by Coach_Jeff

Time for our yearly update on tournament requirements and etiquette!  Good luck to all our archers this weekend at Beaver Valley Archers.

Things to Remember for Tournaments:

1. Wear black pants and your team shirt. If you run into an “emergency”, you can come dressed differently, just be sure to not wear camo or old jeans.
2. Arrive 30-45 minutes prior to shooting time.
   • You need time to check-in, put equipment together, & listen to announcements (announcements are typically 5-10 minutes prior to start of shooting).
3. Come prepared
   • Be sure you have all of your equipment and enough arrows (in your quiver, not your case).
     • 3 arrows are shot at a time, but you need to have extras in case of damage to, or loss of, vanes or nocks (4 arrows is a minimum; 6 or more is best).
     • ALL of an archer’s arrows MUST match and have their initials on the shafts!
   • Keep a pencil in your quiver!
4. Upon arrival, check in at the registration desk and put your equipment together.
   • You are to verify your merit class, age class, equipment, gender, target type/size.
   • Sometimes merit classes change often. If you jumped ANYTIME before the tournament (including at the last tournament) be sure to correct it at check-in.
   • If you are given your scorecard at the registration desk, you are to place it at the target.
5. Scoring:
   • NEVER mark or touch arrows or the target before they are ALL called and recorded!
   • No less than 3 archers may score together, typical group size is 4 archers.
   • Double scoring is always used.
   • Archers decide who calls, who scores, and who observes.
   • Make sure everyone is clear on whether each archer is scoring inner or outer 10 rings.
   • Do NOT copy scores! i.e. – scorekeepers must do their own addition.
   • Check scores after every end, before arrows are pulled (even if the other scorekeeper doesn’t want to do this, it is very important, and is a rule – insist on doing it).
   • Mark your arrows!
6. Line etiquette:
   • Step to the line within the allotted time (10 seconds)/
   • If you are late to the line, do not step to line if archer facing you is at full draw.
   • Take care not to bump those around you on the line.
   • Do NOT leave the line if a shooter immediately on either side of you is at full draw.
7. Verbal communication and coaching on the line is NOT permitted.
   Communication must occur behind the wait line while your line is not shooting.
8. If you are unable to shoot an arrow/end due to an equipment issue, notify a coach and/or line judge. (A line judge MUST be told – a coach can do this for you – BEFORE you miss your time to shoot).  If you are on the line, raise your hand to indicate a problem. The line judge will let you know to step off the line and seek help.
9. At completion of shooting, give both scorecards to the host club’s representative. They will return one of them to you.  Keep it for your records, but we will receive the scores from the host club in a few days.
10. Any questions or problems, ask a coach or line judge.