# CAMO clarification from WA



## archeryking (Aug 3, 2002)

It seems that the last World Archery Newsletter had a clarification on the rules about Camo, which would include Bows, chest protectors, and Quivers

http://www.worldarchery.org/portals/1/Documents/Newsletters/FITA%20INFO/English/2014/10_Oct2014-e.pdf

Here is the specific section I am talking about.

Rules
Camo use
World Archery has been asked if anything used by the athletes can have a camo colour since the rule refers to clothing.
The answer is that World Archery has had a long standing policy that anything used by an athlete cannot be in a camo colour at World Archery competitions including all clothing, caps, equipment and anything carried or worn on the Field of Play.​
In the past I believe this has only applied to the olympics, world championships, and World Cup. The new clarification would seem to apply to all registered events. Hopefully this is just someone getting too broad, but it would probably be a good idea to get some state organizations to express issue to USAA so the can bring it up to WA. I am sure other countries organizations would be impacted too.


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## b0w_bender (Apr 30, 2006)

To play devils advocate for a bit here, how does one actually determine a camo color?
Would tan brown or green constitute a camo color? 
Would zebra stripe or leopard pattern be a camo color?

Random shaped blobs of color on a piece of fabric is grounds to eliminate an athlete? I know it is the goal to divorce international competitions from hunting but my personal opinion is that it is silly. In the US a large portion of the archers are hunters and as such I don't think you're going to be able to divorce the two. I would prefer to see the rules deal exclusively with those things that level the playing field to ensure all archers have equal opportunities. Not sure why making political statements is necessary in the rule book. I've never had a student tell me they were quitting because they found out I was a hunter. I actually kind of liked the all white rule but now that that has been tossed out then lets stop fussing over what color socks someone is wearing and concentrate on the competition.

The poster boy of the US Olympics for the past 8 or 10 years Brady Ellison is a vocal hunter. I just wonder how many athletes we miss out on because they feel unwelcome at USArchery events. 

It's rules like this that keep the majority of clubs at least in my area from even considering a JOAD program. 
The majority of club activities are hunting related from their shoots to their gatherings so when some one walks in and says I want to do a USArchery event but ya'll can't wear any camo they are laughed out the door and asked not to come back. 

There that aught to get the pot stirred up...


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## mcullumber (Jul 31, 2006)

World Archery will be meeting in December. This will be one of the issues they will look at. We have asked them to clarify this. Keep in mind that this is for World Archery events, not local or National. It has nothing to do with the USA Archery Dress Code. The only tournament in the U.S. that might be effected is the Arizona Cup as it is a world Ranking Event. This is an issue in the U.S. mainly, not in most other countries.


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## archeryking (Aug 3, 2002)

I would interpret it as any registered WA Star event would be held to that same criteria. That would impact a lot of National and even local events. 

We definitely need a clarification on what is considered a World Archery Event that this rule would apply to.

We have been needing an official ruling on what is considered to be camo for years. You see guys wearing multicolored shorts at lots of tournaments, but if the colors are green, brown and black then not allowed?? Or is it just the configuration of colors that will constitute as camo? Right now it seems to be up too the individual judges discretion as to what is camo and what is not camo.


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## Seattlepop (Dec 8, 2003)

I see it this way...

A. All WA events are registered events.
B. Not all registered events are WA events
C. In the USA, USAA rules apply to registered non-WA events.
D. Camo rules can be found under "C.".


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## wa-prez (Sep 9, 2006)

b0w_bender said:


> To play devils advocate for a bit here, how does one actually determine a camo color?
> Would tan brown or green constitute a camo color?
> Would zebra stripe or leopard pattern be a camo color?
> 
> Random shaped blobs of color on a piece of fabric is grounds to eliminate an athlete?


I have often walked by a rack of summer blouses or shirts with floral or greenery pattern and thought - "That would make nice camouflage"! So where would the line be drawn on designs that are not copyrighted camo patterns?


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## midwayarcherywi (Sep 24, 2006)

Yeah. I suppose we'll have to have a camo interpreter at tournaments. PSE had a California camo color that I would not call call camo. Anyway, perhaps Alpenflage is the new black. I'm guessing some French fashion designer will at some point make camoflage haute couture. It's all a little silly.


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## RickBac (Sep 18, 2011)

As Mike said, only one tournament in the US will possibly be effected by the ruling. That is the Arizona Cup.


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## archeryking (Aug 3, 2002)

I would definitely not assume that only AZ cup would be impacted. I would think that every WA event, which would mean anything that is a WA Star registered event would be impacted. Why would there be a different set of rules for one tournament where world records can be shot, versus another. That makes no sense. Although the no camo quiver also makes no sense. 

I think it makes more sense to get on this now and make sure the impact is heard for what the impacts could be, rather than wait and get a broad definition. I believe that no one wants to tell a parent "I'm sorry, your kid cannot shoot this tournament because you purchased a camo bow for them".


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## _JR_ (Mar 30, 2014)

wa-prez said:


> I have often walked by a rack of summer blouses or shirts with floral or greenery pattern and thought - "That would make nice camouflage"! So where would the line be drawn on designs that are not copyrighted camo patterns?


You're right - just google "Hawaiian shirt print" to see a host of viable camo patterns (well, at least for animals that don't have good color vision).


