Archery Target Dimensions

Governed by the Federation Internationale de Tir a l’Arc or FITA, target archery is a modern competitive sport wherein players shoot at round targets at different distances. This is a very fun and exciting game as it challenges the precision and accuracy of individuals. Different types of bows can be used in this sport like the compound, recurve, barebow and longbow. Additionally, there are many other nice things to find out about this game including the different archery target dimensions.

The Dimensions of the Target in Archery

One of the common sizes of targets used in target archery is 40 centimeters, which is mainly used in the 18-meter FITA indoor events. The second common size is 60 centimeters for 25-meter FITA indoor events. The third size is 80 centimeters, which is used commonly for two different FITA events, namely the 30-meter and the 50-meter rounds. The fourth common size is 122 centimeters, which is used for the 70-meter and the 90-meter FITA events.

In Olympic Games, the 122-centimeter face is commonly used. For the ‘3 Spot’ event, players must shoot at 40-centimeter and 60-centimeter targets. They are usually arranged in an equilateral triangle or in a line, comprised of 40-centimeter and 60-centimeter faces. The purpose of this arrangement is to prevent competitors from damaging their very own arrows.

Under standard FITA rules, the indoor distances are 18 meters and 25 meters. For outdoor events, the distances usually range from 30 meters to 90 meters. In Olympic Games, the standard distance is 70 meters. Under GNAS rules, the standard distance for indoor events is 18 meters or 20 yards. For outdoor events, the distances for senior competitions range from 37 to 91 meters or 40 to 100 yards. For junior events, the distances range from 9.1 to 73 meters or 10 to 80 yards.

Additional Facts and Other Important Details

The International Olympic Committee recognized FITA as the governing body for all kinds of archery competitions. Right now, FITA archery governing bodies represent 142 countries. The biggest bodies include the French Archery Federation of FFTA with more than 60,000 members, FITARCO of Italy and DSB of Germany. Other notable groups include the National Archery Association of the United States, Great Britain’s Grand National Archery Society or GNAS as well as the All-Japan Archery Federation. The oldest governing body is GNAS, followed by the National Archery Association of the United States, which dates back to the 1870s.

Imperial rounds are used in Great Britain, which are measured in yards. On the other hand, FITA use metric rounds in various international competitions. Archery is divided into junior and senior events, with players below 18 years of age classified as juniors.