronic devices are prohibited. Therefore, for the targets on steep slopes, you cannot rely on an angle-compensating rangefinder.


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## c_m_shooter (Aug 15, 2018)

Nfaa is all known range. You can check with your own, but ranges are on the sign for every target at all the clubs I have shot at. There will be targets from 10 to 80 yards on the field round. The hunter round will be similar, but odd ranges and smaller 5 ring on the targets. Just go to a shoot and join a group. It makes more sense when you are out there than when trying to read the nfaa rules the first time.


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## Arcus (Jul 7, 2005)

c_m_shooter said:


> It makes more sense when you are out there than when trying to read the nfaa rules the first time.


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## Rack101P (Sep 14, 2016)

Thanks for the help. Will look up the Nfaa rules.


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## huteson2us2 (Jun 22, 2005)

Good luck with the rules. I have been shooting field rounds since the 50s and I still have to ask for the rules at every target as they change every time two or more NFAA officials get together or someone with power loses. It also varies with every group you shoot in. 

Ask 4 people about the shot arrow rule in NFAA Field. One will say that if the string propels the arrow in any way, it is a shot arrow. The sencond person will say, if the arrow does not go 10 feet, it is not a shot arrow and be shot again. The 3rd person will say that if you shoot it into the ground, it is not a shot arrow. And a new one I witnessed at my last National NFAA Field tournament, if you can lay down on the ground with a foot touching the stake and touch the arrow with any part of your bow while strtched out, it is not a shot arrow.

The FITA field round came out much later and made every single rule opposite of the NFAA rules. It had to be on purpose. Every rule from how to rotate the shooting order to which target is shot by the first archers up. 

At 75, I just ask: okay what do you guys feel is the rule for this target? If it is a fan target with two targets on top and two on bottom. Do we have the first two archers up, moving from one stake to another shooting two arrows into the left target and two arrows into the right target on the two bottom targets? Or do we have all four archers up at the same time shooting two arrows into the respective bottom or top targets? Or as I have seen, all archers up shooting all their arrows into one target each? In fact, I have seen when the officials at a National Field Championship blew a ruling due to having never reading the rules.


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## Rack101P (Sep 14, 2016)

Don’t see anything about how close to stake? Do you have to touch or be completely behind?


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## Hikari (May 15, 2021)

For World Archery/USA Archery Field



> *23.1.3.*
> In Field and 3D every shooting position shall have a shooting peg or mark to accommodate at least two athletes. If two athletes are shooting simultaneously, athletes will shoot two at a time unless it is not possible. Athlete A and C will shoot from the left, athlete B and D from the right unless the athletes agree to change.
> *23.1.4.*
> In field and 3D Individual Elimination the athletes will stand on the peg according to the position (left/right) they are printed on the scorecard.


It looks like the archers stand at the peg with the front foot at or behind the peg:


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## wa-prez (Sep 9, 2006)

Rack101P said:


> Don’t see anything about how close to stake? Do you have to touch or be completely behind?


Here's the rule from the NFAA Constitution and By-Laws:

I. Outdoor Shooting Rules:
1. Archers shoot in groups of not less than 3 or more than 6; 4 to be the preferred number. No group of less than 3 shall turn in an official score.
2. By mutual agreement the foursome shall decide which two shall shoot from which side of the shooting stake.
2.1 On targets 1 and 15 the archers shall change their order of shooting. Those who shot first shall shoot last and those who shot last shall shoot first. Those archers who had been shooting from the right side shall shoot from the left side and those who had been shooting from the left side shall shoot from the right side. If you shot bottom targets you will switch to the top and if you shot top you will switch to the bottom.
2.2 The archer must straddle an imaginary shooting line, which is marked by the distance stake and parallel to the target face, while shooting the required arrows. No archer may advance to the target until all arrows have been shot by the group, except for yardages that are 32 yards or less and when there are more than four archers in a group on 35 cm. targets or smaller. Archers may elect to shoot at a clean target after all previous shooters in the group have shot and had their arrows scored.

In the Field round, there will usually only be one stake at each distance (except for the 35-yard fan, where there are four stakes and you must shoot one arrow for each stake). For the Hunter round, there are several fan shots (28 yards, 32 yards, 36 yards).

SOME ranges are setup with two stakes with expectation two archers will shoot at the same time, one at each stake. No specified distance from the stake except for "straddle an imaginary shooting line".


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## Rack101P (Sep 14, 2016)

Thanks. Exactly what I was looking for!!!


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