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## mcullumber (Jul 31, 2006)

There are different types of WA events and these events do have a different set of rules concerning many items, especially clothing. There are "Sanctioned" WA events, used to be known as State FITA's. In these events World Records can be set, officially recognized by WA. Then there are WRE's in which a participating archer can get World Ranking Points (the AZ Cup is one on these), then there are World Cups, World Championships and the Olympics. This is laid out in Book 2-4.6 and on. 

What we are waiting for is a decision on how far down this interpretation of the rules will go down. In the past, WA did not care on how each NGB set their dress code. They were only concerned with Tournaments in which archers garnered WR points. This would include the Arizona Cup, not the other "Sanctioned" tournaments.

So we are asking them, we being the organizers of the Arizona Cup and USA Archery, is this new interpretation of the rule for just for the Olympics, World Cups and World Championships (this includes the youth World Championships in Yankton in 2015). Does it go down to the next level of WRE tournaments which would include the AZ Cup. Does in go down to All WA "Sanctioned" tournament (Star FITA's).

We will have to wait until the WA Board of Directors meeting in the first week of December to find out. My gut feeling is that is will stop at the WRE level and WA will allow local, State and National tournaments in WA member countries do as they please.

An interesting side note, is that Beastmaster was at the JDT Compound selection camp and I ask him to look at the bows that were there. I was trying to gauge how the rule could effect archers. out of all the kids shooting there was only one bow, a backup bow, that was black with camo limbs. All the other bows were "target" colors with no camo. 

We shall see what happens.


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## Arsi (May 14, 2011)

I had a judge almost tell me I couldnt shoot at Nationals this year during equipment inspection due to my bow color looking like camo and had designs that could be used as aiming devices. The color was the stock Hoyt HPX Red Fusion color. First time that ever happened to me. I pointed out several other Red Fusion colored bows waiting to be inspected and mentioned that this was the stock color from the factory and the judge finally relented and checked me off.

There definitely needs to be a clearer line of what constitutes as camo.


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## Vittorio (Jul 17, 2003)

What about old Radian (and Elan) risers? 









Apart from the one in the pictures, there were several other color combinatuons sold ....


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## lksseven (Mar 21, 2010)

b0w_bender said:


> To play devils advocate for a bit here, how does one actually determine a camo color?
> Would tan brown or green constitute a camo color?
> Would zebra stripe or leopard pattern be a camo color?
> 
> ...


Ok, I'll bite. Camo is the litmus test for being welcome? So, there are hunters out there that are so philosophically attached to camo and so sensitive that they're crestfallen and forlorn if they can't wear camo, and will deny themselves competition as a result? Yikes! Well, maybe they could just wear camo underwear and be secret rebels.

And, as far as what dissuades people from considering starting a JOAD club, I think 'camo' is way behind other things that are much higher on that list - like the ridiculous overkill on requirements to be "included" in the lawyer-state insurance programs (background checks on moms all the way through 3rd cousins, and safe sport training for anyone who's even driven by a tournament and waived out the window at the archers). 

Why don't people just wear khaki or blue pants and a solid shirt color and thus make the problem completely disappear?


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## Greysides (Jun 10, 2009)

On a field course not wearing camo is a safety matter.


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## Mulcade (Aug 31, 2007)

lksseven said:


> Ok, I'll bite. Camo is the litmus test for being welcome? So, there are hunters out there that are so philosophically attached to camo and so sensitive that they're crestfallen and forlorn if they can't wear camo, and will deny themselves competition as a result? Yikes! Well, maybe they could just wear camo underwear and be secret rebels.
> 
> And, as far as what dissuades people from considering starting a JOAD club, I think 'camo' is way behind other things that are much higher on that list - like the ridiculous overkill on requirements to be "included" in the lawyer-state insurance programs (background checks on moms all the way through 3rd cousins, and safe sport training for anyone who's even driven by a tournament and waived out the window at the archers).
> 
> Why don't people just wear khaki or blue pants and a solid shirt color and thus make the problem completely disappear?


The problem with that is when you tell someone they can't participate because of what they're wearing, you send the signal they aren't good enough for our 'club'. Yes, I know it's silly, but we're in a time where we're trying to leverage the Hollywood attention to grow the sport. Keeping silly obstacles in place that inhibits that growth doesn't serve us in any way.

Personally, I don't mind the no camo clothing rule. Most local shoots that are WA Star events will still allow an archer to shoot, but will educate them on the rule for next time. I think that's absolutely the way to go about it. Making the rule apply to equipment is a terrible idea and not just because I would be personally affected.

Really and truly, the only difference between hunting and target bows is the color. Sure, longer ATA is better suited to target competitions than getting clearance in the tree stand. The shiny cams on the Pro Comp are good for dazzling your opponent, but not so helpful when you're stalking that elusive chupacabra. Either way, you're still dealing with a bunch of sticks and strings. We should celebrate our differences.


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## Spider-Assassin (Jan 31, 2012)

Greysides said:


> On a field course not wearing camo is a safety matter.


perhaps they should wear blaze-orange then?


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## b0w_bender (Apr 30, 2006)

What would happen if the US team showed up with a red white and blue camo pattern uniform?


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## FS560 (May 22, 2002)

Severe case of cranial rectimitis.


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## Bob Furman (May 16, 2012)

So if I'm at the North Pole hunting Polar Bear in my white pants, white shirt, white bow and then at the end of the day attend a WA Event wearing the same apparel am I wearing Camo???


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## Mulcade (Aug 31, 2007)

Spider-Assassin said:


> perhaps they should wear blaze-orange then?





Bob Furman said:


> So if I'm at the North Pole hunting Polar Bear in my white pants, white shirt, white bow and then at the end of the day attend a WA Event wearing the same apparel am I wearing Camo???


