The Rules of Archery - sportfoy.com

The Rules of Archery


Archery is one of the most popular sports out there. The aim is simple – a stringed bow is used to propel the arrows towards the target. Archery was first included in the 1900 Olympics. But it was only for men. In the 1904 Olympics, women’s archery was also included.

Today, competitive archery has various forms; however, they all have the same objective – to shoot the arrows as close to the center of the target. During the Olympics, players aim at the target from a distance of 70 meters. The safety of the players, as well as the spectators, is always the first priority of archery. So, it is imperative to follow the rules to ensure a safe and fun time for all. 

Here are some archery rules that need to be followed: 

  • All standard crossbows, compound bows, recurve bows, and long bows are permitted on the range. 
  • No expandable or broached arrows 
  • Never handle another archer’s archery kit or equipment without permission
  • Do not cross the shooting line to retrieve the arrows until you are given the signal 
  • Cracked and short arrows that are short of drawing length are not allowed 
  • Do not use damaged equipment 
  • Do not shoot arrows up in the air 
  • In the Olympics, the players must shoot 72 arrows in 12 phases 
  • The maximum time permitted to shoot an end of 6 arrows is 4 minutes, and 2 minutes for an end of 3 arrows 
  • Players cannot raise the bow until the signal is given by the referee 
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Players can be banned from competition, have points deducted, or disqualified for various breaches of rules. These were some of the basic rules that you must know about archery.