| Archery is about striking a target with an arrow shot | | | | and the target sizes are different to match the |
| from a bow. The bow can either be an upright bow | | | | various distances. An outdoor archery target can be |
| or a crossbow, although most people think of upright | | | | either 122 centimetres or 80 centimetres in diameter. |
| bows when they hear the term 'archery'. Within the | | | | The middle of this target is 24.4 centimetres in |
| sport or hobby of target archery, there are two | | | | diameter and there are four concentric bands around |
| kinds: target archery and field archery. The champion | | | | this. The indoor target is 80 centimetres in diameter. |
| is the archer with the highest combined score of his | | | | The middle of this size target is 16 centimetres and |
| arrows that struck the target. | | | | also has four concentric circles around it. |
| Target archery necessitates shooting arrows, | | | | Each band is about eight centimetres wide on the |
| normally six, from different distances typically 90, 70, | | | | smaller target. The targets are coloured gold in the |
| 50 and 30 metres. The archers stand in a line before | | | | centre, then red, blue, black and white. At the middle |
| their targets starting at 90 metres and shoot an | | | | of the gold is what many archers call the 'pinhole'. |
| arrow on the command of whoever is in charge. | | | | It is a small cross of about two millimetres in width. |
| Then they all advance to the 70 metre mark and | | | | The target should then be put on an easel or stand |
| shoot again on the command and so on. After the | | | | with a tilt of about 15 degrees. The pinhole should be |
| six arrows have been shot, the archers proceed to | | | | 130 centimetres off the ground (plus or minus five |
| their targets and tally up their scores. | | | | centimetres). |
| Field archery involves walking around a course where | | | | If there is more than one archer, the pinholes should |
| targets are set at different distances. The targets | | | | all be at the same height off the ground and the |
| may be the traditional round ones or they may be | | | | targets should be plainly numbered. The shooting line |
| models of wild animals like hare, elk or mountain lions. | | | | should be plainly marked and an archer's shooting |
| Traditional targets are made from straw. Handfuls of | | | | spot should be marked too. Five yards behind the |
| straw are tied with string and crafted into a sort of | | | | archer, there should be another line, behind which |
| rope. This rope is then wound around and around | | | | non-competitors may watch. |
| itself until a target of the right size has been crafted. | | | | The danger zone between the archers and the |
| The rope is held in situ either by pinning it or tying it. | | | | targets should be roped off to stop spectators |
| A canvas or paper target is then pinned to the face | | | | wandering into the line of fire. Knowing that the |
| of it. | | | | spectators are kept well back helps the archers to |
| Target archery can be practiced outdoors or indoors | | | | focus on their archery. |