A Guide to Good Archer Etiquette :-
A Good Archer :-
(A) Does not talk in a loud voice or make unnecessary noise or movement whilst others are shooting. When you have finished shooting return to behind the waiting line unless, in practice, you have been asked to spot or watch an archer perform a shot.
(B) Does not talk to another competitor/archer who obviously prefers to be silent and keep themselves to themselves.
(C) Does not make any exclamation or movement on the shooting line that might disconcert a neighbour in the act of shooting
(D) Does not pull any arrows from the target before all arrows have been scored or checked by their owners. Even in practice some folks might be scoring or noting where their arrows have landed, even behind the target.
(E) Does not go behind the target to collect arrows before all arrows in the target have been scored or checked. See H
(F) Does not walk up and down the shooting line during competitions /Target days comparing scores
(G) Does not leave or step onto the shooting line whilst the archers either side are at full draw. If you have finished shooting – stand still until an opportunity to leave the line presents itself
(H) Does not touch anyone else's equipment without permission – this includes arrows in the target. Ask before you pull. Some archers like to pull their own arrows so that if damage occurs they have no one to blame. Some arrows can cost up to £30 each. See K
(I) Does not leave litter – that’s a given !!!
(J) For EVERYONE’s comfort and enjoyment Smokers are asked to stand outside the taped area if they wish to smoke: includes Tobacco cigarettes AND Electronic cigarettes (Vapes). This is in line with World Archery and Archery GB rules where there is a ban on smoking within the competition area. Always be considerate of passers-by; smoke in the face is not appreciated by anyone.
(K) When calling scores does so in groups of three, for example 7-7-5 pause 5-5-3 by pointing at the nock end of the arrows without touching them
(L) If he breaks another's arrow through his own carelessness pays for it in cash on the spot
(M) Thanks the scorer at the end of each round for work on his behalf.
(N) If an Archer wishes to join another Target they should ask those shooting on that target and not just barge in. There may be a danger of damaging arrows if too many are shooting on the same target.
(O) When returning from the target should not dawdle and keep everybody else waiting.
(P) Does not stand and watch everybody else get out and put away equipment. Archers should make every effort to be there at the start or end of a session to help. Preferably both – but its understood that sometimes this wont be possible*.
* If you need to leave before the field is packed away - the polite and fair thing to do is to ask if you can put anything away to assist.
If all the targets are still being used then you won't need to do anything -
But even if one target is packed away it helps everyone else who will have to pack away it all at the end.
(Q) Does not spend a lot of time looking for lost arrows while others are waiting to shoot – ask for help and if it can’t be found within a reasonable time – wait until next end.
(R) Does not leave arrows on the field – in the event of a lost arrow all efforts must be made to find and retrieve lost arrows to prevent the chance of injury to the general public/other users of the field. This may mean using methods like rake that could damage the arrow if all else fails. ASK FOR HELP!!
IF YOU HAVE NOT FOUND IT BY THE END OF THE SESSION YOU MUST ASK THE FIELD CAPTAIN TO RECORD IT IN THE LOST ARROW BOOK.
(S) Does ENJOY the session – all things given that’s why we are there – to have some fun and achieve something from our shooting. No one expects total silence and archers standing stock still while not shooting. But remember some are more serious than others (not necessarily all the time).
***Tournament Dress regulations -
When you enter an official open tournament, which basically means when archers from other clubs are competing with you for medals, there are a few rules about what you should be wearing on the shooting line.
These are explained in full in the Archery GB Rules & Regulations, and if you intend to enter a tournament it is also advisable to talk to someone in the club with tournament experience, of which there are many.
You can basically wear whatever colours you wish, but ideally they should be of one plain colour and have no logos on the clothing, a SMALL manufacturers logo is ok , and text & logos of Archery organisations are also permitted.
You must NOT wear blue denim, olive drab or camo, and as mentioned before DON'T wear anything with a big logo on unless its an archery organisation and even then the judges might have a small word with you. You must not wear open-toed shoes or any top which exposes your midriff when you are at full draw.
On the day the judges and tournament organisers word is final, so to avoid embarrassment and the possibility of not being allowed to shoot in a tournament - Check out the official rules and ASK an experienced archer in the club.****
Castle Bowmen's Colours are Dark Blue and Shirts are available to order with the club logo and your name on - See Steve for details.
Let common sense and respect for your fellow archers be the key approach
ArcheryGB Rules of Shooting:-
305. Control of Shooting
(a)(i) At all times, whenever shooting takes place, it must be under the control of a Field Captain.
FIELD CAPTAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
The Field captain is responsible for the safe and orderly conduct of shooting.
The appointed field captain will be responsible for giving ‘Audible’ signals to indicate archers may proceed to shoot or collect.
BEFORE giving the signal to shoot , the field captain must visually check the field to ensure no archers are still collecting arrows or that any other dangers are present on the field. (reminder: ANY archer can shout FAST at any time If they notice a danger on the field - ALL archers must then remove arrows from their bows)
BEFORE giving the signal to collect the field captain must ensure no-one is still on the shooting line.
The field captain has the authority to remind archers to vacate the shooting line unless they are shooting, or coaching another archer. They should also remind archers who are not shooting that they should be behind the waiting line.
The field captain has discretion to limit lost arrow finding time to a reasonable amount to ensure the session continues at a decent pace
To avoid confusion there must only ever be one field captain at any one time, ideally the same person for the whole session.
The field captain can transfer duties to another trained archer if they need to, but ideally this should be announced to ensure everyone knows who is now in charge of the field.