ARCH - Fw: Target archery rules (fwd)

Tue Jun 20 21:08:25 PDT 2000

Greetings and Hi There,

Check them out.  These are the rules, again, from the Society Archery
Marshal.  Well, some of them.  If you want the others again, I can send them
latter.

But they tell about the marshal stuff.

Gilli

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                   SCA TARGET ARCHERY RULES 

TARGET ARCHERY MARSHALS

Requirements for Target Archery Marshals:

1.   All Target Archery Marshals (TAMs) shall have a knowledge of range safety and
     of target archery. They shall be familiar with SCA and kingdom archery rules.

2.   All Target Archery Marshals are officers of the SCA and shall maintain
     membership as required by the SCA By-Laws, and shall be warranted by their 
     kingdom as required by Corpora.

Responsibilities of Target Archery Marshals:

 1.  The kingdom archery marshal shall ensure that the kingdom target archery rules
     include, at a minimum, basic range safety standards,  archery equipment
     standards, warranting and reporting procedures for Target Archery Marshals,
     and injury reporting procedures.

 2.  The kingdom archery marshal shall report quarterly to the Society Archery
     Marshal. This is in addition to any required kingdom reports.

 3.  No target archery activities are to take place at an event unless a target archery
     marshal is present on the range.

 4.  In the event of any disagreement, the Target Archery Marshal in Charge shall
     have complete say and control in resolving the dispute, subject to appeal to the
     kingdom Earl Marshal or the Crown.  Appeals may be made via the appropriate
     procedures as specified in kingdom and SCA law and policy.

 5.  The Target Archery Marshal's commands are to be followed explicitly while on
     the target archery range. Failure to follow the Target Archery Marshal's
     instructions may result in removal from the range.

 6.  The Target Archery Marshal in Charge may request the assistance of other
     Marshals in the performance of his/her duties. However, the responsibility for 
     safely setting up and running the range remains with the Target Archery Marshal
     in Charge.

 7.  The Target Archery Marshal in Charge or the assisting Marshals have the
     authority to inspect all bows and arrows/bolts for safety and compliance with
     kingdom rules.

          Equipment that does not meet the standards laid out in the rules shall not
          be used.
          Equipment deemed unsafe by the Target Archery Marshal in Charge shall
          not be used.

 8.  While on duty, Target Archery Marshals are responsible for taking all reasonable
     steps to enforce the rules and safety standards for archery activities or events.

 9.  The Target Archery Marshal in Charge at an event shall report, to the kingdom
     archery officer and any others required by kingdom law and policy, all injuries
     requiring professional medical treatment as a result of activity on or about the
     range.

10.  The kingdom archery officer shall report to the Society Archery Marshal any
     archery-related injuries which required professional medical treatment as well as
     any potentially dangerous circumstances or incidents involving archery in the
     kingdom and their outcome. 

11.  As part of their duties, Target Archery Marshals are responsible for ensuring that
     all archers are familiar with and comply with the SCA and Kingdom Target
     Archery Rules. This may be done either by verbal briefings or by requiring the
     archers to read the posted rules.  

EQUIPMENT STANDARDS

General Standards:

1.   All equipment should be consistent with pre-17th century archery in looks and
     function. The construction, use, and knowledge of period-style equipment and its
     safe use are among the primary goals of SCA archery.  However, the use of
     modern equipment is permitted provided it meets the equipment standards
     spelled out below. 

2.   Nothing in these rules shall be interpreted as preventing a kingdom or branch
     from making rules requiring the use of period style equipment in a period
     division or a specific competition. The rules allow the use of modern-style bows,
     but do not require that all competitions allow their use.  

3.   Each archer has the ultimate responsibility for the proper care, inspection and
     safe use of his/her own weapons, and for knowing and following the SCA and
     kingdom target archery rules.  

          An archer shall not knowingly use unsafe equipment.

          If an archer is unsure of the safety of his/her equipment, he/she shall
          request the assistance of a Target Archery Marshal in inspecting the
          equipment.

          The Target Archery Marshal assisting in the inspection shall make a
          reasonable attempt to locate any unsafe conditions or violations of
          kingdom rules and inform the archer of what is found and how to correct
          it. 

          The inspection by the Target Archery Marshal may not find all equipment
          faults and is conducted as a service to all the archers on the line. It does not
          remove the archers' primary responsibility for the safe condition of their
          own equipment.  