Both are excellent suggestions!! 



b0w_bender said:


> What would happen if the US team showed up with a red white and blue camo pattern uniform?


This right here would be AWESOME. Then again, I've always been a big fan of a little civil disobedience...


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## Matt_Potter (Apr 13, 2010)

I'm an active hunter but, I really don't get the whole "I wear camo everywhere" thing. When I'm hunting I wear camo - when I'm shooting targets I don't. Really no need to sneak up on foam deer. I also wouldn't feel unwelcome if a shoot has a dress code. What's the big deal??

Matt


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## archeryal (Apr 16, 2005)

I assumed the no-camo rule was a safety measure for folks shooting outdoor and particularly in field shoots. That doesn't make a lot of sense at indoor shoots, but 2 sets of rules (indoor and outdoor) would be annoying. They are, however, trying to project a "professional" appearance, so no jeans or ripped shirts, offensive slogans on shorts, etc. I support that.

I assume even the most avid hunters owns at least one pair of slacks or shorts and shirt that are not camo. Small amounts of Camo on quivers, clothing trim, risers, armguards etc. don't seem to be a real issue. I've seen some cool camo using bright colors (Hoyt Radian in purple/blue pattern) - would those be OK? They'd need to clarify things and start with a statement of what they hope to accomplish: neatness/professional appearance? safety? opposition to hunting? Also, national rules differ (UK's GNAS used to require a certain shade of forest green - not sure if they still do.) If these apply only to world-level shoots, it seems OK to me.


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## TER (Jul 5, 2003)

I don't believe the no camo rule has anything to do with hunting. WA has field archery which is practice for hunting. I think it's because in most of the world camo is associated with the military rather than hunting. And in many countries soldiers are associated with atrocities. It's been barely 20 years since the last genocide in Europe. Those are not fun happy spirit of friendly competition type topics.


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## Greysides (Jun 10, 2009)

Spider-Assassin said:


> perhaps they should wear blaze-orange then?


The general situation, over here, is that at WA field competitions people wear normal clothes or the type of clothes you'd see at a target competition (club colours). Judges and shoot organisers who may be moving through the course wear hi-vis shirts. In our version of IFAA it is more common to see people wearing camo to some degree or other. I think for some it's part of the occasion, as it's mainly 3D archery, for others ex-military gear is a cheap source of suitable apparel. However, if they wear camo they are now asked to wear hi-vis over-shirts. Normal wear must be deemed suitably colourful to be seen.

For target shoots, it's all-white or club colours



TER said:


> I think it's because in most of the world camo is associated with the military rather than hunting. And in many countries soldiers are associated with atrocities. It's been barely 20 years since the last genocide in Europe. Those are not fun happy spirit of friendly competition type topics.


Err........ I don't think so.


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## Seattlepop (Dec 8, 2003)

TER said:


> I don't believe the no camo rule has anything to do with hunting. WA has field archery which is practice for hunting. I think it's because in most of the world camo is associated with the military rather than hunting. And in many countries soldiers are associated with atrocities. It's been barely 20 years since the last genocide in Europe. Those are not fun happy spirit of friendly competition type topics.


I think we have a winner. :thumbs_up


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## Bigjono (Apr 21, 2009)

TER said:


> I don't believe the no camo rule has anything to do with hunting. WA has field archery which is practice for hunting. I think it's because in most of the world camo is associated with the military rather than hunting. And in many countries soldiers are associated with atrocities. It's been barely 20 years since the last genocide in Europe. Those are not fun happy spirit of friendly competition type topics.


I disagree, I believe it is to distance the archery tournaments from hunting, as much as they can. For most of the worlds population hunting is an unpalatable thing so Mr & Mrs Urban (not Keith) wouldn't want their little cherubs taking up a sport that kills Bambi's.
Aidan is correct though, in Europe Army surplus gear is cheap hard wearing gear for shooting in, some Walter Mitties take it wayyy too far though.


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## UrbanDeerSlayer (Feb 10, 2012)

Spider-Assassin said:


> perhaps they should wear blaze-orange then?


At some of the local shoots I have been to this would be a good idea. Surprising how poorly some folks shoot.


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## b0w_bender (Apr 30, 2006)

TER said:


> I don't believe the no camo rule has anything to do with hunting. WA has field archery which is practice for hunting. I think it's because in most of the world camo is associated with the military rather than hunting. And in many countries soldiers are associated with atrocities. It's been barely 20 years since the last genocide in Europe. Those are not fun happy spirit of friendly competition type topics.


There is no way that Mossy Oak or treebark or Realtree can be associated with "Military" so the rules say Camo. 

I'm not much for wearing camo to shoots either. In fact I wear some pretty bright colors and some ridiculous stuff but my point is that international archery is trying to incorporate a political statement into their competition rules and they are using vague language that ultimately cannot be enforced fairly. I would prefer that they say hunting equipment or hunting camouflage or military camouflage or whatever it is they are trying to distance themselves from is strongly discouraged from equipment and attire. 

Are these guys supporting hunting or do they appear to be members of the military?








If my daughter wore this to a shoot would she be told to go home








As a Seahawks fan if I wore these would I also be excluded?








Assuming all these shirts where worn to the same event, which one of these is legal or are they all illegal? As an official how would you justify your decision to the archer(s) you send home?








