Field Archery is the sport of shooting targets at varying distances. It often takes place in rough terrain.

Field Archery is the shooting of targets, with arrows, found in rough and diverse terrain. The distance of targets can be marked or unmarked.

The goal of field archery is to score points by hitting targets with arrows. A shot closest to the center of the target produces the highest amount of points. The person with the highest amount of points at the end of competition is the winner. Another goal of field archery is to improve one�s skills at hunting with a bow and arrow.

In the United States, there are three common types of field archery rounds, as sanctioned by the National Field Archery Association (NFAA): field, hunter and animal. Each of these types carries different rules.

Field rounds place targets at even distances, up to 80 yards away. Targets contain a black bullseye, a white center and a black outer ring, worth 5, 4 and 3 points, respectively.

Hunter rounds place targets at uneven distances, up to 70 yards away. Targets contain a white bullseye and all-black face. Point values are the same as in field rounds.

Animal rounds use life size two-dimensional targets placed at uneven distances. Competitors begin by shooting at a first station of the target, stopping only if the target is hit. If the target is missed, competitors advance to second and third stations. 20, 16 or 12 points are awarded for vital hits, and 18, 14 or 10 points are awarded for non-vital hits.

Archery, dating back to the Paleolithic era, was/is practiced by many cultures throughout the world. As civilization progressed, archery evolved from a method of hunting animals into a useful tool of warfare. When guns became prevalent in the early 17th century the practice of archery became nearly nonexistent, only being used by societies where guns weren�t yet available. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries archery was revived as a sporting venture in Europe and North America. Field archery grew quickly as a natural alternative to hunting game. In 1939 the NFAA was founded as the governing body in the United States. Today, the sport is one of the most popular forms of archery, and is played everywhere archery can be found.

Arrow(s)
Bow
Targets

Archers must always be conscious of their surroundings, due to the dangerous nature of shooting arrows.

Archers must have strong shoulders, forearms and wrists to pull the bow far enough to achieve a proper amount of distance. A minimum level of fitness must also be maintained due to the demands of moving quickly over varied terrain.

Arrow - a sharpened shaft, shot from a bow

Bow - curved stick whose ends are joined by a taught cord, used for projecting arrows

Round - number of arrows shot in a type of competition

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