Field archery scoring: NFAA and World Archery

Identify the field round before shooting

These totals describe the stated formats. An event can schedule a shorter unit, multiple courses, or elimination stages. NFAA professional divisions use bonus scoring for Xs, so the standard 560 total is not the correct ceiling for every division.

Read the event name carefully. Field archery is more specific than shooting outdoors. The course takes you between targets and shooting positions, with slopes, uneven footing, and changing sight lines. A stationary outdoor target round and a foam-animal course follow different scoring systems.

The 3D scoring guide covers foam animals and ASA or IBO values. On a field course, first identify the organization, then the face and the shooting position for your division.

Score the NFAA black-and-white face

NFAA field targets can have more visible circles than the three ordinary point values suggest. The standard score groups those rings into a center spot, a white area, and an outer black area. Do not assign a new value to every line simply because you can see another circle.

Four arrows worth up to 5 each give a maximum of 20 at one target. Across 28 targets, 28 x 4 x 5 gives 560. A 14-target unit has half that arrow count and a maximum of 280 under the same scoring.

NFAA uses the X for applicable tie breaks in non-professional field scoring. Professional divisions award a bonus point for Xs. Confirm your division before adding that bonus, and follow the card's separate X column rather than changing the scoring convention midway through a course.

Score the World Archery yellow-and-black face

World Archery field has six scoring zones. The inner yellow is worth 6 and the outer yellow 5. The four black zones score 4, 3, 2, and 1 as you move outward. Outside the scoring boundary is zero.

This is a different six-zone face from a blue, red, and gold reduced target face. Its highest value is 6. Record the inner yellow as 6 on a World Archery field scorecard; do not substitute the target-archery convention of an X worth 10.

Three arrows can produce 18 points at a target. On a 24-target course, 24 x 3 x 6 gives 432. If an event uses more than one such course, check which subtotal the results display. A number above 432 may reflect a combined competition rather than a different ring value.

World Archery field uses marked and unmarked distances. The event and division determine the shooting pegs and distance limits. Before an unmarked round, check which distance references you may carry and which measuring devices or methods are prohibited.

Follow the shooting positions as well as the rings

A stake or peg marks the required shooting position. Some NFAA targets involve changing positions between arrows, so four arrows at a target do not always mean four arrows from one place. Read the target instructions before nocking the first arrow.

Put the scorecard where it stays readable and dry, and confirm the target number before entering scores. If groups start at different places on the course, your first target may not belong in the first printed row. A correct value in the wrong row can cause confusion later.

For barebow archers, changes in distance may require a different aiming reference. Archers who use string walking should prepare their permitted distance references before the event. Those aiming decisions happen before release; the ring value afterward is the same for everyone using that scoring system.

Wait until the group has finished shooting and the route is clear before walking to score. Stay on the marked course between targets. If an arrow misses, follow the range procedure for retrieval rather than stepping into an area another group may be shooting across.

Work a target total before moving on

In the NFAA example, the two center hits contribute 10, then the 4 and 3 bring the total to 17. In the World Archery example, 6 plus 5 plus 3 equals 14. Keeping the maximum in mind helps you catch an arithmetic error without changing any arrow values.

Use the group's scoring procedure to settle line calls before pulling. Inspect the shaft at the face while the target remains undisturbed. Under both organizations' ordinary field line rules, shaft contact with a higher scoring boundary receives the higher value.

The general archery scoring guide covers calling and checking arrows. On a course, finish that check at every target. Once you have pulled and walked away, there is much less evidence to resolve a disputed value.

Record enough detail to compare another course

Keep the organization, course length, division, and marked or unmarked format beside the total. Note any practice conditions that differ from the event. A total without those details can mix rounds with different maximums and different distance demands.

If you want to review where you lost points, retain the per-target entries. Two rounds can finish with the same total even if one contains repeated small losses and the other contains a single miss. A note such as uphill, all three low is more useful for practice planning than the target total alone.

Before turning in the card, check that every target has the correct number of arrow entries and that any X or 6 counts follow the card labels. Compare the final arithmetic with the other scorer while your group is still together.

Questions