Version control: Original 1986 / Updated 1999 / Updated 2003 / Updated 2015
Introduction
You must refer to the Requirements for All Sport and Physical Activity (PDF 466KB) to understand your overall compliance responsibilities.
Parents must be informed of full details of the location, supervision to be provided and activities to be undertaken when seeking written permission.
Teacher/Instructor Qualifications and Experience
The teacher/instructor must have Level 1 accreditation with Archery Australia, appropriate expertise and or training in the teaching/instruction of Archery. A teacher must be present who has current training in emergency care.
Supervision
1:20 with no more than ten (10) students shooting at any one time.
If an adult other than a teacher is engaged for instruction, a teacher must be present to take overall responsibility.
Equipment
Equipment is to be used strictly in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications and guidelines pertaining to use, storage, maintenance, strength and working life.
Each student should shoot with a shooting tab or glove or suitable finger protection device fitted to the string and wear an arm guard.
Students should wear close fitting tops to avoid clothing catching in the string and must wear enclosed footwear.
Bows suitably strung, and arrows of various lengths must be provided.
The target butt to be used must be constructed of STRAMIT (heat compressed straw) or specially layered EVA foam or other appropriate material and be approximately 0.8m square to 1.3m square and should not allow arrows to pass through.
The target butt may be placed on the ground or a wooden stand. The stand and target butt must be tied down to ensure it does not blow over in wind or is pulled forward when arrows are being withdrawn.
The internationally recognised FITA target face should be used.
Equipment Requirements
- Bows must be checked periodically for cracks, splintering and/or stress marks. Cracks and splintering are usually easily identified. Stress marks appear as frosted areas in fibreglass and laminations. Bows must be withdrawn from use if cracks, splinters and stress marks appear.
- Strings must be checked regularly for signs of abrasion and wear. Worn strings must be discarded. Strings must be regularly waxed using bow string wax.
- All bows should be strung to their recommended brace height, either check the manufacturers specifications or measure the bow length using the following method;
- measure the length of an unstrung bow from groove to groove along the back of the bow(part of the bow that faces the archer) where the string sits and divide by 8 according to the manufacturer's specifications. An under strung bow can cause serious wrist slap. - Only use dacron bow strings to avoid damage to bows.
- Arrows length must be matched to the shooter's draw length so that the arrow cannot be overdrawn when the shooter completes a full draw (anchor position).
- Arrows must be regularly checked for damage and repaired or destroyed immediately.
- Students must be taught the proper technique for withdrawing arrows from the target butts. Students should be cautioned to watch for others behind them when they withdraw arrows.
- A well-equipped medical kit must be readily available.
Venues
It is preferable that outdoor ranges are used. The area should be selected to take advantage of the natural terrain and ensure that any person is not endangered. Arrows should be released towards a hill or an embankment. Outdoor ranges must:
- Be free from obstructions such as trees, wires or shrubs.
- Have a “clear” area established behind the target butts (mats). An area twice the distance of the longest shooting distance is necessary. This would be a minimum of 50m.
- Have barriers and appropriate signage placed in prominent positions around the outdoor range to restrict access by non-participants.
- Have definite shooting lines established for each shooting distance.
- Be isolated from normal pedestrian and motor traffic.
- Have sturdily supported target butts.
Only accredited and registered indoor ranges are to be used. Suitable material such as arrow netting must be placed behind the target to avoid the arrows hitting the wall.
Safety
The following safety strategies must be employed by the teacher/instructor:
- Students must remove jewellery and other ornaments likely to cause injury.
- Equipment must be made inaccessible when not under the direct supervision of the teacher.
- Set up a clearly marked single 'shooting line' long enough to accommodate participants comfortably allowing one (1) metre per archer with a maximum of four (4) archers per target. All archers must shoot from this line. A 'waiting line' should be established a minimum of two (2) metres behind the 'shooting line'.
- Supply students with individual quivers where possible.
- Establish a set of communication signals that give all participants clear instruction/indications when they can move to the shooting line, commence shooting, cease shooting and retrieve arrows.
- Instruct students that when they are finished shooting they return to the 'waiting line'.
- Instruct students to point knocked arrows in the direction of the target.
- Instruct students not to draw a bow, with or without an arrow in it, unless they are standing facing the target and intending to shoot.
- Instruct students not to retrieve arrows which fall from the shooter's bow in front of the shooting line, until a 'cease shooting' signal is given.
- Instruct students to place bows on racks or on the ground next to the shooting line when they have finished shooting, and then step back. When the shooting line is clear, the signal can be given to retrieve arrows.
- Ensure all arrows are retrieved at the same time.
- If more than two archers are shooting at the same target, nominate a person from each group (e.g. target captain) to withdraw arrows from their target, while other archers stand back at a safe distance and to one side of the target to prevent eye injury on withdrawal of the arrows.