I hope we're starting to see my point. What ever reason there was for banning camouflage it was a poorly thought out plan. Face it camouflage is as much a fashion statement as it is a function of military or hunting attire and trying to draw an arbitrary line where offensive camo starts and benign camo ends is ultimately unenforceable. Of course in my humble opinion it's pointless and irresponsible rule writing.


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## wa-prez (Sep 9, 2006)

Oh well ....

When I started shooting USA Archery (then called NAA) events, we had to wear ALL WHITE - even for field.

Sometimes it was tough FINDING clothes that fit and were wearable that were solid white. I even had to put shoe polish over the trim on my shoes. 

And it RAINED ALL DAY during the FITA Field at Staunton Virginia and the red mud never did wash out!

I guess a guy can live without camo for a few weekends a year.

But I got a catalog today from a company that makes some REALLY NICE looking stuff with camo colored parts.


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## Mika Savola (Sep 2, 2008)

b0w_bender said:


> camouflage is as much a fashion statement


Forget fashion when you choose to shoot archery and choose to comply with the rules. Haven't you guys heard of club uniforms (=t-shirts)? Here in Finland every archery club has their own t-shirts or other clothings (mostly not white anymore) and it is required to wear at least a club t-shirt in tournaments. Very simple


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## Vittorio (Jul 17, 2003)

I think no one in has doubts abouot what kind of CAMO clothing is forbidden during WA competititons, as the rule exists since tens of years. The real practical discussion should not be done about clothing, but about equipments and bags. Up to now, rules allowed "multicolored" risers and never mentioned bags. This needs to be clarified, or many will have to start painting ...


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## b0w_bender (Apr 30, 2006)

Vittorio said:


> I think no one in has doubts abouot what kind of CAMO clothing is forbidden during WA competititons, as the rule exists since tens of years. The real practical discussion should not be done about clothing, but about equipments and bags. Up to now, rules allowed "multicolored" risers and never mentioned bags. This needs to be clarified, or many will have to start painting ...


I know I know people who are attending world events are aware of the rules and would avoid anything that could possibly be mistaken for camouflage. That still doesn't explain why we are writing politically motivated rules into sporting competition. 

If there are no doubts then I asked a simple question in my earlier post which one of these is illegal then and why?
is it that the pattern has to have been marketed to hunters or used as an actual military patter? What is the criteria and exactly what political statement are we trying to make?


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## Bigjono (Apr 21, 2009)

Just leave the ghillie suit at home I say


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## Warbow (Apr 18, 2006)

b0w_bender said:


> I know I know people who are attending world events are aware of the rules and would avoid anything that could possibly be mistaken for camouflage. That still doesn't explain why we are writing politically motivated rules into sporting competition.


Do you say that dress cods in other sports are "political"? I'm not really familiar with the history of FITA/NAA dress codes, but I know they used to be much stricter than they are now, so the heming and hawing about camo seems over done. Though, I have to say, banning camo gear bags seems a bit over the top.


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## ccwilder3 (Sep 13, 2003)

Could someone point me to the WA regulations that prohibits camo equipment?


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## Mr. Roboto (Jul 13, 2012)

mcullumber said:


> World Archery will be meeting in December. This will be one of the issues they will look at. We have asked them to clarify this. Keep in mind that this is for World Archery events, not local or National. It has nothing to do with the USA Archery Dress Code. The only tournament in the U.S. that might be effected is the Arizona Cup as it is a world Ranking Event. This is an issue in the U.S. mainly, not in most other countries.



Actually this does have a lot of trickle down effects.

Last summer USAA dropped Barebow from their Target events, and stated that since WA rules prohibit Barebow, the decision was made to be in compliance with the WA rules.

Though local WA style events are not required to be 100% compliant to the WA rules, they tend to follow the rules to make it easier for everyone to understand because there are always people complaining about rules. Event organizers get tired of hearing all the complaining, and just decide to point to the higher level organization's rules and say we are just following them.



The camo rule does have a discouraging effect on new shooters. So someone who is interested in learning how to shoot a bow will probably go to Cabela's to see what they have (one of the largest sporting goods stores in the US). Cabela's probably sells more types of bow choices that most stores in the US (these are walking in type of stores where you walk in -touch the bow, hold the bow, and shoot the bow before buying). Well 95% of the bows they sell have camo coloring to them. So this new archer then learns about target shooting and wants to get involved. Then this archer finds some local WA events and wants to come and shoot, only to be turned away because their bow is camo colored, or if they are allowed, they are told that they HAVE TO BUY A DIFFERENT BOW to shoot. So this person is stuck with a choice? buy a 2nd bow just to try our target shooting, or to ignore it all. The rule does have an effect on new people.


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## target1 (Jan 16, 2007)

I am still a fan of all white. Makes a shooting line look very dignified. There was a day when it was all uniform. Wish it was still this way.


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## Warbow (Apr 18, 2006)

target1 said:


> I am still a fan of all white. Makes a shooting line look very dignified. There was a day when it was all uniform. Wish it was still this way.


I wonder how much of that is that uniforms look cool when other people have to wear them? I'm not sure which is "better" for the sport. The clean appearance is sort of cool, on the other hand, it might also discourage people from getting into the sport (or encourage others) :dontknow:

Makes me think of subversively having it both ways - all white with a white damask camo pattern (texture) woven into the fabric, or all white with a UV camo print that would show up under black light.


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## archeryal (Apr 16, 2005)

"I am still a fan of all white. Makes a shooting line look very dignified. There was a day when it was all uniform. Wish it was still this way."

