1.3 Jargon
End: archers have a limited number of arrows in their quiver. One ‘end’ of 3 or 6 arrows is shot, before walking to the targets to collect them.
Round: at a tournament archers shoot one ‘round’. This specifies the distances to shoot, the number of arrows at each distance, the size of the target to shoot at, and the scoring type. For example, a ‘Long National’ is 4 dozen arrows at 80 yards, then 2 dozen at 60 yards, all scored using 5-zone scoring against a 122cm target face.
Handicap (HC): a measure of an archer’s skill. This is a number between 0 and 100, with 0 being the best possible handicap.
Target face: The paper into which arrows are shot, on which will be indicators for scoring. For target archery this is typically the classic gold/red/blue/black/white circular face.
Target imperial rounds, measured in yards, use 5-zone scoring. This means there are 5 scoring zones on the target (marked by the different colours). Gold - 9 points, red - 7 points, blue 5 points, etc.
Target metric rounds, measured in meters, use 10-zone scoring. Each colour is split into two, with the part that’s closest to the centre being worth an extra point. Inner gold - 10, outer gold - 9, inner red - 8, outer red - 7, etc.
Field rounds, typically a number of points is awarded based on how many shots were taken to hit the target and whether the hit was a kill or a wound. For example, 1st kill - 20 points, 1st hit - 16 points, 2nd kill - 14 points, 2nd hit - 10 points, etc.
Target archery is what is seen at the Olympics. Shooting ends of 3 or 6 arrows in an open area against a target, collect them, and repeat.
Field archery is typically done around a wood against 3D animals or animal faces, taking up to three shots before moving onto the next target.
Recurve is the bow style used in the olympics. The main body of the bow consists of the riser - the centre third where the grip is - and the limbs - coming out of the riser and curving away from the archer. You'll also typically see sights and stabilisers (the rods coming out of the bow, usually below the grip), along with a few other items.
Compound is typically characterised by the two cams (they look like wheels) at the top and bottom of the bow. The string is wrapped around them multiple times. These cams change the draw weight of the bow as it's pulled back; in short, it gets easier to pull back the further you pull it back. They are much more powerful than a recurve and much more accurate.
Barebow is similar to the recurve class but without all the bolt-ons. No sight, no stabilisers.
Other: there are other styles that are specific to a bow-type such as longbows and flatbows.
Classification: a more broad measure of an archers skill than a handicap. From lowest to highest: third class, second class, first class, bowman, master bowman, grand master bowman. There are also junior equivalents for those under 18 (junior bowman, etc.)
Sight mark: this usually refers to the numbers written on an archers sight. Archers will make a note of where their sight goes for each distance so they can quickly find the target when starting a round.
Awards: Rose awards and WA target awards are badges achieved by obtaining a particular score for a round at a record status or world record status shoot respectively.
World record status (WRS): an archer can claim a world record at this tournament. These shoots are governed by World Archery (WA), the international archery governing body.
(UK) Record status (RS): an archer can claim a national record at this tournament. These shoots are governed by Archer GB, Great Britain's archery governing body (formerly known as the Grand National Archery Association or GNAS).