          Any equipment observed by a Target Archery Marshal to be unsafe shall
          not be used until it is made safe and is reinspected by a Target Archery
          Marshal. 

4.   Exceptions to the use of prohibited equipment may be allowed as follows:

          The kingdom archery officer, or his/her designee, may approve the use of
          prohibited equipment by class, such as the use of plastic vanes or non-
          wooden arrows for children's archery.  Any such exceptions shall be
          reported in the kingdom archery marshal's quarterly report to the SCA
          Archery Marshal.

          The Target Archery Marshal in Charge of an event may allow the 
          temporary use of prohibited equipment for an archer on an event-by-
          event basis, such as permitting a new archer to use aluminum arrows with 
          plastic vanes.

          The Target Archery Marshal in Charge shall make necessary allowances
          for handicapped archers, provided that range safety is not compromised
          by these allowances.
Bows:

1.   Bows may be made of any material, provided they are judged safe to shoot by
     the Target Archery Marshal.
          Bows of unusual materials or construction will be required to pass the
          inspection of the Kingdom Archery Marshal or designated deputy.
          No compound bows are allowed in competition. There will be no
          exceptions to this prohibition.

2.   Adjustable or fixed sights are not allowed.
          If adjustable or fixed sights are attached, they shall either be removed or
          made inoperative.
          Sighting and/or ranging marks on the limbs or riser are allowed, except in
          divisions or competitions which exclude their use.

3.   There are no draw weight limits for target archery bows. However,  should a
     Target Archery Marshal observe that an archer is using a bow too heavy or 
     overdrawn for them to safely shoot, the Target Archery Marshal will require the
     archer to stop using the bow.

4.   No modern spring/flipper rests or plunger buttons are allowed.  The use of
     simple rests is allowed, such as:
          simple one-piece plastic or non-adjustable wire rests; 
          feather, bristle, leather, etc. rests;
          built out shelves or rests.
     The use of the shelf in a cut-out window is also allowed.

5.   No stabilizers, clickers, or modern string release devices are allowed.

6.   Bows with cut-out risers (i.e., those that can be seen through from the side, often
     found in take-down bows with metal risers) must have the openings covered so
     as to present a solid surface and an appearance more in keeping with medieval
     archery equipment.

Crossbows:

1.   No center-shot trackless crossbow styles are allowed.

2.   No compound prods or break-cocking crossbow styles are allowed in
     competition. There will be no exceptions to this prohibition.

3.   No archer shall continue to use a crossbow that is observed by a Target Archery
     Marshal to have too heavy a draw for the archer to use safely.

4.   Prods of most materials are allowed, provided they are judged safe to shoot by
     the Target Archery Marshal. Prods of unusual material or construction will be
     required to pass the inspection of the Kingdom Archery Marshal or a designated
     deputy.

5.   Simple rear sights are allowed.  Front sights are not allowed.

6.   Stocks may be of any material.

7.   If a modern stock with openings that can be seen through from the side is used,
     all such openings must be filled or covered to appear more period. Openings
     which are intended for gripping the stock need not be covered. Openings may be
     covered with tape, leather, cloth, etc. 

Strings:

1.   All strings shall be appropriate in length and strength for the bow type and
     weight. Linen, silk, artificial sinew, and any modern bowstring materials are
     acceptable, as long as strings are properly constructed.
          Strings that have become knotted, or those that have been repaired by
          knotting strands together, shall not be used.  This rule does not forbid
          those string designs which incorporate knots, such as a bowyer's knot, in
          their original design.

2.   A nocking point may be attached to the string.  It may be made of metal or tied
     on.  A single nocking point is allowed.  
          The nocking point may consist of one or two locators, which may be of
          any type.  
          The locators may not extend above or below the arrow nock in such a way
          as to allow them to be used as sighting mechanisms. 

3.   Peep sights or kisser buttons mounted on the string are not allowed.

Arrows and Bolts:

1.   All shafts shall be of wood or of bamboo-like materials. 

2.   Both self and footed shafts are permitted.

3.   No broadheads or tips that cause excessive damage to the targets shall be used,
     except for special competitions using these heads with the permission of the
     Target Archery Marshal in Charge and the Kingdom Archery Marshal.

4.   Fletched arrows and bolts shall use feathers or other pre-17th century material. 
     Plastic vanes are not allowed.

