WA 720 round: distances, targets and scoring

Recurve and compound shoot different setups

These are the standard recurve and compound formats. World Archery age classes and other bow divisions can use different distances. Match your setup to the class on the entry form before you compare a score with a ranking list. A 720 maximum alone does not identify the shooting distance.

For both formats, six arrows can earn 60 points in an end. Six ends make a 36-arrow half worth 360, and two halves make 720. Count the halves on the scorecard before starting; stopping after six ends gives you a half-round result.

What the target size means

The recurve face measures about 48 inches [122cm] across its full scoring diameter. Its zones run from 1 at the outer white to 10 in the center gold. An X is a central 10, with its count kept separately where required. The 10-ring scoring guide explains colors and ring values.

The compound face belongs to the 80cm target family, but the six-ring version removes the outer four zones. The printed scoring area contains 5 through 10. Its visible edge is therefore smaller than the full 80cm diameter. Do not measure that cropped edge and assume the face was printed too small.

Outdoor compound scoring uses the outdoor 10 zone. Carrying over the smaller compound indoor 10 would change your scores. Before an indoor-to-outdoor switch, check the actual face and scoring convention with your club or event official.

A ranking round seeds the matches

In World Archery competition, the 72-arrow qualification total ranks archers before head-to-head matches. The recurve version is the familiar Olympic ranking round. Ranking and match play are separate stages: a strong 720 gives you a position in the bracket, while later matches determine progression under their own scoring rules.

The Olympic archery distance guide gives more context for the recurve setup. You can shoot a 720 in practice without running a bracket afterward. Record it as a complete ranking-style round, and avoid combining a later match score with the qualification total.

If totals are tied in an official event, apply that event's World Archery tie procedures. Keep the requested 10 and X counts on the card while scoring. Trying to reconstruct them from a 72-arrow total after the arrows have been pulled will not work.

Plan for six-arrow ends outdoors

Confirm your sight setting at the intended distance before beginning the recorded round. Use a range approved for that distance and follow its shooting and collection signals. Your first scoring end should not double as an attempt to find the target with an untested long-distance sight mark.

Six arrows give wind and fatigue time to affect an end. If a gust disrupts your shot, let down by easing out of full draw without releasing the arrow. If your practice end repeatedly runs short of time, rehearse the event timing rather than fixing it by hurrying the final arrows.

Between ends, write brief observations that might explain later changes. A wind direction, a sight adjustment or a rain shower is useful. A broad note such as bad form is hard to act on. Avoid moving the sight after every isolated low arrow; first check whether the group has moved as a whole.

Use score percentage with the right context

A 648 is 90% of 720 and averages nine points per arrow. A 576 is 80% and averages eight. These are exact arithmetic examples, not classification cutoffs. The same percentage from recurve at 70 meters and compound at 50 meters reflects different equipment and scoring geometry.

Use percentages to read progress within a consistent setup, then keep the round label visible when comparing formats. The guide to good archery scores explains why bowstyle and experience belong beside the total. A percentage can summarize a round without explaining its difficulty.

Review your two 360-point halves separately. If the second half drops, examine the end notes before blaming endurance. A shift in wind or light may account for part of the change. If the conditions stayed similar over repeated rounds, build more complete 72-arrow rounds into practice, with the same breaks you expect at the event.

How a 720 differs from a 1440

A WA 1440 round has 144 arrows spread across four distances. A 720 keeps the assigned distance fixed throughout its 72 arrows. Doubling your 720 result does not predict a 1440 score because the face sizes and distances change during that longer round.

For a repeatable 720 benchmark, retain the distance, face type and bow division with the total. Add both half scores and the conditions. A record such as 315 plus 309, recurve at 70 meters, tells you far more at the next practice than an unlabeled 624.

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