Archery

History
Archery was in the Olympics (and the 1906 Intercalated Games) between 1900, the second modern
Olympics, and 1920. The sport was dropped from the program because there were no internationally
recognized rules for the sport- each Olympics through 1920 held a different type of event. With the
creation of FITA in the 1930s, set international rules were created. However, it was not until 1972 that
Archery was re-introduced with the individual event, and in 1988 the team event was added to the
program. Further competition rules changes were made for the 1992 Olympic Games, which introduced
match play to the program in the form of the Archery Olympic Round.

Dimensions for Archery

Outdoor competitions have a variety of shooting formats and distances. The longest is 90 meters.
Recurve athletes shoot at targets set 70 meters away and compound athletes shoot at targets set 50
meters away

Equipment and Gear

Bows - The bow is the tool responsible for aiming and propelling the arrow towards its target. The
two most common types of archery bows are the recurve bow and compound bow.
Compound bows - typically reserved for hunting because they deliver the most power behind
the arrow. Compound bows are heavy and complicated in design.
Recurve bows - feature curved limb tips that angle in the opposite direction of the bow limb,
allowing the bow to store more power on the draw back and release the arrow with more energy
than a traditional longbow. Recurve bows are lighter weight than compound bows but provide more
accuracy in shooting.

Arrows - Arrows are made of a shaft that typically ranges from 26 to 28 inches and comes to a point
at one end and a nock at the other.
Shaft - the long spine of the arrow. Arrow shafts are made of wood, fiberglass, aluminum,
or carbon. The arrow, regardless of shaft material, must have the correct stiffness to match the
bow. As an arrow is released, the shaft bends before straightening in flight. Incorrect stiffness
will cause the arrow to fly erratically and inaccurately.
Fetching - the plastic vanes or feathers on an arrow. Creates wind drag and also can
cause the arrow to spin similar to a rifle bullet, providing stability and accuracy in flight.
Point/Arrowhead - The point of the arrow. Many different kinds of arrow points are
available, each with a different purpose and advantage.
Nock: A slotted plastic tip located on the rear end of the arrow that snaps onto the string
and holds the arrow in position.

Safety and Protection

Archery carries a risk of injury even when you are not in the path of the arrow. A bracer or arm guard
is a plastic or leather panel that you wear on the inside of your stabilizing arm to protect your skin
from being scraped by the string on draw release. Finger tabs provide similar protection; the small
finger coverings are designed to prevent the development of callouses on your drawing fingers
which can be damaged by the friction of the string. A chest guard helps reduce injury, and it
also stops clothes from interfering with the string as it is drawn back. The force unleashed
by the bowstring is strong, and it can cause damage to the chest area of the archer.

Targets and Aiming

Athletes shoot at a traditional yellow, red, blue, black and white target that scores 10 for the inner
ring and one for the outer ring.
In international competition, compound targets only include the yellow, red and blue rings. This is to
reduce the size of target mat needed for each target face, in order that each athlete has their own
target to shoot at.

Technique
While some techniques may vary, there are general rules archers follow, which helps ensure
accuracy while shooting.
Proper stance: Line up, so your feet are in a line towards the middle of the target. Your feet should
be shoulder width apart, and your toes should be pointing at a 90-degree angle from the target. 
Put the arrow in the bow: Put the arrow on the arrow rest, which is part of the bow. Place the
bowstring into the nock, which is the slotted portion on the back of an arrow.
Grip the string: Typically, three fingers are used to hold the string. The pointer finger is held above
the arrow and the middle and ring finger are below the arrow. The grip should be loose.
Draw the bow: Raise the bow and draw, or pull the string back. Your bow arm, or the arm that is not
drawing the string, should be pointed toward the target. Next, draw the string toward an anchor
point. Anchor points are typically the chin, corner of the mouth, or ear.
Aim: Some people aim with a sight, others do not.
Release: Let go of the string by relaxing your fingers. Don't jerk or move the bow after you have
released the arrow. Stay in the stance until the arrow hits the target as to not move while the arrow is
being released.
process

Rules of Games
Basing on the Olympic rules of archery, the target is 70 meters from the archer and 1.22 meters in
diameter. It is made up of ten circles with five different colors. Scoring goes as follows: the center
ring is 10 points and the points are reduced by one as you get further from the center. For example,
going from the outermost rings to the innermost rings, the point value would be:
 White ring: 1
 White ring: 2
 Black ring: 3
 Black ring: 4
 Blue ring: 5
 Blue ring: 6
 Red ring: 7
 Red ring: 8
 Yellow ring: 9
 Yellow ring: 10
Note: If the archer hits a line between circles, the higher point-value is awarded.

In order to avoid an accidental shooting, a whistle is used to indicate when an archer can approach
the shooting line, when he can shoot, and when she can retrieve her arrows. See below:
 Two whistle blows: The archer moves to the shooting line.
 One whistle blow: The archer shoots.
 Three whistle blows: The archer retrieves her arrows.