5.    Nocks for arrows may be of any material. Caps, rings, or nocks for bolts may be
     of any material. 

RANGE SAFETY, RANGE PROCEDURES, AND RULES OF THE LINE

Range Set-Up:

1.   The range and safety zone must be clearly marked off.  This may be done by the
     use of ropes, poles, signs, tapes, etc.

2.   At events where large numbers of archers are shooting, the Target Archery
     Marshal in Charge shall be easily identifiable.

3.   There shall be a safety zone behind and to the sides of the shooting line and
     targets.  It shall be of reasonable size to prevent injury to bystanders.  It must be
     free of traffic, camp sites, list fields, parking areas or other hazards.
          The distance of the safety zone behind the targets may be reduced if there
          is a hill, permanent backstop, archery netting, etc., that will stop stray
          arrows.

4.   If there are roads or paths within the safety zone or range, they shall be blocked
     off to traffic at both ends during shooting. 

5.   The shooting line shall be clearly marked. It must not present a tripping hazard.

6.   So that no archer unduly endangers another by shooting from behind, all archers
     will line up the same way, either all toeing the shooting line or all straddling it.
     Archers shooting from prone, kneeling, seated, etc. positions shall have the head
     of their arrow or bolt, at full draw, in the same line as the other archers on the
     line and should be placed together at one end of the line.

7.   Each archer shall have, at a minimum, three feet of space on the line, with
     recommended spacing being at least four feet. Other shots with special
     circumstances may require other spacing and heightened Target Archery Marshal
     supervision.  

8.   During shooting, all spectators shall remain outside the marked safety zones
     and/or at least ten feet to the rear of the shooting line.  
Range Procedures:

1.   A Target Archery Marshal shall not allow more archers on a line than can be
     reasonably and safely supervised.

2.   Experienced archers, known to and approved by the Target Archery Marshal in
     Charge, may assist the Target Archery Marshals. When this is done, the ratio of
     Target Archery Marshals to archers on line may be reduced.

3.   At shoots where many of the archers are inexperienced, it may be necessary to
     increase the ratio of marshals to archers. This increase need not be as great if
     experienced archers, as well as Target Archery Marshals, are used to supervise the
     inexperienced archers.  

4.   Conditions around the range and safety zone may require the use of additional
     Target Archery Marshals or assistants to observe and prevent traffic through the
     area.

5.   At specialty shoots where the archers are shooting under unusual conditions,
     such as off-handed, with restricted vision, etc., a one-to-one ratio of Target
     Archery Marshals and/or assistants to archers may be necessary.

6.   Any conditions or artificial handicaps which create an undue safety hazard, even
     with an increased Target Archery Marshal/assistant to archer ratio of one to one,
     are forbidden.

7.   Archers exhibiting unsafe behavior may be removed from the range by the Target
     Archery Marshal in Charge.  

Range Commands:

1.   The Marshal will call the archers to the line.

2.   The Marshal will look to see that the range and line are clear and safe.

3.   The Marshal will call out "Range clear!" or the equivalent, and wait momentarily
     for any responses.

4.   If all is clear, then the order "Loose!", "Loose at will!" or the equivalent will be
     given.

5.   When finished shooting, the archers are to lower their bows, step back from the
     line, and wait until the order to retrieve is given.

6.   When all archers are done, the Marshal will call "Bows down!", "Cease!"or the
     equivalent and wait for compliance.

7.   When all weapons are down, the Marshal will give the command, "Retrieve
     arrows!" or the equivalent.

8.   In the case of a serious safety problem on the range such as someone entering, or
     about to enter, the target or safety zone, the call "Hold!" shall be given by anyone
     noticing the problem. All archers are to remove the arrows or bolts from their
     weapons. 

Rules of the Line:

1.   Ask the Target Archery Marshal for permission before filling in on the line. 

2.   If "Hold!" is called, lower your bow, remove your arrow/bolt and pay heed to the
     marshal's instructions.

3.   If an archer sees an immediate problem, he/she should call "Hold!" and inform
     the Marshal in Charge.

4.   If an archer sees a potential problem, he/she should report it to a Target Archery
     Marshal.

5.   All archers shall follow the instructions of the Target Archery Marshal in Charge
     and of Target Archery Marshals assisting on the line.

6.   Step back once you have completed shooting.

Safety Rules:

1.   Archers should always remember the potential danger of their weapons.

2.   No arrows/bolts should be nocked when anyone is in front of the shooting line.

3.   No archer should discharge a bow when anyone is downrange. 

4.   No archer should shoot while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. 