If USA Archery could get an endorsement from Clorox or Tide, they might go back to all-white. (If they could get the mud stains out of my whites, I'd be impressed,too.) People mistook me for an intern or an ice cream salesman back in the day, but the look did impress.

When the Indoor Nationals were in the Farm Show Building in Harrisburg, PA (1978?), there was an Amish crafts show next door. They were all dressed in black, so there was definite clash of cultures. A few of them looking in the window look pretty puzzled.


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## Mr. Roboto (Jul 13, 2012)

I don't know if anyone from USAA follows these threads before the December meeting, but if they are interested in finding new ways to grow the interest in the barebow class, they might want to think more about the clothing rules. I know several outstanding barebow shooters that wont shoot WA events because of the clothing rules. Is the goal to have the best clean cut and well dressed archers, or to develop the best archers even though some might look different from the mold?


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## Warbow (Apr 18, 2006)

Mr. Roboto said:


> I don't know if anyone from USAA follows these threads before the December meeting, but if they are interested in finding new ways to grow the interest in the barebow class, they might want to think more about the clothing rules. I know several outstanding barebow shooters that wont shoot WA events because of the clothing rules. Is the goal to have the best clean cut and well dressed archers, or to develop the best archers even though some might look different from the mold?


It's an interesting question. I think I could understand if folks had to go with the old, impractical at dirt covered outdoor range, whites. But the complains about the current rules sound a bit like "Wahhh!!! I want to wear camo!!!!!" Does any one moan about not being able to wear camo at any other sport? 

Now, that being said, USAA needs numbers, and if letting people wear what they want could increase them, should they just go ahead and let people be individuals? I can see reasonable, and unreasonable, arguments for both sides.


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## Greysides (Jun 10, 2009)

Mr. Roboto said:


> I know several outstanding barebow shooters that wont shoot WA events because of the clothing rules.


Sounds silly to me. More like an excuse. If they're barebow I imagine we're talking about a field competition so what's wrong with wearing 'normal' clothes?

As you can here, a mix of casual clothes with a few club shirts.


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## Beastmaster (Jan 20, 2009)

Bear in mind, this is the December World Archery meeting. Not a December USA Archery meeting.

All USA Archery can do is ask for clarification and let World Archery know that it may affect archers.

South Africa also has a similar situation.


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## Mr. Roboto (Jul 13, 2012)

I am not talking about the no-camo rule that people are having an issue with, it has more to do with the no denim/jeans rule and that they have to wear trousers and they have to wear regular short/long sleeved shirts. Then there is the shoe rule. I don't know what the formal definition of shoe is within the rules, but there are people that interpret this to mean no boots.



So in that image above, is that a camo rucksack that I see


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## Arcus (Jul 7, 2005)

Mr. Roboto said:


> I know several outstanding barebow shooters that wont shoot WA events because of the clothing rules.


That's one of those first-world problems.


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## Stone Bridge (May 20, 2013)

target1 said:


> I am still a fan of all white. Makes a shooting line look very dignified. There was a day when it was all uniform. Wish it was still this way.


Agreed. I have always thought camo was trashy-looking. I don't own one item of camo. I'm not a clothes horse but camo makes guys look silly in my opinion, and it intimidates some who might want to start shooting a bow but don't want to hunt, or look like a hunter, or soldier.

Camo-wearing bow-shooters who won't go to target events are looking for reasons to stay home if they use this rule to pout. Much better we all dress like normal human beings and not a bunch of overweight snipers from a bad action movie. Middleage men dressed in camo for no good reason are goofy to look at. Reason enough to ban the stuff.


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## _JR_ (Mar 30, 2014)

Mr. Roboto said:


> I am not talking about the no-camo rule that people are having an issue with, it has more to do with the no denim/jeans rule and that they have to wear trousers and they have to wear regular short/long sleeved shirts. Then there is the shoe rule. I don't know what the formal definition of shoe is within the rules, but there are people that interpret this to mean no boots.


There are people who might decide to go compete at an archery competition because they like archery but then who might get discouraged because they just run into a whole bunch of rules - sorry, no jeans, sorry, no camo bows, etc. 

I think it's a bit unfair to suggest that people are just making excuses or are being petty by complaining; you've got to remember there are different human reactions to rules - some people just LOVE the fact that there are long rule books (see sub-section 2.4.21.), but other people object to being 'told what to do' on a fundamental or visceral level for various personal or even societal reasons. 

What usually happens is that those people who love following rules end up in the rules committees making new rules - there usually isn't much representation from free-thinking, libertarian types in the rules committee meetings because those individuals self-selected their way the heck outta there. 

I don't wear camo (well, I do have this one undershirt...), but I think it's downright silly to ban camo, or denim. Rules should be about safety and fairness, not about promoting some image that some group of people in another continent think will appeal to imaginary television audiences. If anything, all that bright, sparkly, shiny metal stuff should be banned - as someone pointed out above, it's WAY more distracting than camo!


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## Greysides (Jun 10, 2009)

Mr. Roboto said:


> Then there is the shoe rule. I don't know what the formal definition of shoe is within the rules, but there are people that interpret this to mean no boots.


The only 'shoe rule' I'm familiar with is the no open toed sandals one. In case a foot is impaled by an arrow sticking up. 

I'd like to see an official list of these rules. Most WA rules are safety based with some degree of decorum. Some cop-on in the interpretation of rules is necessary.




> So in that image above, is that a camo rucksack that I see


Yup. And there were no objections to it that I heard of. It may have been different if the archer was also in complete camo.

