Scoring system
Clear visuals, cleaner explanations and a layout that makes scoring references easier to scan during practice.
Target shooting
Point values
The amount of points you receive for hitting a specific color (ring) depends on a couple factors:
- Are you shooting indoor or outdoor
- Are you shooting a metric round or an imperial round
- What type of bow are you using
Cutting the line
One thing that always applies is arrows cutting the line between the rings. If your arrow entirely cuts the line between the score rings, you will always receive the highest of the two scores. In some competitions, this applies when your arrow touches the line, even if just so slightly (without entirely cutting it). Please ask the staff beforehand if you need clarification on what rule the competition uses!
Outdoor
Outdoor rounds / competitions are always shot on the standard five-colored target face. The size of the target face depends on a couple of factors: type of round, distance, type of bow, etc. Usually, the target face size is either 122cm or 80cm.
Imperial rounds (rounds with distances measured in yards) are usually shot on the larger 122cm target faces.
Metric rounds (rounds with distances measured in meters) are usually shot on either a 122cm or an 80cm target face or a combination of both sizes depending on the distance and type of round.
Metric
Metrics rounds, for example, World Archery (previously known as FITA), GNAS Metric, short / long metric, etc. Use the scoring system seen in the figure below. The innermost gold ring is marked as a "10+". On the scorecard, you mark this down as an "X". This special score is used as a tiebreaker.
Imperial
Imperial rounds, for example, GNAS Imperial. Use the scoring system seen in the figures below. The first figure shows the scoring system on the regular imperial target face. Sometimes, metric target faces are used. In this case, the "9+" is NOT a special type of score like in the metric system. In the imperial system, the number of hits on the gold rings is used as a tiebreaker.
Indoor
Indoor rounds / competitions are usually shot on the standard five-colored target face. The target faces for indoor are generally smaller than the outdoor target faces: 80cm, 60cm, or 40cm, depending on the distance and type of round. The indoor target faces have a couple of variations, most notably the "three-spot" target faces shown below.
Indoor - compound bows
Compound bows have a couple of different systems for scoring indoors. Below are three figures with possible options. If you need clarification on the competition's scoring system, please ask the staff beforehand!
Indoor - other bows
For other bows, the scoring system is a lot easier. The same scoring system is used for outdoor shoots.
Indoor - Worcester
The indoor Worcester round is an exception on the colored scoring faces. This round is shot on a target face that is black and white.
The indoor Worcester is the only competition where the archer shoots five arrows each round.
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3D Archery
3D archery is a discipline where you shoot on three dimensional foam animals instead of on target faces. These foam targets can range from a tiny snail to a massive komodo dragon. Each target helps create different shooting scenarios. You might shoot downhill at a deer target and then walk a few steps to shoot at an alligator in a ditch. These setups create realistic practice, but 3D archery isn’t just for hunters. It’s exciting for all archers because no two shots are the same. The two largest 3D organizations are the International Bowhunting Organization and the Archery Shooters Association. Below, we will show the differences between both organizations and their scoring systems.
Cutting the line
If your arrow entirely cuts the line between the score rings, you will always receive the highest of the two scores. In some competitions, this applies when your arrow touches the line, even if just so slightly (without entirely cutting it). Please ask the staff beforehand if you need clarification on what rule the competition uses!
International Bowhunting Organization (IBO) scoring
Below is a figure showing each ring's default points (please note these point values can differ between events). The smallest circle is worth 11 points, the mid-sized circle is worth 10 points, the biggest circle is worth 8 points, and if you hit the animal outside of the rings, you'll receive 5 points.
Archery Shooters Association (ASA) scoring
Below is a figure showing each ring's default points (please note these point values can differ between events). The small 14-point circle is a special ring that is only sometimes in play. If it is in play, the archer must call it beforehand to try and earn the extra points. The lower 12-point circle is always in play. The archer can use the upper 12-point circle, but it must be called beforehand. The mid-sized circle is worth 10 points, the biggest circle is worth 8 points, and if you hit the animal outside of the rings, you'll receive 5 points.
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