NFAA Outdoor National Field Championships 2026

A few simple safety rules need to be observed:

1. Make sure all your equipment is in safe working order. You are responsible for the damage your equipment may cause should a “malfunction” occur.
2. Never exceed the manufacturer’s recommendation matching arrow spine to bow weight.
3. When drawing your bow, the arrow should always remain in a horizontal position pointed at the target.

It is your responsibility to ensure that your equipment complies with NFAA competition rules. If you are uncertain about the legality of your equipment, consult a tournament official. Any equipment found to be non-compliant with NFAA standards at any point during the competition may result in disqualification.

Special note: The maximum peak draw weight allowed in NFAA competition is 80 pounds. The maximum arrow speed is 300 FPS with a variance of 3%.

NFAA Equipment & Shooting style Rules

1. Archers shoot in groups of not less than 3 or more than 6; 4 to be the preferred number. No group of less than 3 shall turn in an official score.
2. Archers within a group shall mutually agree on which two will shoot from each side of the shooting stake. On targets 1 and 15, archers will switch their shooting order: those who shot first will shoot last, and those who shot last will shoot first. Likewise, archers will switch sides—those on the right move to the left, and those on the left move to the right. Archers shooting top targets will switch to bottom targets, and vice versa.
3. Each archer must straddle an imaginary shooting line, marked by the distance stake and parallel to the target face, while shooting the required arrows. No archer may advance to the next target until all arrows have been shot by the group.
4. When shooting at butts with multiple target faces, the first 2 archers will shoot the bottom target faces. When target faces are placed side by side (i.e. 50 cm) the archer on the left will shoot the left target face; the archer on the right will shoot the right target face. On fan positions the same applies, except each archer will shoot one arrow from each position, two arrows at each target. Any arrow striking the wrong target shall be considered a miss and may not be re-shot. 20 cm targets will be shot vertically. The shooter may elect to shoot top to bottom in order or bottom to top in order. Each archer must choose one column of four target faces on his or her side of the shooting stakes. An archer must not shoot at a column that has already been shot by another archer
5. Two or more archers shall shoot at the same time to prevent delays. One group shall not hold up the following groups for any reason including looking for lost arrows. Enough arrows shall be carried so that each archer may continue shooting, and return later to find any missing arrows. If one or more open targets in front and two or more groups back up, the delaying group shall allow the backed up groups to shoot through.
6. Archers may not practice on any course to be used for tournament competition later the same day, however, the first target of each day’s competition will be used as practice at the discretion of the tournament chairman. This will be determined and announced prior to each day’s round. Practice arrows shall not be counted as score. The maximum number of practice arrows allowable will be determined by the round being shot.
7. An archer leaving the range for any reason other than an emergency or an equipment failure may be privileged to return to his/her group and complete unfinished round or subsequent rounds. He/She will not be privileged to make up any missed targets in the interim. If deemed an emergency, or an equipment failure, then in the presence of the tournament official he/she will be allowed to shoot and score missed targets.
8. In the case of an equipment failure, the archer may have the needed time, as granted by a tournament official, for equipment repair or replacement and may shoot arrows required to assure that the proper sight settings are accurate, within the 45 minute maximum time limit. Then, in the presence of the tournament official, be allowed to shoot and score the targets missed. This occurrence of repair or replacement is allowed only once in any tournament day.
9. No archer may compete in any one tournament more than one time. No dual registration is allowed.
10. In case of inclement weather, the tournament shall continue unless the range has becomes unsafe as determined by the Tournament Chairman or appointed Tournament Officials. A pre-determined signal will be sounded to halt competition. An archer leaving the range without approval shall be subject to rule #7 above.
11. No alcoholic beverages may be carried or consumed on any range or practice area. Anyone caught breaking this rule will be immediately disqualified.
12. Tripods for spotting scopes and/or binoculars shall not be permitted.
13. A (3) three-letdown rule will be applied per arrow. A fourth letdown will be counted as a shot arrow.
14. The targets must be shot in numerical sequence. Archers are not allowed to intentionally skip a target(s) and return later to shoot and score the skipped target(s). An intentionally skipped target(s) may not be re-shot and shall be scored as a zero.
15. Archers must complete the prescribed number of targets for the tournament to be eligible for an award. No award can be won with an incomplete score, except in the case of emergency.
16. There will be a shooting time limit. Your scorecard must be turned in by the announced deadline for that day’s score to be recorded.

1. All arrows must remain in the target butt, untouched, until all arrows are scored. In all NFAA Rounds, an arrow shaft need only touch the line to be counted in the area of next higher value.
2. The status of all arrows shall be determined and recorded before touching or withdrawing any arrows from the target butt.
3. The target group will select a score caller, two scorekeepers, and a target captain. The target captain shall be the judge of disputed arrows on his/her target. When a captains arrows are in question, the majority of the group shall decide the status of Target Captains arrows. When a line judge has been appointed by the tournament director and an appeal is made to the line judge, the line judge’s call will be final.
4. Off-ground skids or glances into the target shall not be counted. Arrows striking objects over the shooting lane may be re-shot.
5. Arrows passing through the face, but still in the butt, may be pushed back and scored as hits in the circles through which they passed. Any arrows deflected by a foreign object or miss fired will be scored where it lies. Any arrow embedded in the nock of another arrow (generally known as a “Robin Hood”) will be scored the same as the arrow it struck and skewered.
6. Arrows believed to have passed through the target may be re-shot with marked arrows, which will not be scored if the doubtful arrows are found in the butt.
7. Unsuspected pass through: In any instance where arrows are found to have obviously passed through in such a manner they cannot be properly scored and their location and the condition of the butt convince the target captain that the arrows did indeed pass through a scoring area, the archer may return and re-shoot from the obvious distances or furthest distances involved.
8. Witnessed bounce outs, believed to have hit the target in the scoring area, will be re-shot.
9. Ties for 1st in Championship Flights will be broken by a shoot off. Ties for 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the Professional divisions will be broken by shoot off. All shoot offs for ties will take place at the practice range, on the longest yardage commensurate with age. Field or Hunter faces may be used at the discretion of the tournament director. Score, Spots & X’s will be used. After one end, if still tied, repeat the end.
10. An archer who shoots arrows in excess of the prescribed number shall lose the arrow or arrows of higher value. A penalty of one point will be assessed for each arrow shot over the prescribed number.
11. Any arrow(s) shot from other than a pre-designated position in the designated order shall be scored as “0” (zero).
12. A dropped arrow is one which falls while being transferred from the quiver to be nocked on the string or in preparation for a shot or which falls from the string during a controlled letdown. A dropped arrow may be re-shot.
13. Scorecards must be signed as correct by the scorekeeper and the archer. Once submitted, a scorecard cannot be retrieved for purposes of changing totals. An archer who has signed and submitted a scorecard as correct which has incorrect total(s) may be disqualified.