Camo risers would be another height of lunacy interpretation, IMO.


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## Stone Bridge (May 20, 2013)

JR, I still hate camo and would like to see it banned at most shoots, but I must say your post was very well written. Almost well enough to make me change my mind.


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## Beastmaster (Jan 20, 2009)

These are the rules from within World Archery. Emphasis (bolding) is mine...
---


> Book 3:
> 20. Chapter 20
> Dress Regulations
> 
> ...


---
Now, here's the thing. Unless you're doing the Olympics, a World Cup, or (possibly, depending on the December ruling) a World Ranking Event, how does this really and truly affect you - the archer?

It doesn't.

(more on the next post)


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## Beastmaster (Jan 20, 2009)

Continuing on....

Here's the dress code for USA Archery.



> USAA Dress Code:
> 
> 1. All athletes and coaches must present a professional, athletic appearance while on the field. (Torn, ripped or badly faded clothing articles are not allowed.) Clothing may be of any color.
> 2. No camo or blue denim (jeans) may be worn at target events. Accessories such as trim on shirts, caps, quivers, armguards, footwear, etc., are permitted to be camo. At field events, denim may be worn but camo may not be worn.
> ...


Now...how does this dress code negatively affect the archer? It doesn't. 

Please note that the NGB (read - an entity like USA Archery) can set the rules outside of what World Archery can set. World Archery is concerned with how dress code is conducted at major international events. They really don't care too much about things on a country or continent level. Even with world records - as long as the FIELD OF PLAY is consistent, they could really care less if you shot the world record with something that had camo trim on it or not. It's the field of play that they care about. Nothing else.

So - before dashing off to my kid's birthday party, here's my blunt statement for today. Make a statement with your scores. Not how you dress. 

The corollary to that statement - you can make a statement with how you dress, as long as you know what the rules are. Brady, Jake, and even Reo Wilde have made statements with how they dress, all while in conformance with the rules. But ultimately, they make their statement with their scores.

-Steve


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## RickBac (Sep 18, 2011)

Well said Steve.

WA wants our archers to look like athletes, not hunters. Hunting is not looked in a positive light everywhere. Some potential sponsors, which we want, that are outside of archery may shy away from a sport tied to hunting. We want target archery to grow (this is the JOAD, WA, FITA forum) we want the major corporations to pour in the dollars. Wouldn't it be great if the Outdoor or Indoor Nationals (if the $$ trickled to the US level) were televised on ESPN? Heck if they can have poker and darts, why not archery


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## SkiSoloII (Dec 11, 2011)

I may have to start wearing all white, just to be contrary and make some people wonder. I don't mind dressing appropriately for any particular event - for instance, I think people should dress nicely at chuch out of respect. Wait. Respect? Well, I don't shoot outside much, so I shouldn't have the laundry issues.

That being said, in many cases camo SHOULD be considered appropriate for archery. After all, the "sport" did develop from the necessity of hunting and battle in the first place.



Dave


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## RickBac (Sep 18, 2011)

Dave I agree with you as an American. I am not a hunter but you are correct, the roots to our sport go to the hunting and gathering, war also. However a very large portion of the world and a growing portion of Americans do not like hunting. I do not think it is going to trickle down to the National level. Plus if you are hosting a local tournament, it is up to you on the dress code. As Mike and Steve stated. Only the field of play is considered for records. Not the color of the archers cap.

The sport is growing and the rules will adapt with that growth to capture a larger market. This is a sport but it is also a business. A business must expand its market share to ensure continued growth.

We host six week classes and a good half have parents that ask that I do not mention hunting period. I can not oblige because we have several in the class that want to learn to bow hunt. We do change our terminology. We do not kill an animal, we harvest food. It is never a kill shot, it is a bullseye or gold. We must adapt to our ever changing customer base.

As for dress, I prefer the professional athlete look for target tournaments. That is no camo, no denim and good looking clothes.


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## b0w_bender (Apr 30, 2006)

Beastmaster said:


> Now...how does this dress code negatively affect the archer? It doesn't.
> -Steve


Actually it does. I have had archers sent home when they didn't listen to my warnings about the dress code, when that happens sometimes they find different events to attend. 

If we were going to get major sponsorships now would be the time. The viewer numbers for archery at the Olympics were a clear sign that there is an interest in the sport. I sincerely doubt someone would change the channel if one team was wearing camo. It's ironic that this is trying to legislate good taste for events where the attire is almost always dictated by the team or club anyway.

Anyone involved in archery has to know it was created for both hunting and war. Trying to divorce the sport from it's obvious origins is putting lip stick on a pig and trying to sell it as a supermodel.


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## SkiSoloII (Dec 11, 2011)

b0w_bender said:


> Anyone involved in archery has to know it was created for both hunting and war. Trying to divorce the sport from it's obvious origins is putting lip stick on a pig and trying to sell it as a supermodel.


Nice. I love a good metaphor.

Dave


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## Warbow (Apr 18, 2006)

RickBac said:


> Dave I agree with you as an American. I am not a hunter but you are correct, the roots to our sport go to the hunting and gathering, war also.


True, yet printed camo is a fairly recent invention, neither used in the heyday of archery in warfare nor in the heyday of target archery. It's a new thing associated with modern hunting. How much camo did Howard Hill own?

That isn't an argument against camo, but it is one against claims that we should allow it because its "traditional". Same goes for the tennis whites.


