Field Archery
Field archers raise their bows, notch their arrows, and look for one long moment at the mark … But unlike their peers in straightforward target archery, they have exerted themselves physically before they get to take their first shot. Field archery – much like golf – has the athletes walk a set course and shoot at targets of different sizes from varying distances. No target is like the previous one; no course compares to another. Three different types of bows are used in field archery competitions at The World Games: the recurve, the compound and the bare bow.
Field archery features in The World Games 2013; check the event calendar for details about when it is scheduled.
DID YOU KNOW THAT...?
In field archery competitions ...
The field archery competitions are
- Shot from "marked" (known) and "unmarked" (unknown) distances ranging between 5 and 60 meters (depending on division)
- At target faces with six scoring zones
- With target sizes and positions to be recognized by the archer
- Requiring him/her to shoot uphill and downhill, from varying shooting positions
Since the arrow flight differs over any given distance subject to the angle of the shot, the archer must know by experience how much to add or subtract in order to counteract the effects of gravity.The archer needs to be prepared for all eventualities, carefully preparing his/her equipment and clothing, as he/she is to carry everything over the course.
Field versus Olympic target ...
In field archery, the shots are generally made more challenging through the clever use of the intervening terrain, forcing the athletes to not only estimate the distance but to allow for the slope of the ground - or to make accommodations for the incline of a tree. Other factors increasing the difficulty of the shots include the lighting: in the woods this may well imply shooting from the dark to the light or the other way round. The variety of the ever changing shooting conditions are the true challenge of field archery.
While field archery demands the same high levels of concentration from the athletes as does target archery, it is far more physical and requires an even wider spectrum of skills than the latter.
Finals round ...
In the "Finals Round" the top four athletes in each division shoot two matches consisting of four marked targets. The first-ranked athletes shoots against the fourth-ranked, and the second shoots against the third. Thereafter, the losers advance to the Bronze Medal Match, and the winners advance to the Gold Medal Match. Both matches consist of additional four marked targets. The four-minute limit is strictly imposed, and any arrow shot after the deadline is withdrawn by the judge.
