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Article V
A. General:
1. Essence of the NFAA Handicap System. Handicapping is the great equalizer among sportsmen of differing abilities. The National Field Archery Association presents this archery handicap system in the conviction that, when faithfully operated, it results in equitable handicaps no matter where archers live and play. The handicap system does not exclude the use of both handicap and/or scratch shooting in the same tournament. The national system of handicapping must meet two main requirements, which are:
1.1 Simple enough for operation by the small, modestly equipped club as well as the largest state association.
1.2 Thorough enough to produce fair, uniform handicapping the country over.
2. Handicap Name:
The handicap produced by this system is termed an “NFAA Handicap”. Such a handicap should be identified on a card or elsewhere as “NFAA Handicap” or as “Computed under NFAA Handicap System”. View Handicap Calculator.
3. Purposes:
3.1 Provide fair handicaps for all archers, regardless of ability.
3.2 Reflect the archer’s inherent ability as well as his recent scoring trends.
3.3 Automatically adjust his handicap down or up as his game changes.
3.4 Disregard freak low scores that bear little relation to the archer’s normal ability.
3.5 Make it difficult for the archer to obtain an unfairly large handicap increase at any revision period.
3.6 Make a handicap continuous from one shooting season to the next without need of adjustment.
3.7 Encourage the archer to keep his game near its peak.
3.8 Establish handicaps useful for all archers, from championship eligibility to informal games.
3.9 Make handicap work as easy as possible for the handicapper.
B. Establishing a Handicap:
1. An archer’s handicap shall be computed on the official NFAA field and/or hunter round, and shall be computed by the following table:
Best score of 2, scores 80% of average differential.
2 best scores of 5, scores 80% of average differential.
3 best scores of last 7, scores 80% of average differential.
The first and second methods shall be computed only for those archers who have not recorded the minimum of seven scores need for a full handicap.
2. An archer’s handicap shall be derived only from those scores shot within the last twelve (12) months.
3. All handicaps must be established during a tournament held on official NFAA targets, approved NFAA 2-Star Ranges or higher, and where official NFAA field or hunter rounds are shot.
4. The differential is the difference between the actual average and perfect. (Example: Last 7 scores are 430, 415, 440, 440, 450, 460 and 410. The best 3 scores are 440, 450 and 460. Average = 450. 560 minus 450 = 110. 80% of 110 equals 88, which is the handicap.)
C. Handicap Procedure:
1. A new archer, or one who holds an expired handicap card, shall be issued a handicap card in the most expedient manner upon the payment of established fees, and must shoot two official scores to establish handicap.
2. No archer shall be issued a handicap card unless the archer is a member in good standing of the NFAA and a state association chartered and recognized by the NFAA.
3. Each person will be responsible for keeping a current handicap in the proper place on the handicap card.
4. If a person shoots more than one style, he must be handicapped in each style.
D. Handicap Cards:
1. Handicap cards will be made available online by NFAA upon receipt of dues from members. The card shall have provisions to indicate NFAA State and Club Membership, all styles of shooting, and shall provide space for recording scores for all recognized styles of shooting.
2. Handicap shall be concurrent with membership, i.e., expiration of membership in the NFAA shall void handicap.
3. Handicap card shall be issued by the NFAA in conjunction with direct NFAA membership applications, provided an affiliated state association exists in the area where the archer resides.
4. The handicap and membership card shall carry the NFAA ID number, full name, expiration date, and affiliated state of the archer.
5. Handicap and membership cards of military personnel in transit or on temporary duty shall be recognized.
E. Scores to be Recorded on Handicap Cards:
1. All scores recorded on the handicap cards shall be the actual scores for the field and/or hunter rounds.
2. All scores shot in tournaments using field and/or hunter rounds may be recorded.
3. All recording on the handicap card shall be on the basis of each 28 targets, i.e., a tournament of 28 targets field and 28 targets hunter – each score is to be recorded. If a 14 field and 14 hunter – the combined total shall be recorded. If a 28 field and 14 hunter – the round that is completed shall be recorded. No fractional round shall be recorded.
F. Lost or Misplaced Handicap Cards:
1. An archer who has been handicapped but cannot submit a handicap card or statement from his club secretary showing his/her true handicap is required to compete without handicap for that tournament.
2. An archer may not submit club secretary evidence of handicap to the state handicap officer or NFAA board member for more than 14 consecutive days. The archer must apply for a replacement handicap and membership card. The application must be accompanied by the fees established by the NFAA and the state association. The replacement card shall run concurrent with his/her previous card as recorded in the records of the state association and/or records of the NFAA.
G. Administration of Handicaps:
1. Handicap shall be administered through the state association chartered and recognized by the NFAA. If no chartered or recognized association exists, the NFAA shall administer the system.
2. The state association shall maintain a satisfactory control to insure that handicap is properly administered.
3. The state associations shall agree no archer is denied a handicap card upon proper application and payment fees, regardless of race, creed or color.
4. The state association shall agree that no member in good standing with the NFAA is denied a handicap card.
5. State associations may not impose additional requirements for handicap.
6. Non-compliance with these requirements shall be grounds for immediate suspension of recognition by the NFAA. The state association must submit within 30 days a brief, showing cause why the offending association’s charter and recognition should not be revoked by the NFAA Board of Directors Council.
7. The use of non-official targets shall not be construed as a permissive to negate the provisions of the handicap article.