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## Mr. Roboto (Jul 13, 2012)

Most of the events within a days driving of where I live follow NFAA rules, they do not prohibit blue jeans or camo colored clothing. As far as I can remember, I don't specifically recall people wearing camo, and most wear blue jeans. Now I am not saying that no one was wearing camo, its just that I didn't notice that they were. Nothing was standing out. I do notice the guys that wear kilts. Its different, but if they want to wear kilts, then go for it. I don't care. I am thinking about getting one myself to shoot a 900 round in.

One thing for sure that will happen is if the NFAA said no to blue jeans at their tournaments, they would definitely see a drop in attendance.


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## ccwilder3 (Sep 13, 2003)

I still have not seen where it says that camo bows are not allowed. It does say multi-colored risers are allowed.


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## Beastmaster (Jan 20, 2009)

ccwilder3 said:


> I still have not seen where it says that camo bows are not allowed. It does say multi-colored risers are allowed.


Page 6, October 2014 World Archery Newsletter...

Bolding is my emphasis.



> Camo use World Archery has been asked if anything used by the athletes can have a camo colour since the rule refers to clothing. The answer is that World Archery has had a long standing policy that anything used by an athlete cannot be in a camo colour at World Archery competitions including all *clothing, caps, equipment and anything carried or worn on the Field of Play*


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## Beastmaster (Jan 20, 2009)

So...based on this, what defines a "World Archery competition?"


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## Greysides (Jun 10, 2009)

Beastmaster said:


> So...based on this, what defines a "World Archery competition?"


That's a pretty recent clarification..... do they give an explanation?

People shooting at field comps here might have a bag or trousers in camo but, for WA, you won't see the full camo outfit, ever.
I would hope that at national level competitions (for most attendees, 'fun shoots') rather then international level competitions, the judges will exercise common-sense.

Arriving at a field shoot is not the time to find out these things and other than for here I would not have about the 'caps, equipment and anything carried ' part of it.


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## Beastmaster (Jan 20, 2009)

Greysides said:


> That's a pretty recent clarification..... do they give an explanation?
> 
> People shooting at field comps here might have a bag or trousers in camo but, for WA, you won't see the full camo outfit, ever.
> I would hope that at national level competitions (for most attendees, 'fun shoots') rather then international level competitions, the judges will exercise common-sense.
> ...


No. They have not. As one of the Arizona Cup workers, I know the Arizona Cup organizers asked World Archery for clarification. We also asked USA Archery to send a letter for clarification as well.


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## XForce Girl (Feb 14, 2008)

I would also like clarification.
I don't have a problem with the dress code, but no camp on bows is where I need clarification.
Many if my kids have camp bows or camp limbs in their bows.
Will Indoor and Outdoor Nationals be enforcing the no camp bows rule? 
I plan on bringing many of my new shooters to these venues in 2015 and would hate to make the trip if they won't be allowed to shoot.


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## Beastmaster (Jan 20, 2009)

XForce Girl said:


> I would also like clarification.
> I don't have a problem with the dress code, but no camp on bows is where I need clarification.
> Many if my kids have camp bows or camp limbs in their bows.
> Will Indoor and Outdoor Nationals be enforcing the no camp bows rule?
> I plan on bringing many of my new shooters to these venues in 2015 and would hate to make the trip if they won't be allowed to shoot.


Here's the viewpoint that Mike Cullumber (who's an International Judge) and I (I'm a National Judge) are seeing. This is a viewpoint that a couple of other judges also have as well.

1) World Archery events are Olympics, World Cups, World Championships, and (possibly) World Ranking events.

2) The no Camo rule set applies to those events.

3) USA Archery is not likely going to set rules against Camo. Heck, you can wear denim as long as it's not indigo blue, so this shows that they are willing to set more practical rules.

4) Arizona Cup is a unique tournament. It is a World Ranking Tournament first, a USAT tournament second. So archers may not be able to use Camo adorned equipment at that tournament. This is why the Arizona Cup as a tournament asked for a ruling clarification. 

What I see happening is this...

A) World Archery will allow a 1 year learning period for the Arizona Cup and other World Ranking Events. Please remember that the no Camo rule already has existed for Olympic, World Cup, and World Championships. This new interpretation appears to include World Ranking Events.

World Ranking events include the Arizona Cup, Asian Grand Prix, Asia Cup, and the European Grand Prix.

B) USA Archery will keep on with its existing rule set. This means that for Indoor and Outdoor Nationals, you "run what you brung", as long as it's under 60 pounds. 

-Steve


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## mcullumber (Jul 31, 2006)

We need to understand that this is a potential change coming from World Archery (WA) not USA Archery. USA Archery along with many WA members are also concerned on the effects of this rule. The WA Executive meeting is this upcoming week. They have indicated that it will be discussed at this meeting. USA Archery has sent a letter asking for clarification. As this ruling could effect the AAE Arizona Cup for 2015, we have also asked WA for a clarification.

We have asked WA how far down this new interpretation of the rule goes down. 
1. Is it only for World Championships, World Cups and the Olympics
2. Will it extend down to World Ranking Events like the AAE Arizona Cup
3. Will it go as far as "Star FITA" sanctioned events which would include all USA Archery National Events.

We also want to know if:
1. This is a proposed rule change, which means it needs to be voted on in the next WA Congress (World Championships 2015)
2. Is it an Interpretation, which means it will be applied immediately and then ratified at the next WA Congress
3. Or is this being considered a By-Law change or addition, which means action only from the WA Executive Board

The AAE Arizona Cup has also sent a letter asking all of the above. We have also asked that if it is going to apply to the 2015 Event, that the 2015 Tournament be given a 1 year exemption, so that we can "educate" the archers for 2016.

At this time everything is just speculation and second guessing.

As to why WA is doing this, it has been touched on in above posts. WA is made up of member organization from all over the world and the U.S. is just one of 153 member countries. WA goes after International companies for money and for many companies around the world, the perceived connection of camo to hunting and the military is something they simply do not want to deal with. Like most things, it is all about the money. This includes media. Here in the U.S. we can argue about our history and connections between archery and hunting, but this is really not important in the eyes of WA. Sometimes, whether we want to or not, we need to look at things with a World view not just an American view (lots of grief coming from this statement, LOL).

As a personal view point, I am fine with no camo clothing and leaving everything "as is". I would like to see USA Archery tighten up their dress code a bit. I would not go as far as back to all white, but I was ok with Khaki, Blue and white. I think if you are going to play in the WA "playground" you will simply need to play by their rules. If you feel their rules are not for you, don't play. There are lots of other Archery Playgrounds out there in the U.S. Most other countries do not have the choices we have.


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## Beastmaster (Jan 20, 2009)

Okay...here's some personal conjecture and opinions.

1) Within the United States, I continually see that the archers are in fear of the judges. Why?

All too often, I see judges that are punitive, not educational. All the judges worth their salt follow this rule out of the World Archery Judges Guidebook.



> Don't just open the (rule) book to see if you can find a penalty to take away an archer's score, look in the book to find a rule, if possible, to SAVE the archer's score.


Sadly, there is a distinct LACK of judges that follow this rule. Hence why there are certain popular judges, and judges that aren't so popular out there.

2) There will be a change in judges, and how they are educated. In the World Archery realm, judges are continually educated and re-educated - CE's if you will. USA Archery will be eventually (sooner than later) following that trend. Judges HAVE to go through continuing education, just like our higher end coaches do. 

3) You want quality events, you need to hire quality tournament officials. Using Arizona as an example, we ensure quality events by having a Technical Delegate as part of that tournament. A Technical Delegate is a tournament official (usually a higher end Judge that has proven their worth out on the field) that makes sure that the tournament follows all current rules and interpretations, along with the field of play being set properly so that it qualifies as a Star FITA event.

This basically means that if you don't want oddball, on the fly rule interpretations that are confusing, you need to either train up and/or hire properly trained officials. Want a tournament that's run half baked? Hire crappy officials. Especially crappy officials that don't follow what I put down in item #1.

There are quality officials out there. They can be hired for your events. They can be trained for future events. Education, continual training, and exposure on how things SHOULD be run are key to producing quality judges that help reduce confusion in the tournament trail.

-Steve


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## Genieboy (Oct 29, 2013)

I'm thinking the only place to wear camo, ever, anywhere.....is either on the hunt or on the battlefield.


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## Beastmaster (Jan 20, 2009)

Genieboy said:


> I'm thinking the only place to wear camo, ever, anywhere.....is either on the hunt or on the battlefield.


I think of our ancestors who hunted with whatever they had on their backs, and they either starved or brought the meat home.

I sincerely doubt any of them de-scented, camo'ed up, or any of that back in the day when they had to get far closer than the distances we hunt in today.


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## SkiSoloII (Dec 11, 2011)

Beastmaster said:


> I think of our ancestors who hunted with whatever they had on their backs, and they either starved or brought the meat home.
> 
> I sincerely doubt any of them de-scented, camo'ed up, or any of that back in the day when they had to get far closer than the distances we hunt in today.


Correct. They wore whatever they had on their backs. Animal skins that helped hide them from their prey. The first camoflage. The American Plains Indians were famous for wearing buffalo skins to penetrate the herd.

I wonder if they would kick me out for wearing original hair-and-leather skins to an event. I might even label it camo with a sign. You ought to go to a black powder rendezvous's and see their outfits. All a version of camoflage, to hide from animals or enemies.

Dave


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## ccwilder3 (Sep 13, 2003)

Beastmaster said:


> Page 6, October 2014 World Archery Newsletter...
> 
> Bolding is my emphasis.


Thank you.


I have no problem with the clothing issue but camo on a bow is a different matter. I hope USA archery continues to set their own rules in this regard.


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## Mr. Roboto (Jul 13, 2012)

Beastmaster said:


> Here's the viewpoint that Mike Cullumber (who's an International Judge) and I (I'm a National Judge) are seeing. This is a viewpoint that a couple of other judges also have as well.
> 
> 1) World Archery events are Olympics, World Cups, World Championships, and (possibly) World Ranking events.
> 
> ...


Granted that WA is very clear in their written rules which events these rules apply to, the unfortunate thing that happens is that lower level event follow the rules explicitly. Yes, they have the freedom to make modifications of the rules to meet their club's particular interest/needs. But unfortunately there are far too many people that give the event organizers so much grief about not following the WA rule set, that the organizers just get frustrated and follow the WA rule set because of the headaches a few people make.

There are far more people that are taking offense to the no-denim rule than the no-camo rule. The people complaining about camo is just a symptom of a bigger issue with the overall clothing requirements.

Yes, WA can make any rule they want. Its their organization, and we competitors either have to abide by them, or not compete. But when it comes to considering rules, one must keep in mind that though a particular rule may not be intended to be applied to the local events, they ultimately do. And thus it needs to be part of the decision process.


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## Bigallyoutdoors (Oct 5, 2014)

If they are trying to separate hunting from archery I will do my best to keep it there.


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